Every year, Get Active Toronto (GAT) releases its annual report on physical activity levels in Toronto. The report relies heavily on what are collectively known as the 'social determinants of health', or more simply, how a person's position within their community can be a strong indicator of future health outcomes.
Some general barriers to access to physical activity identified in the 2011 report include: convenience, programs available, safety, facilities, skill and ability, cost, information, and social support.
More importantly, GAT's annual report also attempts to identify the host of barriers people in underdeveloped, underprivileged, and at-risk communities face to securing access to physical activity in the city. To this end, the report developed what GAT refers to as Dimensions of Access; that is to say, the physical activity barriers that exist due to socio-economic conditions. These are: financial, public awareness/media, geography and time, socio-cultural, urban planning/transportation, and finally, employment/human resources.
By observing these Dimensions of Access GAT can allow organizations to see where their existing or potential initiatives will best fit; identify where the gaps between programs and people are occurring and/or focus on a specific adjustment with the hope of affecting the overall outcomes for Toronto.
Explanations of each of the Dimensions of Access can be found after the jump!
