Evaluating the impact of environmental and social determinants of physical activity in low income neighborhood parks in Las Vegas, NV

Introduction: With rising rates of childhood obesity, the built environment has emerged as a contributing factor. Public parks provide an opportunity to increase physical activity levels in youth. This study used observational data to evaluate the relationship of environmental and social determinants with physical activity in 5 parks in low income areas of Las Vegas, NV.

Methods: Five parks in geographically different neighborhoods which had median household incomes between $15,000 and $41,650 were chosen. SOPLAY was used for measurement during a 4 hour observation period. Physical activity was coded as sedentary, walking, or very active. Environmental correlates within 1/2 mile of the park included number of high speed streets, sidewalk availability and condition, size of park, condition of park grounds, and number of activity areas available in the park. Sociodemographic data included gender, age, and neighborhood % minority and % Hispanic from Census 2010. Multiple linear regression models will then be applied to determine the relationship of the predictor variables with physical activity behavior.

Results: Final results will be presented. We anticipate that there will be a relationship between environmental and social determinants and category of physical activity.

Conclusion: This work is important, as low income populations are more influenced by the built environment than those of higher income. Neighborhood parks provide an opportunity for physical activity. Understanding what environmental and social determinants are correlated with physical activity is valuable information for the planning of public health interventions.