Why This Matters
Obesity and sedentary lifestyles continue to lead public health concerns in the US. Only about a quarter of the US population engages in the recommended amount of physical activity daily, and nearly a quarter of the population is inactive (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2005).
Obesity and physical inactivity are the 3rd and 4th leading causes of preventable deaths in the U.S. (Danaei et al., 2009).
Most Americans are not active in their leisure time and this varies by ethnicity (Barnes, P. Physical activity amoung adults, United States, 2000-2005).
Who We Are
IPARC is comprised of faculty and graduate students dedicated to the study of active recreation in communities and is a response to limited scientific understanding about how parks and recreation contributes to physical activity and health. IPARC members’ areas of expertise include: trails, greenway, and park planning, GIS and spatial analysis, gender and ethnic diversity, child and youth development, youth sport and senior games, outdoor and adventure education, and social marketing.
We aim to:
- facilitate collaborative research.
- attract interdisciplinary partners.
- engage and assist practitioners through outreach.
- provide research training for graduate students.