The Relationships between Park Quality, Park Usage, and Levels of Physical Activity in Low-Income, African American Neighborhoods

Parks can be an important, low-cost neighborhood resource to increase physical activity and reduce overweight and obesity. The quality of parks, however, may impact use. This study used observational data to examine the relationships between park quality, park usage and levels of physical activity among users in 31 parks within low-income, African American neighborhoods. Relationships between park use and park characteristics (signs of disorder, attractiveness, and number of activity settings) varied by gender and user activity level. No variables of interest were significant for overall number of male users; whereas, disorder and attractiveness were significant for overall number of female users. Parks with signs of disorder were associated with 49% fewer female users (IRR = 0.51, 95% CI = (0.34–0.77)) and attractive parks with 146% more female users (IRR = 2.46, 95% CI = (1.39–4.33)). Similar significant relationships were found among active but not sedentary female users. Communities may consider increasing park maintenance and addressing attractiveness in existing parks as a relatively low-cost environmental strategy to encourage park use, increase physical activity, and reduce the burden of obesity, especially among women in low-income, African-American communities.

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A longitudinal examination of improved access on park use and physical activity in a low-income and majority African American neighborhood park

Preventive Medicine ◽

10.1016/j.ypmed.2016.08.036 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 95 ◽

pp. S95-S100 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

Courtney L. Schultz ◽

Sonja A. Wilhelm Stanis ◽

Stephen P. Sayers ◽

Lori A. Thombs ◽

Ian M. Thomas

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

African American ◽

Low Income ◽

Park Use ◽

Longitudinal Examination

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Overweight and Obesity Epidemic in Developing Countries: A Problem with Diet, Physical Activity, or Socioeconomic Status?

The Scientific World JOURNAL ◽

10.1155/2014/964236 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 2014 ◽

pp. 1-7 ◽

Cited By ~ 162

Author(s):

Trishnee Bhurosy ◽

Rajesh Jeewon

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Low Income ◽

World Health Organisation ◽

Developed Countries ◽

Obese Individual ◽

Developing Nations ◽

Overweight And Obesity ◽

Activity Level ◽

World Health ◽

Health Concern

Obesity is a significant public health concern affecting more than half a billion people worldwide. Obesity rise is not only limited to developed countries, but to developing nations as well. This paper aims to compare the mean body mass index trends in the World Health Organisation- (WHO-) categorised regions since 1980 to 2008 and secondly to appraise how socioeconomic disparities can lead to differences in obesity and physical activity level across developing nations. Taking into account past and current BMI trends, it is anticipated that obesity will continue to take a significant ascent, as observed by the sharp increase from 1999 to 2008. Gender differences in BMI will continue to be as apparent, that is, women showing a higher BMI trend than men. In the coming years, the maximum mean BMI in more developed countries might be exceeded by those in less developed ones. Rather than focusing on obesity at the individual level, the immediate environment of the obese individual to broader socioeconomic contexts should be targeted. Most importantly, incentives at several organisational levels, the media, and educational institutions along with changes in food policies will need to be provided to low-income populations.

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Walking in a winter wonderland? an assessment of winter maintenance and physical activity features in Smythe Park, Toronto

10.32920/ryerson.14653314 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Maria Bianchi

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Low Income ◽

Strong Influence ◽

Assessment Tool ◽

Activity Levels ◽

Winter Maintenance ◽

Park Use ◽

Dog Walking ◽

Physical Activity Levels ◽

Park Quality

Objective. To determine how the features, conditions, and maintenance of a low-income park affect the use of the park for physical activity during the winter months. Method. Direct observation of park use; assessment of park quality based on a developed assessment tool; and supplementary surveys with park users. Results. The park lacked winter park features (e.g. ice rink, tobogganing hill) and supporting amenities (e.g. washrooms, rental facilities). There was evidence of winter maintenance, however, it was inconsistent: most trails were cleared of snow on all visits, but large ice patches were present and had not been cleared. The park was used primarily for walking and dog walking, although respondents noted that the lack of maintenance in the park affected if they used it for physical activity. Conclusion. Winter maintenance of parks and the presence of winter features affect park use, with snow removal, ice removal, and the presence of bathrooms having a strong influence on physical activity levels in the winter months. Park planners should consider year-round maintenance and programming in order to promote engagement in physical activity during all seasons.

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Program Obesity Zero (POZ) – a community-based intervention to address overweight primary-school children from five Portuguese municipalities

Public Health Nutrition ◽

10.1017/s1368980013000244 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 16 (6) ◽

pp. 1043-1051 ◽

Cited By ~ 18

Author(s):

Ana Isabel Rito ◽

Maria Ana Carvalho ◽

Carlos Ramos ◽

João Breda

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Childhood Obesity ◽

Waist Circumference ◽

Primary School ◽

School Children ◽

Low Income ◽

Overweight And Obesity ◽

Activity Level ◽

Primary School Children ◽

Nutrition And Physical Activity

AbstractObjectiveResults of the WHO European Childhood Obesity Surveillance Initiative indicated that on average one out of four primary-school children is overweight or obese. Portugal presented one of the highest prevalences of obesity. Childhood obesity prevention and treatment should be a top priority. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effectiveness of Program Obesity Zero (POZ), a multi-component, community-, family- and school-based childhood obesity intervention.DesignParents and children attended four individual nutrition and physical activity counselling sessions, a one-day healthy cooking workshop and two school extracurricular sessions of nutrition education. Waist circumference, BMI, physical activity level, sedentary behaviours, and nutrition and physical activity knowledge, attitudes and behaviour were assessed at baseline and after 6 months. Diet was assessed using two 24 h recalls, at baseline and at 6 months.SettingFive Portuguese municipalities and local communities.SubjectsTwo hundred and sixty-six overweight children (BMI ≥ 85th percentile) aged 6–10 years, from low-income families in five Portuguese municipalities, were assigned to the intervention.ResultsChildren showed reductions in waist circumference (−2·0 cm; P < 0·0001), mean BMI (−0·7 kg/m2; P < 0·0001) and BMI-for-age percentile (−1·7; P < 0·0001) at 6 months. Overall, children's intake of fruit and vegetables was <400 g/d throughout the intervention. After 6 months, higher fibre consumption and an apparent decrease in sugary soft drinks intake to a quarter of that observed at baseline (mean intake: 198 ml/d at baseline), with improvements in physical activity levels and screen time <2 h/d, were also observed.ConclusionsThe findings suggested that POZ is a promising intervention programme, at municipality level, to tackle childhood overweight and obesity.

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Walking in a winter wonderland? an assessment of winter maintenance and physical activity features in Smythe Park, Toronto

10.32920/ryerson.14653314.v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Maria Bianchi

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Low Income ◽

Strong Influence ◽

Assessment Tool ◽

Activity Levels ◽

Winter Maintenance ◽

Park Use ◽

Dog Walking ◽

Physical Activity Levels ◽

Park Quality

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Evaluation of a Low-Cost Commercial Actigraph and Its Potential Use in Detecting Cultural Variations in Physical Activity and Sleep

Sensors ◽

10.3390/s21113774 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (11) ◽

pp. 3774

Author(s):

Pavlos Topalidis ◽

Cristina Florea ◽

Esther-Sevil Eigl ◽

Anton Kurapov ◽

Carlos Alberto Beltran Leon ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Low Income ◽

Large Scale ◽

Low Cost ◽

Low Income Countries ◽

Time Data ◽

Cultural Variations ◽

Step Counts ◽

Scale Step ◽

Potential Use

The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the performance of a low-cost commercial smartwatch, the Xiaomi Mi Band (MB), in extracting physical activity and sleep-related measures and show its potential use in addressing questions that require large-scale real-time data and/or intercultural data including low-income countries. We evaluated physical activity and sleep-related measures and discussed the potential application of such devices for large-scale step and sleep data acquisition. To that end, we conducted two separate studies. In Study 1, we evaluated the performance of MB by comparing it to the GT3X (ActiGraph, wGT3X-BT), a scientific actigraph used in research, as well as subjective sleep reports. In Study 2, we distributed the MB across four countries (Austria, Germany, Cuba, and Ukraine) and investigated physical activity and sleep among these countries. The results of Study 1 indicated that MB step counts correlated highly with the scientific GT3X device, but did display biases. In addition, the MB-derived wake-up and total-sleep-times showed high agreement with subjective reports, but partly deviated from GT3X predictions. Study 2 revealed similar MB step counts across countries, but significant later wake-up and bedtimes for Ukraine than the other countries. We hope that our studies will stimulate future large-scale sensor-based physical activity and sleep research studies, including various cultures.

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Body composition outcomes of Healthy Fit and the role of acculturation among low-income Hispanics on the US-Mexico border

BMC Public Health ◽

10.1186/s12889-021-11015-0 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Diane I. Lopez ◽

Lauren Chacon ◽

Denise Vasquez ◽

Louis D. Brown

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Body Composition ◽

Nutrition Education ◽

Low Income ◽

Vegetable Consumption ◽

Overweight And Obesity ◽

Foreign Born ◽

Exercise Interventions ◽

Mexico Border

Abstract Background Hispanic immigrants continue to experience higher rates of overweight and obesity compared to their non-Hispanic counterparts. Acculturation may contribute to unhealthy weight gain among immigrant populations by shifting dietary patterns from high fruit and vegetable consumption to unhealthier high fat diets. Healthy Fit, a culturally tailored community health worker (CHW) intervention, aims to reduce obesity related outcomes by providing physical activity and nutrition education and resources in a low-income Hispanic population. This study aims to evaluate outcomes of Healthy Fit participants and examine changes in body composition in relation to level of acculturation at baseline and follow-up. Method In this longitudinal observational study, CHWs recruited 514 participants from community events and agencies serving low-income Hispanic populations in El Paso, Texas from 2015 to 2016. Following an in-person health screening, eligible participants received nutrition and physical activity education guided by fotonovelas, comic-like educational books. Telephone follow-ups made at 1, 3, and 6 months by CHWs encouraged follow-through on referrals. 288 participants completed the screening again during the 12-month follow-up. Results The sample was predominantly Hispanic (96%), female (82%), uninsured (79%), had a household income of less than $19,999 (70%), foreign-born (79%), preferred Spanish (86%) and few rated themselves as good or excellent for English proficiency (27%). Overall, Healthy Fit participants significantly improved (i.e., decreased) BFP by 0.71% (t = 2.47, p = 0.01) but not BMI (b = .01, t = − 0.14, p = .89). Contrary to expectations, acculturation was not associated with lower BMI (b = 0.09, p = 0.84) or BFP (b = 0.13, p = 0.85) at baseline. However, acculturation predicted changes in both BMI (b = 0.30, p = 0.03) and BFP (b = 1.33, p = 0 .01) from baseline to follow-up. Specifically, the low acculturation group improved in body composition measures over time and the high acculturation group did not improve in either measure. Conclusion Findings suggest Healthy Fit was most effective among less acculturated individuals. The influence of acculturation on the efficacy of nutrition and exercise interventions suggests that Hispanics should not be treated as a homogenous subgroup.

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PHYSICAL ACTIVITY LEVEL AND ENERGY EXPENDITURE ASSESSED BY ACCELEROMETRY IN 60Y+ BRAZILIAN SUBJECTS

Revista Brasileira de Medicina do Esporte ◽

10.1590/1517-869220192502185134 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 25 (2) ◽

pp. 116-120

Author(s):

Luiz Antonio dos Anjos ◽

Bruna de Andrade Messias da Silva ◽

Vivian Wahrlich

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Energy Expenditure ◽

Physical Activity Level ◽

Overweight And Obesity ◽

Activity Level ◽

Convenience Sample ◽

Physical Activity Recommendations ◽

Physical Activity Programs ◽

Sedentary Activities ◽

Activity Recommendations

ABSTRACT Objective: To assess the physical activity level (PAL) and the total daily energy expenditure (EE-TDEE) in a sample of ≥60y subjects from Niterói, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Methods: A convenience sample of 88 subjects recruited from recreational physical activity programs wore an accelerometer around the waist for seven consecutive days for at least 10h/day. Minute-by-minute EE was estimated from the counts per minute (CPM) data, and the daily sum yielded the TDEE. PAL (TDEE/BMR) with BMR calculated with the FAO/WHO predictive equation and a population-specific equation. Body composition was assessed by DXA. Results: Mean age (SD) was 69.2 (5.8) years, the prevalence of overweight and obesity was 36.4 and 25.0%, respectively, and excess body fat was 39.8%. The subjects spent 600min/day engaged in sedentary activities (CPM<100). Men engaged in 30min of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (CPM≥1,952) daily, on average. The subjects were active on 34.5 and 18.0% of the weekdays and weekend days with a 1,400 steps/day difference between these days. TDEE was 1,731.5 (348.7) and 1,356.3 (223.7) kcal/day depending on the BMR prediction equation used. Mean PAL was lower than the maintenance level. Conclusions: The high prevalence of sedentary activities and the low percentage of subjects who met the physical activity recommendations indicate that physical activity programs must be adjusted so that the enrolled subjects can meet the physical activity recommendations, preferably with the activities objectively monitored. Population-specific equations improve the final estimation of TDEE and PAL. Level of Evidence I; Diagnostic studies - Investigating a diagnostic test.

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Attitudes About Perceived Park Safety Among Residents in Low-Income and High Minority Kansas City, Missouri, Neighborhoods

Environment and Behavior ◽

10.1177/0013916518814291 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 52 (6) ◽

pp. 639-665 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Lisa Groshong ◽

Sonja A. Wilhelm Stanis ◽

Andrew T. Kaczynski ◽

J. Aaron Hipp

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Social Interactions ◽

Low Income ◽

Urban Areas ◽

Kansas City ◽

Outdoor Recreation ◽

Green Space ◽

Park Use ◽

Structural Environment ◽

Safety Constraints

Parks benefit communities by supporting the physical, mental, and social health of their residents. This is especially important in urban areas, where parks provide essential access to green space, and especially among low-income populations who may lack alternative venues for outdoor recreation. However, although urban parks may ostensibly be accessible, their use can be influenced by factors including perceptions and realities of safety. This qualitative study explored the issue of safety as it relates to park use and park-based physical activity from six focus groups with 41 total participants in urban Kansas City, Missouri. As a facilitator to safety, participants described social interactions and structural environment factors. Safety constraints emerged along five main themes: violence, concerning behavior, lack of maintenance, lack of lighting, and traffic/busy roads. This study adds to the literature establishing safety as a complex and multidimensional factor influencing park usage and physical activity.

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