Background
Parks are key community assets for physical activity, but some evidence suggests these resources are not equitably distributed.
Purpose
This study examined disparities by income and ...race/ethnicity in the availability, features, and quality of parks across Kansas City, Missouri.
Methods
All parks and census tracts (CTs) were mapped using geographical information systems, and park features and quality were determined via audits. Multivariate analyses of covariance analyzed differences in park availability, features, and quality across low-, medium-, and high-income and race/ethnicity CT tertiles.
Results
Low-income CTs contained significantly more parks, but also had fewer parks with playgrounds and more quality concerns per park. High minority CTs had more parks with basketball courts, but fewer parks with trails. Medium-income CTs contained more aesthetic features per park.
Conclusions
Future research should examine policies that contribute to and that might rectify disparities in park features and quality, especially in low-income and high minority areas.
BACKGROUND: Parks are valuable resources for physical activity (PA) given their widespread availability and low cost to maintain and use. Both proximity to parks and the availability of particular ...features are important correlates of PA. However, few studies have explored multiple measures of proximity simultaneously or the specific facilities associated with park use and park-based PA among adults, let alone differences across socio-demographic characteristics. The purpose of this study was to examine associations between park proximity and park facilities and adults’ park use and park-based PA, while also exploring differences by gender, age, race, and income. METHODS: Data on monthly park use and weekly amount of PA undertaken in parks were collected via a mail survey of adults from randomly-selected households (n = 893) in Kansas City, Missouri (KCMO) in 2010–2011. Three measures of park proximity were calculated within 1 mile of participating households: distance to the closest park, number of parks, and total park area. All parks in KCMO were audited using the Community Park Audit Tool to determine the availability of 14 park facilities within 1 mile of each participant (e.g., trail, playground, tennis court). Multilevel logistic regression was used to examine the relationship between each of park use and park-based PA and 1) three measures of park proximity, and 2) the availability of 14 park facilities within 1 mile of participants. Separate analyses were conducted by gender, age, race, and income, while controlling for all socio-demographic characteristics and BMI. RESULTS: Across all sub-samples, distance to the closest park was not significantly related to either park use or park-based PA. However, numerous significant associations were found for the relationship of number of parks and amount of park space within 1 mile with both outcomes. As well, diverse facilities were associated with park use and park-based PA. For both park proximity and facilities, the significant relationships varied widely across gender, age, race, and income groups. CONCLUSIONS: Both park proximity and park facilities are related to park use and park-based PA. Understanding how such associations vary across demographic groups is important in planning for activity-friendly parks that are responsive to the needs of neighborhood residents.
Background Parks are valuable community resources, and auditing park environments is important for understanding their influence on physical activity and health. However, few tools exist that engage ...citizens in this process. Purpose The purpose of this study was to develop a user-friendly tool that would enable diverse stakeholders to quickly and reliably audit community parks for their potential to promote physical activity. A secondary aim was to examine community stakeholders' reactions to the process of developing and using the new tool. Methods The study employed a sequential, multiphase process including three workshops and field testing to ensure the new instrument was the product of input and feedback from a variety of potential stakeholders and was psychometrically sound. All study stages, including data collection and analysis, occurred in 2010. Results Stakeholder recommendations were combined with reviews of existing instruments to create the new Community Park Audit Tool (CPAT). The CPAT contains four sections titled Park Information, Access and Surrounding Neighborhood, Park Activity Areas, and Park Quality and Safety. Inter-rater analyses demonstrated strong reliability for the vast majority of the items in the tool. Further, stakeholders reported a range of positive reactions resulting from their engagement in the project. Conclusions The CPAT provides a reliable and user-friendly means of auditing parks for their potential to promote physical activity. Future use of the CPAT can facilitate greater engagement of diverse groups in evaluating and advocating for improved parks and overall healthy community design.
The mental health benefits of physical activity are well-established. Integrating physical activity counseling into therapy would expand the reach of this evidence-based treatment for mental illness. ...This mixed methods study examined mental health clients' receptiveness and recommendations for effectively discussing physical activity in therapy.
A diverse sample of U.S. adults in therapy (
= 478) completed a survey that included the open-ended question:
We conducted a qualitative content analysis to identify their most common recommendations.
Most participants indicated they would be comfortable discussing physical activity with their therapist. The content analysis resulted in 26 unique categories; most common recommendations included: provide information about what to do (
= 81), discuss physical activity benefits (
= 63), be understanding and nonjudgmental (
= 49), provide accountability (
= 41), and consider physical/mental health conditions (
= 35). Overarching themes emphasized making mental health central to discussions, tailoring discussions to each client, and reframing physical activity as a feasible, enjoyable activity.
Mental health clients are open to discussing physical activity during therapy if it is approached in a supportive, understanding, and personalized way. Clients' recommendations can inform future professional development for therapists.
•Numerous studies examined youth physical activity (PA) during the COVID-19 pandemic.•Overall decreases in youth PA were seen during the first 1.5 years of the pandemic.•There were differences in PA ...by sub-populations (e.g., age, sex/gender)•There were also differences in PA by location/type (e.g., outdoor, play)•Programming and policy should focus on evolving PA promotion for youth.
The purpose of the systematic review was to identify, evaluate, and synthesize evidence from available published literature examining the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on youth physical activity (PA). A systematic review of the literature was conducted for years 2020–2021. Published articles were searched in eight databases. Inclusion criteria included: availability of full-text, written in English language, and reported quantitative or qualitative results of original or secondary data on PA and COVID-19 related factors among youth (ages 5–17 years). A standard quality assessment tool assessed risk of bias and quality of included articles. The search retrieved 2,899 articles with 51 articles ultimately meeting inclusion criteria. The majority of articles (65 %) investigated change in PA from before to during the pandemic. Most evidence indicated an overall decrease in youth PA levels during the pandemic with differences observed among sub-populations (e.g., age, sex or gender), type, and location. Findings suggest pandemic-related closures hindered PA participation due to a high reliance on school- and sport-based PA. Programmatic strategies (e.g., activity breaks, active curriculum, free online activities/lessons) should include aligning intervention measures and geared towards evolving and ongoing PA promotion based on the latest findings.
Abstract This study explored youths
'
experiences and perceptions about community engagement as a result of participating in a community-based data collection project using paper and mobile ...technology park environmental audit tools. In July 2014, youth (ages 11
–
18, n = 50) were recruited to participate in nine focus groups after auditing two parks each using paper, electronic, or both versions of the Community Park Audit Tool in Greenville County, SC. The focus groups explored the youths
'
experiences participating in the project, changes as a result of participation, suggested uses of park audit data collected, and who should use the tools. Four themes emerged related to youths
'
project participation experiences: two positive (fun and new experiences) and two negative (uncomfortable/unsafe and travel issues). Changes described as a result of participating in the project fell into four themes: increased awareness, motivation for further action, physical activity benefits, and no change. Additionally, youth had numerous suggestions for utilizing the data collected that were coded into six themes: maintenance & aesthetics, feature/amenity addition, online park information, park rating/review system, fundraising, and organizing community projects. Finally, six themes emerged regarding who the youth felt could use the tools: frequent park visitors, community groups/organizations, parks and recreation professionals, adults, youth, and everyone. This study revealed a wealth of information about youth experiences conducting park audits for community health promotion. Understanding youth attitudes and preferences can help advance youth empowerment and civic engagement efforts to promote individual and community health.
Efforts aimed at health care reform and continued advances in information technologies have prompted interest among providers and researchers in patient web portals. Patient web portals are ...password-protected online websites that offer the patients 24-hour access to personal health information from anywhere with an Internet connection.
This article, which is based upon bibliographic searches in PubMed, reviews important developments in web portals for primary and secondary disease prevention, including patient web portals tethered to electronic medical records, disease-specific portals, health disparities, and health-related community web portals.
Although findings have not been uniformly positive, several studies of the effectiveness of health care system patient portals in chronic disease management have shown promising results with regard to patient outcomes. Patient web portals have also shown promising results in increasing adherence with screening recommendations. Racial and ethnic minorities, younger persons, and patients who are less educated or have lower health literacy have been found to be less likely to use patient portals.
Additional studies are needed of the utility and effectiveness of different elements of web portals for different patient populations. This should include additional diseases and health topics such as smoking cessation and weight management.
Background
Regular participation in strength training significantly enhances older adults’ physical and functional health, yet only 14% of adults over age 50 report engaging in strength training at ...least twice per week. Exercise messages about why and how older adults should engage in strength training could influence their perceptions of and participation in the behavior. This study was designed to promote strength training among adults aged 50–70 and to determine whether the message frame accompanying a brief workout would have an impact on participants’ motivation, self-efficacy, and/or physical activity behavior.
Methods
Participants (
N
= 308) were randomly assigned to one of four message conditions: Easy Intrinsic, Hard Intrinsic, Easy Extrinsic, or Hard Extrinsic. Immediately after completing baseline measures of motivation and physical activity, participants received the recommended strength training workout and corresponding motivational message. They completed follow-up measures of motivation and physical activity 2 weeks later.
Results
Controlled regulation was higher at follow-up among participants exposed to an extrinsic message relative to an intrinsic message (
F
(3,208) = 3.08,
p
= .03). Strength training (
Z
= − 5.95,
p
< .001) and moderate physical activity (
Z
= − 3.23,
p
= .001) increased among participants not engaging in regular strength training at baseline.
Conclusions
These results suggest message framing may have a short-term impact on Baby Boomers’ physical activity motivation, such that emphasizing extrinsic goals (i.e., weight loss and appearance) may contribute to controlled motivation. However, repeated measurements are needed to determine the longer-term maintenance and influence of these effects.
Abstract Objective A lack of comprehensive and standardized metrics for measuring park exposure limits park-related research and health promotion efforts. This study aimed to develop and demonstrate ...an empirically-derived and spatially-represented index of park access (ParkIndex) that would allow researchers, planners, and citizens to evaluate the potential for park use for a given area. Methods Data used for developing ParkIndex were collected in 2010 in Kansas City, Missouri (KCMO). Adult study participants ( n = 891) reported whether they used a park within the past month, and all parks in KCMO were mapped and audited using ArcGIS 9.3 and the Community Park Audit Tool. Results Four park summary variables — distance to nearest park, the number of parks, amount of park space, and average park quality index within 1 mile were analyzed in relation to park use using logistic regression. Coefficients for significant park summary variables were used to create a raster surface (ParkIndex) representing the probability of park use for all 100 m × 100 m cells in KCMO. Two park summary variables were positively associated with park use — the number of parks and the average park quality index within 1 mile. The ParkIndex probability of park use across all cells in KCMO ranged from 17 to 77 out of 100. Conclusion ParkIndex represents a standardized metric of park access that combines elements of both park availability and quality, which was developed empirically, and can be represented spatially. This tool has both practical and conceptual significance for researchers and professionals in diverse disciplines.
Background
Parks are important resources for physical activity (PA), yet few studies have examined how perceptions of park characteristics relate to PA and health.
Purpose
This study investigated ...associations between perceptions of neighborhood park quality and overall moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA), park-based PA, and body mass index (BMI).
Methods
Data were collected via questionnaire from 893 households in Kansas City, Missouri.
Results
The newly developed neighborhood park quality scale demonstrated good test–retest and internal reliability. Residents’ perceptions of neighborhood park quality were related to PA and health outcomes. Perceiving parks as a benefit was positively related to overall MVPA and park-based PA and negatively related to BMI. Perceptions of well-used parks were positively related to BMI, while perceived cleanliness was negatively related to park-based PA.
Conclusions
Better measuring and understanding how perceptions of local parks are associated with PA and health can improve appreciation of how parks facilitate active living.
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