Joint use: Creating opportunities for physical activity in Los Angeles County communities

Background/Introduction: In low income communities, safe physical activity environments are often limited or non-existent. Having access to safe places to be physically active on school grounds and in neighborhood parks makes it easier for community members to be active.

With support from the CDC's Communities Putting Prevention to Work (CPPW) initiative, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health launched RENEW LA in 2010 to prevent chronic disease, improve nutrition and increase physical activity through policy and environmental changes. RENEW LA's Joint Use Moving People to Play (JUMPP) Taskforce is working to increase recreational space, facilities and programming for community members through school district joint use policies and school site joint use agreements in seven Los Angeles County school districts.

Methods: The evaluators assessed the outcomes of RENEW LA's intervention to adopt and implement joint use agreements on physical activity for students and families. The evaluators collected observational data on the number, basic demographics, and physical activity levels (sedentary, walking or vigorous) of community members in the physical activity spaces opened to the community through the joint use agreement and provided contextual information on the setting in which the physical activity occurred.

Results: Findings from the evaluation demonstrate that community members are utilizing school grounds for physical activity following implementation of joint use agreements. Programming influenced physical activity levels.

Conclusions/Discussion: Joint use of school grounds is a promising strategy for increasing community access to physical activity, particularly in low-income communities bereft of such opportunities.