University of North Carolina Study Finds Play Equipment in Childcare Facilities Increases Children's Activity Levels
This study analyzed the relationship between childcare environments, including the presence of play equipment, and the levels of children's physical activity. Read the entire study.

Rand Study Finds Close-Knit Neighborhoods May Help Prevent Children From Becoming Overweight
The RAND study analyzed responses collected from about 3,000 households participating in the Los Angeles Family and Neighborhoods Survey (LAFANS). These findings suggest that providing more social support to children at the neighborhood level, which was more common in the past, is a potentially successful strategy for reducing the incidence of obesity in young people in the future. Read the entire study.

2003 Gallup Study Results on Playground Use in the U.S.
Commissioned by KaBOOM! and The Home Depot, this survey of playground use was the first of its kind. It randomly surveyed 1200 individuals nationwide on playground access, use, maintenance and citizen perceptions about the importance of play. Less than half reported having a playground within walking distance of their homes. Read the entire study.

2002 Harris Interactive Survey
On behalf of KaBOOM! and funded in part by The Home Depot, this 2002 study of American households incorporated questions about playground use and access; out of a regionally representative sample of 1,004 Americans, 34 percent reported that children in their neighborhoods lack access to a playground. Read the entire study.

Annie E. Casey Foundation: KIDS COUNT Data Book Online
KIDS COUNT is a national effort to assess the status of children in the United States. Their annual data book, available free for download or ordering, indexes child well-being in each state using education, health, and economic data. Download the Free Data Book by visiting http://www.kidscount.org/sld/databook.jsp.