IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/socmed/v138y2015icp22-30.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Association of proximity and density of parks and objectively measured physical activity in the United States: A systematic review

Author

Listed:
  • Bancroft, Carolyn
  • Joshi, Spruha
  • Rundle, Andrew
  • Hutson, Malo
  • Chong, Catherine
  • Weiss, Christopher C.
  • Genkinger, Jeanine
  • Neckerman, Kathryn
  • Lovasi, Gina

Abstract

One strategy for increasing physical activity is to create and enhance access to park space. We assessed the literature on the relationship of parks and objectively measured physical activity in population-based studies in the United States (US) and identified limitations in current built environment and physical activity measurement and reporting. Five English-language scholarly databases were queried using standardized search terms. Abstracts were screened for the following inclusion criteria: 1) published between January 1990 and June 2013; 2) US-based with a sample size greater than 100 individuals; 3) included built environment measures related to parks or trails; and 4) included objectively measured physical activity as an outcome. Following initial screening for inclusion by two independent raters, articles were abstracted into a database. Of 10,949 abstracts screened, 20 articles met the inclusion criteria. Five articles reported a significant positive association between parks and physical activity. Nine studies found no association, and six studies had mixed findings. Our review found that even among studies with objectively measured physical activity, the association between access to parks and physical activity varied between studies, possibly due to heterogeneity of exposure measurement. Self-reported (vs. independently-measured) neighborhood park environment characteristics and smaller (vs. larger) buffer sizes were more predictive of physical activity. We recommend strategies for further research, employing standardized reporting and innovative study designs to better understand the relationship of parks and physical activity.

Suggested Citation

  • Bancroft, Carolyn & Joshi, Spruha & Rundle, Andrew & Hutson, Malo & Chong, Catherine & Weiss, Christopher C. & Genkinger, Jeanine & Neckerman, Kathryn & Lovasi, Gina, 2015. "Association of proximity and density of parks and objectively measured physical activity in the United States: A systematic review," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 138(C), pages 22-30.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:138:y:2015:i:c:p:22-30
    DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2015.05.034
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0277953615003160
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.socscimed.2015.05.034?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Srinivasan, S. & O'Fallon, L.R. & Dearry, A., 2003. "Creating Healthy Communities, Healthy Homes, Healthy People: Initiating a Research Agenda on the Built Environment and Public Health," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 93(9), pages 1446-1450.
    2. Jared M. Tucker & Gregory J. Welk & Nicholas K. Beyler, "undated". "Physical Activity in U.S. Adults: Compliance with the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans," Mathematica Policy Research Reports 6fe330399daa43dc9a4792b8c, Mathematica Policy Research.
    3. Ferdinand, A.O. & Sen, B. & Rahurkar, S. & Engler, S. & Menachemi, N., 2012. "The relationship between built environments and physical activity: A systematic review," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 102(10), pages 7-13.
    4. Kaczynski, A.T. & Potwarka, L.R. & Saelens P, B.E., 2008. "Association of park size, distance, and features with physical activity in neighborhood parks," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 98(8), pages 1451-1456.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Walton, Emily, 2014. "Vital places: Facilitators of behavioral and social health mechanisms in low-income neighborhoods," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 122(C), pages 1-12.
    2. Xiaohu Zhang & Scott Melbourne & Chinmoy Sarkar & Alain Chiaradia & Chris Webster, 2020. "Effects of green space on walking: Does size, shape and density matter?," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 57(16), pages 3402-3420, December.
    3. Julian A. Reed & Rachel M. Ballard & Michael Hill & David Berrigan, 2020. "Identification of Effective Programs to Improve Access to and Use of Trails among Youth from Under-Resourced Communities: A Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(21), pages 1-33, October.
    4. Katherine King, 2013. "Jane Jacobs and ‘The Need for Aged Buildings’: Neighbourhood Historical Development Pace and Community Social Relations," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 50(12), pages 2407-2424, September.
    5. Phi-Yen Nguyen & Thomas Astell-Burt & Hania Rahimi-Ardabili & Xiaoqi Feng, 2021. "Green Space Quality and Health: A Systematic Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(21), pages 1-38, October.
    6. Gomez, Luis F. & Sarmiento, Rodrigo & Ordoñez, Maria Fernanda & Pardo, Carlos Felipe & de Sá, Thiago Hérick & Mallarino, Christina H. & Miranda, J. Jaime & Mosquera, Janeth & Parra, Diana C. & Reis, R, 2015. "Urban environment interventions linked to the promotion of physical activity: A mixed methods study applied to the urban context of Latin America," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 131(C), pages 18-30.
    7. Michael Lechner & Paul Downward, 2017. "Heterogeneous sports participation and labour market outcomes in England," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 49(4), pages 335-348, January.
    8. Gindo Tampubolon & S. V. Subramanian & Ichiro Kawachi, 2013. "Neighbourhood Social Capital And Individual Self‐Rated Health In Wales," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 22(1), pages 14-21, January.
    9. Ullmann, S. Heidi & Goldman, Noreen & Pebley, Anne R., 2013. "Contextual factors and weight change over time: A comparison between U.S. Hispanics and other population sub-groups," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 90(C), pages 40-48.
    10. Hyungun Sung & Sugie Lee & Sungwon Jung, 2014. "Identifying the Relationship between the Objectively Measured Built Environment and Walking Activity in the High-Density and Transit-Oriented City, Seoul, Korea," Environment and Planning B, , vol. 41(4), pages 637-660, August.
    11. Mohammad Paydar & Asal Kamani Fard & Verónica Gárate Navarrete, 2023. "Design Characteristics, Visual Qualities, and Walking Behavior in an Urban Park Setting," Land, MDPI, vol. 12(10), pages 1-23, September.
    12. Fangzheng Li & Fen Zhang & Xiong Li & Peng Wang & Junhui Liang & Yuting Mei & Wenwen Cheng & Yun Qian, 2017. "Spatiotemporal Patterns of the Use of Urban Green Spaces and External Factors Contributing to Their Use in Central Beijing," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 14(3), pages 1-17, February.
    13. Razieh Zandieh & Javier Martinez & Johannes Flacke, 2019. "Older Adults’ Outdoor Walking and Inequalities in Neighbourhood Green Spaces Characteristics," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(22), pages 1-18, November.
    14. Irina Iulia Năstase & Ileana Pătru-Stupariu & Felix Kienast, 2019. "Landscape Preferences and Distance Decay Analysis for Mapping the Recreational Potential of an Urban Area," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(13), pages 1-19, July.
    15. Ying Xu & David Matarrita-Cascante & Jae Ho Lee & A.E. Luloff, 2019. "Incorporating Physical Environment-Related Factors in an Assessment of Community Attachment: Understanding Urban Park Contributions," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(20), pages 1-19, October.
    16. Teck Hong Tan, 2022. "Perceived Environmental Attributes: Their Impact on Older Adults’ Mental Health in Malaysia," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(6), pages 1-13, March.
    17. Hans R. A. Koster & Jos van Ommeren, 2019. "Place-Based Policies and the Housing Market," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 101(3), pages 400-414, July.
    18. Simon Bell & Himansu Sekhar Mishra & Lewis R. Elliott & Rebecca Shellock & Peeter Vassiljev & Miriam Porter & Zoe Sydenham & Mathew P. White, 2020. "Urban Blue Acupuncture: A Protocol for Evaluating a Complex Landscape Design Intervention to Improve Health and Wellbeing in a Coastal Community," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(10), pages 1-21, May.
    19. H. S. Gardsjord & M. S. Tveit & H. Nordh, 2014. "Promoting Youth's Physical Activity through Park Design: Linking Theory and Practice in a Public Health Perspective," Landscape Research, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 39(1), pages 70-81, February.
    20. Andreia Teixeira & Ronaldo Gabriel & José Martinho & Irene Oliveira & Mário Santos & Graça Pinto & Helena Moreira, 2023. "Distance to Natural Environments, Physical Activity, Sleep, and Body Composition in Women: An Exploratory Analysis," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(4), pages 1-20, February.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:138:y:2015:i:c:p:22-30. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/315/description#description .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.