Psychosocial determinants of active living: the role of social capital, public space use, and barriers to sport in Mexico City.

Abstract

Introduction: Active living in urban environments depends not only on individual motivation or infrastructure, but also on the social conditions that shape the everyday use of public spaces. This study analyzed the relationships among social capital, urban safety, public space use, barriers to sport, subjective well-being, and physical activity participation in an urban Mexican sample.

Methods: A quantitative, cross-sectional study was conducted with 837 adults who completed an online self-report questionnaire. Descriptive analyses, Pearson correlations, structural equation modeling, and binary logistic regression models were performed.

Results: Social capital was positively associated with public space use and showed the strongest association with subjective well-being. Urban safety was not directly associated with public space use when examined together with social capital. Model fit was mixed, and the structural model explained little variance in barriers to sport (R² = .019). Barriers to sport showed a small negative association with subjective well-being and were associated with lower odds of physical activity participation. Public space use was associated with higher odds of physical activity participation and, among physically active participants, with engaging in physical activity in public rather than private spaces.

Discussion: In this sample, social cohesion, trust, regional identity, and public space use were relevant correlates of active living and subjective well-being.