Preventing Chronic Disease | Physical Activity Surveillance in Parks Using Direct Observation - CDC

full-text ►
Preventing Chronic Disease | Physical Activity Surveillance in Parks Using Direct Observation - CDC

Physical Activity Surveillance in Parks Using Direct Observation

Navigate This Article

• Abstract
• Introduction
• Methods
• Results
• Discussion
• Acknowledgments
• Author Information
• References
• Tables

Phillip Ward, PhD; Thomas L. McKenzie, PhD; Deborah Cohen, MD, MPH; Kelly R. Evenson, PhD; Daniela Golinelli, PhD; Amy Hillier, PhD; Sandra C. Lapham, MD, MPH; Stephanie Williamson

Suggested citation for this article: Ward P, McKenzie TL, Cohen D, Evenson KR, Golinelli D, Hillier A, et al. Physical Activity Surveillance in Parks Using Direct Observation. Prev Chronic Dis 2014;11:130147. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5888/pcd11.130147.

PEER REVIEWED

Abstract

Introduction
Primary features of observational public health surveillance instruments are that they are valid, can reliably estimate physical activity behaviors, and are useful across diverse geographic settings and seasons by different users. Previous studies have reported the validity and reliability of Systematic Observation of Play and Recreation in Communities (SOPARC) to estimate park and user characteristics. The purpose of this investigation was to establish the use of SOPARC as a surveillance instrument and to situate the findings from the study in the context of the previous literature.

Methods
We collected data by using SOPARC for more than 3 years in 4 locations: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Columbus, Ohio; Chapel Hill/Durham, North Carolina; and Albuquerque, New Mexico during spring, summer, and autumn.

Results
We observed a total of 35,990 park users with an overall observer reliability of 94% (range, 85%–99%) conducted on 15% of the observations. We monitored the proportion of park users engaging in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and found marginal differences in MVPA by both city and season. Park users visited parks significantly more on weekend days than weekdays and visitation rates tended to be lower during summer than spring.

Conclusion
SOPARC is a highly reliable observation instrument that can be used to collect data across diverse geographic settings and seasons by different users and has potential as a surveillance system.

Author Information

Corresponding Author: Phillip Ward, PhD, The Ohio State University, Department of Human Sciences; Room A256, 305 West 17th Ave, Columbus, OH 43210-1221. Telephone: 614-688-8435. E-mail: ward.116@osu.edu.

Author Affiliations: Thomas L. McKenzie, San Diego State University, School of Exercise and Nutritional Sciences, San Diego, California; Deborah Cohen, Daniela Golinelli, Stephanie Williamson, RAND Corporation, Santa Monica California; Kelly R. Evenson, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina; Amy Hillier, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Sandra C. Lapham, Behavioral Research Center of the Southwest/PIRE, Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Top of Page

References

1. Troiano RP, Berrigan D, Dodd KW, Masse LC, Tilert T, McDowell M. Physical activity in the United States measured by accelerometer. Physical activity in the United States measured by accelerometer Med Sci Sports Exerc 2008;40(1):181–8. CrossRef PubMed
2. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. http://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/data/surveillance.html. Accessed April 14, 2013.
3. Sallis JF, Saelens BE. Assessment of physical activity by self-report: status, limitations, and future directions. Res Q Exerc Sport 2000;71(2, Suppl):S1–14. PubMed
4. Adams SA, Matthews CE, Ebbeling CB, Moore CG, Cunningham JE, Fulton J, et al. The effect of social desirability and social approval on self-reports of physical activity. Am J Epidemiol 2005;161(4):389–98. CrossRef PubMed
5. Lee IM, Shiroma EJ, Lobelo F, Puska P, Blair SN, Katzmarzyk PT, et al. Effect of physical inactivity on major non-communicable diseases worldwide: an analysis of burden of disease and life expectancy. Lancet 2012;380(9838):219–29. CrossRef PubMed
6. Mokdad AH, Marks JS, Stroup DF, Gerberding JL. Actual causes of death in the United States, 2000. JAMA 2004;291(10):1238–45. CrossRefPubMed
7. Sallis JF, Patterson TL, Buono MJ, Nader PR. Relation of cardiovascular fitness and physical activity to cardiovascular disease risk factors in children and adults. Am J Epidemiol 1988;127(5):933–41. PubMed
8. US Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. Healthy people 2020. 2013. http://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/topicsobjectives2020/objectiveslist.aspx?topicId=1. Accessed April 14, 2013.
9. Kwon S, Wang M, Hawkins M. Association between self-reported physical activity and obesity among White, Black, Hispanic, and Asian Americans: 2007 and 2009 BRFSS. Ethn Dis 2013;23(2):129–35. PubMed
10. Pucher J, Buehler R, Merom D, Bauman A. Walking and cycling in the United States, 2001-2009: evidence from the National Household Travel Surveys. Am J Public Health 2011;101(Suppl 1):S310–7. CrossRef PubMed
11. McKenzie TL, Cohen DA, Sehgal A, Williamson S, Golinelli D. System for observing play and recreation in communitites (SOPARC): reliability and feasibility measures. J Phys Act Health 2006;3Suppl 1:S208–22. PubMed
12. Kaczynski AT, Wilhelm Stanis SA, Hastmann T, Besenyi GM. Variations in observed park physical activity intensity level by gender, race, and age: individual and joint effects. J Phys Act Health 2011;8Suppl 2:S151–60. PubMed
13. Shores KA, West ST. The relationship between built park environments and physical activity in four park locations. J Public Health Manag Pract 2008;14(3):e9–16. CrossRef PubMed
14. Kaczynski AT, Potwarka LR, Saelens BE. Association of park size, distance, and features with physical activity in neighborhood parks. Am J Public Health 2008;98(8):1451–6. CrossRef PubMed
15. Bocarro JN, Floyd M, Moore R, Baran P, Danninger T, Smith W, et al. Adaptation of the System for Observing Physical Activity and Recreation in Communities (SOPARC) to assess age groupings of children. J Phys Act Health 2009;6(6):699–707. PubMed
16. Tester J, Baker R. Making the playfields even: evaluating the impact of an environmental intervention on park use and physical activity. Prev Med 2009;48(4):316–20. CrossRef PubMed
17. Reed JA, Hooker SP, Muthukrishnan S, Hutto B. User demographics and physical activity behaviors on a newly constructed urban rail/trail conversion. J Phys Act Health 2011;8(4):534–42. PubMed
18. Besenyi GM, Kaczynski AT, Wilhem Stanis SA, Vaughan KB. Demographic variations in observed energy expenditure across park activity areas. Prev Med 2013;56(1):79–81. CrossRef PubMed
19. Price AE, Reed JA, Hooker SP. The association of natural elements and trail use by adults. Prev Chronic Dis 2012;9:E06. PubMed
20. Chung-Do JJ, Davis E, Lee S, Jokura Y, Choy L, Maddock JE. An observational study of physical activity in parks in Asian and Pacific Islander communities in urban Honolulu, Hawaii, 2009. Prev Chronic Dis 2011;8(5):A107. PubMed
21. McKenzie TL, Sallis JF, Nader PR. SOFIT: system for observing fitness instruction time. J Teach Physical Ed 1991;11:195–205.
22. Rowe PJ, Schuldheisz JM, van der Mars L. Measuring physical activity in physical education: validation of the SOFIT direct observation instrument for use with first to eighth grade students. Pediatr Exerc Sci 1997;9:136–49.
23. Cohen DA, Setodji C, Evenson KR, Ward P, Lapham S, Hillier A, et al. How much observation is enough? Refining the administration of SOPARC. J Phys Act Health 2011;8(8):1117–23. PubMed
24. Vaughan KB, Kaczynski AT, Wilhelm Stanis SA, Besenyi GM, Bergstrom R, Heinrich KM. Exploring the distribution of park availability, features, and quality across Kansas City, Missouri by income and race/ethnicity: an environmental justice investigation. Ann Behav Med 2013;45Suppl 1:S28–38.CrossRef PubMed
25. Tucker P, Gilliland J. The effect of season and weather on physical activity: a systematic review. Public Health 2007;121(12):909–22. CrossRefPubMed
26. Buehler JW; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. CDC’s vision for public health surveillance in the 21st century. MMWR Surveill Summ 2012;61 Suppl: 1-2. PubMed
27. Yang Y, Diez-Roux AV. Walking distance by trip purpose and population subgroups. Am J Prev Med 2012;43(1):11–9. CrossRef PubMed
28. Vuori I, Lankenau B, Pratt M. Physical activity policy and program development: the experience in Finland. Public Health Rep 2004;119(3):331–45.CrossRef PubMed