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Are park availability and satisfaction with neighbourhood parks associated with physical activity and time spent outdoors?

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journal contribution
posted on 2021-01-01, 00:00 authored by Jenny VeitchJenny Veitch, Laura Rodwell, Gavin AbbottGavin Abbott, Alison Carver, Elliott Flowers, David Crawford
Abstract

Background

There is substantial scope for enhancing population health through increased park visits and active use of parks; however, a better understanding of factors that influence park visitation is needed. This cross-sectional study examined how parent-reported satisfaction and perceived availability of parks were associated with adults’ physical activity and children’s physical activity and time spent outdoors, and whether these associations were mediated by park visitation.


Methods

Self-reported surveys were completed by adults living within 5 km of two parks located in Melbourne, Australia. Participants reported their satisfaction with neighbourhood park quality, walking duration from home to the nearest park, and park visitation in the past 7 days. Participants with a child aged 2–15 years also answered similar questions in relation to their child. The primary outcome variable for adults was leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) and for children was proxy-reported time spent outside. The secondary outcome for adults was combined transportation and LTPA and for children (5–15 years) was the number of days physical activity recommendations were met in the past 7 days.

Results
Significant positive associations between park availability and park visitation in the past 7 days, and between park visitation and the outcome variables were observed among both adults (n = 1085, Mage = 48.9, SD 13.4) and children (n = 753, Mage = 8.8, SD = 3.7). The association between park satisfaction and park visitation was only significant among adults. Park visitation mediated associations between park availability and park satisfaction and the outcome variables among both adults and children.

Conclusions
Improving park availability and users’ satisfaction with parks may increase visitation and consequently increase physical activity and time spent outdoors.

History

Journal

BMC Public Health

Volume

21

Article number

306

Pagination

1 - 10

Publisher

Springer

Location

Berlin, Germany

eISSN

1471-2458

Language

eng

Publication classification

C1 Refereed article in a scholarly journal

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