Mudança de comportamento e espaços de lazer para a prática de atividade física

Abstract

Introduction: Although numerous evidences indicate health benefits from regular physical activity (PA), the proportion of world population that reaches the recommendations for this behavior is low. Thus, strategies that can contribute to change this scenario must be thought. One of the alternatives that has been studied is the use of parks and squares as facilitators of active behavior promotion. Objective: To investigate whether the construction of a public square for leisure can contribute to increase regular practice of PA of adults living near the surroundings. Methods: The study was carried out with 395 adults of both sexes, residing nearby the place where the Sports and Culture Square (SCS) was built, who were interviewed in two different periods: (i) In 2014, when the SCS was still under construction, was verified the intention to use the square and in 2019, when the SCS was already being used by population for more than three years. Sociodemographic information about the behavior change stage (BCS), about the current physical activity level (PAL) and about the use of the square to practice PA were collected. Conducting fieldwork took place in stages: identification, location and contact with participants (395 residents); and data collection (questionnaires). Results: Incidence of 7,6% in PA level of the population surrounding the square, comparing the collections of 2014 and 2019, linear association between income and PAL and between income and the use of SCS. It is concluded that parks and squares are facilitators for PA practice leisure and that socioeconomic factors are associated to the use of SCS and to the PAL of surrounding population. Joint actions with public authorities must be planned in order to provide alternatives to increase the PAL of population.