MAY - JUNE 2010 | USC-PRC Notes
“Promoting Health through Physical Activity”
Another seminal event in the history of physical activity promotion occurred on May 3, 2010 when the nation’s first-ever National Physical Activity Plan was announced. Hearty congratulations to USDHHS, CDC, Dr. Russ Pate, Dan Bornstein, the many actors who served on the steering and sector committees, and those who provided input at any time during the process of crafting the plan. Now, it’s up to all of us to help facilitate its implementation in states and communities across America. Not an easy task, but one well worth tackling. All the best to each of us as we do our part to make the plan come alive!
Steve Hooker, PhD, Director
IN THIS ISSUE – MAY/JUNE
NEWS YOU CAN USE: Early Registration for Pro-Walk/Pro Bike ends on Memorial Day; National Bike Month; Competition to Encourage Bicycling; National Great Outdoors Month; National Trails Day
WHAT’S HAPPENING IN WASHINGTON: White House Task Force on Childhood Obesity Report to the President
RESEARCH NOTES: A Small Grants Program to Involve Communities in Research; The Role of Objective Neighborhood Features and Psychosocial Factors; Immigrant Generation and Physical Activity among Mexican, Chinese & Filipino Adults in the U.S.
REPORTS, SURVEYS, GUIDELINES, RESOURCES: National Physical Fitness and Sport Month Healthfinder Toolkit; Women’s Bicycle Survey; Green Exercise Improves Mood
PROMOTING ACTIVE COMMUNITIES: Colorado Becomes “Roll Model” with B-Bikes; New Review: Links Between Parks and Physical Activity; Maine Bicycling PSAs
SCHOOLS: Webinar: Ensuring Safe Routes to School Includes Children with Disabilities; Opening School Grounds to the Community after Hours
UPCOMING CONFERENCES AND WORKSHOPS: Annual Meeting of the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM); 2010 Built Environment Assessment Training Institute; World Conference on Health Promotion and Health Education
USC PREVENTION RESEARCH CENTER UPDATE: Minority Health Fellow Award
NEWS YOU CAN USE:
EARLY REGISTRATION FOR PROWALK/PRO BIKE ENDS ON MEMORIAL DAY! Chattanooga, Tennessee, host to ProWalk/ProBike® 2010, has much to boast about, including a walkable downtown, electric transit opportunities, a heavily used river trail, mountain biking within minutes of town and the restored Walnut Street Bridge, which serves as the basis for the 2010 event logo. Register now at https://center.uoregon.edu/conferences/NCBW/2010/registration/ to join us in the Scenic City September 13-16, 2010, for ProWalk/ProBike®! At the conclusion of ProWalk/ProBike® 2010, be sure to head to the Equal Footing Summit http://www.americawalks.org/equal-footing/ with America Walks from 3 – 7 pm on September 16! [Source: America Walks Monthly E-Newsletter, May 2010]
MAY IS NATIONAL BIKE MONTH. May is Bike Month, and there are tons of events nationwide. The weather is welcoming, so now is time to encourage friends, family and co-workers to bike to work, school and for errands. Bike to Work Week is May 17-21 and Bike to Work day is Friday, the 21st. There are Bike Month banners, logos and buttons. For these promotional materials and more info on Bile Month, go to: http://tinyurl.com/3zze6l. Help make every month “Bike Month!" [Source: League of American Bicyclists Website]
COMPETITION TO ENCOURAGE BICYCLING. To underline their commitment to climate change and bicycle advocacy for all ages, Clif Bar (maker of organic snacks and drinks) is giving away $100,000 to three nonprofit organizations: the Alliance for Biking & Walking, Trips for Kids, and the Alliance for Climate Education. Each organization will receive a $25,000 grant, and has been assigned to a 2 Mile Challenge team. If you are interested in participating, go to http://tinyurl.com/22snvyp to find out how. [Source: Centerlines Issue: 253, May 12, 2010]
NATIONAL GREAT OUTDOORS MONTH, June 1-30, 2010, http://www.funoutdoors.com/taxonomy/view/or/116
NATIONAL TRAILS DAY, June 5, 2010, http://www.americanhiking.org/NTD.aspxFor 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.
WHAT'S HAPPENING IN WASHINGTON:
WHITE HOUSE TASK FORCE ON CHILDHOOD OBESITY REPORT TO THE PRESIDENT. In February, First Lady Michelle Obama launched the “Let's Move!” campaign to solve the childhood obesity epidemic within a generation. As part of this effort, President Barack Obama established the Task Force on Childhood Obesity to develop and implement an interagency plan that details a coordinated strategy, identifies key benchmarks, and outlines an action plan to end the problem of childhood obesity within a generation. In total, the report presents a series of 70 specific recommendations, many of which can be implemented right away. See the report at http://www.letsmove.gov/taskforce_childhoodobesityrpt.html. [Source: “Let's Move!” website]
RESEARCH NOTES:
A SMALL GRANTS PROGRAM TO INVOLVE COMMUNITIES IN RESEARCH. JOURNAL OF COMMUNITY HEALTH. A key tenet of CBPR is that communities be involved in all facets of research, from defining the problem to identifying solutions, to assisting in the research, and to participating in the publication of results. In this study, the authors instituted a small grants program for community participation. Funds available were $2,500.00–3,500.00 for 1 year’s worth of work. To help evaluate the progress of the RFA community projects according to the perspectives of the Community Advisory Board (CAB), an open-ended, semi-structured interview was created and administered by a former staff member to CAB members. In 4 years, ten small grants proposed by community members were funded. Funds allocated totaled approximately $25,000. Interviews with CAB members indicated that the RFA program was perceived positively, but there were concerns about sustainability. Thompson, Ondelacy, Godina, Coronado. “A Small Grants Program to Involve Communities in Research.” Journal of Community Health, 35(3), 294-301, 2010.
THE ROLE OF OBJECTIVE NEIGHBORHOOD FEATURES AND PSYCHOSOCIAL FACTORS. Compared to people with a high socioeconomic status (SES), those with a lower SES are more likely to perceive their neighborhood as unattractive and unsafe, which is associated with lower levels of PA. Agreement between objective and perceived environmental factors is often found to be moderate or low, so it is questionable to what extent ‘creating supportive neighborhoods’ would change neighborhood perceptions. This study among residents (N=814) of fourteen neighborhoods in the city of Eindhoven (Netherlands), investigated to what extent SES differences in perceived neighborhood safety and perceived neighborhood attractiveness can be explained by five domains of objective neighborhood features (i.e. design, traffic safety, social safety, aesthetics, and destinations), and to what extent other factors may play a role. Kamphuis, Mackenbach, Giskes, et al. “The Role of Objective Neighbourhood Features and Psychosocial Factors. Health and Place.” 16(4), 744 – 754, 2010.
IMMIGRANT GENERATION AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AMONG MEXICAN, CHINESE & FILIPINO ADULTS IN THE U.S. This study examined relationships between immigrant generation and PA among Mexican, Chinese and Filipino adults, and the extent to which the relationships are confounded by SES. Data from the 2000 US Census was linked with data on adults 18 years and older from the 2005 California Health Interview Survey. Generation was significantly associated with LTPA among Mexican and Chinese adults and with NLTPA among all 3 ethnic origin groups; however the nature of the relationships varied. After adjusting for individual and neighborhood SES factors, a positive association between generation and LTPA remained among Mexican adults, and negative association between generation and NLTPA remained among Chinese and Filipino adults. Afable-Munsuz, Ponce, Rodriguez, Perez-Stable. “Immigrant generation and physical activity among Mexican, Chinese & Filipino adults in the U.S.” Social Science and Medicine, 70(12), 1997-2005, 2010.
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:
NATIONAL PHYSICAL FITNESS AND SPORT MONTH- HEALTHFINDER TOOLKIT. Healthfinder.gov recently launched a National Physical Fitness and Sports Month Online Toolkit. The toolkit provides readers with easy, actionable ways to educate and engage people in this national health observance. it includes resources from CDC’s Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity. Elements include:
- A sample newsletter or listserv article
- Sample tweets (for organizations on Twitter)
- “5 Ways to Get Involved”
- Background information and related healthfinder.gov content
- A list of tools and resources
- E-cards, Web badges and more
WOMENS’ BICYCLE SURVEY. The Association of Pedestrian & Bicycle Professionals (APBP) invited women to participate in an online survey about their attitudes and concerns about bicycling. As of the end of March, responses have been received from 7,300 women. Preliminary findings include:
- 59% of respondents use their bikes for some of their daily trips
- 11% percent ride more than 80 miles per week during the summer
- Some of respondents’ reasons for cycling:
- 90%--It’s great exercise and keeps me in shape
- 73%--Bicycling reduces my stress
- 72%--It saves me money
- 70%--It’s very green and I’m doing my bit
GREEN EXERCISE IMPROVES MOOD? A simple, free way to boost mental health is to exercise outdoors, whether walking, gardening or cycling, concludes a recent study on "green" exercise."Every green environment improved both self-esteem and mood," even urban parks, says the study by Jo Barton and Jules Pretty of the United Kingdom's University of Essex. Places with water gave an extra lift. Read more at http://www.greenexercise.org/. [Source: Parks and Recreation Weekly News Brief, May 11, 2010]
PROMOTING ACTIVE COMMUNITIES:
COLORADO BECOMES ”ROLL MODEL” WITH B-CYCLE. The City of Denver unveiled the United States’ first bike fleet system that makes cycling the easiest choice in the downtown area. On April 22, the program launched with 500 B-cycles at 50 B-stations around the city, offering a green alternative to cars for short commutes and errands. The B-cycle bikes are equipped with computers to track mileage, calories burned and carbon offsets. Riders can monitor their personal fitness, see their contributions to the city’s green efforts and connect with others online at www.Bcycle.com. Contact Bridget O’Malley Edelman at bridget.omalley@edelman.com for more information. [Source: CDC/NSPAPPH Physical Activity One-Way Listserv, May 17, 2010]
NEW REVIEW: LINKS BETWEEN PARKS AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY. This synthesis summarizes the growing body of evidence concerning the role of parks in shaping active lifestyles across a variety of study populations, including children, seniors, lower-income families, specific racial and ethnic groups and other populations at high risk of being inactive. Review the research and findings at http://www.activelivingresearch.org/files/Synthesis_Mowen_Feb2010.pdf.[Source: Active Living Research website]
MAINE BICYCLING PSAS. The Bicycle Coalition of Maine has created two new public service announcements about bicycle safety. One raises awareness about the Maine law requiring motorists to give at least three feet of clearance when passing cyclists. The other stresses the importance of wearing bicycle helmets. Watch the PSAs http://preview.tinyurl.com/22v292x. [Source: American Bicyclist Update, May 10, 2010]
SCHOOLS:
WEBINAR: ENSURING SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL INCLUDES CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES. Many schools use Safe Routes to School (SRTS) Programs that encourage more walking and bicycling. Students with disabilities should be included from the earliest planning stages. This webinar will address how to work with children with disabilities, what kinds of instruction they need, with practical advice on involving students, their parents and special education professionals. It is part of the Safe Routes to School Coaching Action Network Webinar Series, developed by America Walks and the National Center for Safe Routes to School. Register at https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/984617537. [Source: National Center for Safe Routes to School Announcement May 11, 2010]
OPENING SCHOOL GROUNDS TO THE COMMUNITY AFTER HOURS. A new toolkit provides guidance on increasing physical activity in communities through “joint use agreements.” Developed by Planning for Healthy Places at Public Health Law & Policy in California, the PHLP’s toolkit helps communities and school districts work together to develop these joint use agreements. You can review or download the entire toolkit or choose a specific chapter or appendix of interest. Note: The four California model joint use agreements within this toolkit are available in editable versions on the PHLP website: http://preview.tinyurl.com/2e5eek3. [Source: AusPAnet, May 7, 2010]
UPCOMING CONFERENCES AND WORKSHOPS:
ANNUAL MEETING OF THE AMERICAN COLLEGE OF SPORTS MEDICINE (ACSM), 6/2/2010 - 6/5/2010, Baltimore, MD, www.acsm.org
2010 BUILT ENVIRONMENT ASSESSMENT TRAINING (BEAT) INSTITUTE, 6/13/2010 - 6/18/2010, Philadelphia, PA, http://preview.tinyurl.com/yg3m86u
WORLD CONFERENCE ON HEALTH PROMOTION AND HEALTH EDUCATION, 7/11/2010 - 7/15/2010,.Geneva, Switzerland, http://www.iuhpeconference.net/
USC PRC UPDATES:
MINORITY HEALTH FELLOW AWARD. Jorge Banda, doctoral student in Exercise Science and Graduate Assistant in the PRC, has been awarded one of four new ASPH/CDC/PRC Minority Health fellows. There are 37 PRCs, and each was allowed to submit one fellowship application; thus, Jorge’s application was deemed extremely competitive and worthy of approval. This outstanding award provides a substantial annual stipend and additional funds for research and travel purposes for at least two years. Jorge’s project, “Examining the relationship between park and neighborhood characteristics and park use in rural, low income communities” is a key component of the PRC’s core research project in Sumter County. Jorge’s research will be featured at annual ASPH/CDC/PRC and other national meetings that spotlight fellows and their work.
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.
Writers: Marsha Stepp, Jorge Banda
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 Marsha Stepp at mstepp@mailbox.sc.edu.
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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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