The relationship between the environment and physical activity-related motivational trajectories.

The study explores motivational profiles for physical activity, using self-determination theory's full continuum of motivational regulations, and examines their stability over three months. Furthermore, it investigates whether physical environment and community characteristics are associated with transitioning between profiles, as well as the sociodemographic differences in these motivational transition pathways. Data were collected from 305 U.

Physical Activity Promotion in North Carolina: a Reassessment of Public Park and Recreation Directors.

Regular physical activity is widely considered by public health and parks and recreation professionals as a key determinant of individual and community health and well-being. Prior research has shown that building sustainable health partnerships with community organizations can help parks and recreation departments meet many US health challenges. This descriptive study examined the perceptions of North Carolina public parks and recreation directors regarding physical activity and health partnership practices in their communities.

Perceived Constraints to Pickleball Participation Among Black Older Adults.

Pickleball offers sociopsychological and physical activity benefits for older adults but lacks racial diversity. The purpose of this study was to identify constraints to pickleball participation with Black older adults (65+ years) as well as examine differences based on physical activity and sex. A Qualtrics panel included Black older adults (N = 292) who have heard of pickleball and are physically able to play but have not played.

Prescribing Time in Nature for Human Health and Well-Being: Study Protocol for Tailored Park Prescriptions.

Background: eHealth technologies offer an efficient method to integrate park prescriptions into clinical practice by primary health care (PHC) providers to help patients improve their health tailored, nature-based health behavior interventions. This paper describes the protocol of the GoalRx Prescription Intervention (GPI) which was designed to leverage community resources to provide tailored park prescriptions for PHC patients.

Methods: The GPI study was designed as a 3-arm, multi-site observational study.

Examination of Ecological Systems Contexts Within a Latino-Based Community Sport Youth Development Initiative.

Youth Development Programs (YDPs) can serve as effective mechanisms to alleviate social and psychological adversities while enhancing and developing resilience among youth. Recently, more YDPs have incorporated sport within Sport for Development (SFD) models to achieve these goals. Due to the growing Latino population in the US and the wide achievement gap between Latinos and other demographic populations, there is a need to explore programs that may support individual development as well as long-term change with regard to social inequality.

Youth Sport Participation by Metropolitan Status: 2018-2019 National Survey of Children's Health (NSCH).

This cross-sectional study used data from the 2018-2019 National Survey of Children's Health to examine the association between metropolitan statistical area (MSA) status and sports participation among American youth ages 6-17. Weighted prevalence statistics were computed for sports participation by MSA status (non-MSA, MSA), overall and by child sex and age. Modified Poisson regression was used to estimate prevalence ratios (PR) for non-MSA versus MSA youth, before and after adjusting for special health-care needs, race/ethnicity, household income, parent education, and family structure.

Objective Assessment of Physical Activity and Associated Contexts During High School Sport Practices.

Organized sports provide children and adolescents with opportunities to achieve recommended amounts of moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA), and schools are a primary setting for sports programs. The main aims of this study were to examine participant physical activity (PA) levels during the most popular high school sports in the United States and to assess the influences of practice contextual factors on PA levels. Participant PA and its contexts were assessed during practices for the 10 most popular girls' and boys' high school sports in the United States.

Nature Prescriptions for Health: A Review of Evidence and Research Opportunities.

Nature prescription programs have emerged to address the high burden of chronic disease and increasingly sedentary and screen-based lifestyles. This study examines the base of evidence regarding such programs. We conducted a narrative review of published literature using four electronic databases.

Shared Use of Physical Activity Facilities Among North Carolina Faith Communities, 2013.

Introduction: Shared use of recreational facilities is a promising strategy for increasing access to places for physical activity. Little is known about shared use in faith-based settings. This study examined shared use practices and barriers in faith communities in North Carolina.

Shared use agreements and leisure time physical activity in North Carolina public schools.

Although increasing community access to public schools through shared use agreements (SUAs) has been a recommended strategy for promoting physical activity (PA) among national, state and local organizations, empirical evidence examining the efficacy of SUAs is limited. This study examined the degree of usage and production of PA among schools with shared use, and how variation in PA output is related to characteristics of the school, type of activity, facility type, and when activity occurs. Data were collected in 20 schools across North Carolina using System for Observing Play and Recreation in Communities (SOPARC) and Structured Physical Activity Surveys (SPAS) to assess PA in school athletic facilities during out of school time.

Social and Environmental Factors Related to Boys' and Girls' Park-Based Physical Activity.

Introduction: Parks provide opportunities for physical activity for children. This study examined sex differences in correlates of park-based physical activity because differences may indicate that a standard environmental intervention to increase activity among children may not equally benefit boys and girls.

Methods: The System for Observation Play and Recreation in Communities was used to measure physical activity among 2,712 children and adolescents in 20 neighborhood parks in Durham, North Carolina, in 2007.

Afterschool shared use of public school facilities for physical activity in North Carolina.

Objective: To determine the status and common characteristics of shared use in public schools in North Carolina.

Method: All public school principals (N=2,359) in North Carolina were invited to participate in an online survey (February - May, 2013) designed to provide baseline information about the extent and nature of shared use of school facilities.

Results: Responses (n=1182, 50.

Shared use of school facilities with community organizations and afterschool physical activity program participation: a cost-benefit assessment.

Background: Partnerships between school districts and community-based organizations to share school facilities during afterschool hours can be an effective strategy for increasing physical activity. However, the perceived cost of shared use has been noted as an important reason for restricting community access to schools. This study examined shared use of middle school facilities, the amount and type of afterschool physical activity programs provided at middle schools together with the costs of operating the facilities.

Policy changes to implement intramural sports in North Carolina middle schools: simulated effects on sports participation rates and physical activity intensity, 2008-2009.

Introduction: Extracurricular school sports programs can provide adolescents, including those who are economically disadvantaged, with opportunities to engage in physical activity. Although current models favor more exclusionary interscholastic sports, a better understanding is needed of the potential effects of providing alternative school sports options, such as more inclusive intramural sports. The purpose of this study was to simulate the potential effect of implementing intramural sports programs in North Carolina middle schools on both the rates of sports participation and on energy expenditure related to physical activity levels.

Prioritizing school intramural and interscholastic programs based on observed physical activity.

Purpose: To examine which school sports engage children in more physical activity.

Design: Observational, cross-sectional study examining differences between intramural (IM) and interscholastic (IS) sports.

Setting: Athletic facilities at two schools with IM sports and two schools with IS sports in Wake County, North Carolina.

School sport participation under two school sport policies: comparisons by race/ethnicity, gender, and socioeconomic status.

Background: School-based extracurricular sport remains an effective strategy to increase physical activity. However, school sport is often limited to a small number of elite athletes. Few schools provide more inclusive sport programs that offer a wider array of activities regardless of ability.

School sport policy and school-based physical activity environments and their association with observed physical activity in middle school children.

Empirical research on the effects of school sport policies on children's physical activity is limited. This study examined sport policies (intramural vs. varsity), physical settings within schools, and supervision in relation to physical activity using the System for Observing Play and Leisure in Youth (SOPLAY).

Park-based physical activity among children and adolescents.

Background: Availability of parks is associated with higher levels of physical activity among children and adolescents. Few studies examine actual park use and park-based physical activity in these populations.

Purpose: This study examined associations among individual, park, and neighborhood environmental characteristics and children's and adolescent's park-based physical activity.

Recreation as a component of the community youth development system.

In an era of fragmented school systems and budget cuts, many educators and youth leaders seeking to solve the problems that youth face are turning to out-of-school-time programs. In many communities, these programs are seen as essential in the development of youth into fully functioning adults. One such area of the out-of-school-time sector is the provision of recreation services.

Opportunities for extracurricular physical activity in North Carolina middle schools.

Background: This study's purpose was to assess the opportunities for North Carolina adolescents to be physically active in extracurricular middle school environments and to compare opportunities across community types.

Methods: Data were analyzed based on the results of an electronic questionnaire distributed to a sample of 431 schools with a response rate of 75.4% (N = 325).

"Just let me play!" - understanding constraints that limit adolescent sport participation.

Background: Organized sport is viewed as a viable medium for promoting more physical activity among youth. However, participation in youth sport declines significantly among both boys and girls during their middle school years. This study examined middle school students' perceived constraints to sport participation.

Adaptation of the System for Observing Physical Activity and Recreation in Communities (SOPARC) to assess age groupings of children.

Background: To better measure physical activity (PA) in outdoor environments, McKenzie and colleagues developed the System for Observing Play and Recreation in Communities (SOPARC). However, previous SOPARC research has focused on adults, seniors, teens and children. One avenue for extending this work is to expand the child age group code to capture important nuances that can influence children's PA and their environments.