Park Use and Physical Activity Among Mostly Low-to-Middle Income, Minority Parents and Their Children

2017 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 83-87 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna E. Greer ◽  
Brianna Castrogivanni ◽  
Richard Marcello
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Geographical Information Systems ◽  
Leisure Time ◽  
Objective Assessment ◽  
Ethnically Diverse ◽  
Geographical Information ◽  
Audit Tool ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Park Use ◽  
Home Address

Background:Limited research has examined park use and physical activity among economically and ethnically diverse families. This study fills that gap.Methods:Parents (n = 326) completed a questionnaire about their park use (yes/no, parks visited, reasons for nonuse) and physical activity (Godin Leisure Time questionnaire). Geographical Information Systems was used to calculate the distance from respondents’ home address to their nearest park. The number of activity features (eg, playgrounds) in parks was determined objectively using the Community Park Audit Tool.Results:Half of respondents were sufficiently active; 87.6% reported park use in the prior 6 months. Among sufficiently active respondents, 92.4% reported park use (P = .011). We found no difference in park proximity between respondents who did and did not report distance as a park use barrier. An objective assessment confirmed fewer activity features in parks near the homes of respondents reporting few activity features as a barrier to park use. The most often visited parks were significantly larger than the less-often visited parks.Conclusion:Parks might best support physical activity for families when activity features are carefully planned and equitably distributed across parks. Efforts to promote families’ awareness of park locations might be warranted to reduce perceived proximity barriers.

Perceived Barriers to and Benefits of Physical Activity among Black and White Women

1998 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 1-32 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arlene E. Hall
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Leisure Time ◽  
Social Cognitive ◽  
White Women ◽  
Leisure Time Physical Activity ◽  
Physical Activity Participation ◽  
Activity Participation ◽  
Lower Income ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Black And White

This study is an examintion of the effects of race and income on leisure-time physical activity among women (n = 116). Perceived benefits of and barriers to participating in leisure-time physical activity were also compared. A regression model utilizing social cognitive variables was used to explore factors which may predict physical activity participation. No significant differences emerged between the groups regarding the amount of physical activity they reported either by race or socioeconomic status. Time expenditure emerged significantly different by race (p < .001) and income (p < .000); middle-income women reported time as a barrier more than lower-income women and Whites were likelier to report time as a barrier more than Blacks. Middle-income women perceived greater (p < .01) physical performance benefits from exercise than lower-income women. Social interaction, time expenditure, and body mass index were the strongest predictors of physical activity. The data and findings could be useful for increaseing our understanding of economic and racial disparities in physical activity participation and garnish information for use in constructing interven programs.

scholarly journals Study protocol: health survey of Sao Paulo: ISA-Physical Activity and Environment

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Alex Antonio Florindo ◽  
Inaian Pignatti Teixeira ◽  
Ligia Vizeu Barrozo ◽  
Flávia Mori Sarti ◽  
Regina Mara Fisberg ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Built Environment ◽  
Health Survey ◽  
Leisure Time ◽  
Physical Activity Behavior ◽  
Sao Paulo ◽  
São Paulo ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Environment Study

Abstract Background Many studies have investigated the association between the built environment and physical activity behavior in urban settings. However, most of the studies conducted in low- and middle-income countries were cross-sectional, which are limited to identify behavioral determinants. We propose a prospective cohort study to verify the relationship between built environment features and leisure-time and transport-related physical activity in adults from Sao Paulo city, Brazil. Methods Prospective multilevel cohort, denominated “ISA-Physical Activity and Environment”. It will build on the Health Survey of Sao Paulo in 2015 (“Inquérito de Saúde de São Paulo (ISA)” in Portuguese). The Health Survey of Sao Paulo, originally designed as a cross-sectional survey, had a multi-stage sample, covering 150 census tracts distributed in five health administrative areas. Data collection was performed by face-to-face interviews until December 2015 and the sample comprised 4043 individuals aged 12 years or more. The ISA-Physical Activity and Environment study will reassess people who are aged 18 years or more in 2020, including telephone and household interviews. The primary outcome will be leisure-time and transport-related physical activity, assessed through the International Physical Activity Questionnaire long version. Exposure variables will be built environment features in the areas participants live and work in the follow-up. Data analysis will include multivariate multilevel linear and logistic models. We will also conduct cost-effectiveness analysis and develop agent-based models to help inform decision-makers. The study will be conducted by an interdisciplinary research team specialized in physical activity epidemiology, nutritional epidemiology, georeferencing applied to health, statistics, agent-based modeling, public health policy, and health economics. Discussion There are few longitudinal studies on the relationship between the built environment and physical activity behavior in low- and middle-income countries. We believe that the ISA-Physical Activity and Environment study will contribute with important results for the progress of the knowledge in this field and for the implementation of policies that promote leisure-time physical activity and active travel in Sao Paulo and similar cities across the world.

An Observational Assessment of Park-based Physical Activity in Older Adults in Nanchang, China

2019 ◽  
Vol 43 (6) ◽  
pp. 1119-1128
Author(s):  
Justin B. Moore ◽  
Kristyn Schuller ◽  
Angelie Cook ◽  
Yuanan Lu ◽  
Zhaokang Yuan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
United States ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
East Asia ◽  
Healthy Aging ◽  
The United States ◽  
Audit Tool ◽  
Observational Assessment ◽  
Park Use ◽  
Exercise Equipment

Objectives: Parks are more widely used by older adults in East Asia than in the United States. Parks are an important community asset for healthy aging; yet, little is known about park usage and features among older adults in China. Methods: The Community Park Audit Tool and the System for Observing Play and Recreation (SOPARC) were used to assess park features, PA levels and primary activities among 40,469 older adults in Nanchang, China. Results: None of the 8 parks observed had basketball courts or baseball fields and only one had a playground. Results indicated that about half of older adults were active in parks, with women, cooler temperatures, weekdays, and morning hours being related to higher levels of activity. Conclusions: Lessons from the construction of parks in China may be useful in increasing park use in older adults in western countries. Features such as exercise equipment, water features, and small exercise areas were common where western parks are often designed with features for teens and youth including basketball courts, baseball fields, and playgrounds.

scholarly journals Multilevel Correlates of Physical Activity for Early, Mid, and Late Adolescent Girls

2014 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 950-960 ◽  
Author(s):  
Deborah Young ◽  
Brit I. Saksvig ◽  
Tong Tong Wu ◽  
Kathleen Zook ◽  
Xia Li ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Adolescent Girls ◽  
Geographical Information Systems ◽  
Vigorous Physical Activity ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Geographical Information ◽  
School Level ◽  
Late Adolescent ◽  
8Th Grade ◽  
11Th Grade

Background:We examined associations among multilevel variables and girls’ physical activity to determine whether they vary at different adolescent ages.Methods:All field sites of the Trial of Activity for Adolescent Girls contributed participants from 6th (n = 1576) and 8th grades (n = 3085). The Maryland site contributed an 11th grade sample (n = 589). Questionnaires were used to obtain demographic and psychosocial information (individual- and social-level variables); height, weight, and triceps skinfold to assess body composition; interviews and surveys for school-level data; and geographical information systems and self-report for neighborhood-level variables. Moderate to vigorous physical activity minutes (MVPA) were assessed from accelerometers. Mixed models (13 individual, 5 social, 15 school, 12 neighborhood variables) were used to determine multilevel associations.Results:Variables at individual, social, school, and neighborhood levels were associated with MVPA, but differed across grades. Lower percent body fat, higher social support from friends, and lower school math scores were associated with higher MVPA at 6th and 8th grade. Higher physical activity self-efficacy was associated with higher MVPA at 11th grade. Only lower physical activity barriers were associated with higher MVPA at all grades.Conclusion:MVPA is a complex behavior with fluid, multilevel correlates that differ among girls across middle and high school.

Describing Patterns of Physical Activity in Adolescents Using Global Positioning Systems and Accelerometry

2010 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
pp. 392-407 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ralph Maddison ◽  
Yannan Jiang ◽  
Stephen Vander Hoorn ◽  
Daniel Exeter ◽  
Cliona Ni Mhurchu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Home Environment ◽  
Geographical Information Systems ◽  
Vigorous Physical Activity ◽  
Geographical Information ◽  
Accelerometer Data ◽  
Vigorous Activity ◽  
Global Positioning Systems ◽  
Positioning Systems ◽  
Global Positioning

This study aimed to describe the location and intensity of free-living physical activity in New Zealand adolescents during weekdays and weekend days using Global Positioning Systems (GPS), accelerometry, and Geographical Information Systems (GIS). Participants (n = 79) aged 12–17 years (M = 14.5, SD 1.6) recruited from two large metropolitan high schools each wore a GPS watch and an accelerometer for four consecutive days. GPS and accelerometer data were integrated with GIS software to map the main locations of each participant’s episodes of moderate-vigorous physical activity. On average participants performed 74 (SD 36) minutes of moderate and 7.5 (SD 8) minutes of vigorous activity per day, which on weekdays was most likely to occur within a 1 km radius of their school or 150 meters of their home environment. On weekends physical activity patterns were more disparate and took place outside of the home environment. Example maps were generated to display the location of moderate to vigorous activity for weekdays and weekends.

Development and Interrater Reliability of an Observational School Environment Checklist: A Practical, Comprehensive Tool to Assess Healthy Eating and Physical Activity Opportunities in Schools

2021 ◽  
pp. 152483992110145
Author(s):  
Hannah Lane ◽  
Katherine Campbell ◽  
Anne Zhang ◽  
Rachel Deitch ◽  
Aaron Litz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
School Environment ◽  
Objective Assessment ◽  
Audit Tool ◽  
Cohen’S Kappa ◽  
Iterative Development ◽  
Cohen's Kappa ◽  
Physical Activity Environments ◽  
Acceptable Reliability ◽  
Acceptable Agreement

Introduction Comprehensive, objective assessment of schools’ eating and physical activity environments is critical to developing and evaluating policies and interventions to reduce pediatric obesity inequities; however, few tools exist that describe the entire school comprehensively and are feasible with restricted resources. This study describes development and reliability of the observational school environment checklist (OSEC), a comprehensive observational audit tool. Method We developed the OSEC through iterative adaptations of existing instruments and pilot testing. The tool assesses four focus areas: cafeteria, lobby/hallway, gym, and outdoor areas. For reliability testing, two trained auditors independently completed the OSEC and met to resolve disagreements. For items with poor agreement, a third independent coder coded photographs taken during auditing. Percent agreement and Cohen’s kappa were calculated for all items and across four evidence-based constructs: atmosphere, accessibility, attractiveness, and advertising. Results After iterative development, the 88-item OSEC was tested for reliability in 18 schools. Items with poor (<80%) agreement or redundancy were discarded or reworded ( n = 16 items). All four constructs had acceptable agreement, ranging by focus area: 72.3% (attractiveness), 86.3% to 97.1% (atmosphere), 82.9% to 100% (accessibility), and 92.9% (advertising). Cohen’s kappa ranges were acceptable: 0.66–0.91 (atmosphere), 0.60–1.00 (accessibility), 0.46 (attractiveness), and 0.77 (advertising). After adding similar items across domains ( n = 49) to improve comprehensiveness, the final tool contained 121 binary items. Implications The OSEC reliably and comprehensively captures the school environment. It requires few resources or expertise to administer, has acceptable reliability, and can assess atmosphere, accessibility, attractiveness, and advertising in school areas where students engage in eating and physical activity.

scholarly journals Neighborhood Built Environment and Socioeconomic Status are Associated with Active Commuting and Sedentary Behavior, but not with Leisure-Time Physical Activity, in University Students

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (17) ◽  
pp. 3176 ◽  
Author(s):  
Javier Molina-García ◽  
Cristina Menescardi ◽  
Isaac Estevan ◽  
Vladimir Martínez-Bello ◽  
Ana Queralt
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Socioeconomic Status ◽  
Built Environment ◽  
University Students ◽  
Leisure Time ◽  
Mixed Model ◽  
Leisure Time Physical Activity ◽  
Geographical Information ◽  
Active Commuting ◽  
Neighborhood Built Environment

The role of neighborhood characteristics in promoting physical activity and sedentary behaviors (SB) has not been extensively studied in university students. The study purpose was to analyze the associations of neighborhood built environment and neighborhood socioeconomic status (SES) with active commuting, leisure-time physical activity (LTPA), and SB among university students. This is a cross-sectional study of 308 undergraduate students from two urban universities in Valencia, Spain. Participants’ residential neighborhoods were classified according to walkability and SES levels. Walkability was defined as an index of three built environment attributes (i.e., residential density, land-use mix, and street connectivity) based on geographical information system data. Active commuting to and from university (ACU), active commuting in the neighborhood, LTPA, and SB were evaluated through a questionnaire. Mixed model regression analyses were performed. There were no significant SES–walkability interactions for any of the outcomes analyzed. However, university students living in more walkable areas reported two more ACU trips per week compared to those living in less walkable neighborhoods (p < 0.01). University students living in lower-SES neighborhoods reported more ACU trips per week than those living in higher-SES neighborhoods (p < 0.05). Regarding LTPA, there were no significant SES or walkability main effects. Neighborhood SES was negatively related to active commuting in the neighborhood and to time spent in SB (all p < 0.05). Participants living in lower-SES neighborhoods reported more active commuting per week and had the highest average minutes spent in SB. This study highlights the relevance of assessing university’s residential environment when active transportation and SB are analyzed.

Recreation, Parks, and the Public Health Agenda: Developing Collaborative Surveillance Frameworks to Measure Leisure Time Activity and Active Park Use

2007 ◽  
Vol 4 (s1) ◽  
pp. S14-S23 ◽  
Author(s):  
Judy Kruger ◽  
Andrew J. Mowen ◽  
John Librett
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Physical Activity ◽  
Outdoor Recreation ◽  
Leisure Time ◽  
Leisure Time Physical Activity ◽  
Time Activity ◽  
Parks And Recreation ◽  
Park Use ◽  
Health Goals ◽  
Recreation Participation

Background:The purposes of this study were to review surveillance of recreation and park use to determine adaptations for tracking leisure time physical activity and increasing collaboration to achieve public health goals.Methods:Surveillance in public health and parks and recreation and discussions at the 2006 Cooper Institute conference were reviewed.Results:This review suggested four actions to improve collaborative surveillance of leisure time physical activity and active park use. The proposals are to incorporate more detailed measures of leisure time physical activity and active park visits into park surveillance; include key park, recreation, and leisure items in public health surveillance; assess active park visits and leisure time physical activity more frequently; and establish public health physical activity objectives for parks and recreation and outdoor recreation participation.Conclusions:These proposals can facilitate collaboration between public health and parks and recreation and exploration of active park use and outdoor recreation in relation to health.

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