1. Utility of the Physical Activity Resource Assessment for Child-centric Physical Activity Intervention Planning in Two Urban Neighborhoods
- Author
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Carol A. Bryant, Rita D. DeBate, Emily J. Koby, Robert J. McDermott, John K. Trainor, Tamara E. Looney, and Marissa L. Zwald
- Subjects
Community-Based Participatory Research ,Health (social science) ,Urban Population ,Applied psychology ,Poison control ,Motor Activity ,Suicide prevention ,Residence Characteristics ,Urban planning ,Poverty Areas ,Environmental health ,Humans ,Obesity ,Asset (economics) ,Program Development ,Child ,Minority Groups ,Qualitative Research ,Built environment ,Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health ,Bullying ,Human factors and ergonomics ,Health promotion ,Needs assessment ,Florida ,Environment Design ,Psychology ,Needs Assessment - Abstract
Children's physical activity (PA) may be determined, in part, by environmental influences such as access to diverse and safe places to play. As part of the development of a community-based PA program, a PA asset assessment was conducted in two low-income urban neighborhoods that support elementary schools serving minority youth. Resources were rated using an adapted version of the Physical Activity Resource Assessment (PARA), a multi-dimensional instrument that rates various venues on their features, amenities, and incivilities. Seventy-one child-centric venues (e.g., parks, playgrounds, community centers, sports facilities, fitness centers, etc.) were assessed within a three-mile radius of each school. Community member feedback via interviews with parent-child dyads revealed issues (e.g., bullying) not captured by the PARA that can influence venue use. Whereas the PARA can be a useful needs assessment and program planning tool for community-based PA programs, supplementing PARA data with community-based input may reduce contextual error in program development.
- Published
- 2010
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