Abstract
Concerns have been raised that parental restriction on children's independent mobility negatively affects the mental and physical development of the children. This study aims to identify the effects of parental restriction on children's outdoor independent activities. From a questionnaire survey of 464 children and 359 parents in an elementary school in Tsukuba City, we found the following results. a) Parental restriction on children's outdoor activities was composed of three types of restrictions: restrictions of children's daily activities, shopping store visits, and visits to faraway areas. b) Parental restriction reduced the number of types, playmates and, places of children's outdoor play. c) The degree of parental restriction was affected by perceived danger of children's playgrounds and social relationships to neighbors. In conclusion, we discuss the role of the personal safety in town planning in balancing children's independent mobility and their safety.
