A Walk in the Park: The Influence of Urban Parks and Community Violence on Physical Activity in Chelsea, MA

Judy Y. Ou, Jonathan I. Levy, Junenette L. Peters, Roseann Bongiovanni, Jovanna Garcia-Soto, Rafael Medina and Madeleine K. Scammell
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Judy Y. Ou: Boston University School of Public Health, Boston University, Boston, MA 02118, USA
Jonathan I. Levy: Boston University School of Public Health, Boston University, Boston, MA 02118, USA
Junenette L. Peters: Boston University School of Public Health, Boston University, Boston, MA 02118, USA
Roseann Bongiovanni: Chelsea Collaborative, Chelsea, MA 02150, USA
Jovanna Garcia-Soto: Chelsea Collaborative, Chelsea, MA 02150, USA
Rafael Medina: Chelsea Collaborative, Chelsea, MA 02150, USA
Madeleine K. Scammell: Boston University School of Public Health, Boston University, Boston, MA 02118, USA

IJERPH, 2016, vol. 13, issue 1, 1-12

Abstract: Proximity to a park does not necessarily imply access or use, and the social environment may positively or negatively influence the positive intentions of the built environment. To investigate parks, park use and physical activity, and their associations with exposure to community violence, we interviewed residents ( n = 354) of a densely populated urban community. Our findings indicate that proximity to any park is not associated with physical activity. However, proximity to the preferred park reported by residents to be conducive for physical activity (with walking paths, large fields, playgrounds for children and tennis courts) was associated with physical activity. Conversely, knowledge of sexual assault or rape in the neighborhood is inversely associated with every type of physical activity (park-based, outdoor, and indoor). Our findings suggest that improvements to the built environment (parks, green spaces) may be hindered by adverse social environments and both are necessary for consideration in the design of public health interventions.

Keywords: built environment; physical activity; safety; parks; urban environment; Latino (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2016
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (6)

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