8. ENVIRONMENTAL INFLUENCES Flashcards
(22 cards)
Environmental Influences:
- Physical Environment
- Built Environment
- Natural Environment
Physical Environment
- all indoor and outdoor surroundings
- designed or natural
Built Environment
- subset of physical environment (outdoor or indoor)
- designed, human-made
- infrastructure (cities, communities, state; street connectivity, parks, housing)
Natural Environment
- mostly untouched by people
- have very few examples of purely ‘natural’ environments for activity
- trails are still human-made
- would put national/state parks, hiking trails, in this category (however, buildings etc within those parks would not)
Environmental Influences:
how Natural Environment correlates to Physical Acitivity
outdoor activity has psychological benefits
- larger reductions in anxiety
- often incorporated into programs for individuals with cancer or chronic diseases at risk for mental health disorders
Environmental Influences:
how Built Environment correlates to Physical Acitivity
positive relationships to physical activity
- park space
- walkable neighborhoods (sidewalks, safety)
- general safety
- greenery/aesthetically pleasing
Indoor facilities
- can facilitate social interactions better & motivation
- some negative relationships to physical activity (which we’ll discuss)
Prevalence of Physical Activity
[review infographics and maps]
Alaska
- 57.1% of youth have access to parks, community centers, sidewalks in neighborhoods
- 41% fo population live within 1/2 mile of a park
- use program called ‘Safe Routes to School’
- > > available other places as well
- > > focus is adding sidewalks, bike paths, reducing speed limits in neighborhoods
- health future challenge
Negative Correlates to Physical Activity
- distance to school or work (more likely if within 3 miles)
- 50% exercisers stop using home equipment within 6 months
- unsafe environments
- indoor facilities:
- —mirrors linked to a decrease in self-efficacay among women and higher levels body image disturbances
- —fitness industry images and judgements about those of larger sizes
Walkability
extent to which a built environment supports and encourages walking and cycling by providing for pedestrian and cyclist comfort and safety, connecting people with varied destinations within a reasonable time and effort, and offering visual interest in journeys thoughout the network
Factors Related to Walking
- attractiveness of the environment
- sidewalks
- connectivity of streets (more possible routes)
- buffers between pathways and roadways
- lighting (night safety)
Older Adult Fitness Class
among older adult women, fitness calss attendance was related to:
- walkability of environment (active travel also related to physical activity in youth)
- seasonal variations
-»_space; number of hours of sunlight = better attendance
-»_space; temperature over 90 and under 20 = lower attendance
Barriers: Physical Limitations
- access to facilities and exercise spaces is important
- Americans with Disabilities Act
- Changes for gyms/facilities in 2010:
- —at least one type of eo feach exercise equipment be accessible
- —space available for wheelchairs to enter/exit
- —accessible pools (chair lifts encouraged but not mandatory)
- —in addition to ADA compliance for general buildings
Barriers: Traumatic Brian Injury;
Environmental/facility
- lack of transportation
- lack of accessible facility
- cost
- feeling that trainers in facility would be unable to help due to specific conditions
Barriers: Traumatic Brain Injury;
Personal
- not enough endurance/stamina
- feeling self-conscious in a fitness center
- lack of time
- boredom with exercise
- pain
- lack of support from friends and family
Disability & Dignity:
Definition of Dignity
- a quality or state of being worthy, honored, esteemed
- individual’s ability to participate in meaningful decision-making and autonomy
Disability & Dignity:
Undignified Selves
dignity is at risk when it is overlooked, unintentionally or intentionally
Disability & Dignity:
Fitness spaces can create undignified selves through three factors that indicate that peopel with disabilities don’t belong:
- physical space
- nature of activities
- attitudes of others in the space
Ableism 101: Language Matters
suffering from disability -> have lived experience of disability or disabled person
wheelchair bound -> wheelchair user
handicapped -> disabled person, person with disability
Fostering Dignity in Fitness Spaces
- interactions with others who share similar life experiences
- feeling as if they aren’t ‘others’
- —normalizing diverse groups of people using the space
- —images, marketing
- marking unsafe physcal spaces spacer
- —bathrooms; if privacy is lacking in an locker room
- —obstacles that threaten independence (poeple or objects in hallways/pathways)
- adding autonomy by creating spaces whewre help ins’t required
Changing Environment
- can change the built environment and address barriers
- can change policy, but requires a great deal of time and money
- ex: bike laws/lanes, trail development, land use and protection
Effectiveness of Environmental Changes
- changing the environment can remove physical barriers
- but is it enough to improve phys activity?
- difficult due to delayed gratification
- often not open to seeing if things will change or get better
—>
so improving enivonrment is an important step
- but not enough on its own
- other factors to consider: everything we’ve discussed this semester
