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Journal ArticleDOI

System for Observing Play and Recreation in Communities (SOPARC): Reliability and Feasibility Measures

TLDR
SOPARC is a reliable and feasible instrument for assessing physical activity and associated contextual data in community settings and met acceptable criteria for area contexts.
Abstract
Background: New tools are needed to examine physical activity and the contexts in which it occurs. Community parks contribute to physical activity, but measuring activity and associated variables in them is challenging because area contexts change and the numbers and characteristics of users are highly variable. Methods: We developed SOPARC (System for Observing Play and Recreation in Communities) and tested its use by observing 16,244 individuals in 165 park areas. Reliabilities included 472 simultaneous measures by independent observers. Results: Correlations between observers on number of area participants was 0.99 for female and male park users. Reliabilities (i.e., percent agreement) for age (89%, females; 85%, males), race/ethnic (80%, females; 82%, males), and activity level (80%, females; 88%, males) groupings met acceptable criteria. Reliabilities for area contexts (i.e., usable, accessible, supervised, organized, equipped) exceeded 94%. Conclusions: SOPARC is a reliable and feasible instrument for assessing physical activity and associated contextual data in community settings.

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Park and neighbourhood environmental characteristics associated with park-based physical activity among children in a high-density city

TL;DR: In this paper , the authors examined the associations of park and neighbourhood environments with park-based physical activity (PA) among children and examined the moderating effect of neighbourhood income in their relationships.

Pedometers Accelerometers and Observational Methods: A Comparison of Measurements of Physical Activity in Fourth-Grade Students.

TL;DR: In this paper, the authors proposed a Dedicated Dedication and a Dedication Dedication Designation (DEDD) for women's health care, and ACKNOWLEDGMENTS.
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Effects of trees, gardens, and nature trails on heat index and child health: design and methods of the Green Schoolyards Project

TL;DR: The Green Schoolyards Project as mentioned in this paper investigated how green features (trees, gardens, and nature trails) in school parks impact heat index (i.e., air temperature and relative humidity) within parks, and physical activity levels and socioemotional well-being of these children.

Mapping the use of urban green space with regards to ecosystem resilience

TL;DR: In this paper, the authors examined cultural ecosystem services through surveys on public wintertime use, identifying indicators of use, flora, fauna, and weather in the Elliðaðaárdalur valley.
References
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Journal ArticleDOI

Compendium of physical activities: an update of activity codes and MET intensities.

TL;DR: An updated version of the Compendium of Physical Activities, a coding scheme that classifies specific physical activity (PA) by rate of energy expenditure, is provided to enhance the comparability of results across studies using self-reports of PA.
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The continuing epidemics of obesity and diabetes in the United States.

TL;DR: The prevalence of obesity and diabetes continues to increase among US adults, and interventions are needed to improve physical activity and diet in communities nationwide.
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Environmental factors associated with adults' participation in physical activity: a review

TL;DR: Physical environment factors have consistent associations with physical activity behavior and further development of ecologic and environmental models, together with behavior-specific and context-specific measurement strategies, should help in further understanding of these associations.
Journal ArticleDOI

Environmental and policy interventions to promote physical activity

TL;DR: In this article, a model describing the development of policy and environmental interventions is proposed, in the hope of stimulating more research in this area, and two studies showed that placing signs encouraging stair use can be effective.
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The significance of parks to physical activity and public health: a conceptual model.

TL;DR: A conceptual model is proposed to guide thinking and suggest hypotheses about the relationships between park benefits, park use, and physical activity, and the antecedents/correlates of park use that focus on park environmental characteristics that could be related to physical activity.
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