Do the Features, Amenities, and Quality of Physical Activity Resources Differ Between City and County Areas of a Large Rural Region?

Fam Community Health. 2016 Oct-Dec;39(4):273-82. doi: 10.1097/FCH.0000000000000119.

Abstract

The goal of this work was to provide a community-academic partnership with actionable information for physical activity (PA) for a rural health-disparate region. Identified PA outlets were audited and combined with survey data for 813 residents in the region. Less than a third of sampled residents (28%) met PA recommendations, with low perceptions of safety for PA. PA resource outlets in rural areas had higher numbers of incivilities. On the basis of our findings, 4 actionable strategies are recommended: shared-use agreements, reducing incivilities, addressing issues related to safety from traffic, and increasing the number of PA resources in rural areas.

MeSH terms

  • Cities / statistics & numerical data*
  • Community-Based Participatory Research / methods*
  • Exercise / physiology*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Middle Aged
  • Rural Population / statistics & numerical data*
  • Surveys and Questionnaires