The relationship of physical activity and overweight to objectively measured green space accessibility and use
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This study examines the association between objectively measured access to green space, frequency of green space use, physical activity, and the probability of being overweight or obese in the city of Bristol, England. Data from the 2005 Bristol Quality of Life in your Neighbourhood survey for 6821 adults were combined with a comprehensive GIS database of neighbourhood and green space characteristics. A range of green space accessibility measures were computed. Associations between accessibility and the odds of respondents achieving a recommended 30min or more of moderate activity five times a week, or being overweight or obese, were examined using logistic regression. Results showed that the reported frequency of green space use declined with increasing distance. The study also found that respondents living closest to the type of green space classified as a Formal park were more likely to achieve the physical activity recommendation and less likely to be overweight or obese. The association with physical activity, but not with overweight or obesity, remained after adjustment for respondent characteristics, area deprivation, and a range of characteristics of the neighbourhood environment. The findings suggest that the provision of good access to green spaces in urban areas may help promote population physical activity.
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Among adults, greater accessibility to recreation or exercise spaces and facilities was generally, although not always, associated with more physical activity.
“Among adults, greater accessibility was generally, although not always, associated with more physical activity.28,337–342”
From Population Approaches to Improve Diet, Physical Activity, and Smoking Habits: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association (2012) · cites this paper as [341]
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- Authors
- Coombes, E., Jones, A. P., & Hillsdon, M.
- Affiliations
- University of East Anglia (GB)
- University of Exeter (GB)
- Venue
- Social Science & Medicine
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2010-03
- Volume
- 70
- Issue
- 6
- Pages
- 816-822
- ISSN
- 0277-9536 (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC3759315
- OpenAlex
- W2007157531
- Cited by
- 763
- References
- 23
- Citations by year
- 2026: 32 · 2025: 53 · 2024: 65 · 2023: 75 · 2022: 58 · 2021: 63 · 2020: 68 · 2019: 64 · 2018: 51 · 2017: 42 · 2016: 44 · 2015: 33 · 2014: 47 · 2013: 30 · 2012: 20
- FWCI
- 16.37
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Locations
- Social Science & Medicine (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (acceptedVersion)
- PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
- RePEc: Research Papers in Economics (submittedVersion)
- UEA Digital Repository (University of East Anglia) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- Wellcome Trust (087636)
- Natural England
- Economic and Social Research Council (ES/G007462/1)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis › Urban Green Space and Health
- Social Sciences › Transportation › Urban Transport and Accessibility
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Physical Activity and Health
- Keywords
- green space accessibility, green space use, physical activity, overweight, obesity, urban parks, neighborhood environment, area deprivation, urban green space provision
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Cross-Sectional Studies, Data Collection, England, Environment Design, Female, Humans, Male, Motor Activity, Residence Characteristics, Urban Health, Exercise, Logistic Models, Geographic Information Systems, Overweight
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