Physical Activity Experiences of People with Multiple Sclerosis during the COVID-19 Pandemic

During the COVID-19 pandemic, government and health officials introduced measures such as social distancing and facility closures that amplified barriers to physical activity. Certain groups, including people with multiple sclerosis (MS), have been underserved during the pandemic. In this qualitative study we aimed to: (1) explore the physical activity experiences of people with MS during the COVID-19 pandemic; (2) identify the facilitators and barriers to physical activity during COVID-19 for people with MS; and (3) make recommendations for inclusive physical activity policy and programming. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 11 adults (9 women) with MS during January and February 2021. Following an inductive thematic analysis, three themes were developed: (1) changing opportunities and adapting to new opportunities; (2) social isolation and physical activity; and (3) adapting physical activity to stay safe from COVID-19. Common facilitators identified included having knowledge and resources to adapt activities, social connections, and access to outdoor recreation opportunities. Identified barriers included fear and anxiety related to the spread of the virus, a loss of in-person activity options, and the closure of physical activity spaces. Online and at-home opportunities for physical activity were a valued and accessible way to address barriers to physical activity for people with MS, and should be maintained post-pandemic while considering flexibility to accommodate variable support needs.

THE CONTRIBUTION OF TEMPORARY ASSEMBLAGE TOWARDS SENSE OF PLACE: A STUDY IN ALUTH NUWARA SACRED AREA, SRI LANKA

‘Sense of place’ is a complex phenomenon emerging from the associations of the inhabitants, the values they attribute on the built environment, and the manner in which they behave in that place. Every built environment gets its form and character out of a composite of both the permanent structures and temporary assemblage. This is mostly evident in living sacred built environments where impermanent and ‘supposed to be non-lasting’ structures assembled for temporal benefits, amidst formally arranged permanent spaces, play a significant role in making them functional places. However, the existence of temporary physical assemblage has throughout been considered as ‘problematic’ in formal institutional planning, in spite of the utility, character and the sense of place that they add to day-to-day lived-in environments. In a context, where the available studies are limited, this paper discusses on these temporary interventions and their impact in experiencing of places, in-order to widen the awareness and in-depth understanding of planners, urban designers and the authorities, who are responsible for the making of sustainable built environments. The paper first presents a review of the existing literature in order to identify a suitable theoretical framework to study the impacts of temporal assemblage on sense of place. Second, employing the conceptual framework profound in ‘Bennett’s six triads’, it presents the study on the mutual transactive relationships between the activity spaces and the behavior patterns of the inhabitants, as observed by the authors, in Aluth Nuwara Devala sacred area in Sri Lanka. It emphasizes the manner in which the temporary assemblage, within the formal built environment, impacts the settings, values and the behaviors of the inhabitants and thereby form the sense of place. The study highlights that temporary assemblage adds sense to places not only by their presence but also by changing people’s behaviors.

Landscape management strategy of pekarangan to increase community immunity during the covid-19 pandemic in Java Indonesia – inductive research

The research results in the last two decades show the important role of pekarangan as a micro-scale landscape unit in providing space for growing various types of plants, i.e., multi-layers from the grasses to the trees, livestock, and fish. Pekarangan is defined with distinctive spatial patterns and elements as a representation of the harmonious relationship between the owner and the ecological character. Perceptions and preferences based on different social, cultural, and environmental factors shape the pekarangan pattern and function to become more diverse as a form of community local wisdom. The important role of pekarangan needs to be deeper elaborated in efforts to increase community immunity during the Covid-19 pandemic. Pekarangan has great potential to be developed as a mitigation and rehabilitation space by providing a variety of medicinal plants as well as outdoor activity spaces with a healthy environment quality. This research was designed for three years with three main approaches: (1) inductive method, which focuses on building theory from practices that have been known and carried out for generations, (2) implementation as an effort to actualize local knowledge, (3) multiplicative for the benefit of the important value of pekarangan. Studies start from basic research of pekarangan; research on the development of spatial planning and elements forming pekarangan; research on nutritional content contributed from pekarangan products. Data were obtained through pekarangan mapping, structured questionnaires at four selected locations in Cisadane, Citarum, Kali Progo, and Brantas Watersheds. The results of this research are expected to be implemented in public spaces on a meso scale and macro scales.

Maternal Perceptions of Physical Activity Spaces for Children in Texas Border colonias

This study examined differences in mother-reported physical activity (PA) and screen time (ST) based on child sex and mothers’ perceptions of PA resources for Mexican-heritage (MH) children residing in Texas-Mexico border colonias. Mothers with children 8 to 10 years old ( n = 335) from colonias in south Texas reported if there were places for their child to be physically active and their child’s hours of PA and ST per day during the week and weekend. Two-way ANCOVAs examined differences in child PA and ST based on presence of PA places and child sex. Only 46.0% of mothers ( n = 159) reported places for their child to be physically active; with no significant difference based on sex. Mothers’ perceptions of a place to play was differentially beneficial for girls’ weekday PA and ST. Findings suggest a need to increase perceived and/or actual access to PA places in colonias communities, particularly for girls.

Infectiousness of places: The impact of human settlement and activity space in the transmission of COVID-19

Places are fundamental factors in the spread of epidemics, as they are where people agglomerate and interact. This paper explores how different types of places—activity spaces at micro-level and human settlements at macro-level—impact the transmission of infections using evidences from COVID-19. We examine eleven types of activity spaces and find heterogeneous impacts across countries, yet we also find that non-essential activity spaces tend to have larger impacts than essential ones. Contrary to common beliefs, settlement size and density are not positively associated with reproduction numbers. Further, the impacts of closing activity spaces vary with settlement types and are consistently lower in larger settlements in all sample countries, suggesting more complex pattern of virus transmission in large settlements. This work takes first steps in systematically evaluating the epistemological risks of places at multiple scales, which contributes to knowledge in urban resilience, health and livability.TeaserActivity spaces and human settlement characteristics impact the spread of epidemics in multiple ways and should be considered in policy making.