The relationship between sports facility accessibility and physical activity among Korean adults

Abstract

BackgroundThe benefits of physical activity on physical and mental health are well known. The accessibility of sports facilities is reported to have considerable association with the amount of physical activity a person participates in. Therefore, we investigated the association between subjectively assessed accessibility of sports facilities and physical activity among Korean adults.MethodsWe obtained data from the 2012 Community Health Survey. Physical activity was measured based on weekly metabolic equivalent task (MET) hours according to the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ). Sociodemographic, economic, and health variables were used as covariates in a logistic regression model.ResultsA total 201,723 participants were included in this study. Participants with easy access to sports facilities participated in physical activity more often than those without easy access (OR = 1.16, 95 % CI 1.13–1.20). More physical activity was generally observed if participants had a history of depression or if participants were among the white-collar or urban subgroups.ConclusionOur results showed that the accessibility of sports facilities is associated with physical activity. Therefore, it is crucial to consider the accessibility of sports facilities when promoting an environment conducive to physical activity or designing programs for enhancing physical activity.

Temporal Trends in Sports Participation among Adolescents between 2001 and 2015: A French School- and Territory-Based Study

“…The lower rate locally observed could be partially explained by the large proportions of families with a low SES [ 27 ] and the low availability of sports infrastructures [ 28 ] in this area. It is well known that these factors influence adolescent non-sport participation [ 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 ]. In addition, the results showed different magnitudes in decreases by sex and SES.…”

“…Toftegaard-Støckel et al showed that in some Danish localities, the influence of low SES differed by sex whilst in others it remained the same [ 22 ]. Finally, environmental factors such as ease of access to sports infrastructures or local opportunities [ 23 , 24 , 25 ] could differ across the national territory. It is likely that local particularities could lead to different levels of participation compared to the national level.…”

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“…A variety of tools are available to assess students, employees, alumni, and the community satisfaction or perception of recreation services [17–21]. One tool [17] evaluates students' satisfaction levels, perceived service quality, and behavioral intentions for continued use of campus recreation facilities and programs.…”

“…The study also showed that students' perceptions of recreation facilities available on campus differ between men and women and by class standing [20]. Some tools for evaluating recreation facilities are too simple [14] because they primarily assess presence/availability [15] and safety [16] and rely upon client perceptions or satisfaction of facility users [17–21]. Few tools objectively evaluate recreation facilities [22–24].…”

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