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Ramírez P.C.1, Camargo D.M.1, Quiroga V.1
1Universidad Industrial de Santander, Fisioterapia, Bucaramanga, Colombia
Background: In 21st century, physical therapist needs to connect to the community health priorities and the public health indicators. In this context, the lifestyle health behaviors and interventions to promote health and well-being in all people, are a priority. The outdoor gyms (OG) are a recent intervention in open and public spaces, to increase the active recreation at the community level, providing opportunities to all people, to be physically active, as part of a healthy life style. However, the physical activity in OG-users is scarce.
Purpose: To describe the characteristics of outdoor gym users and their level of physical activity using an objective method.
Methods: Direct observations of OG-users were conducted using the System for Observing Play and Recreation in Communities (SOPARC) on three weekdays and two weekend days. The observations were made in 11 weeks, every hour, from 6:00 am-11:00 am and 3:00 pm-8:00 pm., in 10 public parks with different socioeconomic status (SES) in Bucaramanga, Colombia. Chi-square tests examined bivariate associations between OG-based physical activity and the characteristics of its users.
Results: A total of 6.722 people were observed during 3.278 observation visits. More women than men were observed in OG (51.7%) as well as more adults (61.5%) and children (19.8%). Women were associated with more moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) in OG (women = 53.5% vs. men = 46.5%). Neither the comparison by age or period of the day showed significant differences. More women visit the OG in the morning and practice MVPA (55.3% vs. 44.8%). By SES we didn´t find significant associations.
Conclusion(s): The provision of OG in public spaces like parks, is a good investment option for increasing PA levels in people in Bucaramanga, especially for women, that usually show a low level of PA compared to men.
Implications: The importance of promoting the maintenance of the OG, preservation of the equipment in optimum conditions and security inside and outside of OG, could be an area of intervention by a physical therapist, in the context to promote healthy lifestyles at the community level.
Funding acknowledgements: 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 (Industrial University of Santander)
All authors, affiliations and abstracts have been published as submitted.
