Deelen Ineke, Janssen Mark, Vos Steven, Kamphuis Carlijn B M, Ettema Dick
Department of Human Geography and Spatial Planning, Faculty of Geosciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
School of Sport Studies, Fontys University of Applied Sciences, Eindhoven, The Netherlands.
BMC Public Health. 2019 Apr 2;19(1):366. doi: 10.1186/s12889-019-6676-6.
Running has become one of the most popular sports and has proven benefits for public health. Policy makers are increasingly aware that attractively designed public spaces may promote running. However, little is known about what makes a running environment attractive and restorative for runners and to what extent this depends on characteristics of the runner. This study aims to investigate 1) to what extent intrapersonal characteristics (i.e. motives and attitudes) and perceived environmental characteristics (e.g. quality of the running surface, greenness of the route, feelings of safety and hinderance by other road users) are associated with the perceived attractiveness and restorative capacity of the running environment and 2) to what extent the number of years of running experience modify these associations.
Cross-sectional data were collected through the online Eindhoven Running Survey 2015 (ERS15) among half marathon runners (N = 2477; response rate 26.6%). Linear regression analyses were performed for two outcomes separately (i.e. perceived attractiveness and perceived restorative capacity of the running environment) to investigate their relations with motives and attitudes, perceived environmental characteristics and interactions between perceived environmental characteristics and number of years of running experience.
Perceived environmental characteristics, including green and lively routes and a comfortable running surface were more important for runners' evaluation of the attractiveness and restorative capacity of the running environment than runners' motives and attitudes. In contrast to experienced runners, perceived hinder from unleashed dogs and pedestrians positively impacted the attractiveness and restorative capacity for less experienced runners.
Perceived environmental characteristics were important determinants of the attractiveness and restorative capacity of the running environment for both novice and experienced runners. However, green and lively elements in the running environment and hinderances by cars were more important for less experienced runners. In order to keep novice runners involved in running it is recommended to design comfortable running tracks and routes and provide good access to attractive, green and lively spaces.
跑步已成为最受欢迎的运动之一，并已证明对公众健康有益。政策制定者越来越意识到，设计吸引人的公共空间可能会促进跑步。然而，对于使跑步环境对跑步者具有吸引力和恢复力的因素以及这在多大程度上取决于跑步者的特征，人们知之甚少。本研究旨在调查：1）个人特征（即动机和态度）以及感知到的环境特征（例如跑步路面质量、路线的绿化程度、安全感以及其他道路使用者造成的阻碍）在多大程度上与跑步环境的感知吸引力和恢复能力相关；2）跑步经验的年限在多大程度上会改变这些关联。
通过2015年埃因霍温跑步在线调查（ERS15）收集了半程马拉松跑者（N = 2477；回复率26.6%）的横断面数据。分别对两个结果（即跑步环境的感知吸引力和感知恢复能力）进行线性回归分析，以研究它们与动机和态度、感知环境特征以及感知环境特征与跑步经验年限之间的相互作用的关系。
对于跑步者对跑步环境的吸引力和恢复能力的评价而言，包括绿色且充满活力的路线以及舒适的跑步路面在内的感知环境特征比跑步者的动机和态度更为重要。与经验丰富的跑步者不同，对于经验较少的跑步者来说，感知到未拴绳的狗和行人造成的阻碍对吸引力和恢复能力有积极影响。
对于新手和经验丰富的跑步者来说，感知环境特征都是跑步环境吸引力和恢复能力的重要决定因素。然而，跑步环境中的绿色且充满活力的元素以及汽车造成的阻碍对经验较少的跑步者更为重要。为了让新手跑步者持续参与跑步，建议设计舒适的跑步跑道和路线，并提供通往有吸引力、绿色且充满活力的空间的良好通道。
