Availability and Quality of Physical Activity Resources Throughout Rural and Urban Communities in Comanche County, Oklahoma

Abstract

Currently, Oklahoma is ranked seventh in the nation for the highest adult obesity rates. It is necessary to investigate physical activity resources in order to improve the built environment and promote a physically active lifestyle among Oklahomans. The overall goal of the project is to inventory and examine the availability and quality of physical activity resources in Comanche County, Oklahoma. Specific objectives include: 1) test the appropriateness of the Physical Activity Resource Assessment instrument (PARA) in assessing physical activity resources, and 2) compare physical activity resources between rural and urban communities in the county. Coalition members and health department staff were trained to use the PARA by the Oklahoma State University team. In addition, two researchers conducted the PARA in outlying rural communities. The PARA instrument was used to examine the number and quality of physical activity resources in the built environment. Feature, amenity, and incivility scores were calculated in the 158 physical activity resources surveyed in the rural and urban communities. Results found that there was a significant difference in the total number of amenities in urban (4.80 +/-2.55) versus rural (6.35 +/-2.67) communities, with rural having more amenities. However, there was no significant difference in PARA scores for features, amenities, and incivilities and total number of features and amenities when comparing rural and urban physical activity resources. In conclusion, the information gained from conducting the PARA aids in understanding the built environment in rural and urban communities.