Planning for health: a community-based spatial analysis of park availability and chronic disease across the lifespan

Gina M Besenyi; Andrew T Kaczynski; Sonja A Wilhelm Stanis; Ryan D Bergstrom; Joseph S Lightner; J Aaron Hipp

doi:10.1016/j.healthplace.2014.02.005

Planning for health: a community-based spatial analysis of park availability and chronic disease across the lifespan

Health Place. 2014 May:27:102-5. doi: 10.1016/j.healthplace.2014.02.005. Epub 2014 Mar 3.

Authors

Gina M Besenyi¹, Andrew T Kaczynski², Sonja A Wilhelm Stanis³, Ryan D Bergstrom⁴, Joseph S Lightner⁵, J Aaron Hipp⁶

Affiliations

¹ Department of Health Promotion, Education and Behavior, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, United States. Electronic address: besenyi@email.sc.edu.
² Department of Health Promotion, Education and Behavior, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, United States; Prevention Research Center, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, United States.
³ Department of Parks, Recreation, and Tourism, University of Missouri, United States.
⁴ Department of Geography, Gustavus Adolphus College, United States.
⁵ Department of Kinesiology, Kansas State University, United States.
⁶ Brown School of Social Work, Washington University in St. Louis, United States.

PMID: 24594836
DOI: 10.1016/j.healthplace.2014.02.005

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to explore the spatial relationship between park availability and chronic health conditions (CHCs) across age groups in Kansas City, MO. Multinomial logistic regression examined the association between having a park within one-half mile from home and the likelihood of having 0, 1, or 2 or more CHCs. Among respondents aged 40-59, those without a park within one-half mile from home were more than twice as likely to have 2 or more CHCs compared to respondents that had a park nearby. Parks may be an important protective factor for chronic diseases, especially among middle-aged adults among whom access to neighborhood recreational environments may be particularly important.

Keywords: Chronic disease; GIS; Parks; Recreation.

MeSH terms

Adolescent
Adult
Age Factors
Chronic Disease / epidemiology*
Chronic Disease / prevention & control
Female
Health Planning / methods
Humans
Logistic Models
Male
Middle Aged
Missouri / epidemiology
Public Facilities / statistics & numerical data*
Recreation*
Residence Characteristics / statistics & numerical data
Socioeconomic Factors
Spatial Analysis
Urban Population / statistics & numerical data
Young Adult