Walkability and Fitness Center Prices, Opening Hours, and Extra Services: The Case of Madrid, Spain.

Walkability has been associated with urban development and political plans, contributing to more connected cities with improvements in communication, shopping, and pedestrian base. Among these services, fitness centers are becoming important elements for communities due to their impact on the health and welfare of citizens. The present study aims to examine how an area's Walk Score® affects fitness center services, specifically membership costs, opening hours, and aquatic services. Data from 193 fitness centers were retrieved, representing all the areas of the municipality of Madrid, Spain, including fitness centers in the 21 city districts. A nonlinear relationship between an area's Walk Score® and fitness centers' monthly fees is observed. Only in premium fitness centers, a weak curvilinear model is observed, following a quadratic equation, showing that fitness centers with higher prices are in less walkable areas. Additionally, the association between Walk Score® and a fitness center's opening hours reveals that fitness centers with wider hours of operation tend to be in moderately to highly walkable locations. Lastly, the existence of a swimming pool is related to a lower Walk Score®. Thus, fitness centers in less walkable areas try to offer additional services as differentiation from competitors, whereas centers in walkable locations use this advantage as a strength.

[Recent trends and challenges for older adults at community sport clubs in Japan: Analysis of FY 2016 Survey Results on Comprehensive Community Sports Clubs].

Objectives　Comprehensive community sports clubs (CCSCs), of which more than 3,500 exist in Japan, have the potential to contribute to healthy aging in older adults, but their effect on this population has not, thus far, been well explored. This study aimed to investigate the current environment affecting seniors at Japanese CCSCs and to examine issues identified by the analysis.Methods　Data were collected from the FY 2016 Survey Results on Comprehensive Community Sports Clubs, conducted by the Japan Sports Agency. A total of 2,444 clubs were divided equally into four groups after calculating the proportion of senior members (ages 60 and over) per total number of members in each club. The groups were then ranked from lowest to highest according to proportion of senior members: Groups A, B, C and D. Additionally, the 2,444 clubs were classified into six regions according to location. Group designation (A to D) and regional classification were used as independent variables. The dependent variables were categorized as follows: basic information (e.g. total number of members), crisis management and accident prevention measures (13 specific items in total), and each club's compliance with legal obligations.Results　Study results revealed that Group D, containing the highest proportion of senior members, had fewer total members, lower monthly membership fees, lower annual club income, less annual club budget apportioned to each member, and fewer instructors than other groups. Regarding crisis management and accident prevention measures, Group D had lower completion rates on 6 items (health certificate submissions, liability insurance enrollment, safety workshop implementation, heatstroke prevention, liaison with healthcare professionals, and AED availability). Group D also showed a lower rate of compliance with legal obligations than other groups. In comparisons between the six regions, the median proportion of senior members was found to be highest in Chugoku-Shikoku and lowest in Chubu, although each median ranged from only 20% to 30%. Regarding crisis management and accident prevention measures, clubs in Kanto region had the highest completion rates for 10 items, whereas clubs in Kinki region had the lowest completion rates for 8 items.Conclusion　The CCSCs with higher proportions of senior members had smaller budgets, fewer members and staff, and delayed implementation of crisis management and accident prevention measures. Regional disparities were also observed both in club scale and management of medical and safety issues. Although our study identified several shortcomings in this area, medical and safety management implementation is an important consideration for CCSCs with high proportions of senior members, as these members are at higher risk for disease and frailty. Affected CCSCs and relevant authorities should therefore acknowledge and address this issue cooperatively.

Evaluation of Indoor Tanning Facilities in American Fitness Centers.

BACKGROUND: Indoor tanning (IT) in fitness facilities encourages a misleading positive relationship between tanning and health. While IT in Canadian fitness facilities has been studied, American literature regarding this topic is lacking. OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study is to evaluate availability, cost, reported risks, and adherence to legislation of IT in American fitness clubs. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study utilizing a telephone questionnaire to survey gyms across all 50 states. The key term "fitness club" was searched in the Yellow Pages and 20 facilities from each state were randomly included into the study. Data were described descriptively and Pearson χ2 tests were used to compare IT prevalence and rates of noncompliance between population groups. Regression analysis examined potential relationship between cost and prevalence of IT. RESULTS: Of the 1000 fitness clubs surveyed, 44.4% (444/1000) offered IT. The overall noncompliance rates for age, rest time, and eye protection were 13.8% (54/390), 26.0% (20/77), and 27.8% (85/225), respectively. The most common risk reported was skin cancer (61.6%), but many facilities were unsure of risks (27.0%) and some described no risk associated with IT (3.2%). The average cost for monthly unlimited tanning was 33 ± 13.96 USD. A state-to-state comparison showed a statistically significant inverse relationship between mean cost and prevalence of IT (P = .013, [r]= -0.35). CONCLUSION: The prevalence and noncompliance rates of IT in fitness clubs contradict the healthy lifestyles they are working to promote. To limit harms, legislations should be standardized and more strictly enforced. Additionally, public education on IT risks and the use of higher costs may help minimize IT use.

Leisure centre entrance charges and physical activity participation in England.

Reducing or eliminating the cost to the public of using leisure facilities is one tool that local authorities have available to reduce inequalities in physical activity (PA). There is limited evidence about the effect of leisure entrance charges and their impact on participation. This study aimed to ascertain how facility pricing influenced the decisions people made about how to pay and what to pay for and how, in turn, these decisions impacted on participation for different groups. A total of 83 members of the public living in 4 local authorities in the North West of England were involved in focus groups or individual interviews. The results show that cost was a key factor which influenced PA participation in low income neighbourhoods. In practise, however, the majority of service users navigated the range of prices or payment options to find one that was suitable rather than simply reporting whether leisure was affordable or not. Whilst pre-paid options (e.g. direct debit memberships) encouraged participation, entrance charges incurred each time an individual participated had a negative impact on frequency but were a convenient way of paying for occasional use or for people who were unable to afford a pre-paid option. Free access also helped people who could not afford pre-paid membership to exercise regularly as well as incentivizing non-users to try activities. The research concluded that policies that include components of free access and offer more flexible payment options are most likely to contribute to reducing inequalities in PA.

Household chores as the main source of physical activity: Perspectives of pregnant Pakistani women.

OBJECTIVE: To understand the level of physical activity in pregnant women and to identify perceived facilitators and barriers faced by them. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted from January to June 2016 at Aga Khan Maternity and Child Care Centre, Hyderabad, Pakistan, and comprised pregnant women attending the antenatal clinics. They were administered the pregnancy physical activity questionnaire while additional questions were asked to assess perceived barriers and facilitators in pregnancy. SPSS 19 was used for data analysis. RESULTS: Of the 455 subjects, 179(36%) were physically active. Their median metabolic equivalent of task hours per week was 14.65 (interquartile range=0-105.8). The overall mean age of subjects was 26±4.47 years, while the mean gestational age was 24±10 weeks. Household activity had a strong positive correlation with total activity (p<0.05). Reported barriers included lack of energy and lack of information regarding benefits of physical activity, and facilitators included support from family and affordable facilities in the area of residence. CONCLUSIONS: Majority of the pregnant women failed to meet the daily recommendations for physical activity..

Linking patients with community resources: use of a free YMCA membership among low-income black women.

Given the increasing interest in expanding obesity prevention efforts to cover community-based programs, we examined whether individuals would access a YMCA for physical activity promotion. We provided a no-cost 12-month YMCA membership to socioeconomically disadvantaged black women who were randomized to the intervention arm of a weight gain prevention trial (n = 91). Analyses examined associations of membership activation and use with baseline psychosocial, contextual, health-related, and sociodemographic factors. Many participants (70.3 %) activated their memberships; however, use was low (42.2 % had no subsequent visits, 46.9 % had one to ten visits). There were no predictors of membership activation, but individuals living below/borderline the federal poverty line were more likely to use the center (1+ visits), as were those who met physical activity guidelines at baseline. More comprehensive and intensive interventions may be necessary to promote use of community resources-even when provided free-among high-risk populations of women with obesity that live in rural areas of the USA.

Variations in area-level disadvantage of Australian registered fitness trainers usual training locations.

BACKGROUND: Leisure-time physical activity and strength training participation levels are low and socioeconomically distributed. Fitness trainers (e.g. gym/group instructors) may have a role in increasing these participation levels. However, it is not known whether the training location and characteristics of Australian fitness trainers vary between areas that differ in socioeconomic status. METHODS: In 2014, a sample of 1,189 Australian trainers completed an online survey with questions about personal and fitness industry-related characteristics (e.g. qualifications, setting, and experience) and postcode of their usual training location. The Australian Bureau of Statistics 'Index of Relative Socioeconomic Disadvantage' (IRSD) was matched to training location and used to assess where fitness professionals trained and whether their experience, qualification level and delivery methods differed by area-level disadvantage. Linear regression analysis was used to examine the relationship between IRSD score and selected characteristics adjusting for covariates (e.g. sex, age). RESULTS: Overall, 47 % of respondents worked in areas within the three least-disadvantaged deciles. In contrast, only 14.8 % worked in the three most-disadvantaged deciles. In adjusted regression models, fitness industry qualification was positively associated with a higher IRSD score (i.e. working in the least-disadvantaged areas) (Cert III: ref; Cert IV ß:13.44 [95 % CI 3.86-23.02]; Diploma ß:15.77 [95 % CI: 2.17-29.37]; Undergraduate ß:23.14 [95 % CI: 9.41-36.86]). CONCLUSIONS: Fewer Australian fitness trainers work in areas with high levels of socioeconomic disadvantaged areas than in areas with low levels of disadvantage. A higher level of fitness industry qualifications was associated with working in areas with lower levels of disadvantage. Future research should explore the effectiveness of providing incentives that encourage more fitness trainers and those with higher qualifications to work in more socioeconomically disadvantaged areas.

Impacto del comportamiento de los ex-clientes de centros deportivos por tipo de cuota / Impact of the behaviour of the ex customers of sport centres by type of fee

El objetivo del estudio es analizar los motivos de baja de clientes de centros deportivos así como sus actuaciones futuras, diferenciando por tipo de centro en función de su cuota. Se administró una encuesta ad hoc a 7.863 exclientes de centros deportivos. Se realizó un análisis descriptivo y con tablas de contingencias. La falta de tiempo y la calidad/precio son los principales motivos de baja, encontrando diferencias por tipo de centro. Por último, la segunda opción más elegida a la hora de abandonar un centro es el abandono de la práctica deportiva

The aim of this study was to analyze the reasons for dropping out in sport centers’ customers as well as the future actions, depending on the sort of center’s fee. An ad hoc survey of 7,863 ex-customers from sport centers was carried out. A descriptive and contingency tables analysis was developed. Lack of time and quality / price are the main reasons for dropping out; finding differences according to the type of center. Finally, the second option more chosen for leaving a center was stop doing sport

The relationship among service experience, perceived value and behavioural intentions of customers in a group fitness class / La relación entre la experiencia de servicio, el valor percibido y las intenciones de comportamiento en clientes de actividades dirigidas

Understanding the importance of the customer perception during the experience in the fitness centre is fundamental to comprehend behavioural intentions for fitness centre managers. This study attempts to understand how important and necessary is consumer’s assessment of service experience, perceived value, and behavioural intention, and the relationships among theses variables into group fitness class (GFC), and Virtual fitness class (VFC). Data was collected from 1.943 customers. The confirmatory factor analysis indicated an adequate goodness-of-fit-indexes for the model obtained. Structural equation modeling analysis revealed the positive and significant effect of service experience on customers’ perceived value and behavioural intention, but results show that perceived value has poor fit on behavioural intentions. The overall customer’s perception of GFC and VFC can be a focus for fitness centre’s managers aiming to improve fitness service supply related to new technologies in the fitness industry to increase intentions to repurchase

Comprender la percepción del consumidor durante su experiencia dentro de un centro de fitness resulta fundamental para que los gerentes puedan entender las intenciones de comportamiento futuras de sus abonados. Este estudio pretende esclarecer la importancia y la necesaria evaluación de la experiencia de servicio, el valor percibido y la intenciones de comportamiento, así como la relación entre dichas variables dentro de las actividades dirigidas con técnico y las actividades dirigidas virtuales, utilizando para ello una muestra de 1.943 usuarios. El análisis factorial confirmatorio indica un adecuado ajuste para el modelo de medida propuesto. Por otro lado, el análisis de ecuaciones estructurales utilizado revela una relación positiva y significativa de las experiencias de servicio hacia el valor percibido y las intenciones de comportamiento respectivamente. Sin embargo, el modelo muestra un pobre ajuste entre el valor percibido y las intenciones de comportamiento. La percepción global del consumidor en ambas actividades puede resultar un elemento de estudio para los gerentes con el objetivo de mejorar la oferta de servicios de fitness utilizando las nuevas tecnologías para así incrementar las intenciones de compra

A loyalty nmodel according to memership longevity of low-cost fitness center: quality value, satisfaction, and behavioral intention / Un modelo de fidelidad según la permanencia de clientes en centros de fitness low-cost: calidad, valor, satisfacción e intenciones de comportamiento

Client loyalty is crucial to fitness centers. Studies have analyzed the relationship between different subjective variables and consumer behavior intentions in these types of sport services within fitness centers. Nevertheless, few are those who have studied the influence of such variables on objective measures like membership longevity. For this reason, the objective of this study was to examine a loyalty model by means of the relationship between perceived quality, satisfaction, and future intentions with regard to client loyalty. The study counted with 15820 client (8462 women and 7358 men) participants who answered an online questionnaire. A descriptive analysis, factorial confirmatory and multi-group analysis were conducted. The findings demonstrate a valid and reliable model where relationships among the variables are positive and significant, with differences among the groups according to the longevity of membership

Debido a que la fidelidad del cliente es un tema crucial en los centros de fitness, algunos trabajos han analizado la relación entre diferentes variables subjetivas y las intenciones de comportamiento del consumidor en estos servicios deportivos. No obstante, son pocos los que han estudiado cómo repercuten dichas variables según medidas objetivas como la permanencia. Por esta razón, el objetivo de este trabajo fue examinar un modelo de fidelidad mediante la relación entre la calidad percibida, el valor percibido, la satisfacción y las intenciones futuras según la permanencia de los clientes. Para ello se contó con la participación de 15820 clientes (8462 mujeres y 7358 hombres) que contestaron a un cuestionario on-line. Se realizaron análisis descriptivos, factorial confirmatorio y análisis multigrupo. Los hallazgos muestran un modelo válido y fiable donde las relaciones entre las variables son positivas y significativas, existiendo diferencias entre los diferentes grupos según la permanencia

Utilization of a free fitness center-based exercise referral program among women with chronic disease risk factors.

Physical activity (PA) reduces the risk for a number of chronic diseases including heart disease, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and diabetes mellitus type 2. However, most Americans do not meet expert recommendations for exercise, and minorities and low-income persons are the most inactive. Community-based approaches to promoting PA include primary care exercise referral programs. This study examines patient characteristics associated with utilization of a community health center-based exercise referral program. Adult female patients of a community health center with an affiliated fitness center, in Boston, MA, were included in the study if they received a referral to the fitness center from their primary care provider. Demographic and medical information was abstracted from the medical chart, and fitness records were abstracted to measure activation of a fitness center membership (creation of an account denoting at least an initial visit) and utilization over time. Overall, 503 (40%) of the 1,254 referred women in the study sample activated their membership. Black women were almost 60% more likely to activate their membership (adjusted OR 1.6, 95% CI 1.2-2.2), and women with higher co-morbidity counts were almost 45% more likely to activate (adjusted OR 1.4, 95% CI 1.0-2.0). Once activated, a minority of women participated at levels likely to improve cardiometabolic fitness. Of the 503 activations, 96 (19%) had no participation, 359 (71%) had low participation, and only 48 (10%) had high participation. No independent predictors of participation were identified. These findings suggest that program design may benefit from developing activation, initial participation, and retention strategies that address population-specific barriers.

The current state of NCAA Division I collegiate strength facilities: size, equipment, budget, staffing, and football status.

Strength and conditioning training programs are essential components of athletic performance, and the effectiveness of these programs can be linked to the strength and conditioning facilities (SCFs) used by athletes. The primary purpose of this study was to provide a statistical overview of National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I SCFs, equipment and maintenance budget, and the relationship between SCF budget and staffing space, and equipment. The secondary purpose was to note differences in SCFs between those schools with and without football programs. An 84-item online survey instrument, developed with expert input from certified strength professionals, was used to collect data regarding the SCFs in NCAA Division I universities. A total of 110 valid and complete surveys were returned for a response rate of 38.6%. Results of Pearson's χ2 analysis demonstrated that the larger reported annual equipment budgets were associated with larger SCFs (χ2 = 451.4, p ≤ 0.001), greater maximum safe capacity of athletes using the facility (χ2 = 366.9, p ≤ 0.001), increased numbers of full-time coaches (χ2 = 224.2, p ≤ 0.001), and increased number of graduate assistant or intern coaches (χ2 = 102.9, p ≤ 0.001). Based on these data, it can be suggested to athletic administrators and strength and conditioning professionals at the collegiate level that budgets need to be re-evaluated as the number of personnel available to monitor student-athletes and the size and safe capacity of the facility are related to the ability of the strength and conditioning staff to safely and adequately perform their duties.

Neighbourhood deprivation and the cost of accessing gyms and fitness centres: national study in Wales.

It has been hypothesised that residents of deprived neighbourhoods have poorer economic access to physical activity resources, inhibiting physical activity. Here we explore whether the cost of accessing gyms and fitness centres varies by neighbourhood deprivation in Wales. The location of gyms and fitness suites were obtained, and a telephone survey of all facilities was conducted to collect entry price data. We tested associations between neighbourhood deprivation and mean entry prices for public and private facilities. The cost of accessing private facilities is lower in deprived versus affluent neighbourhoods, whereas costs are similar across all deprivation categories for public facilities.

A role for communities in primary prevention of chronic illness? Case studies in regional Australia.

In regional Australia "communities of place," defined as bounded geographic locations with a local society, undertake community-wide primary prevention programs. In helping to prevent chronic illness, communities provide valuable resources to the health system. To understand the role of community-health sector partnerships for primary prevention and the community contextual factors that affect them, we studied eight partnerships. We used an embedded multiple case study design and collected data through interviews, nonparticipant observation, and document analysis. These data were analyzed using a typology of community-health sector partnerships and community interaction theory to frame the key community contextual factors that affected partnerships. The dominant factor affecting all partnerships was the presence of a collective commitment that communities brought to making the community a better place through developing health. We call this a communitarian approach. Additional research to investigate factors influencing a communitarian approach and the role it plays in partnerships is required.

Duration of membership at sports centers and reasons for quitting.

Reasons for quitting membership at a sports center and their relation with socio-demographic characteristics and duration of membership were investigated. 642 individuals (55.4% men, 44.6% women), who had recently quit membership at a Spanish sports center, completed a questionnaire. There were significant differences in reasons for quitting on age, occupation, type of activities, and time spent on membership activities. The main reason was financial, regardless of the duration of membership.

Social inequalities in body weight and physical activity: exploring the role of fitness centers.

Fitness centers are a viable option for physical activity, particularly in climates with significant weather variation. Due to variation in economic and social expressions ofexclusivity, fitness centers may have some relation to social inequalities in physical inactivity and related health outcomes; thus, our objective was to explore this relation. Using publicly available data and guided by Bourdieu's theory of habitus, we classified fitness centers in Calgary, Canada, on three dimensions of exclusivity (economic, social, and appearance). We found that, although some highly exclusive centers exist, most demonstrated low exclusivity based on our dimensions. An overall contribution of centers to inequalities appears to be limited; however, caution is warranted in light of cutbacks to municipal budgets that can have an impact on publicly funded facilities.

Urban fitness centers: removing barriers to promote exercise in underserved communities.

African Americans, women, the elderly, obese people, and those in underserved communities are less likely than others to participate in leisure-time physical activity. Mercy Catholic Medical Center opened two fitness centers in low-income, predominately minority Philadelphia neighborhoods. Obese/overweight women from ethnic minorities living in low-income neighborhoods participated most frequently.

Origen de los ingresos en los clubes de baloncesto en las últimas décadas: evolución y tendencias futuras / No disponible

de los clubes de baloncesto han cambiado mucho en las últimas décadas. Las forma de obtener el dinero necesario para mantener un saldo positivo en la cuenta de pérdidas y ganancias cambian constantemente. Así, los medios tradicionales de obtención de dinero, aunque no han desaparecido por completo, han sido reemplazados por otros nuevos, y el futuro traerá sin duda algunos otros ahora desconocidos (AU)