Edwards Michael B, Theriault Daniel S, Shores Kindal A, Melton Karen M
Department of Parks, Recreation, and Tourism Management, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina.
J Rural Health. 2014 Fall;30(4):379-87. doi: 10.1111/jrh.12072. Epub 2014 Apr 6.
Research on youth physical activity has focused on urban areas. Rural adolescents are more likely to be physically inactive than urban youth, contributing to higher risk of obesity and chronic diseases. Study objectives were to: (1) identify perceived opportunities and barriers to youth physical activity within a rural area and (2) identify rural community characteristics that facilitate or inhibit efforts to promote youth physical activity.
Thirty in-depth interviews were conducted with expert informants in 2 rural southern US counties. Interviewees were recruited from diverse positions across multiple sectors based on their expert knowledge of community policies and programs for youth physical activity.
Informants saw ball fields, natural amenities, and school sports as primary resources for youth physical activity, but they were divided on whether opportunities were abundant or scarce. Physical distance, social isolation, lack of community offerings, and transportation were identified as key barriers. Local social networks facilitated political action and volunteer recruitment to support programs. However, communities often lacked human capital to sustain initiatives. Racial divisions influenced perceptions of opportunities. Despite divisions, there were also examples of pooling resources to create and sustain physical activity opportunities.
Developing partnerships and leveraging local resources may be essential to overcoming barriers for physical activity promotion in rural areas. Involvement of church leaders, school officials, health care workers, and cooperative extension is likely needed to establish and sustain youth rural physical activity programs. Allocating resources to existing community personnel and volunteers for continuing education may be valuable.
关于青少年身体活动的研究主要集中在城市地区。农村青少年比城市青少年更有可能缺乏身体活动，这增加了肥胖和慢性病的风险。研究目标是：（1）确定农村地区青少年身体活动的感知机会和障碍；（2）确定促进或抑制青少年身体活动的农村社区特征。
在美国南部两个农村县对专家 informant 进行了30次深入访谈。受访者根据他们对青少年身体活动社区政策和项目的专业知识，从多个部门的不同职位中招募。
informant 将球场、自然便利设施和学校体育视为青少年身体活动的主要资源，但他们在机会是丰富还是稀缺上存在分歧。物理距离、社会隔离、社区服务缺乏和交通被确定为关键障碍。当地社会网络促进了支持项目的政治行动和志愿者招募。然而，社区往往缺乏维持倡议的人力资本。种族分歧影响了对机会的看法。尽管存在分歧，但也有共同资源以创造和维持身体活动机会的例子。
建立伙伴关系和利用当地资源对于克服农村地区促进身体活动的障碍可能至关重要。可能需要教会领袖、学校官员、医护人员和合作推广机构的参与，以建立和维持青少年农村身体活动项目。为现有社区人员和志愿者分配资源以进行继续教育可能很有价值。
