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Exploring park director roles in promoting community physical activity.
Terry Marsh1, Kathryn Pitkin Derose, Deborah A Cohen
1RAND Corporation, Health Program, Santa Monica, CA, USA.
Journal of Physical Activity & Health
|June 27, 2012
Summary
Park staff play a crucial role in promoting physical activity (PA). Training in marketing and program operations, along with stronger partnerships, can enhance parks
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Urban Planning
- Recreation Management
Background:
- Parks offer significant potential for promoting physical activity (PA).
- Limited research has explored the influence of park staff on PA levels.
- Existing studies primarily focus on the physical attributes of parks.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate park directors' perceptions of their roles in promoting PA.
- To understand how park programs, marketing, and collaborations influence PA.
- To identify barriers and facilitators to PA promotion within park settings.
Main Methods:
- Conducted semistructured interviews with 49 park directors.
- Assessed directors' views on their roles, programs, marketing, and collaborations.
- Collected demographic, educational, and training data via questionnaires.
Main Results:
- Park directors' roles ranged from administrative to community-focused.
- Most directors offered programs and community interaction, with PA integration being common.
- Barriers included inadequate marketing training and superficial collaborations; administrative burden was high.
Conclusions:
- Enhanced staff training in marketing and PA program management is essential.
- Strategic partnerships with health organizations can amplify PA promotion efforts.
- Standardized evaluation benchmarks are needed to optimize park usage and PA promotion.
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