Clinic and park partnerships for childhood resilience: A prospective study of park prescriptions

Pediatricians need community resources for childhood stress. We examined the association of weekly park visits and resilience amongst children receiving a park prescription at a clinic for low-income families. A prospective longitudinal clinical trial was conducted amongst children ages 7–17 at a safety-net primary care clinic with measures at zero, one and three months out. Parents reported their child's park visits per week, baseline ACE score, their own stress (PSS10) and coping; children reported resilience (Brief Resiliency Scale) and stress (PSQ8-11 scale). Enrolled children (N = 54; mean (sd) age 10.3 (2.4) years), had a median (IQR) ACE score of 2 (1, 4). Child resilience improved with each one-day increase in weekly park visits (0.04 points, 95% CI 0.01, 0.08) at every level of ACEs. Child stress partially mediated this relationship. Parks are a community resource for pediatric resilience; park prescriptions may be a way to deal with pediatric stress. •Pediatricians need community resources for childhood resilience; parks are one such potential resource.•54 parents and children ages 7–17 were followed for three months post park prescription.•Resilience improved with each one-day increase in weekly park visits; ACEs, stress, and age were controlled for.•Improvement in childhood stress partially mediates the relationship between parks and resilience.•Park prescriptions are a potential approach to addressing pediatric stress and resilience.