Changes in Physical Activity After Installation of a Fitness Zone in a Community Park

Identifying Factors That Influence Physical Activity and Healthy Aging Among Older Latino Adults

BACKGROUND

For older Latinos, some benefits of leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) include enhanced cognitive functioning, decreased loneliness, and reduced premature mortality. Despite LTPA benefits, adults ≥50 years are one of the most inactive age groups in the United States.

METHODS

This qualitative study aimed to add to the limited evidence of LTPA in older Latino adults by exploring the barriers and facilitators for fitness class uptake and park use. Guided by a Social-Ecological Model of Health and Social Determinants of Health theoretical and a phenomenological research design, qualitative research data were collected via 27 personal interviews with Latino adults using a semistructured interview guide. Participants were recruited using purposive sampling strategies in collaboration with community partners. Bicultural data collectors conducted the semistructured interviews over Zoom. Thematic analysis was performed using Dedoose, following an inductive and deductive approach.

RESULTS

The main barriers to fitness class attendance and park use were family and/or work commitments, perceived safety, and perceived discrimination. Conversely, the critical facilitators for participation were socialization into a group, social connectedness with group members, fitness instructor characteristics, and exercise history.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings from this study hold important implications for the design of fitness programming and park-based recreation, including the need to increase the cultural diversity of recreation staff and culturally relevant programming. Future research is needed on time poverty related to family/work commitments and whether discriminatory practices at fitness centers, like ageism and race/ethnicity, influence physical activity behavior.

Does the Installation or the Improvement of Existing Outdoor Parks Increase Physical Activity Levels? A Systematic Review

Investment in outdoor parks is proposed as a promising large-scale strategy to promote physical activity (PA). This study aimed to systematically review the impact of park renovations or installing new ones in increasing PA. Searches were conducted using predefined terms in three databases (PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science) in March 2022. Studies examining the effectiveness of park renovations or developing new ones in increasing PA and having control or comparison were eligible for inclusion. Study quality was assessed using the Quality Assessment Tool for Quantitative Studies. Data were extracted from the included records using a predefined extraction table. The database search yielded 959 records, and 26 were included. For park renovations (n = 17), 11 (65%) studies presented findings supporting a positive effect on PA. The other six (35%) studies found no PA benefits when compared to control or pre-renovations/improvement levels. Regarding new installations (n = 9), five (56%) studies presented improvements in PA, and four (44%) did not. A promising positive impact of park renovations and new installations on park use and PA was observed. The review findings reflect the need to understand the context, daily routines, and interests of the surrounding population before renovating or installing new outdoor parks.

The Effectiveness of Interventions to Increase Participation and Physical Activities in Parks: A Systematic Review of the Literature

Although a variety of interventions in many countries have been developed to increase park use and to improve public participation in physical activities in parks, knowledge of their overall effectiveness is lacking. A systematic literature review was undertaken to further understand the effectiveness of various interventions that aim to increase the use of parks and physical activity participation in parks. This systematic review utilized the standard Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis procedure, and of the 3801 studies identified, 60 studies were reviewed in-depth, with 44 studies assessed for quality of evidence and risk of bias. Most of the 44 reviewed studies found that various interventions had positive impacts on park use and physical activity participation in parks. Interventions were classified into both demand and supply, with more studies focusing on the supply side. The strongest evidence on the effectiveness of various interventions was found for park prescriptions; safe access to parks; playgrounds, and park renovation and renewal/design. However, the assessment of quality of evidence and risk of bias showed that most studies suffer from potential biases and evidence weaknesses, suggesting a need to further establish external validity.

THE IMPACT OF WELL-PLANNED TRAINING ON CHANGING SEDENTARY LIFESTYLE HABITS

ABSTRACT Introduction: A sedentary lifestyle is one of the biggest health problems of the 21st century. The role of the trainer in motivating the sedentary individual is crucial. Also, there is a growing accessibility to gyms today, especially outdoor gyms, as a novel way to motivate people to train. Objective: The aim of the study was to evaluate the impact of regular combined indoor and outdoor physical activity on anthropometric and functional parameters and the adoption of a more active lifestyle. Methods: The study included 45 participants between 18 and 56 years of age. They underwent 12 weeks of resistance training, focusing on chest presses and leg presses. Height, weight, bioelectrical impedance, chest and leg press one-repetition maximums, push-up and curl-up counts, and sit and reach were measured both before and after the 12-week training program. Results: After 12 weeks of training, male participants showed a significant increase in the percentage of skeletal muscle mass (p<0.05) and a significant decrease in the fat mass percentage (p<0.05). Female participants experienced a significant reduction in the fat mass percentage (p<0.05). Both groups were able to significantly increase their one-repetition maximums for the chest press (p<0.05) and leg press (p<0.05). Push-up and curl-up counts increased significantly after 12 weeks of training in both sexes, as did flexibility in both sexes. A year after the study, 80% of all participants were still training with a combination of indoor and outdoor physical activities. Conclusions: After 12 weeks of training, the body composition of both female and male participants had changed significantly. Twelve weeks of resistance training significantly increased strength and flexibility in both male and female participants. A well-thought-out training plan seems to be the key factor in motivating a beginner trainee to adopt a more active lifestyle. Level of Evidence IV; Case series.

The use of outdoor gyms is associated with women and low-income people: a cross-sectional study

OBJECTIVE

To examine the prevalence, and the demographic, socio-economic, and health correlates to Outdoor Gyms (OGs) use for adults from a southern Brazilian city.

STUDY DESIGN

Population-based cross-sectional study.

METHODS

A total of 431 adults (66.8% women) aged 18-87 years living in the surroundings of four OGs distributed in different regions of the city were randomly selected. Information about OG use for physical activity (PA) practice, and demographic, socio-economic, and health variables were collected by household interviews. Associations between independent variables and OG use were analyzed with results expressed as odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (95% CI).

RESULTS

About one-third of participants (30.4%; 95% CI: 26.1-34.7) informed using OGs for PA practice, and 20.4% (95% CI 16.8-24.4) informed using it twice or more times a week (≥2x/week). Adjusted analysis indicated that the OG use ≥2x/week is higher for women (OR: 1.93; 95% CI: 1.11-3.35) and for those with lower family income (OR: 2.13; 95% CI: 1.03-4.13) than men and those with higher family income, respectively.

CONCLUSION

About 30% of the population uses OGs for PA practice. Women and low-income people are those who more commonly use OGs for PA practice. The installation of these facilities in public spaces may reduce social inequities related to leisure-time PA.

Effectiveness of Outdoor Exercise Parks on Health Outcomes in Older Adults-A Mixed-Methods Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

The objective of this systematic review was to examine the effectiveness of outdoor exercise park equipment on physical activity levels, physical function, psychosocial outcomes, and quality of life of older adults living in the community and to evaluate the evidence of older adults' use of outdoor exercise park equipment. A search strategy was conducted from seven databases. Nine articles met the inclusion criteria. The study quality results were varied. Meta-analyses were undertaken for two physical performance tests: 30-s chair stand test and single-leg stance. The meta-analysis results were not statistically significant. It was not possible to conclude whether exercise parks were effective at improving levels of physical activity. The review shows that older adults value the benefits of health and social interaction from the use of exercise parks. Findings should be interpreted with caution due to the small sample sizes and the limited number of studies.

Availability of public open space and the practice of leisure-time physical activity among the Brazilian adult population

OBJECTIVES

To analyze the perceived availability of public open space (POS) in the neighborhood for physical activity (PA) over the years and its association to practice of leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) among Brazilian adult population.

METHODS

Data from the surveillance system of risk and protection factors for chronic diseases by telephone survey (Vigitel) from 2011 to 2015 were analyzed (n = 247,548). Prais-Winsten regression was used to investigate the trend of the perceived availability of POS, and Poisson regression to analyze its association to the LTPA.

RESULTS

The perceived availability of POS in the neighborhood for PA remained fairly stable, from 73.4% in 2011 to 74.0% in 2015. The perception of this availability positively associated with the sufficient practice of LTPA (≥ 150 min/week) (RP = 1.27; p < 0.05), and with the practice of different types, weekly frequency and daily duration of the activities.

CONCLUSIONS

In addition to the building and maintenance of POS, the proximity and physical accessibility of the population must be guaranteed, so that those spaces are perceived as a favorable environment for the practice of LTPA.

Placement of Outdoor Exercise Equipment and Physical Activity: A Quasi-Experimental Study in Two Parks in Southern California

To reduce the burden of chronic disease, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) funded the Orange County Partnerships to Improve Health (OC-PICH) project in Orange County, California. One of the strategies included adding outdoor exercise equipment (OEE) in two parks in Garden Grove and Anaheim. Using a quasi-experimental pre-post design, we evaluated park users’ physical activity levels before and after OEE installation using the System for Observing Play and Recreation in Communities (SOPARC). The OEE was installed along a walking path in Edison Park (Anaheim) and grouped within a single area (a “fitness zone”) in Garden Grove Park. In both parks, there were significantly greater odds of high-intensity physical activity overall after the installation—19% higher odds in Anaheim, and 23% higher odds in Garden Grove. However, the fitness zone area in Garden Grove had substantially higher odds of increased physical activity post-intervention (OR = 5.29, CI: 3.76–7.44, p < 0.001). While the increases in physical activity levels are consistent with past studies that link OEE to higher levels of physical activity among park users, our findings also suggest that the location and placement of equipment within a park may be an important factor to consider when improving park amenities for physical activity.

Integrating smartphone technology, social support and the outdoor built environment to promote community-based aerobic and resistance-based physical activity: Rationale and study protocol for the 'ecofit' randomized controlled trial

Introduction

Regular physical activity can significantly reduce the risk of numerous chronic diseases, and improve bone density and mental health. Yet, only 50% of Australian adults meet the aerobic physical activity guidelines and 9–19% meet the resistance-based physical activity guidelines. The aim of this study is to enhance community-based aerobic and resistance-based physical activity through the use of publicly available outdoor exercise equipment, social support and smartphone technology.

Research design and methods

The ecofit intervention will be evaluated using a two-arm randomized controlled trial. A total of 240 adults (aged 18–80) will be recruited and randomly allocated to either the ecofit intervention or a ‘wait-list’ control group. Both groups will have access to the two types of outdoor park exercise equipment, but the intervention group will be given access to the purpose-built ecofit app and a 90-min introductory group training session. To promote social support, participants can enrol in a group of up to four individuals and access the ecofit Facebook group. The ecofit app include workout plans that can be tailored to different locations, difficulty levels and workout-types (i.e., resistance-only or combined resistance and aerobic workouts). Outcome assessments will be conducted at baseline, 3- (primary-end point) and 9-months follow-up. The primary outcomes are upper and lower body muscular fitness. The secondary outcomes include physical activity, body composition, aerobic fitness, body mass index, self-report resistance-based physical activity, and mental health outcomes. The cost-effectiveness of the study will also be evaluated.

Discussion

ecofit is an innovative, multi-component physical activity intervention that integrates smartphone technology, social support and the outdoor built environment to promote community-based aerobic and resistance-based physical. The findings will be used to guide future interventions and to support councils to promote community-based physical activity through the use of local outdoor exercise equipment.

Trial registration

ACTRN12619000868189.