1. Understanding perceived park access and physical activity among older adults: A structural equation modeling approach.
- Author
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Fry D, McIntire RK, and Kondo MC
- Subjects
- Humans, Aged, Female, Male, Middle Aged, Philadelphia, Latent Class Analysis, Surveys and Questionnaires, Neighborhood Characteristics, Residence Characteristics statistics & numerical data, Self Report, Parks, Recreational statistics & numerical data, Exercise, Environment Design
- Abstract
Parks can provide a low-cost setting for safe physical activity, but older adults are underrepresented among park users in the United States. Using data from a population-representative survey in 2015 and 2018 among adults aged 60 years and older living in Philadelphia, we tested whether perceived access was a mechanism by which objectively-measured park access predicted self-reported physical activity. After controlling for individual-level factors and neighborhood characteristics, we found a statistically significant pathway from overall park area and within-park tree canopy to increased physical activity, mediated by perceived park access. These results highlight the importance of tree canopy for older adult park access and physical activity., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)
- Published
- 2024
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