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

The National Association of Chronic Disease Directors, USC PRC, and CDC recently announced the availability of the Anne Seeley Scholarship, which will enable a person outside the field of public health to attend the annual Physical Activity and Public Health Practitioners' Course on Community Interventions. The course will be held September 13-19, 2007 at the Sea Pines Resort in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. To be eligible, scholarship applicants must work in transportation, land use planning, parks and recreation, or other non-public health field. If you work with professionals from these disciplines, please encourage them to submit an application to attend this unique course. This is a wonderful opportunity to provide our diverse community partners with the most up-to-date understanding of environmental and policy approaches to promoting physical activity. Go to http://prevention.sph.sc.edu/seapines/index.htm for course information and instructions on how to apply. Applications are due by May 15, 2007. Thanks for helping to spread the word!

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

NEWS YOU CAN USE: National Employee Health and Fitness Day; National Bike Month; RWJF Commits Funds to Childhood Obesity; WOMAN Challenge

RESEARCH NOTES: Internet PA Intervention Evaluation; VERB Campaign Evaluation; Physical Activity Assessment Tool; ALR Papers Featured in AJHP

REPORTS, SURVEYS, GUIDELINES, RESOURCES: AIMFREE Manuals; Built Environment and Physical Activity Report; Engaging School Leaders in Student Health; New PE Curriculum Analysis Tool; City-Safe Routes to School Program

UPCOMING CONFERENCES AND WORKSHOPS: Safe Routes to School National Conference; International Conference on Physical Activity and Obesity in Children

NATIONAL EMPLOYEE HEALTH AND FITNESS DAY: May 16th is National Employee Health and Fitness Day. A planning CD and other resources to help employers and employees from all sectors plan their celebration are featured on the National Association for Health and Fitness website. Go to http://www.physicalfitness.org.
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NATIONAL BIKE MONTH: May is National Bike Month! Special events, promotional materials, and video and radio PSA's for Bike Month, Bike to Work Day/Week are available on the League of American Bicyclists website. Go to:
http://www.bikeleague.org/programs/bikemonth/.
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RWJF COMMITS FUNDS TO CHILDHOOD OBESITY: The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation will commit at least $500 million over the next five years to fight childhood obesity in the U.S. The Foundation will focus on improving access to affordable healthy foods and opportunities for safe physical activity in schools and communities. It will place special emphasis on reaching children at greatest risk for obesity and related health problems: African-American, Latino, Native American, Asian American and Pacific Islander children living in low-income communities. For more information go to: http://www.rwjf.org/portfolios/features/featuredetail.jsp?featureID=2276&type=3&iaid=138.
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WOMAN CHALLENGE: The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Office on Women's Health will kick off the WOMAN Challenge (Women and girls Out Moving Across the Nation) during National Women's Health Week, May 13-19. This free eight-week challenge encourages women and girls to walk 10,000 steps or get 30 minutes of moderate exercise every day. Participants will receive a pedometer, a tracking log, and weekly motivational e-mails and health tips to help them reach their goal. For more information and to register online, go to http://www.womenshealth.gov/woman/register.cfm.
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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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RESEARCH NOTES

INTERNET PA INTERVENTION EVALUATION: Two hundred eighty-five adults in Belgium completed self-reported pre/post test questionnaires to evaluate a website-delivered PA intervention. The adults were placed in one of three groups: receiving intervention with feedback, receiving intervention without feedback, and no intervention. After 6 months, both intervention groups showed significant increases in both active transportation and leisure-time PA levels compared to the control group. There were no significant differences between the two intervention groups. Spittaels, De Bourdeaudhuil, Vandelanotte. "Evaluation of website-delivered computer-tailored intervention for increasing physical activity on the general population." Preventative Medicine, 44,209-217,2007.
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VERB CAMPAIGN EVALUATION: The VERB campaign targeted children and promoted physical activity through marketing activities, such as television advertising and community and school promotional activities. A baseline survey was conducted before the campaign activities began and at 1-year and 2-year follow-ups using the Youth Media Campaign Longitudinal Survey (YMCLS) to evaluate the behavioral and psychosocial effects of the VERB campaign. Results showed that as self-reported frequency of VERB exposure increased, physical activity on the day before the interview and median number of weekly sessions of physical activity during free time increased. Children aware of the VERB campaign reported more previous-day physical activity than those unaware of the campaign. The VERB campaign also showed positive effects on outcome expectations, social influences, and self-efficacy. These results suggest health marketing shows promise as an effective tool in changing children's attitudes and behaviors. Huhman, Potter, Duke, et al. "Evaluation of a National Physical Activity Intervention for Children. VERB Campaign, 2002-2004." American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 32(1),484-491, 2007.
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PHYSICAL ACTIVITY ASSESSMENT TOOL: The Physical Activity Assessment Tool (PAAT) was validated against the Manufacturing Technology Inc (MTI) accelerometer, a direct, objective measure of physical activity, and a previously validated self-report instrument, the International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Long form (IPAQ-Long). Sixty-eight adult volunteers were recruited from a university community to participate in the study. Participants completed the PAAT and IPAQ-Long twice and wore a MTI accelerometer for 14 days. Significant correlations were found between the PAAT and IPAQ and the PAAT and MTI for moderate/vigorous PA (MVPA), however, the PAAT classified fewer patients as active than either the MTI or IPAQ. Between-weeks correlations for physical activity measured by PAAT were significant for total MVPA supporting test-retest reliability. The PAAT demonstrated adequate concurrent and criterion validity and warrants further investigation as a self-report measure of physical activity. Meriwether, McMahon, Islam, et al."Physical Activity Assessment: Validation of a Clinical Assessment Tool." American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 31(6),484-491, 2006.
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ALR PAPERS FEATURED IN AJHP: A special issue of the American Journal of Health Promotion (March/April 2007 Vol. 21, No. 4) highlights papers presented at the 3rd Annual Active Living Research Conference in February 2006. For free access to the 2007 supplement, go to http://www.activelivingresearch.org/index.php/Open_Access_Journals/384.
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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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REPORTS, SURVEYS, GUIDELINES, RESOURCES

AIMFREE MANUALS: The National Center on Physical Activity and Disability (NCPAD) has announced the release of the AIMFREE (Accessibility Instruments Measuring Fitness and Recreation Environments) Manuals, a validated series of questionnaire measures that can be used by persons with mobility limitations and professionals to assess the accessibility of recreation and fitness facilities. The 6 different versions are available in a box set for $125 per set, or a photocopy may be requested for $10 per version. For more information about AIMFREE manuals, go http://www.ncpad.org/aimfree. [NCPAD News, April 2007]
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BUILT ENVIRONMENT AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY REPORT: A report from the Synthesis Project, an ongoing Robert Wood Johnson Foundation initiative, entitled "The Built Environment and Physical Activity: What is the Relationship?" is now available online. The report examines what we know about how the physical or built environment affects activity and outlines the potential policy implications of these findings. To view the report, go to http://www.rwjf.org/publications/synthesis/reports_and_briefs/issue11.html.
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ENGAGING SCHOOL LEADERS IN STUDENT HEALTH: Two reports from Action for Healthy Kids focus on building relationships with and engaging school leaders to improve the health and wellbeing our students. "From the Top Down: Engaging School Leaders in Creating a Healthier, More Physically Active School Environment" and "Engaging School Leaders as Partners in Creating Healthy Schools" provide recommendations for building an effective outreach and engagement strategy and techniques to engage specific groups of school leaders. To download both reports, go to http://www.actionforhealthykids.org/special_exclusive.php.
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NEW PHYSICAL EDUCATION CURRICULUM ANALYSIS TOOL: The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) released its new Physical Education Curriculum Analysis Tool (PECAT) to help school districts conduct assessments of their physical education curriculum, based upon national physical education standards. The tool also includes guidance for curriculum improvements based on the assessment results. For more information about PECAT, go to http://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/pecat/.
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CITY-SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL PROGRAM: The Active Living Research Center has published pilot study finding for City-Safe Routes to School, a program for diverse populations in heavily urbanized environments where schools are typically located in the middle of cities with row homes, multi-family dwellings and industrial neighbors. To read the report about the pilot program and 5 pilot workshops, go to: http://www.activelivingresources.org/saferoutestoschool8.php.
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UPCOMING CONFERENCES AND WORKSHOPS

SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL NATIONAL CONFERENCE: The Michigan Fitness Foundation is soliciting presentation proposals for the 1st Safe Routes to School National Conference, to be held on November 5-7, 2007 at the Dearborn Inn in Dearborn, MI. The conference theme is "Creating, Building and Sustaining Momentum" and is the basis for the Call for Presentations. The submission deadline is June 8, 2007. Go to http://www.saferoutesmichigan.org/nationalconference.htm for conference and submission information.
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INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND OBESITY IN CHILDREN: International Conference on Physical Activity and Obesity in Children will be held Toronto, Canada, June 24-27, 2007 Due to increased interest in attending this event, a larger venue has been secured and organizers are accepting new registrations. For more information, go to http://www.phe.queensu.ca/epi/obesity/.
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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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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 33 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
921 Assembly 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.

The University of South Carolina does not discriminate in educational or employment opportunities or decisions for qualified persons on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, age, disability, sexual orientation, or veteran status.