An observational study of physical activity in parks in Asian and Pacific Islander communities in urban Honolulu, Hawaii, 2009.

INTRODUCTION: Research on park use among Asians and Pacific Islanders is limited. This study examined use and conditions of 6 urban parks, varying in size, location, and neighborhood income level, in predominantly Asian and Pacific Islander communities in Honolulu, Hawaii. Sociodemographic predictors of park use were also identified. METHODS: Observations were conducted from June through October 2009. Raters used the System for Observing Play and Recreation in Communities to count the number of people in predesignated zones and to code their physical activity level as sedentary, moderate, or vigorous. Raters coded park conditions on the basis of accessibility and usability, whether equipment and supervision were provided, and whether organized activities were occurring. Differences associated with sex and age of park users and income level of the neighborhood were examined by using χ² and logistic regression. RESULTS: Raters observed 6,477 park users, most of whom were men. Approximately 60% of users were sedentary, 26% were engaged in moderate activities, and 14% performed vigorous activities. Women and girls were less active than men and boys. More users were present in the evenings, but morning users were more active. Although park users in low-income neighborhoods were more active than users in high-income neighborhoods, fewer people used the low-income parks. Most parks were accessible and usable but few provided equipment and supervision. Organized activities were rarely observed. CONCLUSION: More efforts should be made to promote parks as a physical activity resource in Asian and Pacific Islander communities, particularly for women, girls, and low-income residents. More research should be conducted to identify barriers and facilitators to park use, especially among underrepresented populations.

A picture of the healthful food environment in two diverse urban cities.

BACKGROUND: Local food environments influence fresh produce purchase and consumption, and previous research has found disparities in local food environments by income and ethnicity. Other existing studies have begun to quantify the distribution of food sources, but there has been limited attention to important features or types of healthful food that are available or their quality or cost. Two studies assessed the type, quantity, quality and cost of healthful food from two diverse urban cities, Kansas City, Kansas and Missouri and Honolulu, Hawaii, and evaluated differences by neighborhood income and ethnic composition. METHOD: A total of 343 food stores in urban neighborhoods were assessed using the one-page Understanding Neighborhood Determinants of Obesity (UNDO) Food Stores Assessment (FSA) measuring healthful foods. US Census data were used to define median household income and ethnic minority concentration. RESULTS: In Study 1, most low socioeconomic status (SES), high ethnic minority neighborhoods had primarily convenience, liquor or small grocery stores. Quality of produce was typically lower, and prices of some foods were more than in comparison neighborhoods. In Study 2, low SES neighborhoods had more convenience and grocery stores. Farmers' markets and supermarkets had the best produce availability and quality, and farmers' markets and pharmacies had the lowest prices. CONCLUSIONS: Messages emphasizing eating more fruits and vegetables are not realistic in urban, low SES, high ethnic concentration neighborhoods. Farmers' markets and supermarkets provided the best opportunities for fresh produce. Increasing access to farmers' markets and supermarkets or reducing prices could improve the local food environment.

A survey of policies and local ordinances supporting physical activity in Hawaii counties.

BACKGROUND: Features of the built environment that influence physical activity behavior characterize Active Community Environments. CONTEXT: Whether Active Community Environments policies exist in the state of Hawaii's four counties is unknown. The purpose of this study was to provide a baseline assessment of these policies in Hawaii. METHODS: A survey assessing policies in six domains (i.e., sidewalks, bike lanes, greenways, recreational facilities, commercial buildings, and shared-use paths) was completed by employees of Hawaii planning departments. CONSEQUENCES: Honolulu County had the most policies (n = 13), followed by Maui County (n = 6), Kauai County (n = 2), and Hawaii County (n = 1). Written policies were most prevalent in Honolulu County (n = 15), followed by Kauai County (n = 14), Hawaii County, (n = 4), and Maui County (n = 3). Sidewalk policies were reported for Honolulu County, Maui County (no written policies were found for Maui County), and Kauai County. Bike lane and greenway policies were found for Honolulu County (reported and written) and Kauai County (written). Recreation facility and pedestrian shared-use path policies existed for all counties, although only Honolulu and Kauai counties had written policies for commercial buildings (Maui County reported having policies). Few policies directly addressed physical activity promotion. INTERPRETATION: The most populous county, Honolulu, had the most policies in place, although discrepancies existed between reported and written policies. This baseline measure of physical activity-related policies will help focus efforts of county coalitions to increase opportunities for physical activity. Additional policies should be tracked with population behavior surveillance.

Food security issues for low-income Hawaii residents.

Support provided by the US Food Stamp Program (FSP) is intended to promote health. The objective of this qualitative study was to examine food security for low-income Hawaii residents. A sample of low-income Hawaii residents (n = 86) were recruited to participate in a series of focus group discussions. Most participants were female (73.5%), Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander (61.6%), ages 18-39 (62.7%), high school educated (80.5%), low-income (50.6% < $10,000), used food stamps (73.5%), and had 4.07 +/- 2.89 persons per household. At 2 hour focus groups, participants received a healthy meal and a monetary incentive. Audio recordings were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using NVivo. Over 50% indicated FSP assistance was not enough. When this happened, most participants had alternatives including food banks, churches, friends and family members. Shopping strategies included budgeting, buying in bulk, or smarter shopping practices. Several participants were concerned about high living costs. Food insecurity should be addressed for FSP participants in Hawaii, with many residents not being able to meet nutritional and economic needs on their own.