Does being an Olympic city help improve recreational resources? Examining the quality of physical activity resources in a low-income neighborhood of Rio de Janeiro

Fabiana R. Sousa-Mast (), Arianne C. Reis, Marcelo C. Vieira, Sandro Sperandei, Luilma A. Gurgel and Uwe Pühse
Additional contact information
Fabiana R. Sousa-Mast: University of Basel
Arianne C. Reis: Western Sydney University
Marcelo C. Vieira: State Institute of Cardiology Aloysio de Castro
Sandro Sperandei: Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (FIOCRUZ)
Luilma A. Gurgel: State University of Ceará
Uwe Pühse: University of Basel

International Journal of Public Health, 2017, vol. 62, issue 2, No 10, 263-268

Abstract: Abstract Objectives To assess the quality of public physical activity resources (PARs) in a low socio-economic community in the Olympic city of Rio de Janeiro. Methods The Physical Activity Resource Assessment (PARA) instrument was used to assess all 29 public PARs located in this community. A quality indicator (QI) was developed based on PARA results. Results The average QI of the areas assessed was 1.3 ± 6.40 and the median 1 point, a considerably low score if compared to scores of public PARs across the city (13.6 ± 4.91 and 13 points). Conclusions The urban regeneration necessary for hosting mega-sport events is frequently promoted as an opportunity to enhance PARs and therefore to improve health through physical activity (PA) participation. Findings indicate that the high number of elements that can discourage the use of these spaces may help explain the low level of PA during leisure time that has been previously reported of residents of the same neighborhood. Whether using the Olympic Games as catalyst or not, policies designed to encourage PA should focus also on the built environment.

Keywords: Built environment; Physical activity resources; Rio 2016 Olympic Games; Low socio-economic status community (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

Downloads: (external link)
http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s00038-016-0827-7 Abstract (text/html)
Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:spr:ijphth:v:62:y:2017:i:2:d:10.1007_s00038-016-0827-7

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
http://www.springer.com/economics/journal/00038

DOI: 10.1007/s00038-016-0827-7

Access Statistics for this article

International Journal of Public Health is currently edited by Thomas Kohlmann, Nino Künzli and Andrea Madarasova Geckova

More articles in International Journal of Public Health from Springer, Swiss School of Public Health (SSPH+)
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Sonal Shukla () and Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing ().