Park usage, physical activity, and social economic status: A study on the behaviors of females in Honolulu parks

Physical inactivity contributes to many types of diseases including heart disease, diabetes, and osteoporosis. Parks, which are often free to use and closely located to residences, should be promoted for physical activity (PA). This study observed park users and coded their PA level, using System of Observing Play and Recreation in Communities (SOPARC), in six Honolulu public parks. Parks were categorized into lower, middle, or upper income categories based upon median income recorded for each respective surrounding census tract. Females were found to underutilize parks, especially in low-income neighborhoods. A total of 6,477 parks users were observed with 2,338 (36.1%) females and 4,139 (63.9%) males. Of females, 12.7% were observed in parks of low-income neighborhoods, 38.5% in parks of middle-income neighborhoods, and 48.8% in parks of high-income neighborhoods. Females in high-income neighborhoods are almost four times more likely to use parks than females in low-income neighborhoods. Furthermore, park users were coded into PA levels of sedentary, walking, or vigorous. Overall for females, 64.1% of PA was coded as sedentary, followed by 23.8% walking, and 12.1% vigorous. Within the parks located in low-income neighborhoods, females were most likely to be coded as vigorous (16.2%) compared to other parks and were least likely to be coded as sedentary (49.5%) compared to other parks. This may be the result of females not wanting to linger in parks that are perceived as less pleasant or safe; such perceptions might also explain underutilization of parks in low-income communities and are a good target for interventions.