Does the built environment matter for physical activity?

Colabianchi, Natalie

doi:10.1007/s12170-009-0046-3

Cited by 5 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 57 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Because of the key role that parks can play in PA promotion, especially among low-income residents who may lack access to alternative activity options or recreational facilities (Gordon-Larsen et al, 2006;Kumanyika & Grier, 2006), it is important that safe parks are available across the economic spectrum of communities. Previous research affirms the notion that park use and PA do not simply depend on access to park facilities, but on high-quality, well-maintained green spaces that contain built features such as walking trails and playing fields (Baran et al, 2014;Cohen et al, 2006;Colabianchi, 2009;Kaczynski et al, 2008;Krenichyn, 2006;Schipperijn, Bentsen, Troelsen, Toftager, & Stigsdotter, 2013;Shores & West, 2008). Respondents in our focus groups indicated that they did not feel that factors related to safety were the same across neighborhoods.…”

Section: Structural Environmentsupporting

confidence: 77%

Attitudes About Perceived Park Safety Among Residents in Low-Income and High Minority Kansas City, Missouri, Neighborhoods

Groshong

Stanis

Kaczynski

et al. 2018

Environment and Behavior

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Parks benefit communities by supporting the physical, mental, and social health of their residents. This is especially important in urban areas, where parks provide essential access to green space, and especially among low-income populations who may lack alternative venues for outdoor recreation. However, although urban parks may ostensibly be accessible, their use can be influenced by factors including perceptions and realities of safety. This qualitative study explored the issue of safety as it relates to park use and park-based physical activity from six focus groups with 41 total participants in urban Kansas City, Missouri. As a facilitator to safety, participants described social interactions and structural environment factors. Safety constraints emerged along five main themes: violence, concerning behavior, lack of maintenance, lack of lighting, and traffic/busy roads. This study adds to the literature establishing safety as a complex and multidimensional factor influencing park usage and physical activity.

show abstract

Section: Structural Environmentsupporting

confidence: 77%

Attitudes About Perceived Park Safety Among Residents in Low-Income and High Minority Kansas City, Missouri, Neighborhoods

Groshong

Stanis

Kaczynski

et al. 2018

Environment and Behavior

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…In addition, a detailed environmental assessment method was utilized to rate and score a variety of different playground attributes rather than just noting the presence of the feature. This type of detailed research has been called for but rarely implemented [ 27 , 9 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Features and amenities of school playgrounds: A direct observation study of utilization and physical activity levels outside of school time

Colabianchi

Maslow

Swayampakala

2011

Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

BackgroundA significant amount of research has examined whether park or playground availability is associated with physical activity. However, little research has examined whether specific features or amenities of parks or playgrounds, such as the number of unique types of playground equipment or the safety of the equipment is associated with utilization of the facility or physical activity levels while at the facility. There are no studies that use direct observation and a detailed park assessment to examine these associations.MethodsTwenty urban schoolyards in the Midwest, ten of which were renovated, were included in this study. Using a detailed environmental assessment tool (i.e., Environmental Assessment of Public Recreation Spaces), information on a variety of playground attributes was collected. Using direct observation (i.e., System for Observing Play and Leisure Activity in Youth), the number of adults, girls and boys attending each schoolyard and their physical activity levels were recorded. Each schoolyard was observed ten times for 90 minutes each time outside of school hours. Clustered multivariable negative binomial regressions and linear regressions were completed to examine the association between playground attributes and utilization of the schoolyard and the proportion active on the playground, respectively. Effect modification by renovation status was also examined.ResultsAt renovated schoolyards, the total number of play features was significantly associated with greater utilization in adults and girls; overall cleanliness was significantly associated with less utilization in girls and boys; and coverage/shade for resting features was significantly associated with greater utilization in adults and boys. At unrenovated schoolyards, overall safety was significantly associated with greater utilization in boys. No playground attribute was associated with the proportion active on the playground after adjusting for all other significant playground attributes.ConclusionsHaving a large quantity of play features and shade at renovated playgrounds were positively associated with utilization of the schoolyard. Modifying playgrounds to have these features may increase the utilization of these facilities outside of school time. Additional research should explore what features and amenities are associated with increased physical activity levels of children and adults who utilize the facilities.

show abstract

“…Mokhtarian and Cao (2008) provide a comprehensive overview of seven methodologies to address this bias, which include direct questioning, statistical control, joint discrete choice models, and instrumental variables models. The direct questioning method is particularly potent, as it garners insights directly from respondents regarding their environmental inclinations (Colabianchi, 2009). Earlier research, including work by Handy and Clifton (2001), has employed this method, affirming that transport-related attitudes play a pivotal role in neighborhood selection for prospective homes.…”

Section: Residential Relocation Accessibility and Self-selection Biasmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sydney’s residential relocation landscape: Machine learning and feature selection methods unpack the whys and whens

Bostanara,

Siripanich,

Ghasri

et al. 2024

JTLU

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

This study investigates household residential relocation timing, an aspect vital for transport and urban planning. Analyzing a high-dimensional dataset from 1,024 relocations in Sydney, Australia, the research contrasts ten machine learning survival techniques with three classical survival models. Results indicate that when classical models are paired with tree-based automated feature selectors, they align closely with machine learning outcomes. Notably, the GBM, XGBoost, and Random Forest models emerge as standout performers. The study provides a comprehensive comparison between automatic and manual feature selection, shedding light on variables influencing households’ duration of stay. While stacked ensemble modeling, which leverages predictions from various models, is used to enhance accuracy, the improvements are marginal, underscoring inherent modeling challenges, particularly the recurring issue of misclassifying specific pairs of households in the concordance index measure. A thorough feature analysis highlights homeownership as the foremost predictor, underscoring the importance of recent life events and accessibility features in relocation decisions. The research emphasizes the importance of considering the accessibility of both current and future homes in relocation models, with 20% feature significance in model outcomes. Building on these foundational insights, the study paves the way for a deeper understanding of individual decision-making processes in sustainable urban planning.

show abstract

Does the built environment matter for physical activity?

Cited by 5 publications

References 57 publications

Attitudes About Perceived Park Safety Among Residents in Low-Income and High Minority Kansas City, Missouri, Neighborhoods

Attitudes About Perceived Park Safety Among Residents in Low-Income and High Minority Kansas City, Missouri, Neighborhoods

Features and amenities of school playgrounds: A direct observation study of utilization and physical activity levels outside of school time

Sydney’s residential relocation landscape: Machine learning and feature selection methods unpack the whys and whens

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About