too young to drive.'

To examine the relationship between parks and physical activity, the researchers used baseline data from the Trial of Activity for Adolescent Girls. The trial is a national research study led by the UNC School of Public Health focusing on middle school girls.

The study team tracked 1,556 girls in the sixth grade in six cities and counted the average number of public parks within a half-mile radius of the homes of girls in the cities. The girls were fitted with accelerometers-devices that measure physical activity-and were monitored for six days.

The study sites include Minneapolis, Minn. (2.2 parks within a half-mile radius of participants); Baltimore, Md. and Washington, D.C. (1.8 parks); San Diego, Calif. (1.2 parks); New Orleans, La. (0.9 parks); Columbia, S.C. (0.7 parks); and Tucson, Ariz. (0.34 parks).

The researchers found that parks with active amenities such as basketball courts, playgrounds and walking paths were associated with more physical activity than parks with passive amenities, such as picnic areas and lawn games.

The study suggests that communities should make parks a higher priority, particularly ones with amenities like running tracks or walking paths, Catellier said. Previous studies have shown that girls become less physically active once they reach adolescence, and that girls are generally less physically active than boys, she said.

Source-Newswise
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