Quantifying the Contribution of Public Parks to Physical Activity and Health

Quantifying the Contribution of Public Parks to Physical Activity and Health: Introducing SOPARC

Deborah A. Cohen
Roland Sturm
Bing Han
Terry Marsh
Copyright Date: 2014
Published by: RAND Corporation
Pages: 26
https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.7249/j.ctt14bs3fd
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  • Book Info
    Quantifying the Contribution of Public Parks to Physical Activity and Health
    Book Description:

    This paper introduces the System for Observing Play and Recreation in Communities (SOPARC), a reliable, valid, and easy-to-use tool for quantifying park use and park-based physical activity. The authors explain what SOPARC is and how it is used, as well as provide background information on the importance of physical activity to health.

    eISBN: 978-0-8330-8949-6
    Subjects: Health Sciences, History

Table of Contents

  1. Front Matter
    (pp. [i]-[ii])
  2. Quantifying the Contribution of Public Parks to Physical Activity and Health: Introducing SOPARC
    (pp. 1-16)

    Because public parks contribute to health and well-being, primarily by serving as an important venue for physical activity, it is in the best interests of park administrators to have a method to measure this contribution. Physical activity is one of the most important routine behaviors that reduces chronic diseases and improves health outcomes for all age groups. Nearly 11 percent of all deaths and a significant proportion of chronic conditions, including heart disease, diabetes, and cancer, among Americans are directly attributable to physical inactivity. While parks offer health benefits beyond physical activity, physical activity can be objectively measured and is...

  3. Appendix A. Economic Valuation Approaches
    (pp. 17-17)
  4. Appendix B. Summary of Studies Relating Physical Activity to Reduced Health Care Costs
    (pp. 18-20)
  5. Bibliography
    (pp. 21-24)