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BACKGROUND: Parks provide opportunities for physical activity and social interaction and are critical for enhancing public health. It is therefore important to better understand the needs and preferences of park features among adults to help park designers to create parks that optimise use. This qualitative study provided an in-depth examination of factors and characteristics that influence visitation, park-based physical activity, and social interaction among adults (19–64 years). We also explored perceptions of parks and park use and impacts of COVID on park usage and needs. METHODS: Participants (n = 27, 40.4 years [+ 11.9], 70% female) were interviewed from 2017 to 2020 while walking through one of eight diverse parks located in varying socioeconomic areas of metropolitan Melbourne, Australia. Participants were prompted to discuss their experiences, opinions and preferences regarding park features. All interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed using NVivo 12 software. RESULTS: Park features and characteristics highly valued for visitation related to aesthetics and atmosphere, including trees, gardens, spaciousness, and water features. Features most valued for physical activity included walking and bike tracks, basketball rings, nice aesthetics, and sports walls. Features most valued for social interaction included seating and tables, and picnic/barbecue areas. CONCLUSIONS: This study highlights features and characteristics that may be important to prioritise, to encourage active and social park visits among adults. This evidence will help policy and decision makers, urban planners, landscape architects, and local, state, and national government organisations to create parks that support adults to lead healthy and active lives. Future research should examine the relative importance of the features identified in this study to inform future park design/redesign. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12889-022-13064-5.

Purpose. To examine associations among individual, social, and environmental barriers and children's walking or cycling to school. Design. Exploratory cross-sectional study. Setting. All eight capital cities in Australia. Subjects. Parents (N = 720) of school-aged children (4–13 years; 27% response rate; 49% parents of boys). Measures. Multivariate-adjusted odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for parental reporting of barriers to their children's walking or cycling to school, based on a computer-assisted telephone interview. Results. Forty-one percent of children walked or cycled to school at least once per week. Multivariable analyses found inverse associations with individual ("child prefers to be driven" [OR = 0.4, 95% CI = 0.3–0.6], "no time in the mornings" [OR = 0.5, 95% CI = 0.3–0.8]); social ("worry child will take risks" [OR = 0.6, 95% CI = 0.3–0.9], "no other children to walk with" [OR = 0.7, 95% CI = 0.4–0.99], "no adults to walk with" [OR = 0.6, 95% CI = 0.4–0.9]); and environmental barriers ("too far to walk" [OR = 0.1, 95% CI = 0.0–0.1], "no direct route" [OR = 0.4, 95% CI = 0.2–0.7]) and positive associations with "concern child may be injured in a road accident" (OR = 1.9, 95% CI = 1.1–3.1) and active commuting. Conclusion. Working with parents, schools, and local authorities to improve pedestrian skills and environments may help to overcome barriers.

Purpose. Although the family environment is a potentially important influence on children's physical activity (PA), prospective data investigating these associations are lacking. This study aimed to examine the longitudinal relationship between the family environment and PA among youth. Design. A 5-year prospective cohort study. Setting. Nineteen randomly selected public schools in Melbourne, Australia. Subjects. Families of 5- to 6-year-old (n = 190) and 10- to 12-year-old (n = 350) children. Measures. In 2001, parents reported their participation in PA, family-based PA, and support and reinforcement for their child's PA. In 2001, 2004, and 2006, moderate to vigorous intensity PA (MVPA) was assessed among youth using accelerometers. Weekend and "critical window" (after school until 6:00 P.M.) MVPA were examined because we hypothesized that the family environment would most likely influence these behaviors. Analysis. Generalized estimating equations predicted average change in MVPA over 5 years from baseline family environment factors. Results. Maternal role modeling was positively associated with boys' critical window and weekend (younger boys) MVPA. Paternal reinforcement of PA was positively associated with critical window and weekend MVPA among all boys, and paternal direct support was positively associated with weekend MVPA (older boys). Among girls, maternal coparticipation in PA predicted critical window MVPA, and sibling coparticipation in PA was directly associated with weekend MVPA (younger girls). Conclusions. Longitudinal relationships, although weak in magnitude, were observed between the family environment and MVPA among youth. Interventions promoting maternal role modeling, paternal reinforcement of and support for PA, and maternal and sibling coparticipation in PA with youth are warranted. (Am J Health Promot 2011;25[3]:159–167.)

Introduction: Understanding how the weather affects physical activity (PA) may help in the design, analysis, and interpretation of future studies, especially when investigating PA across diverse meteorological settings and with long follow-up periods. The present longitudinal study first aims to examine the influence of daily weather elements on intraindividual PA patterns among primary school children across four seasons, reflecting day-to-day variation within each season. Second, we investigate whether the influence of weather elements differs by day of the week (weekdays vs weekends), gender, age, and bodymass index. Method: PA data were collected by ActiGraph accelerometers for 1 wk in each of four school terms that reflect each season in southeast Australia. PA data from 307 children (age range 8.7-12.8 yr) were matched to daily meteorological variables obtained from the Australian Government" s Bureau of Meteorology (maximum temperature, relative humidity, solar radiation, day length, and rainfall). Daily PA patterns and their association with weather elements were analyzed using multilevel linear mixed models. Results: Temperature was the strongest predictor of moderate and vigorous PA, followed by solar radiation and humidity. The relation with temperature was curvilinear, showing optimum PA levels at temperatures between 20 degrees C and 22 degrees C. Associations between weather elements on PA did not differ by gender, child" s age, or body mass index. Conclusions: This novel study focused on the influence of weather elements on intraindividual PA patterns in children. As weather influences cannot be controlled, knowledge of its effect on individual PApatternsmay help in the design of future studies, interpretation of their results, and translation into PA promotion.

Associations between access to local destinations and children's independent mobility (IM) were examined. In 2007, 10- to 12-year-olds ( n = 1,480) and their parents ( n = 1,314) completed a survey. Children marked on a map the destinations they walked or cycled to ( n = 1,132), and the availability of local destinations was assessed using Geographic Information Systems. More independently mobile children traveled to local destinations than other children. The odds of IM more than halved in both boys and girls whose parents reported living on a busy road (boys, OR = 0.48; girls, OR = 0.36) and in boys who lived near shopping centers (OR = 0.18) or community services (OR = 0.25). Conversely, the odds of IM more than doubled in girls living in neighborhoods with well-connected low-traffic streets (OR = 2.32) and increased in boys with access to local recreational (OR = 1.67) and retail (OR = 1.42) destinations. Creating safe and accessible places and routes may facilitate children's IM, partly by shaping parent's and children's feelings of safety while enhancing their confidence in the child's ability to use active modes without an adult.

Background: To advance active transport, robust policy-relevant evidence is needed to understand how to change behaviour and to support decision-making by policy makers and practitioners. Currently, however, priority research questions that are most critical for advancing active transport have not been identified. To this end, we aimed to inform an active transport research priority agenda for Australia to guide research, funding, policy making and practice to enhance active transport. Methods: We designed and conducted a novel priority setting exercise to identify and set research priorities for the advancement of active transport in Australia. The process consisted of three phases: 1) generation and collection of research questions from a diverse reference group consisting of experts and key members representing academia, government, private and not-for-profit organisations (n = 259 respondents); 2) thematic analysis and consolidation of research questions to a final list of 50 questions; and 3) prioritisation of research questions by the reference group (n = 140 respondents). Results: The top ranked questions included the evidence to support policy changes to increase active transport, identifying and overcoming community resistance to active transport infrastructure, road space re-allocation and lower urban speed limits, evidence on the needs of children, enhanced governance and funding, and improving how the benefits of active transport are best measured and communicated. Conclusions: To our knowledge, this is the first priority setting exercise in active transport globally. The identified research priorities can be used to identify new policy-relevant areas of research, contribute to the active transport research agenda in Australia and guide research funding. Focusing on these research priorities will address stakeholder and academic priorities and provide the evidence required to support the advancement of active transport in Australia. Future research could use the same approach to identify research ...

Background The RESIDential Environments (RESIDE) project is a unique longitudinal natural experiment designed to evaluate the health impacts of the "Liveable Neighbourhoods" planning policy, which was introduced by the Western Australian government to create more walkable suburbs. Objectives To summarize the RESIDE evidence of the impact of the planning policy on a range of health-supportive behaviours and wellbeing outcomes and to assess the consistency and direction of the estimates of associations. Methods An audit of 26 RESIDE research papers (from 2003 to 2012) identified the number of positive associations (statistically significant and consistent with policy expectations), negative associations (statistically significant and inconsistent with policy expectations), and null findings from multiple-exposure models between objective and perceived measures of 20 policy design requirements and 13 health-supportive behaviors and wellbeing outcomes. Results In total 332 eligible estimates of associations (n = 257 objective measures and n = 75 perceived measures) were identified. Positively significant findings were detected for: 57% of walking estimates with objectively measured policy design features (negative = 3%; null = 40%) (n = 115) and 54% perceived measures (negative = 0%; null = 33%) (n = 27); 42% of sense of community estimates with objectively measured of policy design features (negative = 8%; null = 50%) (n = 12) and 61% perceived measures (negative = 8%; null = 31%) (n = 13); 39% of safety or crime-related estimates with objectively measured of policy design features (negative = 22%; null = 39%) (n = 28) and 100% perceived measures (n = 7). All (n = 4) estimates for mental health outcomes with objectively measured policy-related design features were positively significant. Conclusions The synthesis of findings suggests that new suburban communities built in accordance with the "Liveable Neighbourhoods" policy have the potential to encourage health supportive behaviors and wellbeing outcomes including transport and recreation walking, and to create neighborhoods with a stronger sense of community where residents may feel safer.

BACKGROUND: The RESIDential Environments (RESIDE) project is a unique longitudinal natural experiment designed to evaluate the health impacts of the "Liveable Neighbourhoods" planning policy, which was introduced by the Western Australian government to create more walkable suburbs. OBJECTIVES: To summarize the RESIDE evidence of the impact of the planning policy on a range of health-supportive behaviours and wellbeing outcomes and to assess the consistency and direction of the estimates of associations. METHODS: An audit of 26 RESIDE research papers (from 2003 to 2012) identified the number of positive associations (statistically significant and consistent with policy expectations), negative associations (statistically significant and inconsistent with policy expectations), and null findings from multiple-exposure models between objective and perceived measures of 20 policy design requirements and 13 health-supportive behaviors and wellbeing outcomes. RESULTS: In total 332 eligible estimates of associations (n = 257 objective measures and n = 75 perceived measures) were identified. Positively significant findings were detected for: 57% of walking estimates with objectively measured policy design features (negative = 3%; null = 40%) (n = 115) and 54% perceived measures (negative = 0%; null = 33%) (n = 27); 42% of sense of community estimates with objectively measured of policy design features (negative = 8%; null = 50%) (n = 12) and 61% perceived measures (negative = 8%; null = 31%) (n = 13); 39% of safety or crime-related estimates with objectively measured of policy design features (negative = 22%; null = 39%) (n = 28) and 100% perceived measures (n = 7). All (n = 4) estimates for mental health outcomes with objectively measured policy-related design features were positively significant. CONCLUSIONS: The synthesis of findings suggests that new suburban communities built in accordance with the "Liveable Neighbourhoods" policy have the potential to encourage health supportive behaviors and wellbeing outcomes ...

Background: Ecological models are currently the most used approaches to classify and conceptualise determinants of sedentary behaviour, but these approaches are limited in their ability to capture the complexity of and interplay between determinants. The aim of the project described here was to develop a transdisciplinary dynamic framework, grounded in a system-based approach, for research on determinants of sedentary behaviour across the life span and intervention and policy planning and evaluation. Methods: A comprehensive concept mapping approach was used to develop the Systems Of Sedentary behaviours (SOS) framework, involving four main phases: (1) preparation, (2) generation of statements, (3) structuring (sorting and ranking), and (4) analysis and interpretation. The first two phases were undertaken between December 2013 and February 2015 by the DEDIPAC KH team (DEterminants of DIet and Physical Activity Knowledge Hub). The last two phases were completed during a two-day consensus meeting in June 2015. Results: During the first phase, 550 factors regarding sedentary behaviour were listed across three age groups (i.e., youths, adults and older adults), which were reduced to a final list of 190 life course factors in phase 2 used during the consensus meeting. In total, 69 international delegates, seven invited experts and one concept mapping consultant attended the consensus meeting. The final framework obtained during that meeting consisted of six clusters of determinants: Physical Health and Wellbeing (71 % consensus), Social and Cultural Context (59 % consensus), Built and Natural Environment (65 % consensus), Psychology and Behaviour (80 % consensus), Politics and Economics (78 % consensus), and Institutional and Home Settings (78 % consensus). Conducting studies on Institutional Settings was ranked as the first research priority. The view that this framework captures a system-based map of determinants of sedentary behaviour was expressed by 89 % of the participants. Conclusion: Through an international transdisciplinary consensus process, the SOS framework was developed for the determinants of sedentary behaviour through the life course. Investigating the influence of Institutional and Home Settings was deemed to be the most important area of research to focus on at present and potentially the most modifiable. The SOS framework can be used as an important tool to prioritise future research and to develop policies to reduce sedentary time.