Perceptions of Neighborhood Park Quality: Associations with Physical Activity and Body Mass Index
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ORIGINAL ARTICLE
Perceptions of Neighborhood Park Quality: Associations with Physical Activity and Body Mass Index Hua Bai, M.S. & Sonja A. Wilhelm Stanis, Ph.D. & Andrew T. Kaczynski, Ph.D. & Gina M. Besenyi, M.P.H.
Published online: 19 January 2013 # The Society of Behavioral Medicine 2012
Abstract 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 moderateto-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 parkbased 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. Keywords Recreation . Exercise . Reliability . Obesity . Environment H. Bai : S. A. Wilhelm Stanis (*) Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism, University of Missouri, 105 Anheuser-Busch Natural Resources Building, Columbia, MO 65211, USA e-mail: [email protected] A. T. Kaczynski : G. M. Besenyi Department of Health Promotion, Education, and Behavior, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA
Introduction Low rates of physical activity are an important contributing factor to rising levels of obesity as well as risk of cardiovascular disease, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, stroke, colon cancer, and premature death [1–3]. Current recommendations suggest adults should engage in at least 150 min of moderateintensity physical activity/week, 75 min of vigorous-intensity physical activity/week, or an equivalent mix of both [2]. However, only about half of the adults in the USA achieve these physical activity guidelines based on self-reports [4]. Recent efforts to promote health and physical activity have adopted ecological models which emphasize the significance of the built environment in facilitating and constraining physical activity [5, 6]. Parks are increasingly recognized as an important component of the built environment for physical activity [7, 8]. By providing low-cost and accessible opportunities for physical activity, parks are used by a vast majority of people and thus can enhance physical activity at the population level across ages, cultures, ethnicities, genders, income levels, and abilities [7, 9–12]. To investigate how parks can better facilitate physical activity and improved health, it is critical to understand f
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