Conference Agenda

Purpose: This review examines how inequitable access to urban green spaces (UGSs) in the Global South shapes physical activity and related physical, mental and social behaviours, while comparing evidence from the Global North. The main inequalities derive from socioeconomic conditions, infrastructure, and cultural or gender-based limitations, which together restrict access for diverse populations.

Methods: A narrative review of the published literature in PubMed and Web of Science was conducted to examine inequalities in access to UGS, gendered barriers, social determinants, and associated health outcomes. These inequalities were reviewed with attention to low-middle-income settings.

Results: The evidence shows that UGSs are more common and better maintained in wealthier, less populated neighbourhoods. Conversely, lower socioeconomic areas often lack such access. Gender-based inequalities, especially in low-income communities, further restrict women's use of these spaces due to fear, safety concerns, and cultural expectations around public behaviour. Inadequate infrastructure—such as insufficient seating, poor lighting, or broken walkways—also discourages use among adults and children. These multifaceted barriers restrict opportunities for physical activity and are linked to poorer mental health, lower community engagement, and adverse physical health outcomes. There is limited research on these factors in the Global South, particularly gendered dimensions, making it challenging to understand the bio-psychosocial effects of these inequalities on health.

Conclusions: Inclusive safety and use of UGSs may promote healthful physical activity and improve health outcomes. The Global South requires context-sensitive research and assessment tools to provide a comprehensive understanding of health and to inform policy.

Background/Purpose: Adults living with Multiple Myeloma experience reduced physical function, emotional well-being, and quality of life. Remote exercise programmes may increase accessibility and continuity of care for clinically vulnerable individuals. This study examined the preliminary effects of a six‑week remotely supervised multicomponent exercise programme on physical function, well-being, and quality of life in adults with Multiple Myeloma.

Methods: Twenty-six adults (21 females; 42–70 years), including 16 post‑transplant participants and all undergoing chemo‑ or immunotherapy, completed one remotely supervised session per week for six weeks. Assessments included One Leg Stance, Timed Up and Go, 30‑Second Sit-to-Stand, Ruffier–Dickson, and resting blood pressure. Well-being and quality of life were evaluated using the FACT‑MM and EORTC QLQ‑C30 questionnaires. Independent and paired t‑tests and groups-by-time interactions assessed associations and pre- and post-changes.

Results: Despite the short 6-week intervention, both exercise groups (exercise-only and exercise + psychology) demonstrated improvements in functional fitness and health-related quality of life. Balance increased in both groups, lower-limb strength improved particularly in the exercise-only group, and Timed Up and Go performance improved in the exercise + psychology group. Quality-of-life scores (FACT-MM and EORTC QLQ-C30) also improved, with reductions in fatigue and modest gains in emotional and cognitive functioning, although changes were not statistically significant.

Conclusions: This remote, low‑dose exercise programme improved functional fitness response, emotional well-being, and overall quality of life, suggesting that remote exercise delivery can contribute to more accessible and equitable physical activity promotion within oncology rehabilitation and public‑health practice.

Support/Funding Source: CIAFEL: UID/00617/2025, ITR: LA/P/0064/2020, Mieloma Patients Europe.

Purpose: Physical inactivity among children is increasingly recognized as a complex health issue that cannot be effectively addressed through isolated or linear interventions. Addressing such complexity requires participatory approaches that actively involve children in identifying relevant challenges and solutions. This study explores what shapes children’s outdoor play in a disadvantaged Danish context, emphasizing their own perspectives.

Methods: Using a Community-Based Participatory Research approach and systems thinking, 56 fourth-grade children (aged 9-11) acted as co-researchers across 14 sessions. Through methods such as photovoice, go-along interviews, mapping, and storytelling, children shared insights into what enables or limits their outdoor play. A systems map was developed to visualize these dynamics.

Results: Findings reveal that social connectedness play a central role, reinforcing well-being, motivation, and engagement with outdoor spaces through positive feedback loops. Conversely, lack of peer interaction often led to increased screen use, seen as a socially acceptable alternative. Parents emerged as key mediators, influencing access through support, transport, and safety. School structures and local infrastructure had a dual impact, both facilitating and constraining autonomy. Notably, physical environments alone did not determine play, their relevance depended on children’s social interpretations.

Conclusions: The study offers a practice-oriented, systemic understanding of outdoor play, highlighting the need for holistic approaches that promote equity, well-being, and health. It underscores the value of listening to children’s voices when designing interventions and policies aimed at enhancing outdoor play opportunities in disadvantaged communities.

Support: The study is funded by ERA4health and Innovation Fund Denmark

Background and Purpose:

Urban green spaces improve cardiovascular health and mental well being, but benefits are unequally distributed. Socially disadvantaged groups face barriers including poor infrastructure, safety concerns, cultural barriers and structural inequalities. We propose ‘Park Pharmacies”- reconceptualizing parks in underserved neighbourhoods as integrated health hubs combining health screening, community health workers and green social prescribing.

Methods:

The Park Pharmacy proposal was developed by systematically synthesizing evidence from PubMed and Google Scholar across three domains: health kiosk studies, green social prescribing research and community health worker frameworks. Initial search yielded 54 records; after screening, 6 studies met inclusion criteria. Under the proposed model, health ministries would fund community health workers, park departments would host infrastructure and insurers would reimburse services. Evaluation would assess health outcomes (blood pressure, BMI, mental health) and process measures (utilization rates, referral completion, SROI).

Results:

A community-based screening study found 22% of kiosk users had possible hypertension, but reach among elderly and rural populations remain limited. Prescribing nature-based activities (walking groups, community gardening) improves mental health, neurological fatigue and chronic pain, delivering £2.42-11.94 social return per £1 invested. However, implementation relies on volunteers and lacks coordination. Vegetation quality (Leaf area index) predicts cardiovascular outcomes better than mere green space presence.

Conclusion:

This model addresses health equity by detecting undiagnosed conditions in hard-to-reach communities, filling coordination gaps in green prescribing and capturing documented SROI.

Policy implications: Fund park-based community health workers; mandate health kiosks in underserved parks; insurers reimburse park services; create cross-departmental funding; mandate culturally-inclusive co-design.

Objective: Addressing the health and wellbeing of ethnic minority groups in Ireland remains a policy priority. Traveller and Roma communities experience substantial health inequalities that limit opportunities for physical activity (PA) and exercise. This study examined key barriers and facilitators influencing PA and exercise engagement among Traveller and Roma individuals in Ireland.

Design: A qualitative study using interviews and focus groups, guided by the COM-B model and the Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF).

Results: Participants reported multiple, interconnected barriers to PA and exercise. These included social influences (discrimination, lack of representation in PA settings); environmental context and resources (exclusion from or limited access to facilities, financial constraints, and competing life priorities); social/professional role and identity (cultural norms and gender roles); and knowledge (limited understanding of PA and exercise, low awareness of guidelines, and language or literacy barriers). Facilitators were identified and included environmental context and resources (affordable, locally accessible facilities and mobile or satellite services that reduced logistical barriers); social/professional role and identity (culturally sensitive and gender-specific activities); and knowledge (targeted health education initiatives and community-based workshops).

Conclusion: Physical activity participation among Traveller and Roma communities is shaped by interacting individual, social, and structural factors. Barriers such as low health literacy, cultural norms, financial constraints, and experiences of exclusion persist, whilst facilitators including strong community bonds and culturally relevant provision present opportunities for intervention. Co-designed, culturally safe, peer-supported programmes, alongside targeted outreach and structural barrier reduction, are essential to promote sustained engagement and reduce health inequalities.

Background and aim:

Ethnically diverse communities in urbanised settings are less engaged with the built environment for physical activity, contributing to the persistence of health inequalities. This research synthesises the evidence about the factors influencing engagement with the built environment for physical activity among diverse communities living in the UK.

Methods:

CINAHL, Medline, SocINDEX, PsycINFO, SPORTDiscus were searched to identify sources (January 2015 - April 2025). The review followed the JBI framework of evidence synthesis and PRISMA extension for scoping reviews guidelines. Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods studies were included with participants aged ≥18 years, from Eastern European, Black African, Black Caribbean and South Asian communities in the UK. Included studies were analysed using inductive thematic analysis, and mapped deductively onto the COM-B model and the TDF.

Result:

Of the 2,298 studies screened, 10 studies were included in the review (3 quantitative, 5 qualitative, and 2 mixed-methods studies). 14 themed factors were coded to the COM-B model: Capability (n=2); opportunity (n=7); motivation (n=5); with the assistance of the TDF. The identified themes included health status, knowledge, cultural factors, socioeconomic factors, and habits.

Conclusion:

There is a need to engage with members of diverse communities and community stakeholders to ensure policies and interventions designed to improve health behaviours are culturally responsive.

Funding:

This research is jointly funded by the University of Bedfordshire and Luton Borough Council, UK.

Implications for policy and practice:

Contributes to an Equalities approach to actively consider how underserved communities engage with the built environment for physical activity.

The respiratory compensation point (RCP) marks the transition to high-intensity exercise and represents a threshold for exercise prescription. The aim of this study was to develop a practical equation to estimate heart rate at RCP in physically active young adults and evaluate its accuracy against guideline-based intensity domains. Methods: A cross-sectional study included 51 apparently healthy young adults aged 20 to 30 years (32 men, 19 women) performing maximal CPET. Heart rate at the RCP was predicted using multivariate linear regression with a forward stepwise approach. Candidate predictors included age, sex, body height, body weight, maximal heart rate, and resting heart rate. External validation compared the equation with guideline-based exercise intensity domains using mean absolute percentage error (MAPE), limits of agreement (LoA), and intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC). Results: Maximal heart rate (HRmax) was the sole significant predictor of heart rate at the RCP (R² = 0.73, p < 0.001). The equation was −13.32 + 0.991 × HRmax. External validation demonstrated greater accuracy than guideline-based %HRmax prescription, with lower prediction error (MAPE = 2.25%), narrower LoA (-11.4 to 10.8 bpm), and excellent reliability (ICC = 0.98). In contrast, guideline-based intensity domains exhibited high error (MAPE = 16.24%), wide LoA (17.7 to 39.2 bpm), and poor reliability (ICC = 0.12). Conclusions: Maximal heart rate strongly predicts heart rate at the RCP in physically active young adults. The proposed equation provides a practical tool to estimate heart rate at RCP and guide high-intensity exercise prescription.