Andrew T Kaczynski
Biographic Data
| ID | 1241589 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Andrew T Kaczynski |
| GIVEN NAMES | Andrew T |
| FAMILY NAME | Kaczynski |
| SIGNATURE | KACZYNSKI A T |
| AFFILIATIONS | University of South Carolina |
| ORCID | 0000-0001-8724-8241 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 51 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 199 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 51 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2005 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2025 |
| H-INDEX | 8 |
Association between obesogenic environments and childhood overweight/obesity across the United States
PURPOSE: Childhood obesity is more prevalent in rural compared to urban communities and may be related to urban-rural differences in environmental factors known to affect obesity. However, understanding of how environmental factors impact childhood obesity in rural settings remains limited. This study aimed to address this gap by exploring the relationship between obesogenic environments and childhood overweight/obesity rates, including variation…
More Parks Are Linked to Lower Tract-Level Mental Distress in Less-Walkable Neighborhoods
Mental health concerns have risen substantially over the last decade. Access to health-promoting environments, like parks, may significantly improve mental health issues such as depression and stress. Yet, despite limited access to traditional mental health services in many US communities, there remains limited research that jointly considers the role of nonclinical interventions such as park availability and neighborhood walkability. Walkability…
Examining the Relationship Between Social Vulnerability and Sidewalk Access and Walkability Across a Large Southeastern U.S. City
Background: Physical activity (PA) levels and health frequently differ by sociodemographic characteristics and neighborhood features. The walkability level of neighborhoods is one of the significant reasons for such differences. Research about access to specific neighborhood walkability features according to population and community characteristics is limited and inconsistent. Methods: The purpose of this study was to examine how multiple aspects…
Beyond companionship
The findings highlight the psycho-social benefits of both single-dog and multi-pet ownership, suggesting their potential for fostering health and social well-being. More research is needed to examine the contributions of specific multi-pet and single-dog ownership and the pathways by which pet ownership contribute to health and well-being
Differences in children’s food and beverage consumption between school and summer
Children were less likely to report consumption of healthier foods/beverages and more likely to report consumption of unhealthier foods/beverages during summer compared to school. Attending structured programming during summer is associated with improved diet- suggesting such settings have potential to modify dietary intake
Revisiting public open space and physical activity
Can urban design be a science for health studies
Unearthing Inequities in the Relationship between Multiple Sociodemographic Factors and Diverse Elements of Park Availability and Quality in a Major Southern Metropolitan Region
Parks are critical components of healthy communities. This study explored neighborhood socioeconomic and racial/ethnic inequalities in park access and quality in a large U.S. southeastern metropolitan region. A total of 241 block groups were examined, including 77 parks. For each block group, we obtained multiple sociodemographic indicators, including unemployment rate, education level, renter-occupied housing, poverty rate, and racial/ethnic min…
Constructs from the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research associated with church enrollment and intervention adoption in a national implementation study of a faith-based organizational ch…
Partnerships, relationships, and "face time" are important for enrolling churches in evidence-based interventions. Church and church coordinator characteristics are related to intervention adoption. Further work on adoption conceptualization and operationalization is needed
Urban‐rural disparities in childhood obesogenic environments in the United States
BACKGROUND: Research is needed that identifies environmental resource disparities and applies multiple rural definitions. Therefore, this study aims to examine urban-rural differences in food and physical activity (PA) environment resource availability by applying several commonly used rural definitions. We also examine differences in resource availability within urban-rural categories that are typically aggregated. METHODS: Six food environment …
Neighborhood Socioeconomic Status, Green Space, and Walkability and Risk for Falls Among Postmenopausal Women
Neighborhood park access and park characteristics are associated with weight status in youth
Development and validation of self-efficacy and intention measures for spending time in nature
The study resulted in reliable and valid self-efficacy (14 items) and intentions (8 items) scales that can be used to develop future theory-based interventions to increase TSN and thereby improve population health
Development and Validation of an Attitude Toward Spending Time in Nature Scale
Time spent in nature (TSN) is related to improved health and well-being; however, many adults spend little time in nature. Interventions based on health behavior theories may be effective at increasing TSN. Attitudes toward a behavior have been shown to be a strong predictor of both intention and behaviors, but valid and reliable measures regarding these attitudes are lacking. The study aim was to develop a valid and reliable attitude toward TSN …
Associations of public open space attributes with active and sedentary behaviors in dense urban areas
Pathways of influences leading to adoption of the Faith, Activity and Nutrition (FAN) program in a statewide initiative
Exploring Dietary Behavior Differences among Children by Race/Ethnicity and Socioeconomic Status
BACKGROUND: In Spartanburg County, SC, nearly 33.7% of children are overweight or obese. The purpose of this study was to investigate differences in eating behavior of youth by race/ethnicity and socioeconomic status. METHODS: Students (N = 997) in 4th to 5th grades completed the School Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey. School databases categorized students as either White or racial/ethnic minority and free/reduced or full paid lunch status…
Investigating Socioeconomic Disparities in the Potential Healthy Eating and Physical Activity Environments of Churches
Walkability 101
The aim of this study is to evaluate objective and perceived campus walkability as an environmental support for physical activity within a large Southeastern university. Ten university routes were evaluated twice for 24 key walkability characteristics. Eighty-three campus member surveys (62 students, 21 faculty/staff) were administered and assessed campus members’ familiarity with walkability, attitudes about walking as a form of physical activit…
Objective Church Environment Audits and Attendee Perceptions of Healthy Eating and Physical Activity Supports within the Church Setting
Interventions in faith-based settings are increasingly popular, due to their effectiveness for improving attendee health outcomes and behaviors. Little past research has examined the important role of the church environment in individual-level outcomes using objective environmental audits. This study examined associations between the objectively measured physical church environment and attendees' perceptions of physical activity (PA) and healthy …
Healthy and unhealthy food environments are linked with neighbourhood socio-economic disadvantage
Objective: This study examined the separate relationships between socio-economic disadvantage and the density of multiple types of food outlets, and relationships between socio-economic disadvantage and composite food environment indices. Design: Cross-sectional data were analysed using geospatial kernel density techniques. Food outlet data included convenience stores, discount stores, fast-food and fast casual restaurants, and grocery stores. Co…
Associations among Neighborhood Socioeconomic Deprivation, Physical Activity Facilities, and Physical Activity in Youth during the Transition from Childhood to Adolescence
Future research studies are needed to better understand how neighborhood SED influences youth physical activity over time
How Do Neighbourhood Definitions Influence the Associations between Built Environment and Physical Activity
Researchers investigating relationships between the neighbourhood environment and health first need to decide on the spatial extent of the neighbourhood they are interested in. This decision is an important and ongoing methodological challenge since different methods of defining and delineating neighbourhood boundaries can produce different results. This paper explores this issue in the context of a New Zealand-based study of the relationship bet…
Development and testing of a multicomponent obesogenic built environment measure for youth using kernel density estimations
Faith, Activity, and Nutrition Randomized Dissemination and Implementation Study
Public open space, physical activity, urban design and public health
Association of Park Size, Distance, and Features With Physical Activity in Neighborhood Parks
Objectives. We studied whether park size, number of features in the park, and distance to a park from participants’ homes were related to a park being used for physical activity. Methods. We collected observational data on 28 specific features from 33 parks. Adult residents in surrounding areas (n=380) completed 7-day physical activity logs that included the location of their activities. We used logistic regression to examine the relative importa…
Association of Parkland Proximity with Neighborhood and Park-based Physical Activity
This study examined how the number and total size of neighborhood parks within 1 kilometer (km) of participants' homes, as well as distance to the closest park, were associated with moderate-to-strenuous physical activity (MSPA) in three contexts: total, neighborhood-based, and park-based. Data were collected from 384 adults in a Canadian city. Each additional hectare of park area within 1 km increased the odds of participating in 150 or more min…
The Influence of Neighborhood Aesthetics, Safety, and Social Cohesion on Perceived Stress in Disadvantaged Communities
Limited research has explored how specific elements of physical and social environments influence mental health indicators such as perceived stress, or whether such associations are moderated by gender. This study examined the relationship between selected neighborhood characteristics and perceived stress levels within a primarily low‐income, older, African‐American population in a mid‐sized city in the Southeastern U.S. Residents ( n = 394; mean…
Social Participation, Flow and Situational Involvement in Recreational Physical Activity
Social factors and the concepts of flow and situational involvement have all been found to be influential in shaping leisure behavior. The purpose of this study was to examine the prevalence of different co-participants during recreational physical activity episodes, along with participants' feelings of flow and situational involvement during recreational physical activity when alone and with different co-participants. Over one-third of the 2053 …
Exploring Relationships Between Physical Activity, Leisure Involvement, Self-Efficacy, and Motivation via Participant Segmentation
Research objectives were both applied and conceptual. Actionable segments of physical activity participants were developed using leisure involvement profiles. Also explored were links between leisure involvement, a construct primarily developed and applied in leisure literature, and psychological variables found to influence participation in physical activity literature. A community-based sample of 384 adults completed measures of five involvemen…
Dreaming big and living small
Adolescent Participation and Flow in Physically Active Leisure and Electronic Media Activities
The relationships between participation in various types of electronic media and time spent on other leisure activities have not been examined to any great extent and the research findings in the reported studies have been mixed. In this article, research is described in which 219 adolescents’ electronic media use (TV/video watching, computer/video game playing and Internet/web surfing) was monitored using a time use survey and the experiential s…
Investigating Issues of Environmental Injustice in Neighborhoods Surrounding Parks
Parks are important resources for facilitating community health. Using an environmental justice framework, this study in Kansas City, Missouri examined disparities by income and race/ ethnicity for bordering land uses, densities of incivilities (e.g., vandalism, litter), unhealthy retail establishments in neighborhoods surrounding parks. Low and medium income and high minority park neighborhoods were more likely to be surrounded by higher densiti…
Using Space Syntax to Assess the Built Environment for Physical Activity
The application of space syntax as a method for examining the role of spatial configuration on people's behavior has been widespread in several disciplines, such as urban design and architecture. However, the ideas and procedures of space syntax have rarely been applied in studies within the field of public health or leisure studies. This article briefly introduces the principles of space syntax and describes how space syntax can extend previous …
Neighborhood land use diversity and physical activity in adjacent parks
A More Tenable Marketing for Leisure Services and Studies
The integration of marketing principles and practices into leisure services and studies over the past 25 years has been met with significant confusion and skepticism. Recent theoretical re-conceptualizations of public leisure services marketing suggest that a new marketing philosophy is needed to guide marketing efforts in this context. This paper argues that social marketing, previously largely ignored in the leisure literature, offers a perspec…
Park availability and physical activity, TV time, and overweight and obesity among women
Development and testing of a multicomponent obesogenic built environment measure for youth using kernel density estimations
Planning for health
Altering Perceptions Through Repositioning
This research was conducted to examine the efficacy of repositioning public parks and recreation services in the public mind. Respondents were recruited at various venues throughout a large Canadian city and randomly assigned to one of five groups. After reading hypothetical newspaper format articles, respondents completed questionnaires investigating their beliefs, attitudes, and behavioral intentions regarding a local recreation agency's effort…
Revisiting public open space and physical activity
We need a safe, walkable way to connect our sisters and brothers’
Few studies of contextual factors and PA have focused on African-American, low-income neighborhoods. Despite diverse environmental constraints, residents reported walking within their communities as part of a healthy lifestyle. Social ecological interventions tailored to promote PA and reduce health disparities among residents of low-income communities should highlight neighborhood-based opportunities for PA, focusing on personal and collective s…
Adolescent Participation and Flow in Physically Active Leisure and Electronic Media Activities
The relationships between participation in various types of electronic media and time spent on other leisure activities have not been examined to any great extent and the research findings in the reported studies have been mixed. In this article, research is described in which 219 adolescents’ electronic media use (TV/video watching, computer/video game playing and Internet/web surfing) was monitored using a time use survey and the experiential s…
Altering Perceptions Through Repositioning
This research was conducted to examine the efficacy of repositioning public parks and recreation services in the public mind. Respondents were recruited at various venues throughout a large Canadian city and randomly assigned to one of five groups. After reading hypothetical newspaper format articles, respondents completed questionnaires investigating their beliefs, attitudes, and behavioral intentions regarding a local recreation agency's effort…
Environmental Correlates of Physical Activity
Research on physical activity (PA) has expanded in recent years to examine environmental influences that enhance or limit the opportunities people have to be active. The purpose of this study was to review and critically examine evidence related to parks and recreation as features of the built environment and the relationship of these settings to PA. Fifty studies were retrieved from four major databases that reported an empirical relationship be…
Leisure and Risky Health Behaviors
The study of leisure and health has grown tremendously in the last decade. However, only limited attention has been given to the impact of leisure on participation in risky health behaviors. The purpose of this paper is to review research on the relationship between leisure and smoking. Searches of five major databases identified 105 relevant articles that dealt with smoking and physical activity (50 articles), smoking and sport participation (32…
A More Tenable Marketing for Leisure Services and Studies
The integration of marketing principles and practices into leisure services and studies over the past 25 years has been met with significant confusion and skepticism. Recent theoretical re-conceptualizations of public leisure services marketing suggest that a new marketing philosophy is needed to guide marketing efforts in this context. This paper argues that social marketing, previously largely ignored in the leisure literature, offers a perspec…
Association of Park Size, Distance, and Features With Physical Activity in Neighborhood Parks
Objectives. We studied whether park size, number of features in the park, and distance to a park from participants’ homes were related to a park being used for physical activity. Methods. We collected observational data on 28 specific features from 33 parks. Adult residents in surrounding areas (n=380) completed 7-day physical activity logs that included the location of their activities. We used logistic regression to examine the relative importa…
Neighborhood land use diversity and physical activity in adjacent parks
Association of Parkland Proximity with Neighborhood and Park-based Physical Activity
This study examined how the number and total size of neighborhood parks within 1 kilometer (km) of participants' homes, as well as distance to the closest park, were associated with moderate-to-strenuous physical activity (MSPA) in three contexts: total, neighborhood-based, and park-based. Data were collected from 384 adults in a Canadian city. Each additional hectare of park area within 1 km increased the odds of participating in 150 or more min…
Social Participation, Flow and Situational Involvement in Recreational Physical Activity
Social factors and the concepts of flow and situational involvement have all been found to be influential in shaping leisure behavior. The purpose of this study was to examine the prevalence of different co-participants during recreational physical activity episodes, along with participants' feelings of flow and situational involvement during recreational physical activity when alone and with different co-participants. Over one-third of the 2053 …
Exploring the Distribution of Park Availability, Features, and Quality Across Kansas City, Missouri by Income and Race/Ethnicity
Parks are key community assets for physical activity, but some evidence suggests these resources are not equitably distributed.This study examined disparities by income and race/ethnicity in the availability, features, and quality of parks across Kansas City, Missouri.All parks and census tracts (CTs) were mapped using geographical information systems, and park features and quality were determined via audits. Multivariate analyses of covariance a…
Social Ecological Influences on Work-Related Active Commuting Among Adults
The social ecological model provides a framework for understanding a range of influences on AC and should inform strategies to improve AC behavior
Exploring Relationships Between Physical Activity, Leisure Involvement, Self-Efficacy, and Motivation via Participant Segmentation
Research objectives were both applied and conceptual. Actionable segments of physical activity participants were developed using leisure involvement profiles. Also explored were links between leisure involvement, a construct primarily developed and applied in leisure literature, and psychological variables found to influence participation in physical activity literature. A community-based sample of 384 adults completed measures of five involvemen…
Are park proximity and park features related to park use and park-based physical activity among adults? Variations by multiple socio-demographic characteristics
BACKGROUND: Parks are valuable resources for physical activity (PA) given their widespread availability and low cost to maintain and use. Both proximity to parks and the availability of particular features are important correlates of PA. However, few studies have explored multiple measures of proximity simultaneously or the specific facilities associated with park use and park-based PA among adults, let alone differences across socio-demographic …
The Associations Between Park Environments and Park Use in Southern US Communities
PURPOSE: To document park use and park and neighborhood environment characteristics in rural communities, and to examine the relationship between park characteristics and park use. METHODS: The System for Observing Play and Recreation in Communities measured use in 42 target areas across 6 community parks in May 2010 and October 2010. Direct observation instruments were used to assess park and neighborhood environment characteristics. Logistic re…
Planning for health
Using Space Syntax to Assess the Built Environment for Physical Activity
The application of space syntax as a method for examining the role of spatial configuration on people's behavior has been widespread in several disciplines, such as urban design and architecture. However, the ideas and procedures of space syntax have rarely been applied in studies within the field of public health or leisure studies. This article briefly introduces the principles of space syntax and describes how space syntax can extend previous …
Public open space, physical activity, urban design and public health
Investigating Issues of Environmental Injustice in Neighborhoods Surrounding Parks
Parks are important resources for facilitating community health. Using an environmental justice framework, this study in Kansas City, Missouri examined disparities by income and race/ ethnicity for bordering land uses, densities of incivilities (e.g., vandalism, litter), unhealthy retail establishments in neighborhoods surrounding parks. Low and medium income and high minority park neighborhoods were more likely to be surrounded by higher densiti…
Using an environmental justice approach to examine the relationships between park availability and quality indicators, neighborhood disadvantage, and racial/ethnic composition
Park availability and physical activity, TV time, and overweight and obesity among women
The Influence of Neighborhood Aesthetics, Safety, and Social Cohesion on Perceived Stress in Disadvantaged Communities
Limited research has explored how specific elements of physical and social environments influence mental health indicators such as perceived stress, or whether such associations are moderated by gender. This study examined the relationship between selected neighborhood characteristics and perceived stress levels within a primarily low‐income, older, African‐American population in a mid‐sized city in the Southeastern U.S. Residents ( n = 394; mean…
Understanding differences between summer vs. school obesogenic behaviors of children
BACKGROUND: Although the scientific community has acknowledged modest improvements can be made to weight status and obesogenic behaviors (i.e., physical activity, sedentary/screen time, diet, and sleep) during the school year, studies suggests improvements are erased as elementary-age children are released to summer vacation. Emerging evidence shows children return to school after summer vacation displaying accelerated weight gain compared to the…
We need a safe, walkable way to connect our sisters and brothers’
Few studies of contextual factors and PA have focused on African-American, low-income neighborhoods. Despite diverse environmental constraints, residents reported walking within their communities as part of a healthy lifestyle. Social ecological interventions tailored to promote PA and reduce health disparities among residents of low-income communities should highlight neighborhood-based opportunities for PA, focusing on personal and collective s…
Faith, Activity, and Nutrition Randomized Dissemination and Implementation Study
Physical Activity Environment and Japanese Adults’ Body Mass Index
Evidence about the impacts of the physical activity environment on adults' weight in the context of Asian countries is scarce. Likewise, no study exists in Asia examining whether Walk Score ® -a free online walkability tool-is related to obesity. This study aimed to examine associations between multiple physical activity environment measures and Walk Score ® ratings with Japanese adults' body mass index (BMI). Data from 1073 adults in the Healthy…
Medicine (33 works) · Urban Transport and Accessibility (29 works) · Psychology (27 works) · Urban Green Space and Health (25 works) · Sociology (23 works) · Geography (22 works) · Political science (17 works) · Social Psychology (16 works) · Environmental health (15 works) · Obesity, Physical Activity, Diet (15 works)