Perceived Access to Community Facilities, Social Motivation, and Physical Activity among New Zealand Youth

doi:10.1016/j.jadohealth.2006.04.009

Journal of Adolescent Health

Volume 39, Issue 5, November 2006, Pages 770-773

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2006.04.009 Get rights and content

Abstract

The current study describes motivations for physical activity and relationships between recreational facilities and physical activity among a nationally representative sample of New Zealand youth. Our findings suggest that physical activity interventions should address both the social (opportunities for social engagement) and physical (access to recreational facilities) environments of adolescents.

Section snippets

Methods

Data for the current study were collected as part of Youth2000, the New Zealand national youth health survey. A full description of the methodology has been reported previously [7]. A total of 9699 randomly selected high school students (overall response rate 64%) completed a multimedia survey administered by computer during 2001. Participating students were demographically similar to the general New Zealand population of young people aged 13 to 17 years. The University of Auckland Human

Results

Approximately half of all students engaged in regular vigorous physical activity (Table 1). Males were significantly more likely to be active than females among all ethnicities; in the total population, activity rates were highest among New Zealand Maori and European students. Percentages of females doing regular vigorous activity significantly decreases across the ages; among male students, physical activity peaks at age 15. Vigorous activity was more common among students of higher

Discussion

We found that among the main reasons youth chose to do exercise were “it’s fun” and “to hang out with friends” and very few students exercised alone. Neighborhood safety and access to recreational facilities (specifically parks, skateboard ramps, sports fields, swimming places, gyms, and bicycle tracks) were positively associated with physical activity. Our findings are consistent with previous research that have shown that enjoyment [9], safety [5], support from others [3] and opportunities to

Acknowledgments

Youth2000 was supported by Grant 00/208 from the Health Research Council of New Zealand. The principal investigators for Youth2000 are Peter Watson, Vivienne Adair, Shanthi Ameratunga, Terryann Clark, Sue Crengle, Simon Denny, Robyn Dixon, Sally Merry, Elizabeth Robinson, David Schaaf and Andrew Sporle.

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2021, SSM - Population Health
Citation Excerpt :
Recent research found that adding team and individual intramurals were positively associated with female MVPA, regardless of intramural participation (Burns et al., 2021), which underscores the importance of examining types of intramural changes on youth MVPA. These results suggest an indirect effect between changes in intramurals and MVPA, and may be explained by the fact that adding team and individual intramurals fosters a supportive physical activity environment and addresses important proximal factors associated with female MVPA (Eime et al., 2015; Johnstone & Millar, 2012; Król-Zielinska et al., 2018; Li et al., 2014; Mcgovern et al., 2020; Rees et al., 2006; Utter et al., 2006). Additionally, we did not consider whether the intramural changes were to female-only, male-only or co-ed intramurals.
Intramurals in schools may encourage physical activity among youth. Schools are continuously making changes to these intramurals, yet it is not well understood how these changes impact youth physical activity. The main objective of this research was to examine if changes in the number of intramurals were associated with youth physical activity over time with a secondary objective to explore the association between sport participation and physical activity among youth over time.
This study used three years of linked longitudinal school- and student-level data from Ontario schools in year 5 (Y5: 2016–2017), year 6 (Y6: 2017–2018) and year 7 (Y7: 2018–2019) of the COMPASS study. Data on intramurals from 55 schools were collected from the School Programs and Policies questionnaire to determine intramural changes that were made from Y5 to Y6. Using the COMPASS Student Questionnaire, baseline demographics were collected and data on physical activity and sport participation were measured at Y5, Y6 and Y7 on 4417 students. Hierarchical linear mixed regression models were used to estimate how changes in intramurals were associated with youth physical activity over time.
Changes in school-specific intramurals were not significantly associated with physical activity over time. Intramural, varsity and community sport participation were all positively and significantly associated with youth physical activity among female and males.
Intramural, varsity and community sport participation are important opportunities for youth physical activity. Schools should offer a variety of intramural and varsity sports to encourage physical activity. Although adding intramurals may not be effective at increasing youth physical activity, they may be effective when used in combination with other strategies to increase physical activity.
Impact du niveau d'activité physique sur l'alexithymie et le coping dans une population de plus de 40 ans atteinte de sclérose en plaques: Une étude pilote
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L’objectif de cette étude était de démontrer l’impact du niveau d’activité physique (AP) sur l’alexithymie et les stratégies de coping chez des personnes de plus de 40 ans atteintes d’une sclérose en plaques (SEP). Avec les hypothèses que l’AP pourrait être un facteur protecteur vis-à-vis de l’alexithymie et notamment dans sa dimension « identification d’émotions », et qu’elle pourrait influencer l’utilisation des stratégies de coping dans la mesure où elle peut être considérée comme une stratégie distractive.
Trente-sept sujets SEP tous âgés de plus de 40 ans ont participé à cette étude. Après avoir rempli une fiche de renseignements permettant de collecter des données sociodémographiques et médicales, chacun complétait plusieurs questionnaires : le Bermond-Vorst Alexithymia Questionnaire (B), la Neuro-CHIP, la Fatigue Impact Scale et l’Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale.
Les participants ayant une AP modérée/intense utilisent plus la recherche d’information comme stratégie de coping et présentent moins d’alexithymie surtout au niveau de l’analyse des émotions que ceux ayant une AP faible. Les résultats mettent en avant l’association de ces variables avec l’anxiété, la dépression et la fatigue qui sont des symptômes très présents dans la SEP.
Cette étude permet de poser des jalons pour de futures études concernant l’impact de l’AP dans la SEP.
The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of physical activity on alexithymia and coping strategies among people with multiple sclerosis aged over 40. The hypotheses were that physical activity should have a protective effect on alexithymia, and more particularly, on “emotional identification” and could influence coping strategies because it can be considered as a distractive coping strategy.
Thirty-seven patients aged 40 years or older were asked to complete a form including an identification sheet and standardized questionnaires: the Bermond-Vorst Alexithymia Questionnaire (version B), the Coping with Health Injuries and Problem Questionnaire, the Fatigue Impact Scale, and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale.
The participants with a high or moderate level of physical activity used “information research” as a coping strategy better than those who had a lower level of physical activity. They also analyzed their emotions better. The results revealed an association between these variables and anxiety, depression and fatigue.
This study provides insight for future research about the impact of physical activity on multiple sclerosis.
Neighborhood environment and physical activity among youth: A review
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Citation Excerpt :
The most supported correlates for adolescents were land-use mix and residential density. Because these associations have been supported for both youth and adults, there is growing empirical support for policies that target these environmental conditions.24-126 Policies to enhance access to parks could include development regulations for new or redeveloped neighborhoods, joint use agreements that lead to schools opening their facilities for community use, and incentives for private recreation facilities to locate in underserved neighborhoods.
Research examining the association between environmental attributes and physical activity among youth is growing. An updated review of literature is needed to summarize the current evidence base, and to inform policies and environmental interventions to promote active lifestyles among young people.
A literature search was conducted using the Active Living Research (ALR) literature database, an online database that codes study characteristics and results of published papers on built/social environment and physical activity/obesity/sedentary behavior. Papers in the ALR database were identified through PubMed, Web of Science, and SPORTDiscus using systematically developed and expert-validated search protocols. For the current review, additional inclusion criteria were used to select observational, quantitative studies among youth aged 3–18 years.
Papers were categorized by design features, sample characteristics, and measurement mode. Relevant results were summarized, stratified by age (children or adolescents) and mode of measurement (objective or perceived) for environmental attributes and physical activity. Percentage of significant results was calculated.
Mode of measurement greatly influenced the consistency of associations between environmental attributes and youth physical activity. For both children and adolescents, the most consistent associations involved objectively measured environmental attributes and reported physical activity. The most supported correlates for children were walkability, traffic speed/volume, access/proximity to recreation facilities, land-use mix, and residential density. The most supported correlates for adolescents were land-use mix and residential density. These findings support several recommendations for policy and environmental change from such groups as the IOM and National Physical Activity Plan.
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The impact of obesogenic environments on adolescent health is poorly understood. This study examines if neighbourhood features related to physical activity are also related to unhealthy weight status. Adolescents (N=4587, age 15–17 years, 51.4% male) self-reported physical activity and neighbourhood perceptions. Trained researchers measured height and weight. Logistic regression identified if neighbourhood perceptions predicted overweight or obesity. Adolescents who reported convenient physical activity facilities were 2% less likely to be overweight/obese and 5% less likely to be obese, controlled for socio-demographic variables and clustering by school. Physical activity does not appear to directly influence or mediate the relationship between perceived convenient facilities and weight status.
Environmental influences on physical activity levels in youth
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This study assessed the amount of physical activity engaged in by youth aged 11–13, in relation to: (1) the presence of neighborhood recreational opportunities, objectively measured within a geographic information system; and (2) parents’ perceptions of recreation opportunities in their neighborhoods. Students in grade 7 and 8 (n=811) in 21 elementary schools throughout London, Ontario completed the adapted Previous Day Physical Activity Recall and a questionnaire assessing environmental influences in the home and school neighborhoods. Parents/guardians of participants also completed a questionnaire eliciting demographic information and perceptions of the neighborhood environment. On average, students engaged in 159.9 min/day of physical activity. Both subjective and objective measures of recreational opportunities were associated positively with physical activity (p<0.05). Greater access to recreational opportunities seem essential to facilitate youths’ healthy levels of physical activity.
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Adolescent health briefPerceived Access to Community Facilities, Social Motivation, and Physical Activity among New Zealand Youth

Abstract

Section snippets

Methods

Results

Discussion

Acknowledgments

Psychol Sport Exerc

Am J Prev Med

J Adolesc Health

J Adolesc Health

Global Strategy on Diet, Physical Activity and Health

Adolescent health brief
Perceived Access to Community Facilities, Social Motivation, and Physical Activity among New Zealand Youth