@article{ref1,
title="An analysis of the suitability of public spaces to physical activity practice in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil",
journal="Preventive medicine",
year="2013",
author="Vieira, Marcelo Carvalho and Sperandei, Sandro and Reis, Arianne and da Silva, Cláudia Gonçalves Thaumaturgo",
volume="57",
number="3",
pages="198-200",
abstract="OBJECTIVES: To assess the physical characteristics of public spaces designed for sport/physical activity/leisure in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and their relationship to the socioeconomic indicators. METHODS: Public spaces (n=38) spread across the city were evaluated between December 2011 and January 2012 using the Physical Activity Resource Assessment (PARA) instrument. Based on PARA results, a Quality Indicator (QI) was prepared and the sample grouped into &quot;High QI&quot; and &quot;Low QI&quot; using a k-means clustering algorithm. The association between QI and the local Social Development Index (SDI) was tested using a Chi-square test. RESULTS: The average QI was 13.6±4.91 and the median was equal to 13 points. The High QI group, composed of sites with a QI above median, reached 17.9±2.35 points, while the Low QI group reached 9.3±2.16 points. Pearson's Chi-square tests identified a significant association between QI and SDI when the value of SDI 0.7 was used as a criterion for separation (χ(2)=17.84, p <0.001). In neighborhoods with lower levels of SDI, public spaces usually had a lower QI. CONCLUSIONS: Policies to encourage physical activity need to focus attention on the built environment also, particularly in socially vulnerable areas.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="0091-7435",
doi="10.1016/j.ypmed.2013.05.023",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ypmed.2013.05.023"
}