Physical activity report tabled
The results of a phone survey conducted in the Municipality of Barrington and Town of Clark’s Harbour for the provincial Municipal Physical Activity Leadership (MPAL) program that will lay the groundwork for future recreational and physical activity planning was presented to Barrington Municipal Council on March 12 at its committee of the whole meeting.
The survey, which included 114 phone interviews conducted between Nov. 1 and Dec. 8, 2017, and the subsequent report, was prepared by Paul DesBarres, Nova Insight Inc. In his presentation DesBarres told councillors similar surveys have been carried out in more than 40 communities across the province.
The three main objectives of the report are:
• to further the development, implementation and continued evaluation of physical activity strategies in municipalities and Indigenous communities across Nova Scotia;
• to provide local data to inform strategies on physical activity and the extent to which these align with physical opportunities in the area;
• and to inform communities’ sport and recreation policy and decision making.
What the survey found, said DesBarres, is that walking and household tasks top the list of the most common physical activities by a wide margin across the community.
“The greatest proportion of citizens wish they could walk more frequently,” he said. “This is followed by swimming.”
Topping the list of infrastructure barriers is the condition of bicycle lanes and spaces at the side of the road. Identified secondly as a barrier was the condition, size, and availability of roadside spaces for walking.
As for challenges, Desbarres said nearly half of the respondents said they have difficulty incorporating physical activity into their daily routine and nearly as many say programs in their community do not work for their schedule. For two-in-five people there is a sense of insecurity in riding a bicycle in the community, the report says.
DesBarres said respondents were given the chance to provide advice for increasing physical activity. The highest proportion of comments recommended facilities, including an indoor swimming pool, an indoor walking area and multi-purpose recreation centre. Sidewalks and improved road shoulders and more family-friendly activities, exercise classes for seniors and walking groups also topped the feedback.
“With walking the most popular activity for future participation in general as well as for active transportation, there is a significant opportunity to increase activity in the community by prioritizing support for walking,” report says.
“Swimming is also mentioned as a wish list item for increased participation but to a far lesser degree than walking. Infrastructure for walking and cycling is a clear need based on identified physical activity challenges in general and active transportation facilitators,” the report states. “Interventions to support social connections are important. They address significant barriers and garner significant interest among programming concepts.”
Time (availability of residents, scheduling of programs) is an important barrier to consider in planning interventions, the report says.
“There may be a role for health-care providers in supporting participation in physical activity, given the proportion who perceive their current health status as a challenge,” the report reads. “More community members may be engaged by improving accessibility of community-based physical activity opportunities by offering family-friendly, non-competitive, and flexible activities that incorporate social interactions.”
In an interview after the presentation, Warden Eddie Nickerson said staff will be taking an in-depth look at the report, which will likely be followed by further community engagement and ultimately implementation of some of the suggestions.