Adolescents’ physical activity : competition between perceived neighborhood sport facilities and home media resources

Objective. To examine the independent, competing, and interactive effects of perceived availability of specific types of media in the home and neighborhood sport facilities on adolescents’ leisure-time physical activity (PA).

Methods. Survey data from 34 369 students in 42 Hong Kong secondary schools were collected (2006–07). Respondents reported moderate-to-vigorous leisure-time PA, presence of sport facilities in the neighborhood and of media equipment in the home. Being sufficiently physically active was defined as engaging in at least 30 minutes of non-school leisure-time PA on a daily basis. Logistic regression and post-estimation linear combinations of regression coefficients were used to examine the independent and competing effects of sport facilities and media equipment on leisure-time PA.

Results. Perceived availability of sport facilities was positively (ORboys = 1.17; ORgirls = 1.26), and that of computer/Internet negatively (ORboys = 0.48; ORgirls = 0.41), associated with being sufficiently active. A significant positive association between video game console and being sufficiently active was found in girls (ORgirls = 1.19) but not in boys. Compared with adolescents without sport facilities and media equipment, those who reported sport facilities only were more likely to be physically active (ORboys = 1.26; ORgirls = 1.34), while those who additionally reported computer/Internet were less likely to be physically active (ORboys = 0.60; ORgirls = 0.54).

Conclusions. Perceived availability of sport facilities in the neighborhood may positively impact on adolescents’ level of physical activity. However, having computer/Internet may cancel out the effects of active opportunities in the neighborhood. This suggests that physical activity programs for adolescents need to consider limiting the access to computer-mediated communication as an important intervention component.

Constraints to park visitation: a meta-analysis of North American studies

The constraints that curb visitation to parks have received considerable research attention and remain an important issue. Constraints to outdoor leisure in parks include structural barriers, such as cost of entry, interpersonal barriers, for example, lack of a partner to visit with, or intrapersonal barriers, including lack of interest. Using a meta-analysis approach, this article integrates the findings of 22 North American studies with 541 estimates, conducted over a 30-year period, to determine the key constraints to park visitation based on various socio-demographic factors. The findings highlight the varying roles that constraints play in limiting the visitation of people according to race, age, gender, education and income. Gaps in the literature are identified, with implications for encouraging visitation for more constrained groups discussed. An agenda for future research is presented.

Staff-focused interventions to increase referrals for depression in aged care facilities: a cluster randomized controlled trial

Objective: 

Providing continence care in residential aged care facilities: a grounded theory study

This thesis resulted in a grounded theory that described and explained how Australian residential aged care residents’ continence care needs were determined, delivered, and communicated. The researcher identified a basic social problem that influenced overall care, and a basic social process staff used to deal with the problem.

Evaluation of building performance for strategic facilities management in healthcare : a case study of a public hospital in Australia

Purpose - This paper evaluates the main elements of building performance namely building function, building impact and building quality in order to promote strategic facilities management in healthcare organisation to improve core (health) business activities. Design/methodology/approach - Based on current available toolkits, a questionnaire is issued to healthcare users (staff) in a public hospital about their level of agreement in relation to these elements. Statistical analysis is conducted to regroup the elements. These regrouped elements and their inter relationships are used to develop a framework for measuring building performance in healthcare buildings. Findings - The analysis helped to clarify the understanding and agreement of users in Australian healthcare organisation with regards to building performance. Based on the survey results, 11 new elements were regrouped into three groups. These new regrouped elements will be used to develop a reliable framework for measuring performance of Australian healthcare buildings. Originality/value - Currently there is no building performance toolkit available for Australian healthcare organisation. The framework developed in this paper will help healthcare organisations with a reliable performance tool for their buildings and this will promote strategic facilities management.

Is park visitation associated with leisure-time and transportation physical activity?

Objective
The aim of this study was to examine whether frequency of park visitation was associated with time spent in various domains of physical activity among adults living in a disadvantaged neighbourhood of Victoria, Australia.

Methods
In 2009, participants (n = 319) self-reported park visitation and physical activity including: walking and cycling for transport, leisure-time walking, leisure-time moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activity, and total physical activity.

Results
The mean number of park visits per week was 3.3 (SD = 3.8). Park visitation was associated with greater odds of engaging in high (as compared to low) amounts of transportation physical activity, leisure-time walking, leisure-time moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activity (MVPA) and total physical activity. Each additional park visit per week was associated with 23% greater odds of being in the high category for transportation physical activity, 26% greater odds of engaging in high amounts of leisure-time walking, 11% greater odds of engaging in MVPA, and 40% greater odds of high total physical activity.

Conclusions
Acknowledging the cross-sectional study design, the findings suggest that park visitation may be an important predictor and/or destination for transportation and leisure-time walking and physical activity. Findings highlight the potentially important role of parks for physical activity.

Referrals to hospital emergency departments from residential aged care facilities: stuck in a time warp

This research aimed to describe the number and type of residents admitted to emergency departments (EDs) over 2 years; and to explore nurses' perceptions of the reasons why residential aged care facility (RACF) residents are referred to EDs. The research objective was addressed in a retrospective exploratory study using data on admissions to EDs from RACFs (N = 3,094) at the participating organisation over a 2-year period, and interview data on seven RACF and four ED nurses' perceptions of the issues involved. Most residents presenting at EDs required urgent medical attention. Major themes identified by RACF and ED nurses included issues related to staff competency, availability of general practitioners, lack of equipment in RACFs, residents and family members requesting referrals, communication difficulties, and poor attitudes towards RACF staff. There is a need to use strategies to detect residents whose conditions are deteriorating and treat them promptly in RACFs.

Access to Health-Promoting Facilities and Amenities

This chapter provides a brief overview of the existing literature on the importance of the built environment to obesity and examines how local facilities, such as physical activity amenities, are distributed across different sorts of neighbourhoods. The issue of access to these facilities using different forms of transport (walking, cycling, bus or car) is explored using data from a Scotland wide study.

Distribution of physical activity facilities in Scotland by small area measures of deprivation and urbanicity

Background The aim of this study was to examine the distribution of physical activity facilities by area-level deprivation in Scotland, adjusting for differences in urbanicity, and exploring differences between and within the four largest Scottish cities. Methods We obtained a list of all recreational physical activity facilities in Scotland. These were mapped and assigned to datazones. Poisson and negative binomial regression models were used to investigate associations between the number of physical activity facilities relative to population size and quintile of area-level deprivation. Results The results showed that prior to adjustment for urbanicity, the density of all facilities lessened with increasing deprivation from quintiles 2 to 5. After adjustment for urbanicity and local authority, the effect of deprivation remained significant but the pattern altered, with datazones in quintile 3 having the highest estimated mean density of facilities. Within-city associations were identified between the number of physical activity facilities and area-level deprivation in Aberdeen and Dundee, but not in Edinburgh or Glasgow. Conclusions In conclusion, area-level deprivation appears to have a significant association with the density of physical activity facilities and although overall no clear pattern was observed, affluent areas had fewer publicly owned facilities than more deprived areas but a greater number of privately owned facilities.

Sociospatial distribution of access to facilities for moderate and vigorous intensity physical activity in Scotland by different modes of transport

Background People living in neighbourhoods of lower socioeconomic status have been shown to have higher rates of obesity and a lower likelihood of meeting physical activity recommendations than their more affluent counterparts. This study examines the sociospatial distribution of access to facilities for moderate or vigorous intensity physical activity in Scotland and whether such access differs by the mode of transport available and by Urban Rural Classification. Methods A database of all fixed physical activity facilities was obtained from the national agency for sport in Scotland. Facilities were categorised into light, moderate and vigorous intensity activity groupings before being mapped. Transport networks were created to assess the number of each type of facility accessible from the population weighted centroid of each small area in Scotland on foot, by bicycle, by car and by bus. Multilevel modelling was used to investigate the distribution of the number of accessible facilities by small area deprivation within urban, small town and rural areas separately, adjusting for population size and local authority. Results Prior to adjustment for Urban Rural Classification and local authority, the median number of accessible facilities for moderate or vigorous intensity activity increased with increasing deprivation from the most affluent or second most affluent quintile to the most deprived for all modes of transport. However, after adjustment, the modelling results suggest that those in more affluent areas have significantly higher access to moderate and vigorous intensity facilities by car than those living in more deprived areas. Conclusions The sociospatial distributions of access to facilities for both moderate intensity and vigorous intensity physical activity were similar. However, the results suggest that those living in the most affluent neighbourhoods have poorer access to facilities of either type that can be reached on foot, by bicycle or by bus than those living in less affluent areas. This poorer access from the most affluent areas appears to be reversed for those with access to a car.

Genome sequence of the acid-tolerant Burkholderia sp. strain WSM2230 from Karijini National Park, Australia

Burkholderiasp. strain WSM2230is an aerobic, motile, Gram-negative,non-spore-forming acid-tolerant rod trapped from acidic soil collected in 2001from Karijini National Park, Western Australia, using Kennedia coccinea (Coral Vine) as a host. WSM2230 was effectivein nitrogen-fixation with K. coccinea, but subsequently lost symbioticcompetence after long-term storage. Here we describe the features of Burkholderia sp. strain WSM2230, togetherwith genome sequence information and its annotation. The 6,309,801 bp high-quality-draftgenome is arranged into 33 scaffolds of 33 contigs containing 5,585 protein-codinggenes and 63 RNA-only encoding genes, and is one of 100 rhizobial genomessequenced as part of the DOE Joint Genome Institute 2010 Genomic Encyclopediafor Bacteria and Archaea-Root Nodule Bacteria (GEBA-RNB) project.