Grand Forks Human Nutrition Research Center, Agricultural Research Service, US Department of Agriculture, Grand Forks, North Dakota 58203-9034. E-mail:
Agricultural Research Service, US Department of Agriculture, Grand Forks, North Dakota.
Prev Chronic Dis. 2014 Sep 11;11:E155. doi: 10.5888/pcd11.140175.
Park amenities promote visitation and physical activity during summer. Physical activity declines during winter. Identifying park amenities that promote visitation during winter would increase year-round activity. The purpose of this study was to determine how park visitation, amenity choice, and physical activity intensity change across seasons.
Physical activity intensity of children and adults was assessed at 16 parks in Grand Forks, North Dakota, during summer and fall of 2012, and winter and spring of 2013.
Park visitation was highest in spring and lowest in winter. Amenity use varied by season. Parks with water splash pads were visited more during summer, and playgrounds and open spaces were visited more during spring. Ice rinks were visited most in winter. Physical activity intensity was lowest in summer and highest in winter for each age group. The activity intensity observed for all young age groups ranged from 2.7 to 2.9 metabolic equivalents in summer and greater than 3 metabolic equivalents in all other seasons. Adults' mean activity intensity was greater than 3 metabolic equivalents in winter.
Information on park visitation, amenity use, and activity intensity across seasons is valuable; it can be used when designing or redesigning parks in order to promote year-round physical activity. Redesigning parks in cold climates to include ice rinks, sledding hills, cross-country skiing, and indoor areas for physical activity would increase winter visitation and allow the park to serve as a year-round resource for physical activity.
公园设施在夏季促进游客访问和身体活动。冬季身体活动减少。确定在冬季促进游客访问的公园设施将增加全年的活动量。本研究的目的是确定公园访问量、设施选择和身体活动强度如何随季节变化。
在 2012 年夏季和秋季以及 2013 年冬季和春季，在北达科他州大福克斯的 16 个公园评估儿童和成人的身体活动强度。
公园访问量在春季最高，冬季最低。设施使用因季节而异。有水上溅水垫的公园在夏季更受欢迎，而游乐场和开放空间在春季更受欢迎。溜冰场在冬季访问量最大。每个年龄段的夏季身体活动强度最低，冬季最高。所有年轻年龄段的活动强度在夏季均为 2.7 至 2.9 代谢当量，而在所有其他季节均大于 3 代谢当量。成年人的平均活动强度在冬季大于 3 代谢当量。
有关公园访问量、设施使用和各季节活动强度的信息是有价值的；在设计或重新设计公园时可以使用这些信息，以促进全年的身体活动。在寒冷气候下重新设计公园，包括溜冰场、雪橇山、越野滑雪和室内身体活动区，将增加冬季访问量，并使公园成为全年身体活动的资源。
