Grant: Travel Awards - Institute Community Support

We aimed to determine whether access to parks and greenspace influences physical activity of residents in Southern Ontario, and whether these patterns vary by age group and neighbourhood walkability. We conducted a cross-sectional analysis using data from four consecutive cycles of the Canadian Community Health Survey from 2007 and 2008 to 2013 and 2014, including participants aged 20-74 in Southern Ontario. We used geographic information system tools to create neighbourhood level park exposures based on size of parks (small or medium-0.5-4.9 hectares, large- greater than 5 hectares) and number of parks within 800m of participants' postal code of residence. Our cohort was comprised of 41,945 individuals, with both age groups being equally represented. Overall access to parks was also associated with greater levels of physical activity; however, effects were greatest among younger adults. In this age group, living closer to large-sized parks was strongly associated with physical activity, respectively. Similar associations were seen in those over age 50. Access to small or medium sized parks demonstrated lesser associations overall with physical activity, except in highly walkable areas. For instance, residents in highly walkable areas had substantially higher levels of physical activity than those in areas of low walkability, particularly in the presence of greater than 1 small or medium park.