Contribution of Neighborhood Income and Access to Quality Physical Activity Resources to Physical Activity in Ethnic Minority Women over Time

Abstract

Purpose To create and test an index to indicate both availability and quality of physical activity (PA) resources (PARs), to examine associations between access to quality PARs and changes in PA, and to determine whether this association differed in lower- and higher-income neighborhoods. Design Longitudinal, 6-month intervention. Setting. Houston and Austin, Texas. Subjects African-American and Hispanic or Latina women. Measures Women (N = 410) completed a questionnaire and accelerometry to measure PA. Neighborhoods (N = 163) were classified as lower- or higher-income by median household income at the census-tract level. PARs were audited using the PARA (physical activity resource assessment). Access to quality PARs was determined by a composite index (QPAR) of features, amenities, and incivilities. Analysis Repeated measures analyses of variance were used to examine changes in PA by (1) neighborhood income (lower/higher) and QPAR (lower/higher) groups, and (2) neighborhood income (lower/higher) and number of PARs (lower/higher) groups, adjusting for ethnicity, household income, and body mass index. Results Women in neighborhoods with lower QPAR scores had small increases in self-reported vigorous PA (M Δ = 327.8 metabolic equivalent of task [MET]-min/wk) and decreases in accelerometer PA (M = −3.4 min/d), compared to those with higher QPAR scores who had larger increases in self-reported vigorous PA (M Δ = 709.8 MET-min/wk) and increased accelerometer PA (M = 3.9 min/d). There was a significant interaction between changes in leisure-time PA, QPAR score, and number of PARs (p =.049). Women with both more PARs and higher QPAR scores reported greater increases in leisure-time PA than women with fewer PARs and lower QPAR scores. Conclusion Access to higher-quality PARs can help increase or maintain PA over time regardless of neighborhood income. PAR quality is a separate and distinct, important determinant of PA in ethnic minority women.

Disparities in Built and Natural Features of Urban Parks: Comparisons by Neighborhood Level Race/Ethnicity and Income

“…It contributes to an emerging literature on disparities in specific park characteristics that associate with physical activity and weight status. 27,28,39 Several differences between the number, presence or absence, conditions, and cleanliness of park features were found. For example, more trash cans were present in parks in minority areas, but sitting and resting amenities were less clean than those in non-minority area parks.…”

“…38 Higher quality physical activity resources within neighborhoods have been found to translate to higher levels of physical activity among minority women. 39 Studies have documented significantly greater numbers of quality issues 40 and fewer amenities 29 in parks located in low-income areas. Vaughan and colleagues observed fewer playgrounds and lower quality in parks in low-income census tracts and more basketball courts and fewer trails in high minority areas.…”

Quality of public urban parks for physical activity practice in Bucaramanga, Colombia

“…However, Vieira et al 12 found significant positive association between the level of social development of a neighborhood and quality of parks for physical activity in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. This can partially explain the association found between living in low income areas and level of social development, with lower levels of physical activity [13][14][15] .…”

“…• Quality of parks for physical activity The Physical Activity Resource Assessment (PARA) instrument was developed to systematically identify and describe the type, features, amenities, and quality of physical activity resources in urban neighborhoods 14,28 . This instrument was translated and adapted to the Latin American context 29 and has been used recently in Latin America regions 12,29 .…”

“…The availability, access, characteristics and quality of public open spaces are associated to the socioeconomic level of neighborhoods 12 . Evidence shows that living in areas of low socioeconomic level is inversely associate to physical activity, which could be explained by lack of adequate spaces for practice [13][14][15] . This is important, once in Colombia (Bogotá) it was found that 55% of the population uses parks and plazas for physical activity and, moreover, that the use of these spaces can increase in 310% the likelihood of reaching the recommendations of physical activity for health, in leisure time 5 .…”