CATEGORÍAS DE LA VÍA PÚBLICA

2.3.1 Description of the Studies

Of the 10 full-text articles reviewed, three studies were cross-sectional, two were surveys, one was observational, one used mixed methods, and three studies had no study designs mentioned. Of the 10 full-text articles reviewed, two studies were authored by Ries and colleagues, two studies were authored by Floyd and colleagues, and the remaining six studies were authored by other researchers. Seven studies were conducted in the US, and one each was conducted in Brazil, Australia, and Canada. The publication years ranged from 2002 to 2011. The number of parks visited in each study ranged from four to 100.

The number of children included in the selected studies ranged from 163 to 2712. One study was restricted to girls in the sixth grade. The remaining studies included both boys and girls in their samples. Four studies included children of all ages, three studies

included middle-age children/adolescents only, and three studies included park visitors of all ages but with separate analyses of children.

2.3.2 Thematic Analysis

The thematic analysis identified the following four themes:

 Overall quality of parks and playgrounds and their use and physical activity in children (n = 5);

 Features and amenities of parks and playgrounds and their use and physical activity in children (n = 4);

 The conditions and cleanliness of features and amenities of parks and playgrounds and their use and physical activity in children (n = 2); and

 The safety and crime rates of parks and playgrounds and their use and physical activity in children (n = 4).

2.3.2.1 Overall Quality of Parks and Playgrounds and Their Use and Physical Activity in Children

The overall quality of parks and playgrounds is a combination of features and amenities, aesthetics, cleanliness, condition, and safety. Ries et al. (2009, 2011) found that the perceived quality of parks, as measured by a Web-based survey, was associated with increased park use; however, there was no association between the objective quality of parks, as measured by Geographical Information Systems (GIS) data, and physical

activity. The GIS measurement used by Ries et al. (2009, 2011) assessed quality in terms of availability and facilities and did not measure the conditions or cleanliness of the facilities. The perceived park-quality survey included conditions and cleanliness, in addition to the facilities. Thus, perceived park quality had more influence on park use and physical activity than the GIS measurement. Perry et al. (2011), using an

observational quality-assessment instrument (measuring presence, condition, and cleanliness), showed that higher-quality parks were associated with greater park use, particularly in youth.

2.3.2.2 Presence of Features and Amenities of Parks and Playgrounds and Their Use and Physical Activity in Children

The features and amenities of parks and playgrounds are important enablers of park use and physical activity in children. Cohen et al. (2006) found that park features, such as basketball courts, walking paths, swimming areas, and tracks, were associated with higher levels of physical activity in adolescent girls. Similarly, Colabianchi et al. (2011) found that shaded areas in renovated school playgrounds were associated with park use and physical activity in boys. Floyd et al. (2008, 2011) found that playgrounds, sports fields, and courts were associated with higher levels of physical activity in children compared to other park features and amenities. Timperio et al. (2008) found that public open-space (POS) areas with trees and shade were more appealing to female adolescents than to young girls and boys.

2.3.2.3 Conditions and Cleanliness of Features and Amenities of Parks and Playgrounds and Their Use and Physical Activity in Children

Only two studies explored the conditions and cleanliness of the features and amenities of parks and playgrounds, along with park use and physical activity. Colabianchi et al.

(2011), using the Environmental Assessment of Public Parks Recreational Spaces (EAPRS) tool, reported that overall cleanliness was negatively associated with use of renovated school playgrounds in girls and boys, but the overall condition of the school

playgrounds had no influence on park use in children. Loukaitou-Sideris and Stieglitz (2002) found that the use of picnic areas was dependent on the condition and cleanliness of benches and tables, as determined through direct observation. The authors also

identified a list of complaints, later supported by field observations that hampered facility use by park visitors. These issues included the quality of equipment, broken play

equipment, such as climbing objects, slides, and swings, and problems due to a lack of maintenance, such as refuse in the pools and sand, broken glass bottles in the mud, dead trees and grass, and dirty toilets.

2.3.2.4 Safety and Crime Rates of Parks and Playgrounds and Their Use and Physical Activity in Children

Colabianchi et al. (2011) found that safe school playgrounds were more frequently used than school playgrounds that scored the lowest on safety. Loukaitou-Sideris and Stieglitz (2002) explored children‘s perceptions of park safety and found that most children

reported feeling safe within most of the parks. Further, the authors also found that the safety issues identified by the children that hampered park use and physical activity were gangs, shootings, unruly behaviour, strangers talking to children, and criminal activity.

Reis et al. (2009) found that safety issues, such as poor lighting and bullying, were associated with lower physical activity in girls but not in boys; however, objective measurements of crime rates were not associated with either park use or physical activity in children (Ries et al., 2009).