Environmental Audits of Friendliness toward Physical Activity in Three Income Levels

Taylor, Wendell C.; Franzini, Luisa; Olvera, Norma; Poston, Walker S. Carlos; Lin, Ge

doi:10.1007/s11524-011-9663-5

Cited by 17 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 34 publications

(105 reference statements)

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“…This finding supports our hypothesis and previous studies suggesting that the construct of “accessibility”, the presence of a diverse mixture of commercial destinations, is an important factor predicting physical activity in urban populations (32–36). This interpretation is also in line with our conceptual framework, likely working through both the domains of active recreation and active transport.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 93%

The Perceived and Built Environment Surrounding Urban Schools and Physical Activity Among Adolescent Girls

Hager

Witherspoon²,

Gormley³

et al. 2013

ann. behav. med.

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Background Neighborhood perceived/built environment and physical activity (PA) associations have been examined for adolescents around homes, but not surrounding schools. Purpose To examine if positive perceptions/built environment in neighborhoods surrounding schools predict PA among low-income, urban adolescent girls. Methods Measures include: minutes in moderate-vigorous PA (MVPA, ankle accelerometry), perceptions of the school environment (questionnaire), built environment (neighborhood audit). Analyses include multi-level models. Results 224 6th and 7th grade girls [mean(sd) age=12.1(0.7) years] from 12 schools serving low-income, primarily African American communities; mean MVPA 35.4minutes (mean days assessed=5.8). Girls in schools with more positive perceptions of the neighborhood environment surrounding the school were less active (β=7.2,p=0.043). Having “places to go within walking distance” (perceptions) and number of food stores near school (built environment) positively relate to MVPA (β=5.5,p=0.042 and β=0.59,p=0.047). Conclusions Among neighborhoods surrounding urban schools, positive perceptions do not predict PA; accessibility, via both perceived and built environment, support PA.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 93%

The Perceived and Built Environment Surrounding Urban Schools and Physical Activity Among Adolescent Girls

Hager

Witherspoon²,

Gormley³

et al. 2013

ann. behav. med.

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“…Negative characteristics of built environments have been associated with lower physical activity levels. 27,55 Poor quality park environments may be barriers to park-based physical activity. The perception of better quality parks has been shown to increase the likelihood of park use for physical activity among a sample of predominantly African-American adolescents.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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

Bruton

Floyd

2014

J Urban Health

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Known associations between the built environment and health outcomes have accelerated research examining racial/ethnic and income disparities in access to parks and other community features that support physical activity. Currently, it cannot be concluded that park characteristics are equal in quantity or condition across areas of disparate race/ethnicity and income composition. This study examined natural and built park characteristics across areas of different race/ethnicity and income composition to identify potential disparities. Twenty-one parks in Greensboro, NC (USA), located in minority or non-minority areas and in low or medium-high income areas were inventoried using a park audit tool and GIS. Parks were compared on number of activity areas, features, amenities, size, percent tree canopy, cleanliness, and condition. Independent sample t tests and Mann-Whitney tests were used to compare means of outcome variables. Fisher's exact tests were applied for categorical variables. Fewer wooded areas and more trash cans were found in low-income and minority areas as compared to medium-high income and non-minority areas. Low-income areas were found to have more picnic areas than their counterparts. Sitting and resting features in non-minority areas were found to be cleaner than those in minority areas. Results showed some evidence of disparities in park characteristics. Findings can inform park policy and design as well as renovations and maintenance procedures, particularly in specific areas where existing disparities were identified.

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“…First, the classification of life-space zones could be more flexible. In this study, we used a simple zone boundary according to previous studies (Baker et al , 2003; Taylor et al , 2011). Obviously this scheme cannot be applied in all situations.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In this study, we combined the first three zones into a “home” zone because neither the GPS data (due to location accuracy) nor the notepad information (due to IRB restrictions) could effectively distinguish them. The home area was defined as a 50-meter buffer around the centroid of the subject’s house, and the neighborhood area was defined as between 50 meters and 805 meters (0.5 mile) from the house centroid (Taylor et al , 2012). The within the town zone was defined as between 805 meters and 8,047 meters (5 miles) from home, and the out of town zone was defined as further than 5 miles from home (Baker et al , 2003).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Assessing Smart Phones for Generating Life-Space Indicators

Wan

Whittington

et al. 2013

Environ Plann B Plann Des

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Life-space is a promising method for estimating older adults’ functional status. However, traditional life-space measures are costly and time consuming because they often rely on active subject participation. This study assesses the feasibility of using the global positioning system (GPS) function of smart phones to generate life-space indicators. We first evaluated the location accuracy of smart phone collected GPS points versus those acquired by a commercial GPS unit. We then assessed the specificity of the smart phone processed life-space information against the traditional diary method. Our results suggested comparable location accuracy between the smart phone and the standard GPS unit in most outdoor situations. In addition, the smart phone method revealed more comprehensive life-space information than the diary method, which leads to higher and more consistent life-space scores. We conclude that the smart phone method is more reliable than traditional methods for measuring life-space. Further improvements will be required to develop a robust application of this method that is suitable for health-related practices.

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Environmental Audits of Friendliness toward Physical Activity in Three Income Levels

Cited by 17 publications

References 34 publications

The Perceived and Built Environment Surrounding Urban Schools and Physical Activity Among Adolescent Girls

The Perceived and Built Environment Surrounding Urban Schools and Physical Activity Among Adolescent Girls

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

Assessing Smart Phones for Generating Life-Space Indicators

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