Assessing the built environment, programs, and policies that support physical activity opportunities in the rural Deep South
Disparities in physical activity (PA) exist in rural regions and prior research suggests environmental features and community resources likely contribute. It is important to identify the opportunities and barriers that influence activity to appropriately inform PA interventions in such areas. Thus,...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Elsevier
2023-06-01
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| Series: | Preventive Medicine Reports |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2211335523001146 |
| _version_ | 1797827766518808576 |
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| author | Nashira I. Brown Lauren Stewart Laura Q. Rogers Mary Anne Powell Claudia M. Hardy Monica L. Baskin Robert A. Oster Maria Pisu Wendy Demark-Wahnefried Dori Pekmezi |
| author_facet | Nashira I. Brown Lauren Stewart Laura Q. Rogers Mary Anne Powell Claudia M. Hardy Monica L. Baskin Robert A. Oster Maria Pisu Wendy Demark-Wahnefried Dori Pekmezi |
| author_sort | Nashira I. Brown |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Disparities in physical activity (PA) exist in rural regions and prior research suggests environmental features and community resources likely contribute. It is important to identify the opportunities and barriers that influence activity to appropriately inform PA interventions in such areas. Thus, we assessed the built environment, programs and policies related to PA opportunity in six rural Alabama counties that were purposively selected to inform a PA randomized controlled trial. Assessments were conducted August 2020-May 2021 using the Rural Active Living Assessment. Town characteristics and recreational amenities were captured using the Town Wide Assessment (TWA). PA programs and policies were examined with the Program and Policy Assessment. Walkability was evaluated using the Street Segment Assessment (SSA). Using the scoring system (0–100), the overall TWA score was 49.67 (range: 22–73), indicating few schools within walking distance (≤5 miles of the town’s center) and town-wide amenities (e.g., trails, water/recreational activities) for PA. The Program and Policy Assessment showed a paucity of programming and guidelines to support activity (overall average score of 24.67, [range: 22–73]). Only one county had a policy requiring walkways/bikeways in new public infrastructure projects. During assessment of 96 street segments, few pedestrian-friendly safety features [sidewalks (32%), crosswalks (19%), crossing signals (2%), and public lighting (21%)] were observed. Limited opportunities for PA (parks and playgrounds) were identified. Barriers such as few policies and safety features (crossing signals, speed bumps) were indicated as factors that should be addressed when developing PA interventions and informing future policy efforts. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-09T12:53:38Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-47827606a59244f4ad12412ab351f8ae |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2211-3355 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-09T12:53:38Z |
| publishDate | 2023-06-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Preventive Medicine Reports |
| spelling | doaj.art-47827606a59244f4ad12412ab351f8ae2023-05-14T04:28:48ZengElsevierPreventive Medicine Reports2211-33552023-06-0133102223Assessing the built environment, programs, and policies that support physical activity opportunities in the rural Deep SouthNashira I. Brown0Lauren Stewart1Laura Q. Rogers2Mary Anne Powell3Claudia M. Hardy4Monica L. Baskin5Robert A. Oster6Maria Pisu7Wendy Demark-Wahnefried8Dori Pekmezi9Department of Health Behavior, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA; Corresponding author.Department of Health Behavior, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USADepartment of Medicine, Heersink School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, AL, USA; O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USADepartment of Health Behavior, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USAO’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USADepartment of Medicine, Heersink School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, AL, USA; O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USADepartment of Medicine, Heersink School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, AL, USA; O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USADepartment of Medicine, Heersink School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, AL, USA; O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USAO’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA; Department of Nutrition Sciences, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USADepartment of Health Behavior, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA; O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USADisparities in physical activity (PA) exist in rural regions and prior research suggests environmental features and community resources likely contribute. It is important to identify the opportunities and barriers that influence activity to appropriately inform PA interventions in such areas. Thus, we assessed the built environment, programs and policies related to PA opportunity in six rural Alabama counties that were purposively selected to inform a PA randomized controlled trial. Assessments were conducted August 2020-May 2021 using the Rural Active Living Assessment. Town characteristics and recreational amenities were captured using the Town Wide Assessment (TWA). PA programs and policies were examined with the Program and Policy Assessment. Walkability was evaluated using the Street Segment Assessment (SSA). Using the scoring system (0–100), the overall TWA score was 49.67 (range: 22–73), indicating few schools within walking distance (≤5 miles of the town’s center) and town-wide amenities (e.g., trails, water/recreational activities) for PA. The Program and Policy Assessment showed a paucity of programming and guidelines to support activity (overall average score of 24.67, [range: 22–73]). Only one county had a policy requiring walkways/bikeways in new public infrastructure projects. During assessment of 96 street segments, few pedestrian-friendly safety features [sidewalks (32%), crosswalks (19%), crossing signals (2%), and public lighting (21%)] were observed. Limited opportunities for PA (parks and playgrounds) were identified. Barriers such as few policies and safety features (crossing signals, speed bumps) were indicated as factors that should be addressed when developing PA interventions and informing future policy efforts.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2211335523001146Physical activityRuralHealth disparitiesChronic diseaseEnvironment |
| spellingShingle | Nashira I. Brown Lauren Stewart Laura Q. Rogers Mary Anne Powell Claudia M. Hardy Monica L. Baskin Robert A. Oster Maria Pisu Wendy Demark-Wahnefried Dori Pekmezi Assessing the built environment, programs, and policies that support physical activity opportunities in the rural Deep South Preventive Medicine Reports Physical activity Rural Health disparities Chronic disease Environment |
| title | Assessing the built environment, programs, and policies that support physical activity opportunities in the rural Deep South |
| title_full | Assessing the built environment, programs, and policies that support physical activity opportunities in the rural Deep South |
| title_fullStr | Assessing the built environment, programs, and policies that support physical activity opportunities in the rural Deep South |
| title_full_unstemmed | Assessing the built environment, programs, and policies that support physical activity opportunities in the rural Deep South |
| title_short | Assessing the built environment, programs, and policies that support physical activity opportunities in the rural Deep South |
| title_sort | assessing the built environment programs and policies that support physical activity opportunities in the rural deep south |
| topic | Physical activity Rural Health disparities Chronic disease Environment |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2211335523001146 |
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