The Prevalence and Use of Walking Loops in Neighborhood Parks: A National Study

Cohen, Deborah A.; Han, Bing; Evenson, Kelly R.; Nagel, Catherine J.; McKenzie, Thomas L.; Marsh, Terry; Williamson, Stephanie; Harnik, Peter

doi:10.1289/ehp293

Cited by 28 publications

(19 citation statements)

References 26 publications

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“…It may be because the combined looped walkway with a systematic structure promoted walk activity. This finding was supported by previous studies showing walking loops can increase users' walk activity [61,62].…”

Section: Setting Types and Physical Activity Levelsupporting

confidence: 86%

An Observational Study of Park Attributes and Physical Activity in Neighborhood Parks of Shanghai, China

Wang

2020

IJERPH

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Evidence shows that neighborhood parks provide opportunities for urban residents to participate in physical activity, but little is known about the space–behavior relationship of physical settings. This study explored the patterns of use in neighborhood parks, and focused particularly on visitors’ levels of activity supported by the specific landscape features and attributes. Behavior mapping data, including the users’ characteristics, their behaviors and activity levels, and the landscape characteristics, were obtained in three neighborhood parks of Shanghai, China. A total of 6126 park users were documented during the observations, and most of them were involved in sedentary activity. This study found that different environmental settings such as water, plaza, lawn, and architecture supported different types and levels of activity. Although more men than women visited the neighborhood parks, women were more active than men in park-based physical activity. In this Chinese sample, the findings demonstrate behavior mapping is a promising tool to measure park-based physical activity. As this study associated the levels of use with the landscape features, the results are expected to be useful in design practice for promoting regular physical activity.

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Section: Setting Types and Physical Activity Levelsupporting

confidence: 86%

An Observational Study of Park Attributes and Physical Activity in Neighborhood Parks of Shanghai, China

Wang

2020

IJERPH

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“…The national study found that the facility generating the most MVPA time for adults and seniors was the walking loop, which is designed to facilitate continuous movement along a pathway (as opposed to sidewalks, which are typically shorter and designed to connect different sections of a park) (Cohen, Han, Nagel, et , 2016). Researchers found that parks with walking loops had 80 percent more users than parks without, and levels of physical activity were 90 percent higher (Cohen, Han, Evenson, et al, 2017). There was also a "spillover" effect in that parks without walking loops had higher rates of overall use throughout the park than other loops did.…”

Section: Numbers and Types Of Facilitiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

How Can Neighborhood Parks Be Used to Increase Physical Activity?

Cohen¹,

Leuschner²

2018

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Parks play an important role in providing venues for physical activity in urban areas but tend to be underutilized, especially for moderate to vigorous physical activity.• Research underscores the need to target efforts to increase park-based physical activity to specific populations.• There are numerous differences in how parks are used among different racial and ethnic groups, different genders, and different age groups.• Park facilities by themselves are not sufficient to attract users; many sit unused or underused, even after recent renovations. On-site marketing and supervised activities are the top two park features that encourage greater use of parks for physical activity. Marketing efforts are likely to be especially important in low-income neighborhoods.• The majority of park facilities are geared toward youths, while fewer facilities tend to target groups who are underrepresented among those using parks for moderate to vigorous physical activity-adults and especially seniors.• Investments to encourage physical activity will not be made without the support of local park managers.Neighborhood parks are financed on the local level, and local park managers are best positioned to understand the needs of their local populations.

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“…After analyzing data for more than 170 parks, Cohen and colleagues found that those with walking loops had more users, more of whom engaged in moderate to vigorous physical activity, than those without these amenities. 1 …”

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confidence: 99%

“…The authors conclude that walking loops may be an affordable way to increase a park’s appeal and health benefits. 1 …”

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confidence: 99%