An Observational Study of Physical Activity in Parks among Asian and Pacific Islander Communities in Urban Honolulu

Background: Regular physical activity can reduce obesity and obesity-related diseases. Although neighborhood and community parks play an important role in supporting physical activity, park usage among Asian and Pacific Islander communities are unknown. This study examined the levels of physical activity among park users in six urban parks in predominately Asian and Pacific Islander communities in Honolulu, Hawai‘i. Socio-demographic and environmental predictors of physical activity were also identified. Methods: Raters assessed physical activity at 20 separate sessions in each park using an observational tool called the System for Observing Play and Recreation in Communities (SOPARC). Percent agreement was used to assess reliability among raters. Chi-square tests of association were used to examine associations among physical activity levels, setting characteristics and socio-demographic factors. Multinomial logistic regression was conducted to calculate odds ratios. Results: A total of 6,477 park users in six parks were observed. Overall, 60% of park users were sedentary, 24% were moderate, and 16% engaged in vigorous physical activity. Being a female lowered the odds of being classified as physically active (OR=0.753, 95% CI, 0.676-0.837). While park users in low-income neighborhoods tended to engage in more vigorous physical activity, significantly less people used these parks compared to other areas. Conclusions: Results indicate the importance of promoting parks as opportunities for engaging physical activity, especially among groups that are less likely to utilize parks. Improving environmental factors of parks may increase park usage, especially in low-income neighborhoods.