Lived experiences of adolescent girls regarding the role parks play in increasing physical activity in urban environments

Obesity disproportionately affects minorities, yet park use can help adolescents meet physical activity (PA)recommendations to prevent this disease. Numerous studies have identified social and environment characteristics associated with PA and park use and noted disparities in PA for boys and girls.  However, few studies have explored girls’ experiences in parks in order to understand why they are less likely than their counterparts to use or exercise in parks.  In order to inform strategies that will help meet Healthy People 2020 objectives that aim to increase the proportion of adolescents who meet PA guidelines, participate in extracurricular activities, and increase community-level policies to improve PA, we conducted a study to systematically investigate the lived experiences of adolescent girls in urban parks.  We used a qualitative design to conduct semi-structured interviews with a purposive sample of 12 girls aged 11-17.  Interviews were transcribed and analyzed for thematic content.  Preliminary results will be presented on themes that emerged from the interview data and will highlight minority girls’ experiences in parks and the intersection of park use, age, identity, social interactions, gender norms, and environmental characteristics. Critical insights into the relationship of girls and parks can be used to inform strategies and policies that address physical inactivity and negative health outcomes of residents, particularly minority adolescents in urban communities. Local and global policy recommendations for increasing park use and PA among minority adolescent girls will be discussed.