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

A new year brings new hope and optimism - particularly in the form of resolutions to be more active and eat better. Eleven YMCAs in South Carolina have banded together with community partners to sponsor the "Shrinkdown," a free, 8-week healthy lifestyle program. Nearly 25,000 people have registered, signifying the demand for such a program. I know that many of you are involved in similar efforts to improve the health of others. My hope is that our individual and collective research, policy and practice endeavors in 2006 will help us discover the means to actively engage as many people as possible who are thirsting for better health.

Steve Hooker, PhD, Director
Delores Pluto, PhD, Newsletter Editor (dmpluto@sc.edu)
http://prevention.sph.sc.edu

NEWS YOU CAN USE: National Public Health Week 2006; Google Map Pedometer; New Website for Alberta Centre for Active Living

WHAT'S HAPPENING IN WASHINGTON: 50th Anniversary of the President's Council; Physical Education Amendments for No Child Left Behind; Workplace Health Improvement Program; Guide for SR2S Program Implementation

RESEARCH NOTES: Physical Activity Pie; Accessibility of Health Clubs for People with Disabilities; Workplace Walkability Tool

REPORTS, SURVEYS, GUIDELINES, RESOURCES: Economic Benefits of Trails and Greenways; Trail User Survey Workbook

UPCOMING CONFERENCES AND WORKSHOPS: CDC's 2006 National Health Promotion Conference; Pro Walk/Pro Bike 2006; Active Aging 2006; Cooper Institute Conference Series

USC PREVENTION RESEARCH CENTER UPDATE: Blow it up with the Plaza; Recent Publications

NATIONAL PUBLIC HEALTH WEEK 2006: "Designing Healthy Communities; Raising Healthy Kids" - that's the theme of this year's National Public Health Week. For information about how you can be involved, go to http://preview.tinyurl.com/yvw8bx
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GOOGLE MAP PEDOMETER: The Google Map Pedometer is now available. This is a fun tool that allows you to plot and calculate the distance of your own walking route. There is also a calorie converter so you can figure out how many calories you burned on your walk. Visit: http://www.webwalking.com/googlemap.htm
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NEW WEBSITE FOR ALBERTA CENTRE FOR ACTIVE LIVING: The Alberta Centre for Active Living has a newly designed website that allows you to find physical activity information much more easily. Use the Advanced Search feature to find information in one or more categories. Check it out at http://www.centre4activeliving.ca [WellSpring, December 2005]
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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
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50th ANNIVERSARY OF THE PRESIDENT'S COUNCIL: The President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. To become a 50th Anniversary Partner to Get America Moving, go to http://www.fitness.gov/news-partnerinvitation.htm
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PHYSICAL EDUCATION AMENDMENTS FOR NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND: Senator Cornyn (R-TX) and Representative Wamp (R-TN) have each introduced a bill (S1276 & HR4359) that would amend No Child Left Behind Act to include physical education. The bills require content and performance standards for physical education beginning in school year 2006-2007 as part of a state plan for compliance under the law. By the 2008-2009 school year, states would also have to assess student progress in physical education. Go to http://thomas.loc.gov/ to view the bill's text and summary. [The Activity Advocate, Nov/Dec 2005]
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WORKPLACE HEALTH IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM (WHIP): Advocates continue to work on securing co-sponsors for the WHIP (HR1634/S772) and are now up to 51 on the House side and 8 on the Senate side. Advocates are optimistic that the bill will make it to the floor in 2006. A Workplace Fitness Coalition has been established and is comprised of organizations in support for the WHIP bill. For more information, please email sfranklin@ncppa.org. [The Activity Advocate, Nov/Dec 2005]
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GUIDE FOR SR2S PROGRAM IMPLEMENTION: The Federal Highway Administration has issued detailed guidance to the states on how to implement the $612 million Safe Routes to School program created by SAFETEA-LU in August 2005. The 23-page guidance memo carefully balances the overall goals of the program with the need to preserve flexibility among the states on how they implement the new program. Go to http://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/saferoutes/index.htm for more details. [American Bicyclist Update 1/9/06]
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RESEARCH NOTES

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY PIE: The Urho Kaleva Kekkonen (UKK) Institute for Health Promotion Research in Tampere, Finland developed a new way to present a clear physical activity message. A Physical Activity Pie was developed to combine the physical activity recommendations for health and fitness and the known dose-response relationships between different kinds of physical activity and various aspects of health. In the pie, an energy expenditure of 1000 kcals is the focus of the amount of physical activity needed to offset health risks related to inactivity. The pie addresses this by recommending the duration, type and frequency of the physical activity depending on the goal of health or fitness. The advantage of the "pie" shape is to suggest that physical activity can encompass both health and fitness goals using the same type of activity and can be divided in 2 halves in any direction resulting in the recommended physical activity energy expenditure of 1000kcals. Fogelholm, Suni, Rinne, et al. Physical Activity Pie: A Graphical Presentation Integrating Recommendations for Fitness and Health. Journal of Physical Activity and Health, 2:391-396, 2005
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ACCESSIBILITY OF HEALTH CLUBS FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES: Accessibility of health clubs for people with mobility disabilities and visual impairments was assessed in a convenience sample of 35 health clubs (19 in urban areas and 16 in suburban areas; 16 for profit and 19 not for profit) nationwide. Six areas (built environment, equipment, swimming pool, information, policies and professional behavior) were assessed using a new instrument, AIMFREE (Accessibility Instruments Measuring Fitness and Recreation Environments). The results were consistent with previous similar studies that showed a moderate to high degree of inaccessibility with deficiencies in all 6 areas. Rimmer, Riley, Wang, & Rauworth. Accessibility of health clubs for people with mobility disabilities and visual impairments. American Journal of Public Health, 95(11): 2022-2028, 2005
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WORKPLACE WALKABILITY TOOL: Researchers developed an audit tool to assess 9 elements of walkability in the workplace: pedestrian facilities, pedestrian-vehicle conflicts, crosswalks, route maintenance, walkway width, roadway buffer, accessibility, aesthetics, and shade. The scores for 79 selected areas ranged from 20-39 (poor), 40-69 (fair), and 70-100 (good). 34% of the selected areas were rated poor, 32% fair, and 34% good. Walkway planners may use these ratings as a way to improve utilization of walkways for pedestrian travel by removing barriers that deter sidewalk use and creating an atmosphere more conducive to walking. Danneberg, Cramer, & Gibson. Assessing the Walkability of the Workplace: A New Audit Tool. Am J Health Promot. 20(1):39-44, 2005
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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
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ECONOMIC BENEFITS OF TRAILS AND GREENWAYS: This 4-page fact sheet by the Trails and Greenways Clearinghouse provides insight into the economic benefits of having trails and greenways in your community, including increasing property values, building local economies and benefiting the environment. A list of helpful resources is also included. View the fact sheet at: http://www.trailsandgreenways.org/resources/benefits/topics/tgc_economic.pdf.
[Centerlines #138]
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TRAIL USER SURVEY WORKBOOK: The Rails-to-Trails Conservancy and Trail Facts Interactive Marketing, with support from the Penn. Dept. of Conservation, have published a trail survey workbook called "How to conduct a survey and win support for your trail: sample surveys and methods." The workbook includes survey templates, and information about how to design your survey and methods to collect, record, analyze and report your data. To view the workbook and templates, go to http://www.trailsandgreenways.org/resources/highlights/online/default.asp. [Centerlines #139]
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UPCOMING CONFERENCES AND WORKSHOPS

CDC'S 2006 NATIONAL HEALTH PROMOTION CONFERENCE: The CDC's 2006 National Health Promotion Conference will be held September 12-14, 2006 in Atlanta, Georgia. The conference theme is Innovations in Health Promotion: New Avenues for Collaboration. Visit www.cdc.gov/cochp for updates and more information.
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PRO WALK/PRO BIKE 2006 CALL FOR PROPOSALS: Pro Walk/Pro Bike 2006 will be held September 5-8, 2006 in Madison, Wisconsin. The submission form for proposals for presenters is available at http://www.bikewalk.org/PWPB2006/proposal.html. The deadline for submissions is March 1, 2006.
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ACTIVE AGING 2006: Active Aging 2006 will be held November 15 -17, 2006 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Submissions for presentations are due February 26. You can find more information about the conference, call for presenters and application form at: http://www.icaa.cc/Index.asp
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COOPER INSTITUTE CONFERENCE SERIES: The Cooper Institute Conference Series: Parks, Recreation, and Public Health: Collaborative Frameworks for Promoting Physical Activity will be held on October 26 - 28, 2006 in Dallas, Texas. The 2006 conference will focus on developing collaborative frameworks for researchers, practitioners, and educators in the field of public health, parks, and recreation. Abstracts will be accepted for poster presentations at the conference. Watch for the upcoming call for abstracts and registration information at http://www.cooperinst.org
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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
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USC PREVENTION RESEARCH CENTER UPDATE

BLOW IT UP WITH THE PLAZA: The Arnold School of Public Health (home of the USC PRC) is completing construction of the 1st of two new buildings. The USC PRC will be moving into this building soon. Before that can happen, however, the University will be imploding the neighboring old hotel. For information about this explosive event, go to http://www.sph.sc.edu/
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RECENT PUBLICATIONS:
Paxton, Sharpe, Granner & Hutto. Association of sociodemographic variables and community environment to use of public parks and trails for physical activity International Journal of Health Promotion and Education. 43(3);108-116, 2005.
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Burroughs, Peck, Sharpe, et al. Using focus groups in the consumer research phase of a social marketing program to promote moderate-intensity physical activity and walking trail use in Sumter County, South Carolina. Prev Chronic Dis [serial online] 2006 Jan. Available from: URL: http://www.cdc.gov/pcd/issues/2006/jan/05_0093.htm
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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.

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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.

The USC Prevention Research Center is a member of the CDC Prevention Research Center's National Network, consisting of 28 Centers in the U.S. For more information about the PRC National Network, visit http://www.cdc.gov/prc.

Prevention Research Center
Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina
730 Devine Street, Columbia, South Carolina 29208
803-777-4253

This publication was supported by Cooperative Agreement Number 5-U48-DP-000051 from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the CDC.