Abstract P430: Spatial Proximity and Membership to Gyms or Related Facilities Jointly Predict Objectively Measured Physical Activity among Adults in New York City

Abstract

Background: Over half of the adult population in the United States fails to meet public health recommendations for physical activity. Neighborhood physical activity facilities may help encourage moderate and vigorous physical activity. We hypothesize that commercial physical activity facilities near the home would predict both membership in a gym or other recreation facility in the past 12 months and current physical activity. We further hypothesize the presence of effect modification, such that physical activity facilities would have a stronger association with activity among individuals with a facility membership. Methods: Data were from the New York City Physical Activity and Transit Monitoring Study, a sample of 679 New York City adults aged 18 years and older with physical activity measured by accelerometer. Participants were excluded for incomplete data, extreme values for height, weight or BMI, or if their home address could not be geocoded. The final analytic sample was 625. Counts of commercial physical activity facilities within 1 km of each participant’s home address were generated from the National Establishment Time-Series data for year 2010. Linear and logistic regression models incorporated robust standard errors, sample weights, and adjustment for individual- and neighborhood-level characteristics. Results: Individuals living near more commercial physical activity facilities were more likely to report membership in a gym or other facility (adjusted odds ratio for top versus bottom quartile of facility count: 3.80; 95% CI: 1.60-9.02). The count of facilities was also associated with more physical activity as measured by accelerometer, particularly for those individuals reporting membership in a gym or other recreation facility (see figure). Conclusion: The evaluation of opportunities for physical activity should include accessibility of commercial physical activity facilities, including financial or social barriers to membership.