Parental tolerance of risk and associations to adventurous play in British preschool-aged children

Abstract

Objective Adventurous (risky) play may support children's development, but involves injury risk. Parental risk tolerance likely impacts children's play, yet evidence in early childhood is limited. We aimed to examine associations between parental risk tolerance (injury protection, risk engagement, risk tolerance) and adventurous play among British preschoolers. Methods Data were from British Preschool Play Survey (February 2023), a nationally representative cross-sectional survey of parents of 2–4-year-olds. Risk tolerance was measured using Risk Engagement and Protection Survey (REPS) and Tolerance of Risk in Play Scale (TRiPS), generating three exposure variables: parental risk engagement (REPS-RE), injury protection (REPS-IP) and risk tolerance (TRiPS). The outcome – hours of adventurous play/week - was derived from Children's Play Scale. Associations were assessed with multivariable linear regressions adjusting for confounders; interactions with child gender were tested. Results Caregivers of 1166 children provided valid data. Parental risk engagement (β = 0.68, 95 % CI:0.47,0.89) and risk tolerance (β = 0.07, 95 % CI:0.04,0.10) were positively associated with hours/week of adventurous play. Injury protection was not significantly associated. No interactions were identified. Conclusion Supporting parents to navigate child risk is crucial when promoting adventurous play. Interventions are warranted to strengthen parental confidence whilst balancing protection, to allow child exploration and healthy development.