Which Measuring Stick? Analysis of Park Access Measures and Their Associations with Self-Reported Physical Activity.

Abstract

Background: Parks are potentially valuable settings for physical activity (PA), but previous studies examining associations between park access and PA yielded mixed results. Inconsistent findings could be due to the variety of measures used to characterize park access and PA. Aim: Examine the influence of park access measures on the association between park access and PA. Methods: As part of the Chelsea STAR project, a community/university collaborative research study, we interviewed 354 residents of a densely populated environmental justice area about park use, PA, and other health-related topics. Questions included resident self- report on the park they prefer to use as well as details about types of PA. We analyzed our primary outcome (total-PA) and location-specific sub-outcomes: PA in any outdoor setting, and park-based PA. Park access measures included park density, type, and proximity (defined as distance between participants' home and the park primarily used by residents for PA). We analyzed the associations between PA and park access using logistic regression, controlling for age, race, education, gender, and injury/impairment. Results: Associations between PA and the different park access measures varied substantially. Proximity showed slight positive associations with total-PA, but density or type showed no or inverse associations with the same outcome. Results also varied according to outcome measures; for example, proximity was not associated with outdoor PA, but was significantly and positively associated with park-based PA. Conclusions: Associations between PA and park access vary depending on the way in which PA is characterized and the specific measure used for park access. This emphasizes the importance of obtaining specific information about the types of PA performed as well as self-reported usage of parks. These measures should be considered carefully in future studies of park access and PA.