[Extract] In February and March 2022, China will host the Beijing 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. The vision for this landmark event promises a "joyful rendezvous upon pure ice and snow uniting the passion of hundreds of millions for winter sports".1 Themes have been developed to create a positive environmental impact with new development for the northern region of the country and to promote winter sports and improve the health and well-being of the Chinese people. The key messages for the winter games include inspiring youth with the Olympic spirit and encouraging millions to embrace winter sports. Notably, the Chinese government aims to mobilize at least 300 million of its citizens to engage in winter sports as an outcome of hosting the Winter Olympic Games.
Purpose. The purpose of the study was to examine associations between environment and policy factors and physical activity. Design. A random-digit-dialed, cross-sectional telephone survey was administered. Setting. The setting was a two-county area of eastern South Carolina. Subjects. Before weighting, the sample included 1936 adults; 36.9% African-American, 63.1% white, and 60.1% women. The age group distribution was 28.8% 55+ years, 39.3% 35–54 years, and 31.9% 18–34 years of age. The response rate was 62.9%. Measures. Six physical activity questions (2001 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey [BRFSS]) were used to create a dichotomous variable, "meets/does not meet recommendation for moderate or vigorous physical activity." Self-report items assessed knowledge, presence, and use of recreational facilities; presence of environmental and worksite supports; perceived safety; condition of sidewalks; and quality of street lighting Results. Linear and logistic regression were used to analyze the data. Unadjusted odds for meeting the recommendation were significantly greater for well-maintained sidewalks (OR = 1.90); safe areas for walking/jogging (OR = 1.39); knowledge of routes for bicycling (OR = 1.38) and walking/jogging (OR = 1.32); and worksites with sports teams (OR = 1.53), exercise facilities (OR = 1.33), flexible time for exercise (OR = 1.33), and preventive checkups (OR = 1.26). Among persons who met the recommendation, means were greater for number of known walking/jogging routes (p = .04); number of known bicycling routes (p < .01); number of days per month uses tracks, trails, routes, pathways (p < .01); and number of days per month uses outdoor recreation areas (p < .01). Conclusion. The results support an association between level of physical activity and environmental and policy factors in two southeastern counties in South Carolina. Limitations of the study include self-reported data and cross-sectional design.
