Park renovations in low-income New York City neighborhoods and changes in adult physical activity and sedentary behavior: a quasi-experimental study

Abstract Background Inadequate physical activity (PA) elevates chronic disease risk in low-income urban populations. Neighborhood parks may offer venues for PA, but effects likely depend on park quality and use patterns. This study examined whether citywide park renovations were associated with changes in adult PA and sedentary behavior (SB) in low-income New York City neighborhoods and whether associations between park use and PA/SB changes differed for residents near renovated vs. control parks. Methods We conducted a quasi‑experimental prospective cohort study (2016–2022) in neighborhoods surrounding 31 renovated and 21 matched control parks. Participants included 344 adults living ≤ 0.3 miles of a study park (186 intervention, 158 control). Outcomes were accelerometry‑based PA/SB measures collected pre‑ and post‑renovation: vector magnitude per minute (VMPM) and minutes/day of sedentary time, light PA, and moderate‑to‑vigorous PA. Surveys assessed self‑reported typical frequency and duration of park visits. Linear mixed‑effects difference-in-differences models estimated associations between renovations and PA/SB changes; interaction models examined associations of park use with PA/SB changes in intervention vs. control groups. Results Changes in PA/SB were not significantly different between intervention and control groups. However, intervention participants who reported visiting their study park ≥ 30 min on a weekend day experienced a 140.0-unit/day greater increase in VMPM (95% CI 52.7,227.2) and a 61.1-minute/day larger decrease in sedentary time (95% CI -108.8,-13.3) compared to those with shorter visit durations. Furthermore, in the intervention group, each additional 60 min spent at a study park on weekdays was associated with 18.0 more minutes/day of light PA (95% CI 4.7,31.3), and each additional 60 min spent at the study park on weekend days corresponded to 19.0 more minutes/day of light PA (95% CI 8.1,29.9) and a 54.1-unit increase in VMPM/day (95% CI 7.5,100.7). No associations between park use duration and PA/SB changes were observed in the control group. Conclusions Park renovations alone were not associated with PA/SB changes, but longer duration of visits at renovated—but not control—parks were associated with increased total PA volume and light PA, and decreased sedentary time. High-quality park environments may be a necessary pre-condition to the benefits of park use on adult PA/SB.