Scandinavian Journal of Public Health, 2011; 39: 492–500
ORIGINAL ARTICLE
Through the eyes of young people: Favourite places for physical activity
NANCY J. REHRER1,2, CLAIRE FREEMAN3, TANIA CASSIDY1, DEBRA L. WATERS1,4, GARY E. BARCLAY1,5 & NOELA WILSON1,6 1
School of Physical Education, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand, 2Department of Human Nutrition, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand, 3Dept of Geography, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand, 4Department of Preventive and Social Medicine, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand, 5Otago Institute of Sport and Adventure, Otago Polytechnic, Dunedin, New Zealand, and 6National Sports Institute of Malaysia, Kuala Lumpar, Malaysia
Abstract Introduction: A decrease in physical activity amongst adolescents has been observed and it is well documented that low levels of activity are associated with poor health. In an attempt to understand factors that influence physical activity (PA) in young people research was undertaken with high school students in New Zealand to identify preferred places for PA and establish factors that they felt influenced levels of PA. Methods: One hundred males and 73 females in year nine (aged 12–13) in health and physical education classes completed mapping exercises in which they delineated favourite and least favourite places for PA, where they went on a particular Sunday, how they got there and what they did, and chosen after-school activities and how they got there. Results: Open public spaces were the most favoured places for PA with a nearby beach and park most frequently cited. Specific physical activities, having fun, and having friends to do an activity with were the most frequently cited reasons for liking these places. An industrial harbour area, other schools, and cemeteries were the least favoured places. Less than 2% biked somewhere on the Sunday surveyed and only 23% walked somewhere. The majority were driven to activities by car and a similar reliance on cars was observed for after-school activities. Conclusions: A combination of environmental and social factors is important in both encouraging and discouraging PA and should be taken into account when seeking to enhance PA of young people.
Key Words: Children, environment, exercise, youth
Background There has been concern regarding the perceived decrease in physical activity (PA) amongst young people. Some have argued that the level of activity and physical wellbeing of young people can be an important indicator for long-term health [1,2]. Current investigations report that activity levels for children and young people are in decline [3–5]. The Transportation Research Board study reports that amongst US high school students, 35% do not participate regularly in vigorous PA, with 33% not meeting recommended levels and 10% being
inactive [6]. In a New Zealand survey, it was also observed that in the early teenage years, PA levels decreased, particularly in females, with only 38% of young people aged 13–17 considered to be physically active [4]. Understanding PA patterns in young people tends to be from studies that are conducted on, not with, young people. Studies on young people may give a biased view, not incorporating young people’s perceptions. Including young people in the research process allows them to draw attention to issues that may not be considered relevant by adults.
Correspondence: Dr Nancy J. Rehrer, School of Physical Education, University of Otago, PO Box 56, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand. E-mail:
[email protected] (Accepted 28 January 2011) ß 2011 the Nordic Societies of Public Health DOI: 10.1177/1403494811401478
Why and where youth are physically active Aims Our study focus was the roaming of young people, their perception of the environments they preferred for PA, the factors which influenced their choice, and the mode of transport used to access places for PA. The first part of the study focused on PA that took place at or around school [7,8], the second part focused on their wider environment.
Methods This research was conducted by a multidisciplinary team comprising sports scientists, social scientists, and a planner, together with the ‘‘Health Promoting School’’ committee and the students attending a high school in Dunedin, New Zealand. A Health Promoting School is one in which all members of the school community work together to provide students with integrated experiences and structures that promote and protect their health [9]. Our study was conducted during the 2005 school year in Dunedin, a city of 100,000 people in the lower South Island of New Zealand. It has a temperate climate with moderate rainfall and cool ocean temperatures. Key geographical features include the harbour, sea, beaches, and surrounding hills. Flatter areas are located around the harbour and central city business district. The high school is situated in a suburb that is close to the harbour and has students from nearby, more urbanised flat areas and from more distant, rural, hilly areas. It is a co-educational state high school that is a ‘‘decile 8’’ school, (decile 1–10 ranks highest (1) to lowest (10) levels of deprivation, respectively). A decision on the year and number of students was made in conjunction with the Health Promoting Schools team. This project was approved by the University of Otago Ethics Committee and written informed consent was obtained from parents and students. Mapping exercises were conducted during the autumn in two class sessions in all year nine (aged 12–13) health and physical education classes. Mapping was coordinated by one researcher with teachers to allow students to delineate how and where they went for PA and factors that influenced this. Six outline maps of the school, the neighbourhood, and the wider city area were provided with different coloured pens to distinguish routes travelled and places visited or identified as being favoured or disliked for PA. Students added comments on the back of maps in an open-ended fashion; no predefined categories or examples were provided. The results from maps 1–3, concerning roaming on the school grounds and travel to and from school,
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are presented elsewhere [7,8]. On map 4 students identified favourite places for PA in on any ‘‘typical, fine day’’ and places avoided. Although not specified as such, this map pertained to any day out of school, as another map included during school and another after school, activities. They described why they liked or avoided these places on the back of the map. Students who were in Dunedin on the previous Sunday drew where they roamed and where PA was conducted on that day on map 5. They also identified the mode of transport used to get there. On map 6 students drew where they roamed and where PA was conducted the previous day after school. They also identified how they travelled. On the back, students commented on factors that made it difficult or easy to roam independently. Approximate distances travelled were estimated based upon scaling of maps. A tally was kept of places students frequented when involved in PA and percentage students with particular responses, separated for males and females, calculated. Chi-square analyses for significant differences between males and females in frequency of particular individual responses were conducted using SPSS version 16.0.
Results There were 100 males and 73 females in classes in which mapping exercises were conducted. Seventynine per cent of students (males 77%, females 81%) completed all maps and 94% (males 94%, females 93%) completed at least some of the maps. Incomplete maps were primarily due to school absence. General preferences for physical activity Eighty-five males and 66 females (n ¼ 151) completed Map 4. Eighty-five different places were identified as favourite places for PA (on a fine day) and a total of 620 responses were given. Of the 85 places indicated, 23 were parks or natural reserves; this did not include golf, other clubs and school grounds. A beach close to the school was the most cited (37% of students) favourite place and a nearby park was the second most cited (33% of students). These two locations were the most frequently cited favourite locations by males and females. The next most popular places were, in order of popular preference, an indoor sport stadium, an indoor sport centre, a public swimming pool, the city centre, their own high school, followed by five parks, an athletics ground, a surf club, and a golf club. Reasons for
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liking these places are shown in Table I. The most common reasons for liking these places were the ability to do sport or improve sporting ability there. This was particularly the case amongst females, with a greater percentage (p ¼ 0.001) citing the ability to do sport or PA there being a reason for liking a place, followed by the ability to have fun there, reasons relating to the natural environment and social aspects. More females than males mentioned fun (p ¼ 0.002) and the amount of the space provided (p ¼ 0.022). Seventy-six places were cited as avoided. The places avoided were, in order of most frequently cited, ‘‘harbour areas’’, understood as an industrial area adjacent to the harbour (13% of students), an all-male high school (11% of students), an all-female high school (9% of the students), a nearby cemetery (9% of students, females4males p ¼ 0.017), a horseracing track (9% of students), a nearby intermediate school (8% of students), the city centre (7% of students), and the closest motorway (7% of students). The most frequently cited reasons for avoiding these places included, in order of frequency: ‘‘bad people’’/’’bullies’’, ‘‘not a place for PA’’, ‘‘traffic’’, ‘‘scary’’/’’danger’’, and ‘‘boring’’. More females mentioned ‘‘not a place for PA’’ (p ¼ 0.001), ‘‘traffic’’ (p ¼ 0.022), and ‘‘scary’’ people or places (p ¼ 0.003). Males tended to talk about ‘‘bullies’’ (implying known individuals) whereas females tended to talk about ‘‘scary’’ (unknown) people or places.
Places visited Sunday and mode of transport used Map 5 was completed by 72 males and 57 females (n ¼ 129). Forty-three different places were designated as visited the previous Sunday. Those places most frequently visited are listed in Table II. More visits to specific built environments were made than to green spaces. This held for both females and males. Within these environments, more females visited a friend’s house (p ¼ 0.025) and tended to visit a specific local beach than males (p ¼ 0.059). Factors that were thought to make it easy to roam on Sunday are presented in Table III. The most frequently cited were aspects of the environment and, secondly, equipment and facilities, followed by social and personal factors and safety, as least frequently cited. There were some clear gender differences. More females found good weather (p < 0.001) and living close to facilities (p ¼ 0.006), and tended to find having friends to do PA with (p ¼ 0.097), important factors. Only females mentioned things relating to safety (p ¼ 0.006).
Factors that were thought to make it difficult to roam on Sunday are listed in Table IV. By far the most frequently cited factors were aspects of the environment, in particular poor weather, which was more frequently cited by females (p ¼ 0.03). Terrain (hilly) and distance were the next most frequently cited followed by a variety of personal and social factors and, lastly, aspects of safety and equipment/ facilities. Only 23% of students (males vs. females p ¼ 0.143) walked for transport the previous Sunday. The distances walked are presented in Table V. Only two (male) students travelled by bicycle the Sunday and they travelled more than 5 km. Only one student (male) took a bus that Sunday; however, 39% of males and 46% of females used a car for transport and 6% were for trips < 5 km. Places visited after-school Map 6 described after-school activities on a specific day, excluding travel to and from school, and was completed by 151 students (85 males, 66 females). Only 24% of the students (27% males, 20% females) travelled somewhere by foot or bike. Twenty-five per cent of students stayed home and, thereafter, the most popular places to be, in order of preference, were the streets, a shopping mall in the city centre, a nearby park, their high school and a friend’s house. There were no significant differences between males and females. The most popular reasons given as factors that make it easy to roam or be physically active after school were, in order of preference, good weather, having a bike, living close to facilities, good shoes (females4males, p ¼ 0.001), being able to walk, little traffic, parental rules (males 4females, p ¼ 0.035), friends nearby (females 4males, p ¼ 0.015) and no homework. The most popular reasons given as factors that make it difficult to roam or be physically active after school were poor weather (females 4males, p ¼ 0.03), homework, hills, traffic, parental rules, scary people, illness/injury and other commitments. In general, those things thought to make it easy or difficult to roam after school were essentially the same as those factors mentioned with regards to roaming on Sunday.
Discussion The purpose of our study was to gain a better understanding of young people’s use of the environment for PA. It is important to note that PA is not confined to dedicated sports facilities. Many young
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Why and where youth are physically active Table I. Reasons for liking favourite places for physical activity. Males (n ¼ 85) Reason Ability to do/improve sport Do sport/PA there Can do lots there Good place for sport/PA Do laps around town Exercise at own pace Can get fit there Easy to do stuff there Challenge Improved skills Like walking around Fun Aspects of (natural) environment Lots of space Close to home Flat Open space Warm Fresh air Good drainage Sheltered Long beaches Good on nice days Large grounds Good grounds Hot there Lots of trees Park been improved Mountain bike tracks Facilities/built environment Good equipment/facilities Covered in Modern equipment Personal sports club Clean BMX jumps Has changing rooms Always open Lots of facilities Social Friends play/go there Nice place/cool place Not crowded Friends’ houses See famous people My old school Went there when little Run with Dad Peaceful Family Not embarrassing there Other activities Shops there Walk/run dog there Shop and walk at same time Like shopping Paid to walk dog Safe
%
n 36 29 3 1 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 21 25 7 6 2 1 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 8 1 0 1 2 1 1 0 1 1 24 15 2 3 2 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 2 1 1 0 0 0 0
ns, not significant; PA, physical activity.
Females (n ¼ 66)
42 34 4 1 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 25 29 8 7 2 1 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 9 1 0 1 2 1 1 0 1 1 28 18 2 4 2 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 2 1 1 0 0 0 0
%
n 52 40 5 3 1 1 0 0 0 1 1 32 24 14 4 1 1 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 9 3 3 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 27 19 2 1 0 0 1 1 1 0 1 1 5 1 1 1 1 1 1
79 61 8 5 2 2 0 0 0 2 2 48 36 21 6 2 2 3 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 14 5 5 2 0 2 0 2 0 0 41 29 3 2 0 0 2 2 2 0 2 2 8 2 2 2 2 2 2
Total (n ¼ 151)
p Males vs. females 0.001 ns ns ns ns ns ns ns ns ns 0.002 0.022 ns ns ns ns ns ns ns ns ns ns ns ns ns ns ns ns ns ns ns ns ns ns ns ns ns ns ns ns ns ns ns ns ns ns ns ns ns ns ns ns ns
%
n 88 69 8 4 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 53 49 21 10 3 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 17 4 3 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 51 34 4 4 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 7 2 2 1 1 1 1
58 46 5 3 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 35 32 14 7 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 11 3 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 34 23 3 3 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 5 1 1 1 1 1 1
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Table II. Most popular places (42% of those completing map) visited on Sunday. Males (n ¼ 72) Place Built environment Centre city Stayed home Friends house Stadium Shops/post office Church Edgar Centre Badminton Hall MacAndrew Intermediate School Green space St Clair Beach Surf club Bayfield Park Marlow Park South Dunedin Hancock Park
%
n 44 17 13 3 4 2 3 1 0 1 9 1 2 1 1 2 2
Females (n ¼ 57)
61 24 18 4 6 3 4 1 0 1 13 1 3 1 1 3 3
%
n 34 8 7 9 3 3 0 1 2 1 7 5 0 1 1 0 0
60 14 12 16 5 5 0 2 4 2 12 9 0 2 2 0 0
Total (n ¼ 129)
p Males vs. females ns ns 0.025 ns ns ns ns ns ns 0.059 ns ns ns ns ns
%
n 78 25 20 12 7 5 3 2 2 2 16 6 2 2 2 2 2
60 19 16 9 5 4 2 2 2 2 12 5 2 2 2 2 2
ns, not significant.
people choose informal open spaces as their preferred activity space. How and why young people use the environment is quite individualistic. Some commonalities did emerge, however: the need for PA to be fun, the strong link between PA and socialising, the need to feel safe from environmental factors such as cars, and from social factors such as bullies, although interpretations of what constitutes safety, fun and a good place to be physically active differs between individuals.
relevant in discussing where they went and preferred to be physically active. A surprisingly large number of our students mentioned school as their favourite place for PA reflecting that, in New Zealand, school grounds are open for public use outside of school. As most of the previous studies on environment and PA are from North America, there may be a difference in policy, due to liability concerns. Having school grounds available outside school hours may have a large impact on PA, particularly in urban neighbourhoods in which other open spaces are not easily accessible.
Places for physical activity It is noteworthy that undesignated, undeveloped open spaces were cited as well used amongst males and females for PA and were more popular than spaces designed for specific sporting activities. Limstrand and Rehrer [10] observed a similar preference amongst Norwegian children. Our students’ preferences also fit with Sallis et al.’s finding [1] in the USA that children were more active outdoors. Sallis et al. [11] and Ferreira et al. [12] reviewed studies of environmental correlates with objective measures of PA in children and adolescents and both confirm a strong correlation between PA and time spent outdoors in children but not in adolescents. Methodological differences may account for this discrepancy and often few environmental variables were studied. This is in contrast to our study in which we did not provide categories to choose from nor study specific aspects but rather allowed our students to freely incorporate anything they thought was
Factors that influence physical activity The majority of the students we surveyed mentioned that the main reason they frequented a specific place for PA was that it was possible to do the type of PA they wanted to do there and/or improve fitness or skills. This was followed by ability to have fun, social aspects and aspects of the natural environment. Facilities and built environments were not frequently mentioned as favourite places for PA, but were most frequently visited on the Sunday surveyed. Ferreira et al. [12] concluded that accessibility to equipment or facilities was unrelated to PA, but this may be highly weather dependent.
Weather and geography Humpel et al. [13], in their review of studies on adults found that weather was not strongly related
Why and where youth are physically active
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Table III. Factors that make roaming easy on Sunday. Males (n ¼ 85) Factor Environment Good weather Living close to facilities Little traffic Flat area Live in a quiet/not busy area Not crowded Good street lights Easy to walk Hills Roads open Going downhill No hills Lots of streets Lots of footpaths Wide footpaths Things to look at Staying at home Equipment/facilities Having a bike Shoes/good shoes Having a skateboard Being motivated Having a motorbike Having a scooter Having a place to go Social Friends to do PA with Parents let me out by myself Friendly neighbourhood Going with someone Parents let me go out No one annoys me Good places/facilities for exercise The weekend Family close by Knowing lots of people Personal Walking Enjoy walking Running Being fit Enjoy PA Familiar with area The time of the day Routine Walking a dog Enjoy riding Being active Safety No scary people Safe area Safe road and footpaths ns, not significant; PA, physical activity.
%
n 42 18 9 6 1 1 2 0 1 0 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 34 23 3 2 1 2 2 1 18 5 6 2 1 0 1 1 0 1 1 17 7 1 3 2 0 2 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0
Females (n ¼ 66)
49 21 11 7 1 1 2 0 1 0 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 40 27 4 2 1 2 2 1 21 6 7 2 1 0 1 1 0 1 1 20 8 1 4 2 0 2 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0
%
n 65 32 19 1 3 2 1 2 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 19 10 6 1 2 0 0 0 18 10 0 1 0 1 0 3 3 0 0 19 5 5 1 1 3 1 1 0 1 1 0 9 6 2 1
98 48 29 2 5 3 2 3 0 2 0 0 0 0 2 2 2 2 29 15 9 2 3 0 0 0 27 15 0 2 0 2 0 5 5 0 0 29 8 8 2 2 5 2 2 0 2 2 0 14 9 3 2
Total (n ¼ 151) p Males vs. females
