The Physical Activity Resource Assessment (PARA) instrument: Evaluating features, amenities and incivilities of physical activity resources in urban neighborhoods
Reads0
Chats0
TLDR
Although PA resources were similar in number, features and amenities, the overall appearance of the resources in HD Neighborhoods was much worse as indicated by substantially worse incivilities ratings in HD neighborhoods.Abstract:
Neighborhood environment factors may influence physical activity (PA). The purpose of this study was to develop and test a brief instrument to systematically document and describe the type, features, amenities, quality and incivilities of a variety of PA resources. The one-page Physical Activity Resource Assessment (PARA) instrument was developed to assess all publicly available PA resources in thirteen urban lower income, high ethnic minority concentration neighborhoods that surrounded public housing developments (HDs) and four higher income, low ethnic minority concentration comparison neighborhoods. Neighborhoods had similar population density and connectivity. Trained field coders rated 97 PA resources (including parks, churches, schools, sports facilities, fitness centers, community centers, and trails) on location, type, cost, features, amenities, quality and incivilities. Assessments typically took about 10 minutes to complete. HD neighborhoods had a mean of 4.9 PA resources (n = 73) with considerable variability in the type of resources available for each neighborhood. Comparison neighborhoods had a mean of 6 resources (n = 24). Most resources were accessible at no cost (82%). Resources in both types of neighborhoods typically had about 2 to 3 PA features and amenities, and the quality was usually mediocre to good in both types of neighborhoods. Incivilities at PA resources in HD neighborhoods were significantly more common than in comparison neighborhoods. Although PA resources were similar in number, features and amenities, the overall appearance of the resources in HD neighborhoods was much worse as indicated by substantially worse incivilities ratings in HD neighborhoods. The more comprehensive assessment, including features, amenities and incivilities, provided by the PARA may be important to distinguish between PA resources in lower and higher deprivation areas.read more
Citations
More filters
Journal ArticleDOI
Measuring the Built Environment for Physical Activity: State of the Science
TL;DR: This first comprehensive examination of built-environment measures demonstrates considerable progress over the past decade, showing diverse environmental variables available that use multiple modes of assessment.
Journal ArticleDOI
Understanding environmental influences on nutrition and physical activity behaviors: where should we look and what should we count?
TL;DR: A 'state of the science' overview of evidence regarding environmental influences on nutrition and physical activity behaviors is provided and a research agenda is proposed to progress understanding of the influences of the environment on population nutrition andPhysical activity behaviors.
Journal ArticleDOI
Exploring the distribution of park availability, features, and quality across Kansas City, Missouri by income and race/ethnicity: an environmental justice investigation
Katherine B. Vaughan,Andrew T. Kaczynski,Sonja A. Wilhelm Stanis,Gina M. Besenyi,Ryan D. Bergstrom,Katie M. Heinrich +5 more
TL;DR: Examining disparities by income and race/ethnicity in the availability, features, and quality of parks across Kansas City, Missouri found low-income CTs contained significantly more parks, but also had fewer parks with playgrounds and more quality concerns per park.
Journal ArticleDOI
Neighbourhood access to open spaces and the physical activity of residents: a national study.
TL;DR: This national study examines the relationship between travel time access to parks and beaches, BMI and physical activity in New Zealand neighbourhoods and found little evidence of an association between locational access to open spaces andPhysical activity.
Journal ArticleDOI
Planning for environmental justice in an urban national park
TL;DR: In a recent survey of visitors to Los Angeles' Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area as mentioned in this paper, the United States' largest urban national park, it was found that park visitors were predominantly white, affluent, and lived nearby, and people of colour travelled further, were significantly less likely to be return visitors, and were less inclined to use the park for active recreation.
References
More filters
Journal ArticleDOI
Neighborhoods and Violent Crime: A Multilevel Study of Collective Efficacy
TL;DR: Multilevel analyses showed that a measure of collective efficacy yields a high between-neighborhood reliability and is negatively associated with variations in violence, when individual-level characteristics, measurement error, and prior violence are controlled.
Book
Physical Activity And Health: A Report Of The Surgeon General
TL;DR: This report is the first report of the Surgeon General on physical activity and health, and strong evidence is shown to indicate that regular physical activity will provide clear and substantial health gains.
Journal ArticleDOI
Neighborhood-Based Differences in Physical Activity: An Environment Scale Evaluation
TL;DR: Neighborhood environment was associated with physical activity and overweight prevalence and the reliability and validity of self-reported neighborhood environment subscales were supported.
Journal ArticleDOI
How the built environment affects physical activity: views from urban planning
TL;DR: To provide more conclusive evidence, the available evidence lends itself to the argument that a combination of urban design, land use patterns, and transportation systems that promotes walking and bicycling will help create active, healthier, and more livable communities.
Journal ArticleDOI
Neighborhood characteristics associated with the location of food stores and food service places
TL;DR: Without access to supermarkets, which offer a wide variety of foods at lower prices, poor and minority communities may not have equal access to the variety of healthy food choices available to nonminority and wealthy communities.