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

Physical Activity Special Interest Group (PA SPIG) needs your commitment! As many of you know, we are working to provide a visible and credible "home" within the American Public Health Association (APHA) for those with a primary interest in PA science, practice, and policy. To be recognized formally by APHA, we must recruit at least 100 new members who will select the PA SPIG as their primary affiliation. We invite you to join us in our efforts to elevate PA as a priority within APHA, and to provide PA and other professionals with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to address sedentary behavior and its detrimental consequences. We call on persons in diverse disciplines (e.g., physical education, kinesiology, transportation, land use planning, commercial fitness industry, medicine, gerontology, nursing, clinical exercise physiology, and athletic training) to take this opportunity to align their interests and efforts with those from the public health arena. If you are willing to commit to becoming either a professional or student member of APHA and the PA SPIG, click on the following link to access the membership commitment form and submission instructions: http://prevention.sph.sc.edu/SPIGform.pdf. No membership dues are needed now - we only need your commitment. Once we have received formal SPIG approval, we will alert you to join APHA and the PA SPIG officially.

Steve Hooker, PhD, Director

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

IN THIS ISSUE – March-April 2008

NEWS YOU CAN USE: National Bike Month; Good Walking Cities; Practical Ideas for Parents; Ten Reasons We're Couch Potatoes

RESEARCH NOTES: SilverSneakers Fitness Program; An Ecological Approach; Michigan's PAC Program;WV Walks; Special Issue of Preventive Medicine

REPORTS, SURVEYS, GUIDELINES, RESOURCES: Active Education; Eat Smart-Play Hard(tm); Resources for Cycling; Preventing Diseases through Physical Activity; WAY to a Healthier Alabama; CDC Community Health Resources

PROMOTING ACTIVE COMMUNITIES: Achieve Initiative; Funding for Children's Running Programs; Smart Moves; Non-motorized Transportation Pilot Program

UPCOMING CONFERENCES AND WORKSHOPS: 2008 SPARK Institutes; CDC Workshops

USC PREVENTION RESEARCH CENTER UPDATE: Cardiovascular Fitness and Stroke

NEWS YOU CAN USE:

NATIONAL BIKE MONTH. Bike Month planning has started! "Bike to Work Day" is May 16 this year, and Bike to Work Week is May 12-16. Don't forget to memorialize fallen cyclists one week later on a "Ride of Silence," to be held nationwide on May 21. For more information, go to http://www.bikeleague.org/.

GOOD WALKING CITIES. Every year, Prevention Magazine and the American Podiatry Medical Association (APMA) compile a list of America's best walking cities. This year, professionals from six organizations devoted to promoting walkable communities picked the ten largest cities in each state and ranked them based on dozens of criteria. Visit the website to find out how your favorite cites rank: http://www.prevention.com/bestcities/. To see the criteria used to rank them go to http://preview.tinyurl.com/2ese4p.

PRACTICAL IDEAS FOR PARENTS [Australia]. The "Unplug + Play" Parent Campaign targets parents in Western Australia to increase awareness of the urgent need for children to spend more time in active play and less time on TV, electronic games and the Internet. Watching TV for more than two hours a day is associated with a higher risk of obesity, poor fitness, increased social problems, and may also be associated with lower school achievement. Visit http://preview.tinyurl.com/ytvysd to download their "Unplug + Play" brochure and Electronic Entertainment Tally Sheet. [Source: AusPAnet e-News, 2/29/08]

TEN REASONS WE'RE COUCH POTATOES. We all know exercise is good for us, and the CDC says that if done it regularly, it can lower people's risk of heart attack, colon cancer, diabetes and high blood pressure, as well as help with weight control, arthritis pain, and even symptoms of depression. It also cuts down on ER and doctor visits and the need for medications. Apparently, however, that's not enough to get us up off our couches. See ten reasons so many of us don't exercise illustrated in pictures at http://preview.tinyurl.com/3dauzl. [NCPPA News, 3/6/08]

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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:

SILVERSNEAKERS FITNESS PROGRAM. A CDC-funded study conducted by Group Health and the University of Washington reports that older adults who participated in the SilverSneakers Fitness Program visited their primary and specialty physicians more often, were admitted to the hospital less, and had lower overall healthcare costs compared to a control group of over 9,000 people who were the same age and gender. Nguyen, Ackermann, Maciejewski, et al. "Managed-Medicare Health Club Benefit and Reduced Health Care Costs among Older Adults." Prev Chronic Dis, 5:1, 2008. Available at http://www.cdc.gov/pcd/issues/2008/jan/07_0148.htm

AN ECOLOGICAL APPROACH WITH PRIMARY-CARE COUNSELING TO PROMOTE PHYSICAL ACTIVITY. The effectiveness of primary-care counseling using a 2-pronged intervention to increase physical activity (PA) was examined by researchers in Greenville County, South Carolina. The intervention included physician counseling as well as educational maps highlighting recreational facilities within 2 miles of the healthcare center. Two types of control groups were compared to the experimental group. One control group received PA counseling only, and the other received normal care. PA was measured using the short version of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), comprised of 7 questions that allow for sensitivity to mild PA such as walking. Results from the 237 randomly assigned patients showed that the experimental group significantly increased their weekly PA in comparison with patients in the control groups. Additionally, between baseline and second visits, the number of hours spent sitting per day decreased by one hour for both the experimental-group and the control group receiving counseling. Reed. Malvern, Muthukrishnan, et al. "An Ecological Approach Combined with Primary Care Counseling to Promote Physical Activity." Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 39(5):S80-S81, 2007.

MICHIGAN'S PAC PROGRAM. Michigan's "Promoting Active Communities" (PAC) is a web-based assessment that enables communities to evaluate their programs, policies, and environments related to physical activity in order to generate new ideas and increase community involvement. Originally designed in 2001, this community tool was evaluated and improved based on literature review, focus groups, and expert review. The literature review resulted in the identification of indicators in 15 categories. These results were used to create a theoretical model and a matrix of action-living design elements. Focus groups communicated motivations, processes, and obstacles for completing the PAC and developing an action plan. The information gathered was then used to improve the PAC website http://www.mihealthtools.org/communities/ and create a technical assistance document, "Design Guidelines for Active Michigan Communities" to aid in creating active-living environments. Alaimo, Bassett, Wilkerson, et al. "The Promoting Active Communities Program: Improvement of Michigan's Self-Assessment Tool." J Phys Act Health, 5(1):4-18, 2008.

WV WALKS. The WV Walks campaign to promote physical activity replicated the community-wide campaign methodology used by Wheeling Walks, a social marketing intervention to promote physical activity in insufficiently active 40-65 year olds. The WV Walks intervention included an 8-week mass media campaign, policy, and environmental activities with pre and post random-digit-dial cohort telephone studies measuring the differences from baseline and post campaign in intervention and comparison regions. The quasi-experimental intervention successfully enrolled more than 5400 residents and logged over 6,862,771 walking minutes. Active respondents to the WV Walks initiative in north-central West Virginia were 82% more likely to become active walkers versus the comparison community. Furthermore, 12% of the target population transitioned from insufficiently active to sufficiently active (30 minutes or more, 5 days per week) versus the control population. Positive results from the campaign increased confidence that the initial effects of the Wheeling Walks intervention can be applied to similar rural communities. Reger-Nash, Bauman, Cooper, et al. WV Walks: "Replication with Expanded Reach." J Phys Act Health, Jan;5(1):19- 27, 2008.

SPECIAL ISSUE OF PREVENTIVE MEDICINE. The January 2008 special issue of Preventive Medicine (Volume 46, Issue 1: pp. 1-84) focuses on self-transportation, public transportation, and health. Many of these articles are related to PA. Access is free at http://preview.tinyurl.com/24g79y

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:

ACTIVE EDUCATION. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's Active Living Research program has published a research brief entitled "Active Education: Physical Education, Physical Activity and Academic Performance" that summarizes peer-reviewed research on the relationship between physical activity and academic performance among children and adolescents. The study concluded that more time in physical education and other school-based physical activity programs does not adversely affect academic performance, and that physically active and fit children tend to have better academic achievement. There are several possible mechanisms by which physical education and regular physical activity could improve academic achievement, including enhanced concentration skills and improved classroom behavior. Download the brief at: http://www.activelivingresearch.org/alr/alr/files/Active_Ed.pdf. [Source: CDC/NSPAPPH Physical Activity One-Way Listserv, 2/15/08]

EAT SMART. PLAY HARD.(tm) The USDA Food and Nutrition Services' Eat Smart. Play Hard.(tm) Campaign has revised its website for educators. This site provides practical tools to motivate children and their caregivers to eat healthy and be physically active. Messages and materials are fun, and are based on MyPyramid and the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Find free materials at http://www.fns.usda.gov/eatsmartplayhardeducators/. [Source: NCPPA News, 3/6/08]

RESOURCES FOR CYCLING. The Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center (PBIC) launched its redesigned bicycling website at www.bicyclinginfo.org. New features include a centralized library of bicycling-related materials and documents compiled by practitioners and researchers, and several searchable databases. Users can sign up to received email updates and news from the Center. [Source: American Bicyclist Update, 1/14/08]

PREVENTING DISEASES THROUGH PHYSICAL ACTIVITY. The Healthy States Initiative produces policy briefs and talking points that provide state legislators with concise, up-to-date information on public health topics. "Talking points on preventing disease through PA" can be accessed at http://preview.tinyurl.com/2gxlb5. It describes the effects of being inactive, benefits of PA, associated disparities, and action items for state legislators. Visit the Healthy States website at http://www.healthystates.csg.org/Publications to see the list of available publications. [Source: Council of State Governments Newsletter, 2/27/08]

WAY TO A HEALTHIER ALABAMA, a coalition of public and private partners, is committing $1 million to public schools to combat childhood obesity. Using a kid-friendly, multidisciplinary health and wellness program called Wellness, Academics, and You (WAY) for fourth and fifth graders, the coalition is fighting childhood obesity and improving the health of Alabama's school children and their families. For more information, visit http://www.healthy-america.org. [Source: Health Policy Highlights & Healthy States E- Weekly, 2/13/08]

CDC COMMUNITY HEALTH RESOURCES. The CDC, working with the YMCA's Pioneering Healthier Communities program, recently implemented a new website designed to be the single source for finding CDC's best web- based materials concerning chronic disease and health disparities (http://www.cdc.gov/communityhealthresources). The site features direct links to hundreds of resources, including program guidelines and recommendations, campaign materials, handbooks, fact sheets, evaluation frameworks, and behavioral and risk factor data, among other topics. For physical activity information, click on "Physical Activity" under "Browse by health topic."

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PROMOTING ACTIVE COMMUNITIES:

ACHIEVE INITIATIVE. The National Association of Chronic Disease Directors (NACDD) and the YMCA of the USA have announced that 10 communities will participate in a collaboration between local health departments and YMCAs. This initiative, "Action Communities for Health, Innovation, and EnVironmental ChangE" (ACHIEVE), will partner local leaders and stakeholders to build healthier communities by promoting policy and environmental changes focused on: obesity, diabetes, heart disease, healthy eating, physical activity, and preventing tobacco use. The communities are: Blackhawk, IA; Wichita, KS; Hancock County, ME; Albuquerque, NM; Cattaraugus, NY; Cleveland County, NC; Stark, OH; Allentown, PA; Houston, TX; and Tacoma, WA. The announcement can be viewed at http://preview.tinyurl.com/2lzbxb.

FUNDING FOR CHILDREN'S RUNNING PROGRAMS. To provide financial support for the fight against childhood obesity, Saucony, Inc., a global supplier of performance athletic footwear and apparel, established a foundation to fund grant proposals from nonprofit organizations that initiate and support running and fitness programs for kids. Eligible nonprofits are programs whose participants are 18 years of age or less and can demonstrate that their program positively impacts the lives of participants through their increased participation in running. The foundation has two grant cycles per year, with up to seven awards (a maximum of $10,000 each) granted each cycle. Deadline for Applications: June 13, 2008. For details and an application form go to http://www.sauconyrunforgood.com/Application.pdf [NCPPA News, 3/6/08]

SMART MOVES [Australia]. "Smart Moves - Physical Activity Programs in State Schools" is a program in Queensland, Australia designed to increase the curriculum time in which students are engaged in healthy, better quality physical activity. Under this new program, primary school students will be required to participate in moderate physical activity for at least 30 minutes a day. In secondary schools the requirement is a minimum of two hours a week. Information on "Smart Moves" and its guidelines is available at http://preview.tinyurl.com/2rs7he. [Source: AusPAnet e-News, 2/14/08]

NON-MOTORIZED TRANSPORTATION PILOT PROGRAM: The US Department of Transportation has submitted to Congress an interim report on the non-motorized transportation pilot program in four pilot communities (Columbia, MO; Marin County, CA; Minneapolis, MN; and Sheboygan County, WI). The purpose of the program was to construct "... a network of non-motorized transportation infrastructure facilities, including sidewalks, bicycle lanes, and pedestrian and bicycle trails, that connect directly with transit stations, schools, residences, businesses, recreation areas, and other community activity centers." A draft of the report can be downloaded at http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/bikeped/ntpp/index.htm. This draft does not include a few technical corrections that will be found in the final report, to be posted on the Federal Highway Administration's Web site. [Source: CDC Livability Listserv, 2/20/08]

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UPCOMING CONFERENCES AND WORKSHOPS:

2008 SPARK INSTITUTES. Sports, Play, and Active Recreation for Kids (SPARK) Institutes has announced its schedule for 2008: These courses, offered in San Diego, CA, provide a research-based approach to physical education content and instruction. Visit http://www.sparkpe.org/institutes.jsp for details on class schedules and registration information.

CDC WORKSHOPS. CDC's Division of Adolescent and School Health (DASH) has created the DASH Training Network (D-Train), master trainers who conduct workshops on how to use school health tools. Workshops on the School Health Index: A Self-Assessment and Planning Guide (SHI) and the Physical Education Curriculum Analysis Tool (PECAT) are available. For a limited number of sites, CDC will pay expenses associated with the trainer (travel, lodging, per diem, honorarium); the site must cover other costs. Most workshops will be held as part of a state professional development meeting or in conjunction with a conference. Learn more at http://www.cdc.gov/HealthyYouth/DTrain.

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

CARDIORESPIRATORY FITNESS AS A PREDICTOR OF STROKE. Dr. Steven Hooker, Director of the USC Prevention Research Center, recently presented a study on the association between cardiorespiratory fitness and stroke at the International Stroke Conference in New Orleans. Based on an analysis of data from the Aerobics Center Longitudinal Study at the Cooper Institute in Dallas, TX between 1970 and 2001, this study is the first to find a significant, independent association between cardiorespiratory fitness and fatal and nonfatal stroke in men and nonfatal stroke in women. An abstract of Dr. Hooker's presentation can be accessed at http://stroke.ahajournals.org/cgi/reprint/39/2/527. The paper will be published in Stroke.

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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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
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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.

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