Equity of access to physical activity facilities in an English city
Objective: To examine associations between household income, access to sports facilities and gyms, and physical activity in an English City. Method: A cross sectional geographical study was conducted in six neighbourhoods in the city of Norwich in August and September 2004. Participants were (n=401) adults who received, completed, and returned questionnaires. Road distances to facilities were calculated using GIS. Results: For all facility types except gyms, mean income was lowest amongst those living furthest away. Compared to those with the lowest incomes, the most affluent participants lived on average just over 0.5km closer to a facility of any type, 1km closer to a sports facility but 900m further from a gym (all p<0.001). In general those living further from facilities reported that they were less active although they did not tend to report a desire to exercise more. Conclusion: People in low income households, who are more likely to adopt low levels of activity, are least well served by affordable facilities that would enable them to become more active. If the British Government is to meet targets for improving levels of physical activity, it may need to consider how market forces might be creating an inequitable distribution of facility provision.
Preventive Medicine, 46, 303-307