Is change in availability of sports facilities associated with change in physical activity? A prospective cohort study

A life course perspective on determinants of discontinuance of active participation in sports activities

Physical inactivity remains a global public health challenge today. Determining why people stop regularly participating in sports is significant to develop targeted intervention strategies for sports promotion and healthy living. As sports participation is dynamic throughout life, a life-course perspective is needed to provide a more comprehensive understanding. This study adopts a life-course perspective to explore the determinants of the change from active participation in sports to becoming inactive. Based on online retrospective survey data collected in the Netherlands, a two-level binary logistic regression model is estimated to capture the effects of socio-demographics, sports motivations, life transitions, and neighborhood characteristics on sports dropout over the lifespan. Results show that dropout from sports is age-specific, and that people are less likely to discontinue sports participation when they have health and weight loss goals. Life transitions have different effects. The cessation of living with physically active people appears to be the most important event to make people stop sporting, followed by having a baby, and then owning the first car. Compared with education-related events, work-related events are more likely to cause people to stop sporting. Moreover, the probability of sports discontinuance may increase when residents feel unsafe doing physical activities in their neighborhoods or when the neighborhood has sufficient greenspace for walking. The findings have implications for supporting sports participants to continue exercising by addressing the barriers.

Sustaining youth physical activity in times of challenge and change: lessons from COVID-19

Physical activity (PA) is recognized as essential for positive physical and mental well-being in young people. However, participation in PA is known to decline as adolescents emerge into adulthood under the influence of complex social and structural factors. Globally, COVID-19 restrictions resulted in changes to PA and PA participation levels in youth populations, providing a unique opportunity for gaining insight into PA barriers and enablers in circumstances of challenge, limitation and change. This article details young people's self-reported PA behaviours during the 4-week 2020 COVID-19 lockdown in New Zealand. Taking a strengths-based view and drawing on the COM-B (capabilities, opportunity and motivation behaviour) model for behaviour change, the study explores factors enabling young people to sustain or increase PA during lockdown. Findings are drawn from qualitative-dominant mixed-methods analyses of responses to an online questionnaire: New Zealand Youth Voices Matter (16-24 years; N = 2014). Key insights included the importance of habit and routine, time and flexibility, social connections, incidental exercise and awareness of links between PA and well-being. Of note were the positive attitudes, creativity and resiliency demonstrated as young people substituted or invented alternatives to their usual PA. PA needs to change to adapt to new circumstances over the life course, and youth understanding and knowledge of modifiable factors may provide support for this. Thus these findings have implications for sustaining PA during late adolescence and emerging adulthood, a life phase that can be associated with significant challenge and change.

A study of the influence of sports venues on the intra-city population layout based on multi-source data-Taking Xi'an city and Zhengzhou city as examples

Revealing the influence of sports sports venues on the population in the built-up areas of cities contributes to the high-quality development of cities and the well-being of people. This study applies kernel density estimation to characterize the distribution of sports venues using reclassified POI (Point of Information) data, visualizes the distribution of intra-city population using population raster data from the WorldPop database, and analyses the distribution of sports venues and the urban population in Xi'an and Zhengzhou cities in 2020 from both the general and local perspectives based on various regression methods, such as MGWR, GWR, and linear fitting. The results show that the distribution of sports venues in Xi'an and Zhengzhou cities in 2020 was a good indicator of the population. The spatial distribution of sports venues and the population within the cities have a centre-periphery structure. From the global perspective, the distribution of sports venues is positively correlated with the intra-city population, and the promoting effect is significant. From the local perspective, the effect is spatially heterogeneous. Finally, this study explores the rationality of the complex impact and indicates that the research methodology can provide a reliable reference for other cities.

Barriers associated with the public use of sports facilities in China: a qualitative study

Background

Sports and recreational facilities provide an important community resource where physical activity can be promoted among local residents. However, in China, many sports facilities are not fully open to the public and are often underutilized as essential public services. The purpose of this study was to examine the barriers to public entry from the facility management point of view.

Methods

A qualitative study informed by constructivist grounded theory. Individual interviews were conducted with executive managers, marketing staff, and facilities management personnel (n = 15). We took an inductive approach to data synthesis utilizing procedural three-level coding, and used the electronic data management program (NVivo12) to organize the data analysis process.

Results

The 15 participants discussed factors that impacted the sports facilities’ capacity to serve the public. Four key themes emerged from data synthesis: (a) Policy-related restrictions, (b) Management-related factors, (c) Service-related factors, and (d) Supervision factors. Specific barriers affecting facilities’ availability and accessibility involved policies and regulations, administrative pressure, institutional mechanisms, ideas, a professional team, practical ways, content development, schedule setting, spirit building, assessment and supervision, crisis management, and public evaluation.

Conclusion

Findings from this qualitative study provided theoretical ground and empirical support for future research aimed at making sports facilities more accessible to the public in order to maximize physical activity and meet the objectives of the national fitness blueprint in China.

Distance to sports facilities and low frequency of exercise and obesity: a cross-sectional study

Background

Little research has investigated the associations between proximity to physical activity facilities and behavior-related health and the majority have focused on proximity from home address. We add to the literature by examining proximity of these facilities to work and home address and including a wide range of physical activity facilities. We assess the associations for proximity of physical activity facilities from home and work address with self-reported frequency of exercise and obesity.

Methods

Our analytical sample of 7358 participants was from the 2018 wave of the Swedish Longitudinal Occupational Survey of Health. We used logistic binomial regression adjusting for age, sex, education, civil status, individual socioeconomic status, neighborhood socioeconomic status, number of children under 12 years of age, work strain, and chronic disease.

Results

Longer distance from home to paid outdoor and paid indoor physical activity facilities was associated with low frequency of exercise (fully adjusted Relative Risk for both 1.01, 95% CI 1.01–1.02). Associations of any or free outdoor facility with low frequency of exercise were not robust. Findings also indicated associations between long distance from workplace to any and paid outdoor facility and low frequency of exercise. Results for obesity were in the similar direction, however, these were not statistically significant.

Conclusion

Increased distance of paid outdoor and paid indoor physical activity facilities from home and of paid outdoor facilities from work was associated with low frequency of exercise. Longitudinal and larger studies are needed to confirm our findings, particularly regarding obesity.

Municipal resources to promote adult physical activity - a multilevel follow-up study

Background

In Finland, local authorities (municipalities) provide many services, including sports and physical activity facilities such as pedestrian and bicycle ways and lanes, parks, sports arenas and pools. This study aimed to determine whether local authorities can promote physical activity by allocating resources to physical activity facilities.

Methods

The data on municipality expenditure on physical activity and sports, number of sports associations receiving subsidies from the municipality, kilometers of ways for pedestrians and bicycles and hectares of parks in 1999 and 2010 were gathered from national registers. These data were combined using unique municipal codes with individual survey data on leisure-time physical activity (N = 3193) and commuting physical activity (N = 1394). Panel data on physical activity originated from a national health survey, the Health 2000 study, conducted in 2000–2001 and 2011–2012. We used the data of persons who answered the physical activity questions twice and had the same place of residence in both years. In the data, the individuals are nested within municipalities, and multilevel analyses could therefore be applied. The data comprised a two-wave panel and the individuals were followed over 11 years.

Results

The resources for physical activity varied between municipalities and years. Municipal expenditure for physical activity and total kilometers of pedestrian ways increased significantly during the 11 years, although a clear decrease was observed in individuals’ physical activity. In our models, individual characteristics including higher education level (OR 1.87) and better health status (OR 7.29) increased the odds of increasing physical activity. Female gender was associated with lower (OR 0.83) leisure-time physical activity. Living in rural areas (OR 0.37) decreased commuting physical activity, and age (OR 1.05) increased it. Women (OR 3.16) engaged in commuting physical activity more than men.

Conclusions

Individual-level factors were more important for physical activity than local resources. A large part of the variation in physical activity occurs between individuals, which suggests that some factors not detected in this study explain a large part of the overall variation in physical activity.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12889-022-13617-8.

Spatial equity in the layout of urban public sports facilities in Hangzhou

This paper proposes a framework for a layout evaluation of urban public sports facilities. First, the buffer analysis method is used to measure the service level of public sports facilities. The study findings indicate that the overall service level of public sports facilities presents the spatial characteristics of a central agglomeration, and the value of the service level diffuses outward from high to low. There is evident spatial heterogeneity in the layout of public sports facilities in Hangzhou. Second, the Gini coefficient, Lorenz curve, and location entropy are employed to measure the equity of the distribution among spatial units and the intradistrict disparity. The results show a mismatch between the spatial distribution of the facilities and the distribution of the permanent population. The patterns of distribution of the location entropy classes of Hangzhou can be divided into three types: balanced, alternating, and divergent districts. The method in this paper is effective in measuring spatial equity and visualizing it. it has a certain degree of systemicity, universality and operability. At the same time, this method can compare the diachronic characteristics of the same city and the synchronic characteristics of different cities, which has universal application value.

Capability, opportunity, and motivation: an across contexts empirical examination of the COM-B model

BACKGROUND

There is limited evidence for successful weight gain prevention interventions targeting young adults. Developing effective interventions necessitates a theoretical model that can identify barriers and enablers for healthy eating and physical activity among young adults to support weight management. This study empirically examines the utility of the COM-B model as a framework for intervention planning across two behavioural contexts: eating and physical activity.

METHODS

A cross-sectional survey research design was employed to empirically test the COM-B model in the contexts of young adult's eating and physical activity behaviours. Informed by the Theoretical Domains Framework, pre-validated measures appropriate for capturing the latency of the COM (Capability, Opportunity, and Motivation) constructs were sourced. Both surveys (eating and physical activity) were administered online to two independent samples of young adults aged 18-35 years. Models were specified and tested using structural equation modelling.

RESULTS

A total of 582 (mean age = 22.8 years; 80.3% female) and 455 (mean age = 24.9 years; 80.8% female) participants were included in the physical activity and eating analyses, respectively. The COM-B model explained 31% of variance in physical activity behaviour and 23% of variance in eating behaviour. In the physical activity model (N = 582), capability and opportunity were found to be associated with behaviour through the mediating effect of motivation. In the eating model (N = 455), capability was found to be associated with behaviour through the mediating effect of motivation. Capability was also found to mediate the association between opportunity and motivation. Consistencies and variations were observed across both models in terms of COM indicators.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings support the COM-B model's explanatory potential in the context of young adult's physical activity and eating behaviours. Barriers and enablers underlying young adult's physical activity and eating behaviours were identified that represent potential targets for future intervention design. Further research is needed to validate present study findings across different populations and settings.

An Exploration of Spatial and Social Inequalities of Urban Sports Facilities in Nanning City, China

Health and well-being have become important dimensions of urban sustainability, particularly in countries with rapid urbanization and aging populations. As such, providing opportunities for physical activity and exercise has become a priority in the planning and governance of Healthy City in these countries. Relatively little research has investigated the provision of sports facilities in developing countries. This paper seeks to address this gap by exploring the spatial and social inequality of sports facilities at the urban scale using Nanning City in South China as a case study. Spatial aggregate analyses, including an allocation index, accessibility, diversity, and geographically weighted regression, were applied to mixed data sets from primary and secondary sources from 2018. The results confirmed a strong inequality of sports facilities provision across the study area and between age groups. This study suggests that the reduction of inequality and the improvement of equity and social justice should consider the spatial and social matches between demand and supply, through increasing sports facilities investment intensity and road network density.

The spatial justice in the distribution of built outdoor sports facilities

Purpose

Sports facilities can play a vital role in encouraging physical activity and sport. Also, just the distribution of sports facilities is very important for better access to these facilities. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to evaluate spatial justice in the distribution of built outdoor sports facilities in the city of Isfahan, Iran and provide insight for planning in terms of equitable accessibility.

Design/methodology/approach

All facilities located in the 15 areas of the city, whether private or public, built for the purpose of physical activity and sports programs were considered in this study (107 cases). To obtain information on the locations of the outdoor sports facilities, Isfahan Atlas data, which has been compiled by Isfahan Municipality was used. Arc geographic information systems environment and its different algorithms were also used to perform different calculations and prepare maps.

Findings

The results indicated the unfair distribution of built outdoor sports facilities in the city of Isfahan in terms of spatial justice based on the number of built outdoor sports facilities in each area, the population, land area, population density and the spatial pattern of the facilities.

Practical implications

In this regard, urban authorities and sport managers should make an effort to decrease or obviate inequity in access to outdoor sports facilities for the purpose of promoting participation in physical activity and sport and providing residents with numerous other benefits.

Originality/value

This paper has concluded that spatial justice in the distribution of built outdoor sports facilities for the improvement of access to these facilities is very important.

A longitudinal study examining uptake of new recreation infrastructure by inactive adults

BACKGROUND

The built environment is reported to influence physical activity in populations, but longitudinal evidence about the impact of building new physical activity infrastructure is limited. This study aimed to prospectively investigate the uptake and usage of the newly established Peninsula Aquatic and Recreation Centre (PARC), a large multi-purpose recreation facility in Melbourne, Australia.

METHODS

Physically inactive adults (n = 549) from the City of Frankston were recruited before the opening of PARC and followed up 12 months later to measure frequency of attendance at the Centre, and the purposes and barriers to use. Multivariable methods were used to identity the demographic, cognitive and social predictors of attendance, and the relationship between PARC use and improvements in leisure-time physical activity.

RESULTS

Over 12 months 8.7% of the sampled residents used PARC once per month or more, 17.5% attended less than once per month, and 73.8% did not use the Centre. Lap swimming was the dominant purpose for attendance, and the major barriers were cost of transport and cost of entry. Independent predictors of usage were being female, having children, living within 5 km of the Centre, and expressing strong intentions for use prior to its opening. Use of PARC was not associated with progression to a higher level of total leisure-time physical activity.

CONCLUSIONS

While installation of multi-purpose aquatic and recreation facilities may be considered an investment towards physical activity in populations, regular use by inactive people is likely to be low. Strategies to reduce barriers, including cost and transport, and to motivate use should be trialled in order to improve the public health impacts of this form of infrastructure.

The impact of a new exercise facility on physical activity at the community level: a non-randomized panel study in Japan

Background

Considering that building a sports facility is a major investment to promote population health, it is important to understand whether it is effective in increasing the level of physical activity (PA) in the community. This study examined the impact of building a new multipurpose exercise facility on community-level PA in Japan.

Methods

This non-randomised panel study compared two sites: an intervention site where a new exercise facility was built (opened after baseline data collection) and a control site where there was no such additional exercise facility. From each site, 3200 adult residents (aged 30–74 years) were randomly selected at baseline (2013) and at follow-up (2015). The number of participants retained for analysis was 845 at baseline and 924 at follow-up for the intervention site, and 821 at baseline and 1018 at follow-up for the control site. The outcomes were participants’ self-reported PA, perceived availability of PA facilities, awareness of others being active, and willingness to engage in PA. We examined the interaction terms between the sites and time of measurement in regression analyses to examine whether the magnitude of change from baseline to follow-up differed between the two sites.

Results

The changes in the proportion of participants meeting the PA guideline and those engaging in moderate-to-vigorous intensity PA were not significantly different between the intervention and control sites. The intervention site had a greater increase in the proportion of participants who were aware of PA facilities from baseline to follow-up than in the control site. The odds ratio for awareness of others being active approached significance, suggesting that there was a tendency at the intervention site towards a greater increase in the proportion of participants who noticed physically active people.

Conclusions

This study did not find community-level increases in PA after the construction of the exercise facility. However, a significant improvement in the awareness of PA facilities was observed in the intervention site. A sustained community-level effort to promote PA, possibly including social components, and a further tracking of residents’ PA are needed to take a full advantage of the new exercise facility and to assess its long-term impact.

Trial registration

UMIN-CTR UMIN000034116 (retrospectively registered: 13 September 2018).

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s12889-019-7146-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Would increasing access to recreational places promote healthier weights and a healthier nation?

Addressing gaps in evidence on causal associations, this study tested the hypothesis that better access to recreational places close to home helps people to maintain lower body mass index (BMI) using a retrospective longitudinal study design and up to 6 years of data for the same individuals (1,522,803 men and 183,618 women). Participants were military veterans aged 20-64 who received healthcare through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs in 2009-2014 and lived in a metropolitan area. Although there were cross-sectional associations, we found no longitudinal evidence that access to parks and fitness facilities was associated with BMI for either men or women in the full sample or in subgroups of residential movers and stayers. Our findings suggest that simply increasing the number of parks and fitness facilities may not be enough to achieve needed population-level reductions in weight.

Exploring the emergence and evolution of population patterns of leisure-time physical activity through agent-based modelling

INTRODUCTION

Most interventions aiming to promote leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) at population level showed small or null effects. Approaching the problem from a systems science perspective may shed light on the reasons for these results. We developed an agent-based model to explore how the interactions between psychological attributes and built and social environments may lead to the emergence and evolution of LTPA patterns among adults.

METHODS

The modeling process consisted of four stages: (1) conceptual model development, (2) formulation of the agent-based model, (3) parametrization and calibration, and (4) consistency and sensitivity analyses. The model represents a stylized community containing two types of agents: persons and LTPA sites. Persons interact with each other (proximal network and perceived community) and with the built environment (LTPA sites) over time. Decision-making is based on the person's intention to practice LTPA, conditioned to the perceived environment. Each iteration is equivalent to one week and we assessed a period of 10 years.

RESULTS

The model was able to reproduce population temporal trends of intention and LTPA reported in the literature. Sensitivity analyses indicated that population patterns and trends of intention and LTPA were highly influenced by the relationship between a person's behavior in the preceding week and his current intention, the person's access to built and social environment, and the density of LTPA sites.

CONCLUSIONS

The proposed agent-based model is suitable to explore the emergence and evolution of LTPA patterns among adults, considering the dynamic interaction between individuals' psychological attributes and the built and social environments in which they live. The model is available at https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/J2KAS .

Neighborhood-based PA and its environmental correlates: a GIS- and GPS based cross-sectional study in the Netherlands

Background

To improve our understanding of the neighborhood environment – physical activity (PA) relationship, it is of importance to assess associations between neighborhood environmental characteristics and neighborhood-based PA.

Methods

Participants’ (N = 308; 45–65 years) light PA (LPA) and moderate-vigorous PA (MVPA) within a 400, 800, and 1600 m buffer around adults’ homes was measured using accelerometers and GPS-devices. Land use data in ArcGIS provided neighborhood characteristics for the same buffers. Multilevel linear regression models, adjusted for socio-demographic variables and attitude towards PA, were used to assess associations of objective neighborhood characteristics with neighborhood-based LPA and MVPA.

Results

LPA was positively associated with the proportions of roads (within a 400 m buffer), and negatively associated with the proportions of recreational areas (within an 800 m buffer), and the proportion of green space (within the 800 m and 1600 m buffers). Multiple characteristics of 400 m buffers were positively associated with MVPA, i.e. proportions of green space, blue space, residences, shops and foodservice industry, sports terrain, and public social-cultural facilities. Also, characteristics of larger buffers were positively associated with MVPA, i.e. the proportions of shops and foodservice industry, sports terrain, and blue space (within an 800 m buffer), and the proportion of public social-cultural facilities (within the 800 m and 1600 m buffers).

Conclusions

Objective neighborhood characteristics of smaller as well as larger sized buffers were associated with neighborhood-based LPA and MVPA. Green and blue spaces seem to be of particular importance for PA in the smallest buffer, i.e. in the direct surrounding of adults’ homes.

A prospective study exploring the construct and predictive validity of the COM-B model for physical activity

This study examined the constructs of capability, opportunity and motivation from the COM-B model and their influence on moderate-to-vigorous physical activity. Using a prospective survey design, 186 healthy adults completed measures representing the theoretical domains framework mapped to the COM-B, and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity 1 week later. The main indicators for the COM constructs were ‘habits’ (Capability), ‘subjective norms’ (Opportunity) and ‘exercise self-identity’ (Motivation). Motivation (77%) and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (50%) were strongly predicted, with Capability and Motivation as key drivers of behaviour. Motivation was a strong mediator for Capability on behaviour. Future research should consider this approach for other populations and behaviours.

A Longitudinal Analysis of the Influence of the Neighborhood Environment on Recreational Walking within the Neighborhood: Results from RESIDE

BACKGROUND

There is limited longitudinal evidence confirming the role of neighborhood environment attributes in encouraging people to walk more or if active people simply choose to live in activity-friendly neighborhoods. Natural experiments of policy changes to create more walkable communities provide stronger evidence for a causal effect of neighborhood environments on residents' walking.

OBJECTIVES

We aimed to investigate longitudinal associations between objective and perceived neighborhood environment measures and neighborhood recreational walking.

METHODS

We analyzed longitudinal data collected over 8 yr (four surveys) from the RESIDential Environments (RESIDE) Study (Perth, Australia, 2003-2012). At each time point, participants reported the frequency and total minutes of recreational walking/week within their neighborhood and neighborhood environment perceptions. Objective measures of the neighborhood environment were generated using a Geographic Information System (GIS).

RESULTS

Local recreational walking was influenced by objectively measured access to a medium-/large-size park, beach access, and higher street connectivity, which was reduced when adjusted for neighborhood perceptions. In adjusted models, positive perceptions of access to a park and beach, higher street connectivity, neighborhood esthetics, and safety from crime were independent determinants of increased neighborhood recreational walking. Local recreational walking increased by 9 min/wk (12% increase in frequency) for each additional perceived neighborhood attribute present.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings provide urban planners and policy makers with stronger causal evidence of the positive impact of well-connected neighborhoods and access to local parks of varying sizes on local residents' recreational walking and health. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP823.

What are the Facilitators and Obstacles to Participation in Workplace Team Sport? A Qualitative Study

Working age adults are failing to meet physical activity recommendations. Inactive behaviours are increasing costs for diminished individual and organisational health. The workplace is a priority setting to promote physical activity, however there is a lack of evidence about why some employees choose to participate in novel workplace activities, such as team sport, whilst others do not. The aim of this study was to explore the complexity of facilitators and obstacles associated with participation in workplace team sport. Twenty-nine semi-structured face-to-face and telephone interviews were conducted with office workers (58% female) (36 ± 7.71) from manufacturing, public services, and educational services. Data was analysed through template analysis. Five sub-level (i.e., intrapersonal, interpersonal, organisational, community and societal influences) facilitate participation or create obstacles for participants. Participants were challenged by a lack of competence, self-efficacy, negative sporting ideals and amotivation. Unhealthy competition, an unstable work-life balance and unsupportive colleagues created obstacles to participation. An unsupportive organisation and workplace culture placed demands on workplace champions, funding, facilities and communication. Healthy competitions, high perceptions of competence and self-efficacy, and being motivated autonomously enabled participation. Further, relatedness and social support created a physical activity culture where flexible working was encouraged and team sport was promoted in accessible locations within the organisation. Researchers should consider accounting for complexity of these influences. A participatory approach may tailor interventions to individual organisations and the employees that work within them. Interventions whereby autonomy, competence and relatedness are supported are recommended. This may be achieved by adapting sports and training workplace champions.

The relationship between sports facility accessibility and physical activity among Korean adults

BACKGROUND

The benefits of physical activity on physical and mental health are well known. The accessibility of sports facilities is reported to have considerable association with the amount of physical activity a person participates in. Therefore, we investigated the association between subjectively assessed accessibility of sports facilities and physical activity among Korean adults.

METHODS

We obtained data from the 2012 Community Health Survey. Physical activity was measured based on weekly metabolic equivalent task (MET) hours according to the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ). Sociodemographic, economic, and health variables were used as covariates in a logistic regression model.

RESULTS

A total 201,723 participants were included in this study. Participants with easy access to sports facilities participated in physical activity more often than those without easy access (OR = 1.16, 95 % CI 1.13-1.20). More physical activity was generally observed if participants had a history of depression or if participants were among the white-collar or urban subgroups.

CONCLUSION

Our results showed that the accessibility of sports facilities is associated with physical activity. Therefore, it is crucial to consider the accessibility of sports facilities when promoting an environment conducive to physical activity or designing programs for enhancing physical activity.

Sports Facilities, Shopping Centers or Homes: What Locations are Important for Adults' Physical Activity? A Cross-Sectional Study

Physical activity (PA) is influenced by the built environment. However, little is known about the types of built environment where adults spend their time, and at what levels of PA they engage in those environments. Understanding the effect of the built environment on PA requires insight into PA behavior at different types of locations (e.g., home, work, shopping centers, and sports facilities). Therefore, this study describes where adults aged 45–65 years were active with moderate-to-vigorous intensity (MVPA), and examines associations of socio-demographic factors and neighborhood with MVPA at these locations. Participants’ (N = 308) PA was measured for seven days using accelerometers and GPS-devices. Adults spent most minutes of MVPA at home and work. Highest MVPA-ratios of total time spent at a location were achieved in sports facilities and during transport. Neighborhood characteristics and socio-demographic factors such as work status, health status and household structure, had significant effects on MVPA at various locations and on total MVPA. Understanding PA behavior at various locations may provide insights that allow professionals in different domains (e.g., health, landscaping, urban planning) to develop strategies to stimulate PA.