Availability of out-of-school physical activity programs in communities around the US

Introduction: Out-of-school opportunities for exercise are believed to be important for youth because school recess, physical education classes, and athletic programs are frequently unavailable or inadequate to meet recommended levels of physical activity (PA). Methods: Telephone surveys were conducted with local park/recreation departments and PA instruction businesses (e.g., dance and martial arts studios) in a national sample of 154 communities in 2010. Communities were defined as the enrollment zone of an index middle or high school. The surveys included questions on availability of PA programs, fee discounts, and for municipal departments, availability of community recreation centers. Results: Preliminary results suggest 72.5% of communities in the highest income tertile had both a PA instruction business and park/recreation department programs, compared to 38.9% and 16.5% of communities in the middle and lowest tertiles, respectively (χ²=26.02, p<.0001). Urban communities were also more likely to have PA instruction businesses and park/recreation programs (83.5%) than suburban (63.0%) and rural areas (13.4%, χ²=42.29, p<.0001 for difference). One-third of rural communities had park/recreation department programs but no PA instruction businesses. The presentation will include results from multivariate analyses and associations with self-reported physical activity behavior of youth in the communities. Discussion: Substantial disparities in access to PA programs by income and urbanization were found. Park/Recreation department programs were more common in rural communities than were PA instruction businesses. Access to PA opportunities appears more limited for rural and low-income populations, which are at greater risk for physical inactivity and obesity.