Policy and Environmental Predictors of Park Visits During the First Months of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Getting Out While Staying in

Curtis, Dorothy; Rigolon, Alessandro; Schmalz, Dorothy L.; Brown, Barbara

doi:10.1177/00139165211031199

Cited by 37 publications

(33 citation statements)

References 58 publications

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“…Results also reflect disparities in park use and access to greenspace that have been observed in other countries during the pandemic (Burnett et al, 2021;Dushkova et al, 2021). In US-based studies, researchers found park visits during the pandemic decreased the most in areas where park availability was low (Curtis et al, 2021) and more residents were BIPOC (Jay et al, 2021). In places where park distribution and access is inequitable (i.e., socially vulnerable neighborhoods), alternative pathways to nature and outdoor recreation may be critical.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 66%

Urban Park Use During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Are Socially Vulnerable Communities Disproportionately Impacted?

Larson

Zhang

et al. 2021

Front. Sustain. Cities

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The COVID-19 pandemic altered human behavior around the world. To maintain mental and physical health during periods of lockdown and quarantine, people often engaged in outdoor, physically distanced activities such as visits to parks and greenspace. However, research tracking outdoor recreation patterns during the pandemic has yielded inconsistent results, and few studies have explored the impacts of COVID-19 on park use across diverse neighborhoods. We used a mixed methods approach to examine changes in park use patterns in cities across North Carolina, USA, during the COVID-19 pandemic, with an emphasis on impacts in socially vulnerable communities (based on racial/ethnic composition and socioeconomic status). First, we surveyed a demographically representative sample of 611 urban residents during August 2020 to assess their use of outdoor park spaces before and during the pandemic. Second, we used cell phone location (i.e., geo-tracking) data to document changes in park visits within 605 socioeconomically diverse urban census tracts before (July 2019) and during (July 2020) the pandemic. Data from both methods revealed urban park use declined during the pandemic; 56% of survey respondents said they stopped or reduced park use, and geo-tracked park visits dropped by 15%. Park users also became more homogenous, with visits increasing the most for past park visitors and declining the most in socially vulnerable communities and among individuals who were BIPOC or lower-income. Our results raise concerns about urban park use during the COVID-19 pandemic and suggest pre-existing health disparities in socially vulnerable communities might be exacerbated by inequitable access and utilization of parks and greenspace.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 66%

Urban Park Use During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Are Socially Vulnerable Communities Disproportionately Impacted?

Larson

Zhang

et al. 2021

Front. Sustain. Cities

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“…With few indoor alternatives, outdoor recreation in public parks and greenspaces provided a safe and much needed respite for many people suffering from life in lockdown ( Grima et al, 2020 ; Kleinschroth and Kowarik, 2020 ; Samuelsson et al, 2020 ). Indeed, research shows that park use was not associated with COVID-19 rates in the early months of the pandemic ( Curtis et al, 2021 ). Evidence also suggests the physical activity associated with outdoor recreation might also diminish the risk of severe COVID-19 outcomes if someone contracts the disease ( Sallis et al, 2021 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Greenspace and park use associated with less emotional distress among college students in the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic

Larson

Mullenbach

Browning

et al. 2022

Environmental Research

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The COVID-19 pandemic has negatively affected many people's psychological health. Impacts may be particularly severe among socially vulnerable populations such as college students, a group predisposed to mental health problems. Outdoor recreation and visits to greenspaces such as parks offer promising pathways for addressing the mental health challenges associated with COVID-19. During the early stages of the pandemic (March–May 2020), we surveyed 1280 college students at four large public universities across the United States (U.S.) to assess how, and why, outdoor recreation and park use changed since the emergence of COVID-19. We also measured students' self-reported levels of emotional distress (a proxy for psychological health) and assessed potential demographic and contextual correlates of distress, including county-level per capita park area and greenness, using generalized linear models. We found that 67% of students reported limiting outdoor activities and 54% reported reducing park use during the pandemic. Students who reduced their use of outdoor spaces cited structural reasons (e.g., lockdowns), concerns about viral transmission, and negative emotions that obstructed active lifestyles. Students who maintained pre-pandemic park use levels expressed a desire to be outdoors in nature, often with the explicit goal of improving mental and physical health. Emotional distress among students was widespread. Models showed higher levels of emotional distress were associated with reducing park use during the pandemic and residing in counties with a smaller area of parks per capita. This study of U.S. college students supports the value of park-based recreation as a health promotion strategy for diverse populations of young adults during a time of crisis.

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“…First, as this study was only conducted on two multi-use trails within two states, physical distancing behaviors and strategies to promote these behaviors may be different in other areas. The contexts of current mandates, guidelines, and recommendations that are in place must be considered because other research has shown varied results due to differences in local policies (Curtis et al, 2022). Specifically, Curtis et al (2022) reported that park visitation rates varied with local policies related to physical distancing.…”

Section: Limitationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Outdoor spaces have been identified as important places to promote physical activity as well as physical and mental health and social well-being during COVID-19 (Denay et al, 2020; Freeman & Eykelbosh, 2020); however, results from studies on park use during the pandemic have been inconsistent. Alizadehtazi et al (2020) reported an increase in park usage with greater population density, while Curtis et al (2022) reported decreased park visits in the US during the early weeks of the pandemic. Another study by Lopez et al (2021) found that community concerns around physical distancing behaviors and overcrowding had a negative impact on park usage.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Effectiveness of a Point-of-Decision Prompt to Encourage Physical Distancing on Greenways and Rail-Trails During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Christiana

Daily

Bias

et al. 2022

Environment and Behavior

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Adherence to public health messaging recommending physical distancing in public outdoor spaces during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic and strategies to promote physical distancing are currently unknown. This study examined the effectiveness of a point-of-decision prompt to increase physical distancing (maintaining at least 6 ft of distance) on greenways and rail-trails using systematic observation with passive infrared cameras. Results indicate that the intervention did not have a significant effect on interacting groups maintaining physical distance. However, groups maintaining physical distance increased from baseline (72%) to post-intervention (79%) and likelihood of maintaining physical distance at baseline and post-intervention was higher when: passing in the opposite direction compared to passing in the same direction; using 12-foot-wide trails compared to 10-foot-wide trails; and only one person was in each group. These results provide important implications for public health and parks and recreation professionals to promote physical distancing on multi-use trails.

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Policy and Environmental Predictors of Park Visits During the First Months of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Getting Out While Staying in

Cited by 37 publications

References 58 publications

Urban Park Use During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Are Socially Vulnerable Communities Disproportionately Impacted?

Urban Park Use During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Are Socially Vulnerable Communities Disproportionately Impacted?

Greenspace and park use associated with less emotional distress among college students in the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic

Effectiveness of a Point-of-Decision Prompt to Encourage Physical Distancing on Greenways and Rail-Trails During the COVID-19 Pandemic

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