UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA
PREVENTION RESEARCH CENTER NOTES
“Promoting Health through Physical Activity”

A dear friend and colleague, Anne Seeley, recently passed away after a difficult battle with cancer. Anne was a true pioneer in the area of Active Living through her efforts as Coordinator of the Active Community Environments Program within California Department of Health Services' Physical Activity and Health Initiative. Anne was relentless in her efforts to increase public health's involvement in national and state transportation, land use, trail building, and park and recreation priorities. Under Anne's vision and leadership, California Walks, the Healthy Transportation Network, California Safe Routes to School, and California Walk to School Day Headquarters were established and continue to flourish today. Anne's trailblazing endeavors were recognized when she was selected as the first and only professional ever from the field of Public Health to receive a prestigious German Marshall Foundation fellowship usually awarded to transportation engineers and land use planners. Anne's fellowship allowed her to spend a month in Europe with professionals from diverse disciplines to discover how other countries successfully foster walkable and bikable communities. Her simple dream was to get more people, more active, more often. All of us who knew Anne will miss her vital presence in the work that we are engaged. May we continue to be inspired by Anne's enthusiasm, love, grace and wisdom.

NEWS YOU CAN USE: TV-Turnoff Week; Move For Health Day; National Employee Health and Fitness Day; Bike-to-Work; New America on the Move Website

WHAT’S HAPPENING IN WASHINGTON:  House Passes TEA-21 Reauthorization Bill

RESEARCH NOTES: New Nutrition and PA Journal; Vigorous PA During College Transition; Perceived Environmental Supports and PA; Automatic Monitoring of PA; Strength Training Among Older Adults

REPORTS, SURVEYS, GUIDELINES, RESOURCES: Active Living Research Resources; Healthy Lifestyle & Disease Prevention Campaign; Interactive Physical Activity Tool; New Standards for Physical Education; Childhood Obesity Prevention Program; School Nutrition and PA Policy Briefs; Outstanding Physical Education Programs; Benefits of Walking School Buses; Older Consumers And PA Promotion; Exercise Prescription for Older Adults; New Strength Training Program for Older Adults

PROMOTING ACTIVE COMMUNITIES: Report on the Accommodation of Walking and Bicycling; Best Walking Cities in the US; Boston's Big Dig and Active Community Design; London's Mayor Launches New Walkability Plan

UPCOMING CONFERENCES AND WORKSHOPS: Cooper Institute Annual Conference

USC PREVENTION RESEARCH CENTER UPDATE:

TV-TURNOFF WEEK:

The 10th annual TV-Turnoff Week is April 19-25, 2004. Visit http://www.turnoffyourtv.com/ for information about TV viewing and for ideas to celebrate the week.
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MOVE FOR HEALTH DAY:

Move for Health – Active Youth will be celebrated May 10, 2004. Go to http://www.who.int/hpr/physactiv/move.for.health.shtml to read more.
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NATIONAL EMPLOYEE HEALTH AND FITNESS DAY:

National Employee Health and Fitness Day is May 19, 2004, and the theme is Be Active For Life. See http://www.physicalfitness.org/nehf.html for more information.
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BIKE-TO-WORK:

The League of American Bicyclists is promoting Bike-to-Work Week from May 17th - 21st and Bike-to-Work Day on Friday, May 21st. See http://www.bikemonth.com/.
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NEW AMERICA ON THE MOVE WEBSITE: America on the Move has a new, interactive web site for individuals and communities who want to make positive changes to affect health and quality of life. The redesigned site contains tracking tools, active living and healthy eating articles, goal setting tips, and more. To register, go to www.americaonthemove.org.
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For a list of PA related observances and events, visit the PA links section of our website at http://prevention.sph.sc.edu/PAlinks/index.htm.

HOUSE PASSES TEA-21 REAUTHORIZATION BILL:

The U.S. House of Representatives has passed their version of the TEA-21 reauthorization bill. H.R. 3550, also called The Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users includes $1 billion for a Safe Routes to School program, $3.7 billion for Transportation Enhancements, and $503 million for the Recreational Trails Program. The bill now heads to a conference committee where differences between the House and Senate versions will be worked out. Follow the progress of transportation reauthorization at http://thomas.loc.gov.
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NEW NUTRITION AND PA JOURNAL:

The International Society of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity announces has launched a new journal called The International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity. All articles in the journal are available online at no cost, and papers on the behavioral aspects of diet and physical activity are currently being accepted. To access articles, go to http://www.ijbnpa.org/home.
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VIGOROUS PA DURING COLLEGE TRANSITION:

Researchers compared vigorous physical activity among first-year university students during their first two months of college versus their last two months of high school (pre-transition).   Results showed a significant decline in average frequency of vigorous physical activity from 3.32 sessions per week during pre-transition to 2.68 sessions per week during transition.  During pre-transition, 66% of students were classified as vigorously active, but during transition only 44% of the students were vigorously active.  Students who were active during the transition period reported higher levels of vigor and lower levels of tension and fatigue than insufficiently active students.  Bray and Born. “Transition to University and Vigorous Physical Activity: Implications for Health and Psychological Well-Being.” Journal of American College Health, 52(4):181-188, 2004.
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PERCEIVED ENVIRONMENTAL SUPPORTS AND PA:

Approximately 1,200 adults participated in a telephone interview to evaluate how perceptions of social and physical environmental supports contribute to predicting physical activity and walking behavior.  Results showed that younger age, better street lighting, trust of neighbors, and use of private recreation facilities, parks, playgrounds, sports fields, schools, and worship facilities were associated with increased PA.  Younger age, more education, having physically active neighbors, having sidewalks in the neighborhood, and using a mall for walking were associated with increased walking behaviors.  Addy, Wilson, Kirtland, et al. “Associations of Perceived Social and Physical Environmental Supports With Physical Activity and Walking Behavior.” American Journal of Public Health, 94(3):440-443, 2004.
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AUTOMATIC MONITORING OF PA:

Automated monitoring can be used to measure physical activity in both the built and natural environment.  This article describes different types of monitoring systems including seismic and piezoelectric devices, inductive loops, infrared sensors, and computer imaging systems.   The authors summarize what is known about validity and reliability and discuss strengths and weaknesses of each method.  Granner and Sharpe. “Monitoring Physical Activity:  Uses and Measurement Issues With Automated Counters.” Journal of Physical Activity and Health, 1:131-141, 2004.
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STRENGTH TRAINING AMONG OLDER ADULTS:

Data from the 2001 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) indicates that approximately 12% of persons aged 65-74 and 10% of persons aged >= 75 years meet the Healthy People 2010 objective for strength training (perform physical activities that enhance and maintain muscular strength and endurance, 2 or more days/week).  Women were less likely than men to meet the objective; the likelihood of meeting the objective declined with advancing age and increased with level of education.   Over 24% of physically active older adults engaged in strength training, and only 5.6% of respondents met the national objectives for both PA and strength training. Kruger, Brown, Galuska, et al. "Strength Training Among Older Adults Aged >= 65 Years – United States, 2001." MMWR, 53:25-28, 2004.
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For additional summaries of recent research on promoting physically active lifestyles, visit the Research Updates section of our website at http://prevention.sph.sc.edu/updates/index.htm.

ACTIVE LIVING RESEARCH RESOURCES:

Active Living Research (ALR), a national program of The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, recently posted Fact Sheets to the program web site (www.activelivingresearch.org).  The documents, designed to be useful to policymakers and practitioners, summarize conclusions from the existing literature in the fields of health, planning, and transportation related to active living. PowerPoint presentations from the 2004 ALR conference are also available on the ALR website at http://www.activelivingresearch.org/index.php/Program_at_a_Glance/123.
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HEALTHY LIFESTYLE & DISEASE PREVENTION CAMPAIGN:

Stemming from the recent news that diet and physical inactivity may soon overtake tobacco as the leading cause of preventable deaths in the US, Health and Human Services and the Ad Council have launched a new advertising campaign to promote healthy lifestyle choices. The campaign, Healthy Lifestyles & Disease Prevention, encourages Americans to take small steps to change their diet and physical activity levels. It is comprised of public service announcements and a new interactive website at www.smallstep.gov.
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INTERACTIVE PHYSICAL ACTIVITY TOOL:

The Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion has added to physical activity tool to its Interactive Healthy Eating Index. The tool assesses daily physical activity status and provides a score based on the type and duration of the activities performed. The tool is located at http://www.ers.usda.gov/publications/aib796/aib796-1/
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NEW STANDARDS FOR PHYSICAL EDUCATION:

The National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE) has released a second edition of Moving into the Future: National Standards for Physical Education. The new standards reflect the most current research and theory about physical education and identify what students should know and be able to do as a result of quality physical education programs. To order a copy, visit the online bookstore at http://www.aahperd.org/naspe/ or call 1-800-321-0789.
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CHILDHOOD OBESITY PREVENTION PROGRAM:

In 1998, the USDA funded a childhood obesity prevention initiative called Fit WIC. Five states were awarded funding to implement the obesity prevention initiative through their Women, Infant, and Children Supplemental Nutrition programs (WIC). An overview of the initiative, including information on the project background, a summary of the five state programs, and assessment findings, is located on The Center for Weight and Health’s website at http://www.cnr.berkeley.edu/cwh/activities/fitwic.shtml.
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SCHOOL NUTRITION AND PA POLICY BRIEFS:

California’s Project LEAN (Leaders Encouraging Activity and Nutrition) has released four new policy briefs titled California's Obesity Crisis: Focus on Solutions, What Schools Can Do. The briefs can be used to educate state and local policymakers about school nutrition and physical activity issues. The briefs can downloaded from the Public Health Institute website at http://www.phi.org/library.html. (CDC PA Listserv, 3/25)
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OUTSTANDING PHYSICAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS:

The National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE) named 12 schools across the country as the charter STARS recipients in recognition of their outstanding PE programs. Being a STARS recipient means that a school’s total PE program meets the criteria of the National Standards for K-12 Physical Education. See the list of winners at http://www.aahperd.org/naspe/template.cfm?template=pr_032404.html. For information about becoming a STARS school, visit the NASPE website at www.naspeinfo.org. 
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BENEFITS OF WALKING SCHOOL BUSES:

The first county in the UK to use walking school buses has released research findings that support the health benefits of walking to school. The study,Reducing Children’s Car Use: The Health and Potential Car Dependency Impacts, reports that walking buses are a healthy alternative to driving to school. In addition to increasing children’s physical activity levels, walking and cycling to school can also “make children aware of their local environment, develop road sense, assess risk and become more self-reliant.” Go to http://www.cts.ucl.ac.uk/research/chcaruse/ for more details on the study.
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OLDER CONSUMERS AND PA PROMOTION:

Active for Life has produced a new report titled, The Role of Midlife and Older Consumers in Promoting Physical Activity through Health Care Settings. This report is the outcome of a meeting of health, behavior, public health and marketing professionals in 2002. It provides recommendations on how health care settings, providers and consumers can better support the efforts of midlife and older adults to become more physically active and to maintain recommended levels of activity. Download a copy from . http://www.activeforlife.info/resources/files/CDC%20Final%20Paper.pdf

(CDC PA Listserv, 3/31/04)
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EXERCISE PRESCRIPTION FOR OLDER ADULTS:

First Step to Active Health is a patient education program for older adults that can be easily prescribed and implemented by health care providers. The program was developed as part of the National Blueprint Project. The First Step to Active Health website contains resources for patients and providers on increasing PA among older adults. Visit www.FirstSteptoActiveHealth.com for more information. (CDC Healthy Aging Listserv)
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NEW STRENGTH TRAINING PROGRAM FOR OLDER ADULTS:

Tufts University and the CDC have created a new strength training program for older adults called Growing Stronger: Strength Training for Older Adults. The recommended exercises in the program have been shown to increase muscle strength, maintain bone density, and improve balance, coordination, and mobility. Growing Stronger is available for free at http://nutrition.tufts.edu/research/growingstronger/ and http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/physical/growing_stronger/index.htm. (CDC PA Listserv, 3/31/04)
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REPORT ON THE ACCOMMODATION OF WALKING AND BICYCLING:

The National Center for Bicycling and Walking assessed how a sample of Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) is supporting the accommodation of bicycling and walking. Taking Steps found five characteristics of MPOs that appear most likely to result in policies and practices supportive of biking and walking: a clear vision and commitment to bicycling and walking; the will to create meaningful plans; an ability to obtain political support for their goals; an especially keen understanding of how transportation money flows and how to influence this flow; and the determination to create practices that make change routine. The report can be downloaded at http://www.bikewalk.org/ncbw_pubs.php. (Centerlines #91)
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BEST WALKING CITIES IN THE US:

The American Podiatric Medical Association and Prevention magazine conducted a study to find the 12 best walking cities in the US (top three in each of four regions). The study evaluated 125 of the most populated cities against 20 criteria of interest to pedestrians. Examples of the criteria included use of mass transit, percentage of people who walk/bike to work, urban sprawl index, number of health and fitness clubs, and body mass index. Detailed results can be found at http://www.apma.org/citywalks2004/index.html.
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BOSTON’S BIG DIG AND ACTIVE COMMUNITY DESIGN:

The city of Boston has undergone the country’s largest highway construction project (“The Big Dig”) by creating a new 10-lane expressway underground. The project has created approximately 300 acres of open space above ground, and many streets have been widened. A number of proposals for the land have been submitted, all involving active community design. Visit http://www.npr.org/features/feature.php?wfId=1686259 to read a National Public Radio feature about the project.
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LONDON'S MAYOR LAUNCHES NEW WALKABILITY PLAN:

The Mayor of London has launched a new initiative to make London one of the most walking friendly cities by 2015. Making London a Walkable City – The Walking Plan for London aims to increase walking as a means of transportation by promoting it as a viable, healthy, and environmentally friendly activity. Visit http://www.transportforlondon.gov.uk/streets/walking/why-2.shtml for more information and to download a copy of the plan.
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COOPER INSTITUTE ANNUAL CONFERENCE:

The Cooper Institute will host its 7th annual physical activity conference, Increasing Physical Activity in Populations: Understanding Diffusion and Dissemination, October 21‑23, 2004 in Dallas, TX.  Abstracts are being accepted until August 1, 2004. Visit http://www.cooperinst.org/conf2004intro.asp for more information.
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For a more complete list of conferences and workshops, visit the PA links section of our website at http://prevention.sph.sc.edu/PAlinks/index.htm.

This and past issues of the “University of South Carolina Prevention Research Center Notes” are available on our website at http://prevention.sph.sc.edu/Newsletter/index.htm.  To submit an item, please e-mail Delores Pluto at dmpluto@sc.edu.

To subscribe or unsubscribe to this newsletter, e-mail the Prevention Research Center at USCPRC@gwm.sc.edu. When subscribing, please include your name, e-mail address, title, and organizational affiliation. There is no subscription cost.  If you have an e-mail filter in place that only allows messages from approved email addresses, please add uscprc@gwm.sc.edu to your approved list.

For continuing discussions about physical activity, join the Physical Activity and Public Health On-Line Network listserv. Instructions are located on our website, at http://prevention.sph.sc.edu/newsletter/commands.htm.

Funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention