Public parks, salient locations for engaging populations in health promoting physical activity, are especially important in high-density cities. We used the System for Observing Physical Activity in Communities (SOPARC) to conduct the first-ever surveillance study of nine public parks in Hong Kong (288 observation sessions during 36 weekdays and 36 weekend days) and observed 28,585 visitors in ...

PURPOSE This study investigated the physical environment and organizational factors that influenced the process of providing care to terminally ill nursing home residents. DESIGN AND METHODS Participant observation, interviews, and event analysis were used to obtain data in two proprietary facilities. RESULTS The physical environment was not conducive to end-of-life care. The rooms were cro...

BACKGROUND Choice of health-care services depends on patients' characteristics and the features of health-care facilities available. In Nepal, a significant proportion of health care is provided through the private sector, despite the introduction of free essential health care for all citizens in 2008. We sought to determine whether people chose private or public facilities in the first instanc...

Background and Purpose: Physical activity may be classified as intense, moderate, and low. Despite their health-related benefits, Iranian women have a low rate of physical activity. Women face numerous obstacles and challenges for participating in physical activity programs, most notably are household chores and taking caring of children, long distance between home and workplace and the other p...

BACKGROUND Few studies have explored associations of individual, social, and environmental factors with physical activity and walking behavior. METHODS A random-digit-dial questionnaire, which included selected individual, social, and environmental variables, was administered to 2025 adults, age 18 y and older, in two adjacent counties in a southeastern state. Logistic regressions were conduc...

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 r...

BACKGROUND The age-related deterioration of physiological capacities such as muscle strength and balance is associated with increased dependence. Understanding the contribution of physical fitness components to functional performance facilitates the development of adequate exercise interventions aiming at preservation of function and independence of older people. The aim of the study was to inv...

OBJECTIVE This study investigates the effect of the introduction of voluntary student unionism and subsequent increase in campus facility fees on engagement in physical activity on campus. PARTICIPANTS Participants were 1,904 students from a large regional NSW (Australia) university across 3 time periods (926 in 2005, 504 in 2006, and 474 in 2007). METHODS Students completed a survey across...