Examination of Public Parks for Physical Activity Participation by Their Location, Size and Facilities

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine park users’ Physical Activity (PA) participation in three different public parks with identical differences in location, size, and facilities in Ankara, Turkey. System for Observing Play and Recreation in Communities – SOPARC (McKenzie et al., 2006) was used for data collection. The results indicated significant differences in the use of parks for PA (p<0.05). The most frequently used park for PA participation was in a centralized location with a larger park and activity areas. Park users for PA were mainly adults (67.5%). The most preferred activity was walking (80.6%). People used the parks for PA more on Tuesday (18.1%) and in the evening (41.3%) time period. These findings indicated that location, size, and facilities in a park are important for PA participation. Municipalities should organize the parks according to the parks users’ preferences and needs.