title: Social and Physical Environmental Factors Influencing Adolescents' Physical Activity in Urban Public Open Spaces: A Qualitative Study Using Walk-Along Interviews.
abstract: Most previous studies examining physical activity in Public Open Spaces (POS) focused solely on the physical environment. However, according to socio-ecological models the social environment is important as well. The aim of this study was to determine which social and physical environmental factors affect adolescents' visitation and physical activity in POS in low-income neighbourhoods. Since current knowledge on this topic is limited, especially in Europe, qualitative walk-along interviews were used to obtain detailed and context-specific information. Participants (n = 30, aged 12-16 years, 64% boys) were recruited in POS in low-income neighbourhoods in Brussels, Ghent and Antwerp (Belgium). Participants were interviewed while walking in the POS with the interviewer. Using this method, the interviewer could observe and ask questions while the participant was actually experiencing the environment. All audio-recorded interviews were transcribed and analysed using Nvivo 10 software and thematic analysis was used to derive categories and subcategories using a grounded theory approach. The most important subcategories that were supportive of visiting POS and performing physical activity in POS were; accessibility by foot/bicycle/public transport, located close to home/school, presence of (active) friends and family, cleanliness of the POS and features, availability of sport and play facilities, large open spaces and beautiful sceneries. The most important subcategories that were unsupportive of visiting POS and physical activity in POS were; presence of undesirable users (drug users, gangs and homeless people), the behaviour of other users and the cleanliness of the POS and features. Social factors appeared often more influential than physical factors, however, it was the combination of social and physical factors that affected adolescents' behaviour in POS. Easily accessible POS with high quality features in the proximity of adolescents' home or school may stimulate physical activity, if adolescents also experience a safe and familiar social environment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.|Physical activity, nutrition and health research unit, Department of Movement and Sport Sciences, Faculty of Physical Education and Physical Therapy, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: Linde
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Van Hecke
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.|Physical activity, nutrition and health research unit, Department of Movement and Sport Sciences, Faculty of Physical Education and Physical Therapy, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: Benedicte
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Deforche
authors.affiliation: Fund for Scientific Research Flanders (FWO), Brussels, Belgium.|Department of Movement and Sports Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Delfien
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Van Dyck
authors.affiliation: Department of Movement and Sports Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Ilse
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: De Bourdeaudhuij
authors.affiliation: Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition (IPAN), Deakin University, Geelong, Australia.
authors.forename: Jenny
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Veitch
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.|Fund for Scientific Research Flanders (FWO), Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: Jelle
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Van Cauwenberg
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D001530:Belgium; D004779:Environment Design; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011633:Public Facilities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014506:Urban Renewal; D016138:Walking / Q000706:statistics & numerical data