Do Accessible Exercise Facilities Influence Community Physical Activities?

This study was aimed to evaluate how personal perceptions of exercise facility accessibility affect moderate physical activity in Korea. We selected research subjects using data from 2012, 2014, and 2016 community health surveys. We explored whether accessibility to exercise facilities was associated with moderate or higher physical activity. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed. Of the 652,954 individuals included in the analyses, 146,725 engaged in moderate physical activity (22.5%) and were more likely to have easier access to exercise facilities. Those who could access exercise facilities very easily were more likely to engage in moderate weekly physical activity compared with those who found access difficult or very difficult (odds ratio = 1.32; 95% confidence interval = 1.28–1.35). The results confirmed that in areas with good accessibility to community exercise facilities, subjects engaged in more moderate physical activity compared with subjects in areas lacking good access.