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Camargo Lemos D.M.1, Ramírez Muñoz P.C.1, Quiroga V.1
1Universidad Industrial de Santander, Santander, Bucaramanga, Colombia
Background: Physical therapy in the 21st century should be commitment to promote physical activity as one of health priorities at the community level and in public health. In this context, public parks contribute to promoting physical activity for all people. This is the first study in Colombia and the third in Latin America (LA), that describes the characteristics of park users and their level of physical activity.
Purpose: To evaluate individual and environmental factors associated to moderate-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) in park users in Bucaramanga-Colombia.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 1,392 park users, of both genders, between 12-80 years. Information was collected from August to December 2015. The survey included questions about sociodemographics, physical environment, neighborhood safety, and satisfaction with the park; environmental variables were measured using the context variables included in System for Observing Play and Recreation in Communities -SOPARC. The outcome was absolute physical activity measured by one question (seldom, moderately, vigorously active). Multilevel logistic regression models were applied in the analysis.
Results: We found a median age of 42 years, women represented 58,4% of park users, education level ≥12 years 41,6% and married 36,6%. Eighty-two percent of park users lived in the neighborhood for more than 1 year; more than 4 visits/week was registered for 44.5% of users. Also from 3 to 8 pm and from 5 to 10 am, were the periods with more visits 49% and 37.5%, respectively. Twenty-eight percent of users considered insecure go to the park. SOPARC data showed that most of the target areas were accessible (99.4%), usable (98.5) and supervised (77.8%), only 2.1% of the areas were equipped and 0.2% were dark. The multivariate model shows positive and significant associations to MVPA for male gender (OR:2.09), living in the neighborhood ≥1 year (OR 1.83), visit the park from 5-10 am (OR:4.21), frequency of visits/week 2/3 (2.8) and ≥4 (4.3). Parks equipped (OR:1.01) and accessible (OR:1.1).
Conclusion(s): The present study contributes to the LA studies by providing information on how parks in an intermediate city may contribute to fulfill the global recommendations on physical activity for health.
Implications: The stakeholders should make a commitment to promote the creation and maintenance of parks that allows for a variety of activities in favor to health of the people. Physical therapist must be a leader in health promotion and health care looking wellness and quality of life for all persons.
Funding acknowledgements: To Administrative Department of Science, Technology and Innovation from Colombia, “Colciencias”.
Topic: Health promotion & wellbeing/healthy ageing
Ethics approval: This study was approved by the Institutional Review Board at Industrial University of Santander - UIS.
All authors, affiliations and abstracts have been published as submitted.
