Constraint are a major focus of theoretical and empirical study in leisure research. However, analyses of psychometric properties of constraints measures are rare. This study assessed the factor ...structure and invariance of a leisure constraints measure applied to sport participation among middle school adolescents (ages 11 to 15 years old) using panel data over two time periods nine months apart (N = 2,029). We compared the validity of three baseline models: a theoretical 3-factor model, a 7-factor model, and a second-order factor model. The 7-factor model exhibited a more appropriate measurement model based on fit indices and statistical comparisons. Using the 7-factor model, construct validity and invariance of the model over time (Time 1 and Time 2) was examined by gender, grade level, race/ethnicity, and socioeconomic status. The model was found to be invariant at the factor loading and intercept levels, while there was some evidence of non-invariance at further constrained levels. In general, the 7-factor model appeared to be psychometrically stable and applicable over a range of demographic subgroups, lending evidence to its use as a measure in leisure or sport participation constraint studies that involve socio-demographic comparisons. The findings suggest that while the theoretical structure may be effective in simplifying constraint categories, a more detailed specification using subfactors of the dimensions is better for measurement.
Executive Summary: The connection between the outdoor environment and general well-being has been intuitively recognized for centuries. Recent research has built a body of knowledge supporting the ...role of parks and trails in public health regarding physical, mental, social and ecological health domains. However, different populations and communities use parks and trails in varying ways and to different degrees. Understanding these differences can play an important role in guiding systematic park and trail system planning for maximizing beneficial health outcomes. In light of this, a collaborative process involving the National Park Service (NPS) Rivers, Trails, and Conservation Assistance Program (RTCA) and North Carolina State University (NCSU), with support from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), was used to identify potential health measures associated with public parks and trails that could be used for future surveillance, advocacy, and planning. This literature review is the initial step in the process of recommending measures that are both valid and feasible for practitioner and planning use. A systematic strategy was utilized to search for studies that incorporated measures of health or well-being related to parks and trail system planning. A total of 37 study measures were identified that focused on one of five health categories: physical, psychological, social, ecosystem services, and the built environment. Current practices for allocating parks and trails in the planning process are not based on empirical evidence and may or may not support the goals of public health and well-being that were a large part of the original impetus for providing public parks and trails. The health problems agencies are trying to address are not going away, and may be exacerbated by new ones as cities continue to grow and change. The intent of this study is to identify validated metrics, which link parks and trails to public health goals. The collection of park and trail data related to these public health outcomes could be used to inform policies, practices, guidelines, and other strategies for the allocation and management of parks and trails. Results from this research have four important implications for professionals and advocates in the fields of parks, recreation, trails, greenways, open space, and health: (1) to help make the case for public health goals related to park and trail system planning; (2) guide practitioners in their efforts to provide health-related recreation opportunities; (3) support community recreation and conservation projects; and (4) encourage more productive conversations among planners, advocates, managers, and researchers.
•Provides an empirical investigation of community capacity building through sport.•Strategies were effective at building local skills, knowledge, and social relations.•Redundant social ties hindered ...several community capacity building strategies.•Limited organizational capacity influenced ability to promote community capacity.
Community sport organizations (CSOs) provide valuable contexts for promoting community development. These initiatives are most effective when they involve local stakeholders in the process of development. A key first step to achieving this objective is building community capacity, defined as local stakeholders’ skills, knowledge, and resources that may be leveraged for change. Interestingly, despite this conceptual importance, few researchers have focused on capacity building in the sport context. This has limited the theoretical advancement of community capacity theory as it relates to CSOs and community development. Using a qualitative case study approach, the authors analyze the outcomes and challenges of implementing community capacity building strategies in an American CSO, and draw on the empirical data to contribute to this theoretical conversation. Interviews, participant observation, and document analysis were used to generate data, and deductive techniques were used for thematic analysis. The results highlight the outcomes of the capacity building strategies and challenges associated with implementation. In addition, the conclusion focuses on theoretical contributions to community capacity theory, namely the role of sport in facilitating inter-community relations across social groups and the link with process models of organizational capacity.
To better measure physical activity (PA) in outdoor environments, McKenzie and colleagues developed the System for Observing Play and Recreation in Communities (SOPARC). However, previous SOPARC ...research has focused on adults, seniors, teens and children. One avenue for extending this work is to expand the child age group code to capture important nuances that can influence children's PA and their environments. This study reports on the reliability of a measure designed to account for PA in parks among children in different childhood age groups.
Three groups were developed: 0 to 5-years-old (Young Children); 6 to 12 (Middle Childhood) and 13 to 18 (Older Children) based on Erikson's stages of child development. Data were obtained by direct observation in 3 neighborhood parks in Raleigh, NC and 20 neighborhood parks in Durham, NC.
Kappa coefficients showed high agreement for all age group, gender, and PA codes. For the 3 assessments, the results show that the 3 age group category exhibit acceptable reliability for measuring PA in parks among children.
The reliability of measuring PA among children by segmenting children by 3 age groups was established. This approach is recommended for future studies of PA among children in parks and other outdoor environments.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: As the U.S. becomes more racially and ethnically diverse, the National Park Service (NPS) is challenged to overcome the disparity in visitation between racial and ethnic minorities ...and White visitors. The NPS has developed several strategies to help overcome the disparity in visitation including promoting use of urban national park units. The purpose of this study was to explore NPS visitor services staff perceptions toward efforts to increase racial and ethnic diversity at two urban national park units. During the summer of 2010, in-depth interviews were conducted with a range of staff from superintendent down to frontline staff with visitor services responsibilities at two National Parks close to urban centers. Three themes emerged from the data. The first theme, youth engagement beyond threshold experiences, describes whether targeted programs primarily meant for local youth were an effective means to make lifelong park visitors. The second theme, NPS traditional and organizational culture, describes whether the organizational culture of the NPS influenced visitor diversity strategies. The last theme, talking the talk, describes some of the perceived struggles related to adequate funding and training to implement visitor diversity programs. The results from the study showed that the employees at these parks have a desire to increase visitor diversity. The results suggested that for visitor diversity strategies to be successful the NPS should plan programs that promote long-term relationships with youth and diverse communities, employ more non-traditional methods, and devote resources and support from upper management within the NPS. Further research is needed to help the NPS negotiate organizational constraints that affect strategies to encourage greater visitor diversity.
•Interscholastic sport is often prioritized by administrators due to a presumed influence on school belongingness.•The association between sport and school belongingness is different depending on ...policy context.•The indirect effect of sport competence is stronger in schools with interscholastic sport policies.•Policymakers should look beyond “single entity” categorizations of school sport.
One of the primary justifications for middle school sport is the presumed association between sport participation and school belongingness. However, concerns regarding school sport values have called this association into question. Previous researchers have focused primarily on school sport as a single entity, with far less consideration for the different policies available to guide sport management and delivery in the school context. The authors examine the association between sport participation and school belongingness under two sport policies (i.e., interscholastic and intramural). Moderated mediation analysis is used to examine the relationships underpinning this connection in both policy contexts. Results indicate differences across policy contexts related to the salience of perceived sport and academic competence. The discussion highlights intriguing implications for sport administrators regarding school sport policy, particularly as it pertains to promoting school belongingness.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: With many public health concerns on the rise (e.g.,physical inactivity and chronic disease), public health organizations are seeking to increase effectiveness and efficiency ...through interdisciplinary partnerships. Some research has suggested that park and recreation agencies may be ideal partners for organizations trying to promote public health; however, research exploring such partnerships is limited. The purpose of this study was to explore experiences with health partnerships from the perspective of park and recreation managers. Data collection consisted of individual semi-structured interviews with 12 managers from different public park and recreation organizations who had experience with health partnerships. Data was digitally recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed thematically. Participants described a partnership process that included exploring potential partners, planning the partnership, implementing the partnership activity(ies), and evaluation. During the exploration phase, the park and recreation organizations considered a wide range of partners and approached potential partners in a variety of ways including through informal relationships and through contacting people with whom no previous relationship existed. During the planning phase, managers negotiated the details of the partnership to ensure that the goals of the organizations aligned, to establish clear expectations, to determine leadership responsibilities, and to develop relationships. During the implementation phase, participants executed the partnership activity such as a program or event. Although some challenges were mitigated by planning, some arose during this phase such as lack of time or resources, perceived inequity of workloads, and waning enthusiasm. Finally, during the evaluation phase, managers appraised both the outcomes of the partnership activity(ies) and the partnership itself. Overall, participants suggested that in the current fiscalclimatehealth partnerships represent aviable strategy for pooling resources to increase efficiency and expand services to the community. Their advice to managers seeking to develop health partnerships included the following: 1) do not be afraid to approach a wide variety of potential partners; 2) consider using partnerships for a wide variety of initiatives;3) be prepared to convey the mutual benefits of the partnership including the contributions of park and recreation organizations such a facilities, programming expertise, positive public image, and community connections; 3) determine the mechanics of the partnership (such as leadership roles, input expectations, communication strategies, etc.) early on; and 4) consider utilizing the expertise of health partners to improve health outcome evaluation.
As financial resources diminish and the cost and development of land increases, communityschool partnerships for the joint use of public school facilities have received growing attention. Although ...joint use is not a new concept, its resurgence as an efficient and effective way to deliver recreational services comes at a time when researchers, practitioners, and policy makers are examining ways to address challenges an increasingly inactive population faces. Although there are examples of successful joint use partnerships, many entities are reluctant to engage in them due to fears of vandalism, liability, overuse of facilities, cost, and lack of knowledge about how to develop joint use agreements. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to use a case study methodological approach to understand factors that resulted in a successful joint use agreement. The school and parks and recreation department used in this case study were purposefully selected due to the high amount of community- and school-related use during after school hours. Semistructured interviews were conducted with the school principal, school athletic director, town parks and recreation director, parks and recreation facility managers, and the town manager. The interviews yielded four major themes that were identified as reasons for the success of this joint use agreement: deliberate formation and continued maintenance of relationships, shared vision, agreements set up to be mutually beneficial, and resources to address community demands. Although our findings are limited because we examined only one joint use partnership in one region of the country and likely excluded the perspectives of other potential key informants (i.e., program participants), our results revealed patterns that might be useful for practice. In this case, the strengths of the parks and recreation administrators were their willingness to maintain constant communication with school personnel and their emphasis on being respectful of the needs of the school administrators and their programs. Parks and recreation personnel understood the importance of establishing and maintaining positive relationships and how these relationships are directly linked to their ability to offer quality recreational programs. However, the development and maintenance of joint use agreements is not easy. For joint use agreements to work, there must be cooperation and effort by all parties involved, clearly stated objectives, and the pursuit of outcomes that are beneficial to both sides.
Regular physical activity is widely considered by public health and parks and recreation professionals as a key determinant of individual and community health and well-being. Prior research has shown ...that building sustainable health partnerships with community organizations can help parks and recreation departments meet many US health challenges. This descriptive study examined the perceptions of North Carolina public parks and recreation directors regarding physical activity and health partnership practices in their communities. The study was also a 15-year follow-up to a study and examined whether park and recreation director perceptions of health partnerships had changed given the many social, economic, and health events that have occurred since the original survey. Directors from two hundred seventy-five North Carolina city and county parks and recreation departments were surveyed in the Spring of 2022 to determine 1) directors' effort allocation in promoting physical activity toward vulnerable populations, 2) challenges associated with promoting community physical activity, and 3) differences in effort allocation, future priorities, and partnership among varying director and departmental demographics. Results were compared to findings from a 2007 study of NC perceptions of health partnerships, upon which the present study was based. One hundred twenty-three completed questionnaires were returned, resulting in a response rate of 45%. Directors in 2022 allocated similarly higher levels of effort toward older adults, families, and people with low income as did directors in 2007, while youth and adults with disabilities and people with chronic health conditions received lower allocations of effort from directors in 2022. Barriers such as lack of staff knowledge on how to promote physical activity, lack of citizen and political support, and lack of knowledge of under-represented groups' physical activity preferences were less pronounced in 2022 compared to 2007. Several distinct differences were revealed between female and male directors' rankings of effort and future priorities, as well as their perceptions of physical activity opportunities for women and people with disabilities. Partnerships with county health departments are being reported more in counties with the highest health disparities compared to more healthy counties, indicating that partnerships are being targeted and implemented in areas where resources are most needed. This study represents a meaningful extension of research conducted prior to the 2008 Great Recession and COVID-19 pandemic and provides recommendations for public parks and recreation departments to consider promoting physical activity and building community resilience in the face of future economic and health challenges.
n response to increases in overweight and obesity as well as insufficient levels of physical activity in the U.S. population, parks and recreation departments have a role to play in promoting ...opportunities for physical activity in communities. Multi-sector partnerships involving park and recreation departments, public health departments, and other community organizations have been identified as a key strategy toward increasing physical activity. However, little is known about organizational and personal factors in public park and recreation agencies that may be associated with health partnership participation. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between organizational and personal factors and health partnership participation among public park and recreation departments in North Carolina. A web-based survey was administered to 216 NC municipal and county public park and recreation agencies resulting in a 64% response rate. The results indicated that about a third of the departments participate in formal partnerships with health departments to promote physical activity. Over half of the departments participate in formal partnerships with other community organizations. Less than half of the departments participated in formal partnerships with schools. Results indicated that departments that served larger populations and had larger operating budgets were more likely to engage in partnerships with county health departments. Interestingly, the CPRP status of directors was positively associated with engaging in a partnership with faith based organizations. Departments that focused their efforts on minorities and obesity among teens were more likely to engage in partnerships with school systems and other community organizations. Departments that focused effort upon individuals with disabilities were more likely to engage in partnerships with YMCAs. Effort focused on other target populations, capital budget, number of years in current position, and years of experience were unrelated to partnership participation. Although some findings align with previous partnership research the study has implications for park and recreation administrators. For example, the positive association between professional certification (CPRP) of the department director and partnerships suggests that the certification process is beneficial to building strong relationships between the recreation and parks profession and other community partners. The study also suggests departments who serve smaller populations may need assistance in identifying partners and sustaining partnerships. Future research specific to public parks and recreation providers should examine organizational and personal managerial factors contributing to participation and non-participation in greater depth. Contributions, costs, benefits, and evaluation of partnerships must be better understood for the field to effectively promote physical activity and health. This line of research is increasingly important in a time of agency budget reductions and the persistence of the obesity pandemic.
