Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2015 Jan;9(1):423.
doi: 10.1007/s12170-014-0423-4.

Measuring Physical Activity in Outdoor Community Recreational Environments: Implications for Research, Policy, and Practice

Semra A Aytur  1 , Sydney A Jones  2 , Michelle Stransky  3 , Kelly R Evenson  2
Affiliations

Measuring Physical Activity in Outdoor Community Recreational Environments: Implications for Research, Policy, and Practice

Semra A Aytur et al. Curr Cardiovasc Risk Rep. 2015 Jan.

Abstract

Chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease (CVD) are major contributors to escalating health care costs in the USA. Physical activity is an important protective factor against CVD, and the National Prevention Strategy recognizes active living (defined as a way of life that integrates physical activity into everyday routines) as a priority for improving the nation's health. This paper focuses on developing more inclusive measures of physical activity in outdoor community recreational environments, specifically parks and trails, to enhance their usability for at-risk populations such as persons with mobility limitations. We develop an integrated conceptual framework for measuring physical activity in outdoor community recreational environments, describe examples of evidence-based tools for measuring physical activity in these settings, and discuss strategies to improve measurement of physical activity for persons with mobility limitations. Addressing these measurement issues is critically important to making progress towards national CVD goals pertaining to active community environments.

Keywords: Active living; Disability; GIS; Measurement; Mobility limitations; Parks; Physical activity; Trails.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest Semra Aytur, Sydney Jones, and Michelle Stransky have no conflicts of interest. Semra Aytur has received research grants from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) Active Living Research program. Kelly Evenson has received research grants from NIH, RWJF, AHA and CDC.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Conceptual framework illustrating convergent domains for integrated, inclusive measures of physical activity in outdoor community recreational environments
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

See all "Cited by" articles

References

    1. Bipartisan Policy Center. A bipartisan Rx for patient-centered care and system-wide cost containment. 2013 7/25/14; Available from: http://bipartisanpolicy.org/sites/default/files/BPC%20Cost%20Containment....
    1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) [cited 2014 July 27];Vital signs: preventable deaths from heart disease and stroke. 2014 Mar 13; 2014; Available from: http://www.cdc.gov/dhdsp/vital_signs.htm.
    1. National Prevention Council. [cited 2014 July 27];National Prevention Strategy. 2011 Available from: http://www.surgeongeneral gov/initiatives/prevention/strategy/index.html....
    1. Frank L, et al. Urban form relationships with walk trip frequency and distance among youth. Am J Health Promot. 2007;21(4 Suppl):305–311. - PubMed
    1. Huston SL, et al. Neighborhood environment, access to places for activity, and leisure-time physical activity in a diverse North Carolina population. Am J Health Promot. 2003;18(1):58–69. - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources