Physical Activity and Parks and Recreation Services

Andrew T. KaczynskiPhD Candidate

Department of Recreation and Leisure StudiesUniversity of Waterloo

PRO Educational Forum and Trade ShowApril 10, 2006 – Niagara Falls, Ontario

Session Objectives• Review recent developments in

physical activity.

• Discuss the opportunity for repositioning our field around physical activity/health promotion.

• Share ideas for increasing the role of P&R in fostering PA.

Physical Activity

• In 2000, 56% of Canadians and 57% of Ontarians were insufficiently active to achieve health benefits (down from 62% and 62% in 1994)

• Among top three preventable causes of mortality

• A growing public health priority (Active 2010; Healthy People 2010)

• An growing concern among among parks and recreation professionals and researchers

Benefits of Physical Activity

• Lower all-cause mortality

• Reduced risk of:• cardiovascular diseases• diabetes• osteoporosis• cancer• obesity

• Improved mental health

Physical Activity Research

• Pre-1970: Physiological studies of physical activity (exercise) and fitness

• 1970-1990s: Epidemiological research about physical and behavioural influences on health

• 1970-1990s: Interventions targeted mainly at changing individual behaviour

• Late 1990s and early 2000s: Environmental influences and interventions

Forms of Physical Activity• Physical Activity: any bodily movement produced

by skeletal muscles that results in energy expenditure

• Exercise: physical activity that is planned, structured, repetitive, and purposive in the sense that improvement or maintenance of one or more components of physical fitness is an objective

• Active Living: a way of life that integrates physical activity into daily routines

• Current recommendations call for 20 minutes of vigorous activity 3 days per week or 30 minutes of moderate-intensity activity 5 days per week

Ecological Models of Physical Activity Promotion

• Behaviour is a function of the individual and his or her environment.

• Multiple levels of influence must be addressed to successfully change complex behaviours.

• e.g. personal, interpersonal, environmental, policy, etc.

• Multiple sectors must be involved and should coordinate their efforts.

Environmental Influences on Physical Activity

• Land use diversity• mixture of residential and commercial zoning• nearby shopping and other amenities

• Transportation & Planning issues• sidewalks, public transit• connectivity of streets, etc.

• Safety

• Aesthetics

• Parks and Recreation!

Repositioning Parks and Recreation Around Improving Community

Health

• Physical activity is no longer the domain of exercise science and physical education (good news! ) .

• Physical activity requires “behaviour settings” like parks and recreation amenities.

• We need to reposition our field as significant contributors to important community concerns.

• Improving community health is likely our most viable option.

Rationale for Repositioning

• Park and recreation services compete for tax funding from the city’s general fund

• Increasing documentation of the benefits that can accrue from investments in leisure services

• However, the budgets of park and recreation agencies in North America have not increased dramatically in prosperous times

• Repositioning is key for effectively implementing the benefits approach to leisure

Public Leisure Service Provision:

The Direct Exchange Model

Public ParkAnd

RecreationAgency

Citizens(Participants)

Delivers services,

provides wantsatisfaction

Supports through taxes, user fees, non-monetary

costs

Public Leisure Service Provision: The

Public Benefits Model

Public Park andRecreation Agency

Citizens(All Residents)

Elected Officials/General Fund

Taxes, User Fees Budget

PublicBenefits

Public vs. Private Benefits of a Service

Private Benefits: Those that accrue only to users of the service.

Public Benefits: Those that accrue to all members of society.

• Public programs are supported by tax dollars, as opposed to user fees, to the extent that their benefits are perceived as more public than private.

• Park and recreation agency is presented with the challenge of repositioning itself as providing public benefits.

Elected officials who are charged with allocating scarce public resources are likely to be responsive to agencies that contribute to the economic prosperity of the community. Research has suggested at least 9 ways that parks and recreation contribute to economic concerns, either through cost-savings or revenue generation:

• Attracting Businesses • Attracting Retirees • Enhancing Real Estate Values • Addressing the Needs of People

who are Underemployed • Environmental Stewardship• Stimulating Urban Rejuvenation • Preventing Youth Crime• Attracting Tourists • Improving Community Health

What is Positioning?• Positions exist in the minds of stakeholders

(influenced, but not determined, by the agency).

• Positions exist relative to those of competitors (not in isolation).

• Distinctness and consistency are integral (otherwise you’ll create a ‘fuzzy’ image).

In the context of public parks and recreation, positioning is the process of fostering a desired image of the agency in the minds of citizens and

elected officials relative to other public agencies who are competing for tax allocations.

Types of Repositioning

• Real – actually changing what the agency does so that its offerings are addressing important community-wide needs (actions)

• Psychological – showing the benefits of our programs/facilities, not just the programs/facilities themselves (outcomes)

• Competitive – showing how parks and recreation more effectively and/or efficiently address a problem (comparisons)

* Strategies are not mutually exclusive

Why Engage in Repositioning?• Improve perceptions held by citizens and elected officials

so that the agency is viewed as making more substantial contributions to important community concerns.

• Improve an agency’s ability to compete successfully for a greater share of the finite public tax pool.

• Improve our level of responsiveness to participants, and perhaps more importantly, taxpayers in general.

As these objectives are advanced, the value of park and recreation services will rise in the public’s eyes and increased resources will be made available to

further enhance the benefits that these programs and facilities can confer.

When Do I Use Repositioning?

• Master planning

• Program Development

• Evaluation of services and units

• Program promotion/communication(especially at budget time)

• Etc.

Parks and Recreation and Physical Activity

• Are certain types of parks or recreation amenities more related to PA?

• Is proximity to parks and recreation amenities associated with more PA?

• Are parks and recreation amenities used more for different PA purposes than others?

• Do parks and recreation amenities promote moderate or vigorous PA (or both)?

• Looked at 50 studies that examined some aspect of PA in relation to some type of P&R amenity.

Parks and Recreation Amenities and Physical Activity

Different types of park and recreation amenities appear to have a greater association with increased PA levels:

• Trails (14/17) – access to; length; use of• Parks (9/13) – presence; distance to; use • Open space (7/8) – # in area; size; proximity to • Recreation centres (4/7) – distance to; use• Exercise facilities (3/4) – access to; distance to• Sports facilities (1/3) – presence in n’hood• Golf courses – (3/3) – access to• Swimming pools (1/3) – use; within 10 miles• Lake/beach/coast (3/4) – within walking distance

• Summary: ??????????

Parks and Recreation Amenities and Physical Activity

Other findings:

• Proximity to parks or recreation facilities generally related to higher levels of PA, though many inconclusive results were reported

• Parks, trails and recreation facilities more often associated with PA for exercise or transportation, rather than recreational PA

• Parks and recreation facilities related to both moderate and vigorous intensity activities

Conclusions• Parks and recreation amenities appear to

be related to increased levels of physical activity.

• However, at this point, the relationship is mostly an assumption and far too often, the evidence is anecdotal.

• Studies lack detail about both parks and recreation variables and PA variables.

• Need more research to produce strong evidence for policy makers and planners.

Group “Exercise”• What is your favourite summertime physical activity?

• A – Running• B – Walking• C – Swimming• D – Gardening • E – Golf • F – Other • G – Watching TV

• Take 10-15 minutes to discuss the following question(s) in your group. Please record your thoughts on the flip chart and post it on the wall when you’re done.

What are we/you currently doing (to promote active

living)?

Programming

Facility Development

Communication (to public and politicians; with other groups)

Policy

What could we do better (to promote active living)?

Programming

Facility Development

Communication (to public and politicians; with other groups)

Policy

Andy’s Research• Surveying 1000 residents in four planning

districts in Waterloo about:• Psychological and social variables related to PA• Perceptions of their surrounding environment

• including parks and recreation amenities• Physical activity episodes over one week

• what, how long, when, where, etc.

• Objective assessment of PA (e.g. pedometers)

• Objective rating of 5-10 parks for features that might be related to PA

• Understand the impact of parks and recreation facilities, especially parks, on residents’ PA levels

Conclusion•Parks and recreation have a significant contribution to make to promoting physical activity and active living

•Need more research

•Need more collaboration• Between professionals and academics• Across disciplines and departments

•Need more sharing of ideas and information• Please sign the email list if you wish.

Andrew T. KaczynskiPhD Candidate

Department of Recreation and Leisure StudiesUniversity of WaterlooWaterloo, ON N2L 3G1

atkaczyn@ahsmail.uwaterloo.ca

Thank You!