QUARTER 2: April - June 2018 | USC-PRC Notes
"Promoting Health through Physical Activity"
Topics in this issue
NEWS YOU CAN USE:
WHO Launches Global Action Plan on Physical Activity
America Walks Announces Class of 2018 Walking College Fellows
AARP Launches New Livability Index: Great Neighborhoods for All Ages
PeopleforBikes Grant Opportunity
Upcoming Events and Observances: July, August, September
WHAT’S HAPPENING IN WASHINGTON:
Physical Activity for a Stronger America
19 US Trails Added to National Recreation System
US Department of Transportation Launches BUILD Transportation Program, Announces
$1.5 Billion Notice of Funding Opportunity
RESEARCH NOTES:
Neighborhood Built Environment and Socioeconomic Status in Relation to Physical
Activity, Sedentary Behavior, and Weight Status of Adolescents
Impact of Scheduling Multiple Outdoor Free-play Periods in Childcare on Child
Moderate-to-vigorous Physical Activity: A Cluster Randomised Trial
Effectiveness of Mother and Daughter Interventions Targeting Physical Activity, Fitness,
Nutrition and Adiposity: A Systematic Review.
Faith, Activity, and Nutrition Randomized Dissemination and Implementation Study:
Countywide Adoption, Reach, and Effectiveness
Physical Activity Levels in Adults and Older Adults 3–4 Years After Pedometer-based
Walking Interventions: Long-term Follow-up of Participants from Two Randomised Controlled Trials in UK Primary Care
REPORTS, SURVEYS, GUIDELINES, RESOURCES:
Be Active: Connecting Routes + Destinations
Developing a Park Prescription Program for your Community
Church Environment Audit Tool
Park and Recreation Month Toolkit
Helping Preschool Teachers and Child Care Providers Keep Children Active throughout
the Day
PROMOTING ACTIVE COMMUNITIES:
Incorporating Parks into Roadways and Highways
Safe Streets Demonstration Projects
Alabamians Urged to Participate in 100 Miles Challenge
NRPA Awards Grant Funding to Support Cities Participating in 10-Minute Walk
Campaign
UPCOMING CONFERENCES AND WORKSHOPS:
July, August, September
USC PREVENTION RESEARCH CENTER UPDATES:
Update from the USC PRC Core Research Project
Update from the National Physical Activity Plan
Update from the South Carolina Healthy Brain Research Network
Update from the South Carolina Cancer Prevention and Control Research Network II
NEWS YOU CAN USE:
WHO Launches Global Action Plan on Physical Activity
Three out of four adolescents and one out of four adults worldwide do not meet the global recommendations for physical activity set by WHO. To help combat this issue, the World Health Organization has joined with world leaders to launch the action plan, “WHO Global action plan on physical activity and health 2018-2030: More active people for a healthier world.” A major goal in the action plan is to reduce physical inactivity in adult and adolescent populations by 15% through policy implementation, the use of digital technology, and training for healthcare workers. The WHO is also launching Let’s Be Active: Everyone, Everywhere, Everyday, an advocacy campaign to promote activity in partnership with local governments.
[Source: World Health Organization]
America Walks Announces Class of 2018 Walking College Fellows
America Walks, a national organization focusing on promoting walking and walkable communities, has announced the 2018 Walking College Fellows. This group of fellows includes 30 advocates for local change from 16 states, the District of Columbia, and Ontario, Canada. The Fellows will complete a six-module distance education program focusing on the benefits of walking, communication skills, built environment assessment strategies, and building relationships with local decision makers. They also will attend the national Walk/Bike/Places conference in September in New Orleans, LA. Applications for the 2019 class of Walking College Fellows will be available online in early 2018.
[Source: America Walks]
AARP Launches New Livability Index: Great Neighborhoods for All Ages
The American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) has released a new version of the Livability Index, a tool that scores neighborhoods and communities for services and amenities including housing, transportation, and opportunities for active transport. The updated Index includes new data and tools allowing users to compare livability attributes by year and location. It also includes featured communities such as Washington, DC, where 100% of residents have access to a park or recreational facility within one mile of their residence.
[Source: AARP]
PeopleforBikes Grant Opportunity
The PeopleforBikes Community Grant Program, created to support cycling-friendly infrastructure projects, is now accepting letters of intent for the Fall 2018 grant cycle. Eligible projects include those focused on infrastructure such as creating bike paths and lanes, facilities providing bike racks and repair stations, and advocacy projects such as Open Streets Days. Applicants can request up to $10,000 and must submit a letter of intent by July 23, in addition to a full application. More information about the application process can be found on the PeopleforBikes website.
[Source: PeopleforBikes]
JULY
Park and Recreation Month
July 1-31, 2018
AUGUST
Summer Sun Safety Month
August 1-31, 2018
National Health Center Week
August 12-18, 2018
SEPTEMBER
Fruit and Veggies - More Matters Month
September 1-30, 2018
Gynecological Cancer Awareness Month
September 1-30, 2018
Healthy Aging® Month
September 1-30, 2018
National Cholesterol Education Month
September 1-30, 2018
Whole Grains Month
September 1-30, 2018
World Alzheimer's Month
September 1-30, 2018
European Mobility Week
September 16-22, 2018
Active Aging Week
September 23-29, 2018
National Women's Health & Fitness Day
September 26, 2018
World Heart Day
September 29, 2018
WHAT’S HAPPENING IN WASHINGTON:
Physical Activity for a Stronger America
The National Coalition for Promoting Physical Activity (NCPPA) hosted a briefing at Capitol Hill to advocate for the importance of physical activity for a stronger America. The briefing focused on strategies to bring Congress, administrators, and public and private organizations together to support increasing widespread opportunities for physical activity. Experts were also in attendance advocating for the importance of exercise and physical fitness to reduce the chronic disease burden on the population’s health and healthcare system.
[Source: NCPPA]
19 US Trails Added to National Recreation System
The US Department of the Interior recently designated 19 new recreational trails to the National Recreation Trails System. The trails, located across 17 states, will add over 370 miles to the existing network, which currently includes over 1000 trails in all 50 states. Physical activity opportunities on the new trails include hiking, biking, horseback riding, cross-country skiing, and several other activities depending on terrain and landscape. The addition comes during the 50th anniversary of the National Trail System, which will be celebrated throughout 2018.
[Source: US Department of the Interior]
US Department of Transportation Launches BUILD Transportation Program, Announces $1.5 Billion Notice of Funding Opportunity
The US Department of Transportation (USDOT) has announced a Notice of Funding for $1.5 billion in grant funding through the Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) program. This program replaces the Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grant program and will continue providing communities with funding for investments in surface transportation. BUILD grants will retain the same project eligibility and requirements as TIGER grants, including eligibility for walking and biking projects to encourage active transportation. Several changes will be made to the grant program: (1) projects that can generate more non-federal revenue will be considered more competitive, (2) “innovation” is now considered a primary focus for BUILD merit criteria, and (3) the USDOT plans to award a greater portion of BUILD transportation funding to projects located in rural areas. The official USDOT notice of funding can be found online.
[Source: US Department of Transportation]
RESEARCH NOTES:
Neighborhood Built Environment and Socioeconomic Status in Relation to Physical Activity, Sedentary Behavior, and Weight Status of Adolescents
Built environments encouraging walking and active transportation may increase physical activity. However, research suggests disparities in socioeconomic status (SES) may limit community walkability. In this study, researchers assessed the association of neighborhood walkability to physical activity, body mass index, and sedentary time among adolescents while examining SES as a potential modifier. Researchers found that walkability was positively and significantly associated with accelerometer-measured physical activity and that self-reported sedentary time and TV time were negatively associated with walkability. These outcomes applied across SES categories. However, youth in lower-income neighborhoods were less likely to live in walkable areas and therefore less likely to experience physical health benefits. Authors recommend that future studies examine the causal role of the built environment on increasing physical activity, particularly in low-income neighborhoods.
[Source: Sallis, J. et al. 2018. Neighborhood built environment and socioeconomic status in relation to physical activity, sedentary behavior, and weight status of adolescents. Preventive Medicine.]
Impact of Scheduling Multiple Outdoor Free-play Periods in Childcare on Child Moderate-to-vigorous Physical Activity: A Cluster Randomised Trial
Spreading opportunities for outdoor play throughout the day may increase physical activity in childcare centers and schools. This study assessed the impact of scheduling multiple outdoor play periods while at childcare on children’s physical activity. Childcare centers in the intervention group scheduled three separate periods of outdoor play throughout the day while centers in the control group scheduled an equivalent but single continuous period of outdoor play. Minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) was measured using accelerometers at baseline and 3 months follow-up. Researchers found that children in intervention centers (i.e., three separate periods of physical activity) had higher mean daily minutes of MVPA and percentage of time spent in MVPA per day than children in control centers (i.e., continuous period of physical activity). These findings suggest a simple change in daily allocation of outdoor periods for play may lead to improvements in overall child physical activity.
[Source: Razak, LA. et al. 2018 Impact of scheduling multiple outdoor free-play periods in childcare on child moderate-to-vigorous physical activity: a cluster randomised trial. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity.]
Effectiveness of Mother and Daughter Interventions Targeting Physical Activity, Fitness, Nutrition and Adiposity: A Systematic Review.
Familial relationships, particularly those between mothers and daughters, play important roles for modeling health behaviors. This systematic review assessed studies investigating the impacts of health behavior interventions on physical activity, fitness, nutrition, and adiposity in mother-daughter dyads. Fourteen studies met inclusion criteria and half were randomized control trials (RCTs). Of the RCTs, less than 20% successfully improved physical activity, fitness, and nutrition, and none successfully reduced adiposity among participants. Considering the importance of role modeling, researchers should continue to investigate effective ways of promoting positive behaviors between mothers and daughters.
[Source: Barnes, AT. et al. 2018. Effectiveness of mother and daughter interventions targeting physical activity, fitness, nutrition and adiposity: A systematic review. Preventive Medicine.]
Faith, Activity, and Nutrition Randomized Dissemination and Implementation Study: Countywide Adoption, Reach, and Effectiveness
Faith-based organizations have been identified as potential partners to promote population-level health, specifically physical activity. This study reported results from a group-randomized dissemination and implementation trial of an evidence-based intervention, Faith, Activity, and Nutrition. Churches in a rural and medically underserved county were offered the training. Interested churches were randomized to an early intervention or delayed intervention group and received training to develop policy-, systems-, and environmental-level health changes (e.g., opportunities, messages, guidelines/policies, pastor support) in church settings. Churches also received 12 months of technical assistance from trained community health advisors. A total of 42% of churches in the county adopted the program. Early intervention churches had more church-level physical activity opportunities, physical activity and healthy eating messages, and physical activity and healthy eating pastor support, as well as a lower proportion of inactive members. These results confirm the efficacy of faith-based programs at increasing healthy behaviors and have potential for wider dissemination in underserved communities.
[Source: Wilcox, S. et al. 2018. Faith, Activity, and Nutrition Randomized Dissemination and Implementation Study: Countywide Adoption, Reach, and Effectiveness. American Journal of Preventive Medicine.]
Physical Activity Levels in Adults and Older Adults 3–4 Years After Pedometer-based Walking Interventions: Long-term Follow-up of Participants from Two Randomised Controlled Trials in UK Primary Care
Physical activity remains important throughout the lifespan. This study investigated the effects of a 12-week pedometer-based behavioral intervention on physical activity at 3- and 4- years follow-up. In the initial study, intervention participants received pedometers and either physical activity mailings or support in a healthcare setting. Control participants did not receive behavioral or wearable intervention materials until the end of the trial. In the initial study, intervention participants had significantly higher step counts and total weekly moderate to vigorous physical activity. At 3-year and 4-year follow-ups, researchers found similar results. While consumers continue to favor more sophisticated fitness trackers, the findings from this study suggest simple pedometers as part of a behavioral physical activity intervention may successfully increase steps over time in adults and older adults.
REPORTS, SURVEYS, GUIDELINES, RESOURCES:
Be Active: Connecting Routes + Destinations
The Community Preventive Services Task Force recommends combined built environment approaches to improve physical activity. A combined intervention approach focuses on connecting everyday destinations (e.g., grocery store) with activity-friendly routes (e.g., shared-use path). The Be Active: Connecting Routes + Destinations webpage, from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, provides public health practitioners with additional resources to meet the Preventive Services Task Force Recommendation including: (1) Real-World Examples, (2) an Implementation Resource Guide, and (3) a Visual Guide.
[Source: CDC]
Developing a Park Prescription Program for your Community
Park Prescription (Park Rx) programs encourage physicians to counsel patients to increase physical activity and to “prescribe” outdoor activity in park settings. The National Recreation and Parks Program has created a toolkit to help communities, organizations, and advocates establish and support Park Rx programs. The toolkit includes information to help identify stakeholders, create goals, and design programs. Additional information includes examples of successful programs that use natural settings to encourage exercise such as Park Rx America and Track Trails, a resource from Kids in Parks.
[Source: National Recreation and Parks Association]
Church Environment Audit Tool
Churches have been identified as important partners in nation-wide efforts to improve health through promoting physical activity and healthy eating. To evaluate the physical environment of faith-based settings and assess opportunities for physical activity and healthy eating, The University of South Carolina Prevention Research Center created the Church Environment Audit Tool. The tool assesses opportunities for indoor and outdoor physical activity, food preparation equipment, type of kitchen, food and beverages for purchase, and a media assessment. More information about development and reliability testing is found in recently published manuscript.
[Source: University of South Carolina Prevention Research Center]
Park and Recreation Month Toolkit
July is National Park and Recreation Month, and the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) has released a toolkit to promote parks and programs throughout the community. The toolkit includes posters, media advisory and press release templates, activity sheets for children, and suggestions for promoting the role that parks play in physical activity and educational promotion. Toolkit materials highlight the innovative and undiscovered offerings at parks such as health and wellness opportunities, sports parks, and outdoor education. Resources also include links to NRPA’s social media to share with community members.
[Source: National Recreation and Parks Association]
Helping Preschool Teachers and Child Care Providers Keep Children Active throughout the Day
The California Department of Public Health and California State University’s Chico Center for Healthy Communities have released a toolkit that provides practical approaches for increasing activity for children ages 3-5. The toolkit instructs childcare providers, teachers, and educational aides on strategies to integrate physical activity programming as part of daily curriculum. Toolkit materials focus on distributing activity throughout the day to help children meet the recommended guidelines of total daily physical activity. To assist child care providers in making these additions, the kit includes information to help plan and schedule play, skill cards focusing on different types of physical activity, and customizable physical activity policies.
PROMOTING ACTIVE COMMUNITIES:
Incorporating Parks into Roadways and Highways
As large cities continue to grow and construct more highways, finding a suitable area for parks and outdoor space for physical activity may become increasingly difficult. Several cities have found innovative ways of bringing green space to downtowns by creating highway cap parks. Cities across the United States such as Dallas, Pittsburgh, and Chicago have built parks and outdoor activity spaces into roadway decks crossing over freeways and highways. Kylde Warren Park, in Dallas, TX, welcomes visitors traveling to the park and provides bicycle racks, restrooms, water fountains, a restaurant, botanical garden, a public transit stop, and more!
[Source: Pew Charitable Trusts]
Safe Streets Demonstration Projects
The National Complete Streets Coalition recently worked with planners in three cities to implement a Safe Streets demonstration. As part of the Safe Streets Academy, these cities implemented techniques to slow down automobile traffic and improve street safety for pedestrian residents. Techniques included strategies such as installing traffic calming mechanisms and introducing protected bike lanes. Read more about the three participating cities Lexington, KY, South Bend, IN, and Orlando, FL, and their Safe Streets projects.
[Source: Smart Growth America]
Alabamians Urged to Participate in 100 Miles Challenge
Organizations across Alabama have come together to support the 100 Alabama Miles Challenge, a statewide program that aims to inspire residents to “walk, run, hike, bike, swim, paddle, ride, or roll” 100 miles across Alabama each year. The Challenge’s website includes tools and resources aimed at helping citizens increase their physical activity and get outside to explore Alabama’s many state and federal lands. In addition to tools that help users identify trails and parks for activity, the site offers interactive components. Users can connect with friends and neighbors, track progress to their 100 miles, and earn badges for visiting new parks and achieving activity milestones.
[Source: Times Daily]
NRPA Awards Grant Funding to Support Cities Participating in 10-Minute Walk Campaign
The National Recreation and Park Association, in coordination with The Trust for Public Land and the Urban Land Institute have awarded funding to 12 cities to increase access to public parks. The 10-minute walk campaign, established in 2017, has the goal of ensuring that all Americans have access to a park or high-quality greenspace within a 10-minute walk of their home. Each grant award winner will use a tailored approach such as increasing connectivity to parks through biking and walking paths, improving park safety, and updating existing parks.
UPCOMING CONFERENCES AND WORKSHOPS:
JULY
Wellness & Health Coach Certification Training
July 18-21, 2018
Fort Collins, CO
Society for Nutrition Education and Behavior 50th Annual Conference
July 21-24, 2018
Minneapolis, MN
14th Annual International Conference on Kinesiology and Exercise Sciences
July 30-August 2, 2018
Athens, Greece
AUGUST
Physical Education, Sports Medicine and Doping Studies
September 11-13, 2018
Atlanta, GA
SEPTEMBER
National Conference on Health Communication, Marketing, and Media
September 11-13, 2018
Atlanta, GA
USC PRC UPDATES:
Update from the USC PRC Core Research Project
The USC PRC core research project examines the dissemination & implementation (D&I) of Faith, Activity, and Nutrition (FAN), a faith-based intervention to help promote changes to the church environment and policies that support physical activity and healthy eating. Three publications from this project led by USC PRC Investigators, Drs. Sara Wilcox, Patricia Sharpe, and Andrew Kaczynski, are now available. FAN is currently indexed in National Cancer Institute’s Research Tested Intervention Programs (RTIPs). Positioned for greater dissemination, results of the first phase of the current D&I study led to the Rural Health Information Hub featuring FAN in their Rural Health Models & Innovations, a national collection of successful rural health programs and interventions.
The papers led by Drs. Wilcox and Kaczynski were described earlier in the Newsletter. The paper led by Dr. Sharpe describes the process of recruiting and training community health advisors (CHAs) to deliver the FAN program in the D&I study, and the CHAs’ experience with the delivery of the FAN training and technical assistance. The paper concludes that “….with training and support, CHAs demonstrate high levels of intervention fidelity, confidence, and competence.”
Citations for these three articles:
Wilcox, S., Saunders, R. P., Kaczynski, A. T., Forthofer, M., Sharpe, P. A., Goodwin, C., Condrasky, M., Kennedy, V.L., Jake-Schoffman, D.E., Kinnard, D., Hutto, B. (2018). Faith, Activity, and Nutrition Randomized Dissemination and Implementation Study: Countywide Adoption, Reach, and Effectiveness. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 54(6), 776-785. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2018.02.018
Kaczynski, A. T., Jake-Schoffman, D. E., Peters, N. A., Dunn, C. G., Wilcox, S., & Forthofer, M. (2018). Development and Testing of the Church Environment Audit Tool. American Journal of Health Behavior, 42(3), 17–26. https://doi.org/10.5993/AJHB.42.3.2
Sharpe, P. A., Wilcox, S., Kinnard, D., & Condrasky, M. D. (2018). Community Health Advisors’ Participation in a Dissemination and Implementation Study of an Evidence-Based Physical Activity and Healthy Eating Program in a Faith-Based Setting. Journal of Community Health. E-pub ahead of print Feb 2018. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10900-018-0473-5
Faculty, staff, and graduate students presented research at the Society of Behavioral Medicine conference in New Orleans, LA. USC PRC staff also attended the United Methodist Church (UMC) HulaPalooza event at St. John’s UMC in the Rock Hill District. Churches in South Carolina, New York, and Zimbabwe participated in the event, which was a kickoff for the UMC Abundant Health initiative. The event included a health fair with information from local healthcare providers, blood pressure and dental screenings, games for children and youth, a senior’s aerobics demonstration, and hula hooping contests for all attendees. Lastly, FAN was represented at the Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church in South Carolina in June in Greenville, SC.
Update from the National Physical Activity Plan
This quarter the National Physical Activity Plan Alliance published a new conversational commentary titled, “Prioritizing Physical Activity Messaging – The Role of Communications in an Evolving Field.” The commentary summarizes an interview with Dr. Michelle Segar about the words, messages, and metaphors that impact how people perceive and experience being physically active. The NPAPA also released objectives for the Education sector. The objectives were released as part of the continued effort to expand the content of the National Physical Activity Plan and indicate specific actions that can and should be taken to implement plan tactics, along with a timeline for implementation.
Update from the South Carolina Healthy Brain Research Network
A Researcher Spotlight: Alzheimer’s Disease Registry featuring SC-HBRN and its engagement with the Arnold School of Public Health’s Office for the Study of Aging (OSA) was published in the Alzheimer’s Association’s Alzheimer’s Public Health News in April 2018. The spotlight described the South Carolina Alzheimer’s Disease Registry, the nation’s oldest and most comprehensive statewide registry of residents diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD). The SC-HBRN, in partnership with OSA, continues to advance research and education on cognitive health and dementia through research and stakeholder engagement.
HBRN Scholar and MA graduate Kristie Kannaley led development of a manuscript focused on blog narratives written by people with ADRD and care partners. Six themes emerged from an analysis of 63 blogs: (1) effects of ADRD on the person with ADRD and/or the care partner; (2) seeing the positives; (3) feeling out of control; (4) advocacy and empowerment; (5) coping mechanisms and compensatory strategies; and (6) candid descriptions of experiences with ADRD. Results from this study provide insights into the experiences of individuals affected by ADRD.
Citation: Kannaley, K., Mehta, S., Yelton, B., & Friedman, D. B. (2018). Thematic analysis of blog narratives written by people with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias and care partners. Dementia. E-pub ahead of print Jan 2018. https://doi.org/10.1177/1471301218768162
Update from the South Carolina Cancer Prevention and Control Research Network II
Dr. Swann Arp Adams, SC-CPCRN co-investigator and associate director of the Cancer Prevention and Control Program, led a manuscript that was published in the Journal of Community Health in May. This publication examined the use of evidence-based interventions (EBIs) and implementation strategies to increase colorectal cancer screening in federally qualified health centers (FQHCs). A survey was conducted with key informants at FQHCs in eight states. The most common EBIs used to promote CRC screening were provider reminders and recall systems, while the most common implementation strategy was the identification of barriers. These findings identify gaps, preferences and needs of FQHCs in selecting and implementing EBIs for colorectal cancer screening.
Writers: John Bernhart and Caroline Dunn
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This publication was supported by Cooperative Agreement Number U48-DP-001936 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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