Investigating the barriers preventing adolescents from physical activities in urban green spaces

Globally physical inactivity is one of the significant public health issues. Low and/or insufficient participation in physical activity (PA) of adolescents during leisure time and increase sedentary behavior among them is worrisome. This paper investigates (i) associations between barriers (i.e., UGS-based and internal/social) and adolescents' PA in urban green spaces (UGSs), (ii) mediating effects of Body Mass Index (BMI) and screen time on associations between adolescents' PA and UGSs distance, and (iii) sex (boys and girls) and age (13-15, 16-17, and 18-19 years old) differences among these relationships. Data (n = 384) were collected though surveys in 2018 in Aydin, Turkey. Multivariate regression, mediation, and stratified analyses were conducted to examine associations controlling for confounding factors. Findings revealed that distance to UGSs, lack of greenness, and parents' restriction due to safety concerns were negatively associated with frequency of PA, whereas unattractive UGSs, playgrounds design for younger children, and preference and popularity of online communication with peers were negatively correlated with duration of PA. The relationship between UGSs distance and adolescents' frequency of PA was mediated by screen time. Stratified analyses revealed that lack of greenness was found to be the most significant barrier for all groups. While boys were concerned about characteristic features and design of UGSs, girls were concerned about accessibility and safety. Younger adolescents were concerned about safety related issues while older adolescents were concerned about quality, time pressure, and peers related issues. Findings of this study suggest that if barriers are properly eliminated, it is likely that adolescents will be more physically active.