Assessing Physical Activity in Temporary Spaces: Application of SOPARC / iSOPARC® for Play Streets

Meyer, M. Renée Umstattd; Prochnow, Tyler; Bridges, Christina N.; Carlton, Troy; Wilkins, Emily; Arnold, K; McClendon, Megan; McKenzie, Thomas L.; Porter, Keshia M. Pollack

doi:10.1080/02701367.2019.1656793

Cited by 9 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 23 publications

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“…To make a stronger case for Play Streets to funders, organizers should find ways to evaluate the programs and highlight the positive impacts that are found. For example, evaluating the programs in terms of their capacity to promote active play and social and community connectedness can identify aspects of the program that may be attractive to funders ( Umstattd Meyer et al, 2020 ). For example, organizers can use the tools in the Play Streets Guidebook ( Pollack Porter et al, 2019 ), which includes evaluation tools to measure the number and activity of attendees.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Lessons from sustainability of Play Streets in the United States

Esmonde¹,

Porter²,

Mahoney³

et al. 2022

Preventive Medicine Reports

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Lessons from sustainability of Play Streets in the United States

Esmonde¹,

Porter²,

Mahoney³

et al. 2022

Preventive Medicine Reports

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“…Furthermore, adding extra SOPARC coding to observe specific types of walking and vigorous activities as well as new forms of mobility such as electric scooters was a strength that provided a deeper understanding for the active use of the Superblock. While SOPARC is acknowledged to be a valid and reliable method for understanding how people engage in PA in both permanent and temporary spaces [ 14 , 15 , 22 ], SOPARC has been mainly used to document PA in cross-sectional study designs [ 22 ] and rarely to assess the longer-term use of urban environment interventions on PA [ 23 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Use of the Superblock model for promoting physical activity in Barcelona: a one-year observational comparative study

et al. 2022

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Background The Barcelona Superblock model transforms urban public spaces into active-friendly spaces, a key issue for public health. This study assessed the extent to which a newly developed Superblock in St. Antoni Market Square was used by citizens to perform physical activities and for sedentary behaviour during the first year of implementation. It then compared this citizens’ use of the Superblock for physical activities and sedentary behaviour with a comparison site at one-year follow-up, when the Superblock was fully integrated into citizens’ daily life. Methods This observational comparative study (May 2018-May 2019) used the System for Observing Play and Recreation in Communities (SOPARC). SOPARC assessed citizens’ sitting, standing, walking, practice of vigorous activities and use of electric scooter by gender, age group and time of the day. At the Superblock site, two observers completed five weekly observations: the opening week, and at three, five, eight and twelve months. At the comparison site, observers completed one weekly observation at twelve months after the implementation of the Superblock. Observations included 4 days/week (including weekends) and, 4 h/day (morning, midday, afternoon, evening). Results At baseline, an average of 2,340 citizens/hour were observed using the Superblock but visits reduced by 12% in the next three observation weeks and 17.6% after one-year (mainly elderly and teenagers). At baseline, 92.9% walked in the Superblock, while 3.1% engaged in vigorous physical activity. After one year, citizens’ walking decreased by 18.2%, from 2,170 citizens/hour at baseline to 1,930 citizens/hour. Citizens’ engagement in vigorous activities also declined by 11%, from 73 citizens/hour at baseline to 65 citizens/hour at one-year follow up. In the comparison site, citizens’ usage for walking and vigorous physical activity was similar to the Superblock. Conclusions This is the first study to assess the extent to which citizens made use of the Barcelona Superblock model to perform physical activities, an urban built-environment intervention that is both novel and health-enhancing. The Superblock model would benefit from strategies maximizing effectiveness for promoting superblock-based physical activity, with special focus on seniors and teenagers.

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“…Additionally, although the video and in-person scans showed significant agreement, they may not capture the appearance and disappearance of target areas as accurately as in-person iSOPARC scans. As noted in previous literature, conducting SOPARC and iSOPARC observations at Play Streets can be challenging due to the transient nature of activities and target areas (Umstattd Meyer, Prochnow, et al, 2019). Additionally, as with all SOPARC studies, identification of sex and age group was done based on visual appearance which may not always be accurate specifically in reflecting individuals’ gender identity.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…One member of the organization’s Play Streets implementation team was tasked with completing narrated panoramic video scans every 30 minutes at each Play Street using the iPad. This frequency was chosen to coincide with past in-person SOPARC evaluation at Play Streets (McKenzie et al, 2006; Umstattd Meyer, Prochnow, et al, 2019). Videographers narrated the following for each individual recorded: (1) sex, (2) age group (child, teen, adult, senior), and (3) activity level (sedentary, walking, vigorous).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Play Streets have been implemented during summer months to combat reduced levels of PA and PA opportunities (Pollack Porter et al, 2019; Umstattd Meyer, Bridges Hamilton, et al, 2019). Researchers have used the System for Observing Play and Recreation in Communities (SOPARC) tool to better understand PA and use of spaces at Play Streets; however, SOPARC requires extensive training for proper evaluation (Evenson et al, 2016; McKenzie et al, 2006; Umstattd Meyer, Prochnow, et al, 2019).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Real-Time Video Scan Method for Community Partner Use to Inform Play Streets Implementation

Prochnow

Meyer

Hamilton

et al. 2021

Health Promotion Practice

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System for Observing Play and Recreation in Communities (SOPARC) can provide accurate assessment of physical activity; however, the skills, time, and human resources necessary to collect/interpret SOPARC data can be challenging for community organizations. This article describes a more accessible adaptation of SOPARC using video recordings for community organizations to obtain physical activity feedback at Play Streets. Narrated panoramic video scans occurred every 30 minutes at each Play Street using an iPad. Videographers narrated: (1) sex, (2) age group (child, teen, adult, senior), and (3) activity level (sedentary, walking, vigorous) for everyone recorded. SOPARC video scans, in-person iSOPARC observations, and interviews were conducted with Play Streets implementors to determine validity and feasibility. Validity was examined using Lin’s concordance correlation coefficient (CCC). In-person and video scans showed near perfect agreement for sedentary individuals (CCC = .95) and substantial agreement for active individuals (CCC = .72). Overall, community partners felt that they “could see how [the scans] could be useful” and “help[ed] see a bit more clearly what’s happening.” The method described here is a more accessible systematic observation approach to measure physical activity for communities implementing Play Streets. Further, this method can be used without research training while still providing valuable activity feedback.

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Assessing Physical Activity in Temporary Spaces: Application of SOPARC / iSOPARC® for Play Streets

Cited by 9 publications

References 23 publications

Lessons from sustainability of Play Streets in the United States

Lessons from sustainability of Play Streets in the United States

Use of the Superblock model for promoting physical activity in Barcelona: a one-year observational comparative study

Real-Time Video Scan Method for Community Partner Use to Inform Play Streets Implementation

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