Full Length Research Paper

An action plan for promoting physical activity in women and sensitive to social gender equity: Case of Bartin/Turkey

Sebahat Açiksöz² and Aysel   Uslu¹*

¹Department of Landscape Architecture, Faculty of Agriculture, Ankara University, 06010, Ankara-Turkey.

²Department of Landscape Architecture, Faculty of Forestry, Bartin University, 74100, Bartin-Turkey.

*Corresponding author. E-mail: uslu@agri.ankara.edu.tr. Tel: +90 312 596 1699. Fax: +90 312 317 64 67

Accepted 19 November, 2009

   Abstract

The purpose of this paper was to investigate physical activity opportunities from the point of gender issue of Bartin City, also to investigate in the context of the important health indicators of the Healthy Cities Union such as physical environment, inequalities, physical and social infrastructure of the city. Additionally, the second aim is to determine the effects of these conditions to the physical and mental health of the women. In this context, it is prepared an action plan for women including the decisions of a plan that is sensitive to the social gender equity and aiming to improve the physical environment and physical and social infrastructure that is appropriate for increasing to the characteristics of life qualities in the case of Bartin. Interviews with women who live in Bartin city have been conducted in order to investigate the influence of the environment on physical activity of women. Especially, the subject of socialization and health of women is the main concern of this study. Action plan aimed to increase the physical activity levels of women living in Bartin.

Key words: action plan, gender issue, health, physical activity, women, Bartin, Turkey.