QUARTER 2: April - June 2014 | USC-PRC Notes

"Promoting Health through Physical Activity"

Topics in this issue

NEWS YOU CAN USE:
Designed to Move: Fighting Physical Inactivity for a Healthy Society
CycloFemme is a Global Women's Cycling Day
The Global Strategy on Diet, Physical Activity & Health: 10 Years On
It’s Not Too Late to Join the National Bike Challenge
Abstract Submission Open for the 2014 SEC Symposium-- Prevention of Obesity: Overcoming a 21st Century Public Health Challenge
Upcoming Events And Observances: July, August, September

WHAT’S HAPPENING IN WASHINGTON:
Four Senators Introduce Bill to Help Finance Transit-oriented Development
U.S. House Committee Tells USDOT to Reduce Walking and Cycling Fatalities and Injuries

RESEARCH NOTES:
Effect of Structured Physical Activity on Prevention of Major Mobility Disability in Older Adults: The LIFE Study Randomized Clinical Trial
Relation Between Higher Physical Activity and Public Transit Use
Public Open Spaces and Walking for Recreation: Moderation by Attributes of Pedestrian Environments
Preventing Chronic Disease, Special Issue: Practice–Research Partnerships

REPORTS, SURVEYS, GUIDELINES, RESOURCES:
Foot Traffic Ahead: Ranking Walkable Urbanism in America’s Largest Metros
Dangerous by Design 2014
Measuring Sprawl
Bike State Rankings

PROMOTING ACTIVE COMMUNITIES:
Women Bike Mini-Grants Announced
NACTO Urban Street Design Guide endorsed by Massachusetts, California DOTs
Bike Friendly Community Spotlight: Las Vegas
Road Diet Shapes up Ponce de Leon

UPCOMING CONFERENCES AND WORKSHOPS:
July, August, September

USC PREVENTION RESEARCH CENTER UPDATE:
USC PRC Receives a $4.35 Million Grant to Implement a Faith-Based Health Improvement Program
Update from the Food Access and Family Food Shopper Study
Update from the National Physical Activity Plan: NPAPA Releases First U.S. Report Card on Physical Activity Update from QuitConnect: A National Smoker’s Registry for Proactive Re-Engagement
Updates from the South Carolina Cancer Prevention and Control Research Network (SC-CPCRN)

NEWS YOU CAN USE:

Designed to Move: Fighting Physical Inactivity for a Healthy Society
In celebration of Olympic Day, observed June 23 to commemorate the first modern Olympic Games (which began June 23, 1894 at the Sorbonne in Paris), the International Olympic Committee (IOC) highlighted some recent projects in focused on physical activity promotion. Among the projects featured was “Designed to Move”, an initiative founded by Nike and co-sponsored by over 70 organizations, with the mission of promoting a collaborative vision of physical activity (read more here). Additionally, the IOC saluted the Sport for All campaign, an initiative of The Association for International Sport for All (TAFISA) which works to increase worldwide access to sport and fun, social ways for people to be physically active. TAFISA recently hosted World Challenge Day (May 28, 2014), a friendly international competition where countries of a similar size compete to see who can get more people physically active on the challenge day (read more here).
[Source: IOC]

CycloFemme is a Global Women's Cycling Day
On May 11, 2014 women around the world joined to celebrate CycloFemme, an international day of women’s cycling events hosted by local communities. The movement is focused on “honoring the past…celebrating the present…[and] empowering future” generations of women to get involved in sport and cycling. Now in its third year, CycloFemme reported over 300 rides for Global Women’s Cycling Day, including rides in 42 US states and 25 countries. For more information on the event and the locations of the 2014 rides, visit http://cyclofemme.com/.
[Source: CycloFemme]

The Global Strategy on Diet, Physical Activity & Health: 10 Years On
May 2014 marked the 10th anniversary of the adoption of the Global Strategy on Diet, Physical Activity & Health by the World Health Organization (WHO) (May 2004). The Global Strategy, developed in the early 2000s in response to the rise of non-communicable diseases (NCDs; e.g., cancers, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease), provides each Member State with a range of options to increase physical activity, improve diet, and prevent disease. Pekka Puska, who served as the WHO Director for NCD Prevention and Health Promotion during the development and publishing of the Global Strategy (and currently serves as President of the International Association of National Public Health Institutes) recently discussed the progress over the past 10 years towards the goals of the Strategy. Puska noted that while NCDs have received much more political attention, there is a need for stronger government policies and more support from citizens for changes to food and physical activity structures.
[Source: World Cancer Research Fund International]

It’s Not Too Late to Join the National Bike Challenge
While the National Bike Challenge may have kicked off on May 1, it is not too late to join—riders are encouraged to sign up at any point during the event, which runs until September 30. The National Bike Challenge is a yearly event that aims to promote bicycling for riders of all levels of experience, while providing a fun environment where riders compete at the local, state, and national levels. This year, the League of American Bicyclists has set a goal to enroll 50,000 riders and to ride a combined 30 million miles during the five-month competition! To sign up, visit: https://nationalbikechallenge.org/.
[Source: National Bike Challenge]

Abstract Submission Open for the 2014 SEC Symposium-- Prevention of Obesity: Overcoming a 21st Century Public Health Challenge
The University of South Carolina is leading the 2014 Southeastern Conference (SEC) Symposium, set to take place in Atlanta, GA from September 21-23, 2014. The theme of this year's symposium is "Prevention of Obesity: Overcoming a 21st Century Public Health Challenge," and the event will allow researchers from across SEC schools to come together and discuss the current state of the evidence regarding obesity prevention and treatment. Registration and abstract submission are now open, and all registrants are encouraged to submit an abstract to be considered for presentation at a poster sessions (deadline for submission is July 21). Students (all levels) are encouraged and welcome to attend the symposium and submit an abstract. For more information, visit: http://www.secsymposium.com/
[Source: SEC Symposium]

UPCOMING EVENTS AND OBSERVANCES:

JULY
Park and Recreation Month
July 1-31, 2014

AUGUST
none

SEPTEMBER
America On The Move, Steptember
September 1-30, 2014

Fruit and Veggies - More Matters Month
September 1-30, 2014

Gynecological Cancer Awareness Month
September 1-30, 2014

Healthy Aging® Month
September 1-30, 2014

National Cholesterol Education Month
September 1-30, 2014

National Yoga Month
September 1-30, 2014

Whole Grains Month
September 1-30, 2014

World Alzheimer's Month
September 1-30, 2014

European Mobility Week
September 15-21, 2014

Active Aging Week
September 21-27, 2014

Alzheimer's Action Day
September 21, 2014

National Women's Health & Fitness Day
September 24, 2014

World Heart Day
September 29, 2014

Family Health and Fitness Day USA
September 27, 2014

WHAT’S HAPPENING IN WASHINGTON:

Four Senators Introduce Bill to Help Finance Transit-oriented Development
Senators Brian Schatz (D-HI), Ed Markey (D-MA), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Jeff Merkley (D-OR) introduced the Transit-Oriented Development Infrastructure Financing Act in early May, a bill that would expand a financing program to support the development of public infrastructure. According to the U.S. Congress report on the bill, it would change the Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (TIFIA) to make a wide range of projects eligible for the funding, including changes to public infrastructure within walking distance of public transportation stations. The increased access to TIFIA funds will allow more communities to move forward with development projects to increase walkability and accessibility of public transit, without having to cover all of the project costs upfront.
[Source: U.S. Congress, Transportation for America]

U.S. House and Senate Committees Tells USDOT To Reduce Walking and Cycling Fatalities and Injuries
In the past month, two separate congressional committees have presented the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) with directives to develop a measure of walking and bicycle safety. In early May, the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee unanimously approved Senate Bill 2322, known as the “MAP-21 Reauthorization Act”, specifically calling for the development of a non-motorized safety performance measure. Two weeks later, the House of Representatives Appropriations Committee approved the fiscal year 2015 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development funding bill and presented the USDOT with an accompanying report. The report highlights the increasing numbers of pedestrian and bicycle fatalities in recent years and asks that the Federal Highway Administration begin to evaluate these accidents and develop a safety performance measure.
[Source: US House Appropriations Committee, Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, Bike Delaware]

RESEARCH NOTES:

Effect of Structured Physical Activity on Prevention of Major Mobility Disability in Older Adults: The LIFE Study Randomized Clinical Trial
While reduced mobility in older adults is associated with increased risk for morbidity, disability and mortality, there was limited evidence about the role of physical activity in preventing reduced mobility. The Lifestyle Interventions and Independence for Elders (LIFE) study was a multicenter, randomized trial that enrolled 1635 older adults at 8 centers across the U.S. The participants were randomized to either a structured exercise program or a health education program, and participated in the program for an average of 2.6 years. Mobility disability was measured as the loss of ability to walk 400 meters. At follow-up, there were significantly fewer participants in the physical activity condition who had experienced incident mobility disability and who had experienced persistent mobility disability as compared to the participants in the health education condition. The authors conclude that structured, moderate-intensity physical activity might be an effective way to reduce mobility disability in vulnerable older adults who are at risk for disability.
Pahor M et al. 2014. Effect of Structured Physical Activity on Prevention of Major Mobility Disability in Older Adults: The LIFE Study Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA.

Relation Between Higher Physical Activity and Public Transit Use
One of the purported benefits of using public transit is the increase in physical activity that it provides users. However, most previous research that has examined this relationship is subject to both possible confounding (e.g., by examining all physical activity together and not segregating transit versus non-transit walking) and potential substitution (e.g., inability to detect whether an increase in transit physical activity is associated with a decrease in recreational physical activity). In order to better examine the transit-related physical activity of adults without confounding or substitution effects, researchers used data from accelerometers, GPS, and a 7-day travel log to examine transit-related walking on transit use days versus non-use days and non-transit walking. The results showed that adults who used transit tended to walk more and have more total physical activity than non-transit users, but the two groups did not differ on non-transit walking or other physical activity, suggesting that the transit-related walking might be causing an increase in overall walking. However, more research is needed to examine the direct impact of increasing access to public transit on physical activity, and whether that is sufficient to cause the observed increase in walking in other adults.
Saelens B.E. et al. Relation Between Higher Physical Activity and Public Transit Use. American Journal of Public Health.

Public Open Spaces and Walking for Recreation: Moderation by Attributes of Pedestrian Environments
The evidence on the relationship between public open spaces (POS) and physical activity is mixed—some studies have demonstrated no link between physical activity and POS while others have shown that certain characteristics of POS are associated with increased physical activity (e.g., attractive parks/green spaces, walking paths, etc.). However, it is also likely that the area around POS also influences people’s use of the space and potentially their subsequent physical activity. Using data from the North West Adelaide Health Study (Australia), researchers tested for the moderating effect of the pedestrian environment on the relationship between POS access and recreational walking. While POS access was not directly associated with walking, pedestrian environments moderated this relationship, such that POS access was associated with walking in: aesthetically pleasing environments, poorer walking infrastructure, and areas without access to walking trails. The mixed results of the analysis point to the need for further investigation of the impacts of neighborhood characteristics on physical activity in POS.
Sugiyama et al. 2014. Public Open Spaces and Walking for Recreation: Moderation by Attributes of Pedestrian Environments.Preventive Medicine.

Preventing Chronic Disease, Special Issue: Practice-Research Partnerships
Highlighting challenges of the dissemination and implementation of research into practice, Preventing Chronic Disease released a special issue to describe successful research-practice partnerships as well as suggest future directions for these collaborations. The issue begins with an essay by Dr. Ross Brownson explaining the value of research-practice partnerships and the need for collaboration from the beginning stages of building an evidence base. The issue offers a range of examples, including three articles that describe successful partnerships that resulted in positive physical activity outcomes.

Brownson R.C. 2014. Preventing Chronic Disease. Practice–Research Partnerships and Mentoring to Foster Evidence-Based Decision Making.

REPORTS, SURVEYS, GUIDELINES, RESOURCES:

New Reports from SmartGrowth America
SmartGrowth America recently released a suite of reports describing different aspects of American growth, walkability, and safety for active transportation.

Foot Traffic Ahead: Ranking Walkable Urbanism in America’s Largest Metros
This report focuses on urban metro areas and the recent trend towards domination of the ‘WalkUp’ market (walkable urban places). Researchers found a total of 558 WalkUps in 30 metropolitan areas in the U.S. These 30 metros are ranked based on their overall walkable urbanism into four categories: High, Moderate, Tentative, and Low Walkable Urbanism. The report discusses trends and changes among the metros. Click here for the full report.
Dangerous by Design 2014
This report takes a hard look at the correlates of pedestrian deaths, which accounted for 15% of all traffic-related fatalities in 2012. The report examines the location of the accidents, presenting information on who is at risk from the county, metro, and state levels, as well as offering suggestions for tools and practices to help improve pedestrian safety. Click here for the full report.
Measuring Sprawl
This report is an update of a highly utilized 2002 report by SmartGrowth America, which examined the costs and benefits of sprawling development. In the 2014 update, researchers used data from 2010 examining 221 metropolitan areas and 994 counties in the U.S. to describe which areas are developing in more compact, connected ways and which areas are more sprawling. Click here for the full report.

Bike State Rankings
Each year, the League of American Bicyclists releases its ranking of the 50 states in the US in terms of their bicycle friendliness. The rankings are based on data that come from a multi-faceted Bicycle Friendly State (BFS) questionnaire that is answered by each state’s Bicycle Coordinator. Attributes of a bicycle friendly state include: a Complete Streets policy, a large percentage of schools participating in the Safe Routes to School program, legislative and enforcement policies in place to protect bicyclists, and education provided to new drivers regarding bicycle safety (more details here). This year, Washington topped the list with an overall score of 68.0 out of 100 points on the BFS questionnaire. For the complete rankings, see here.

PROMOTING ACTIVE COMMUNITIES:

Women Bike Mini-Grants Announced
On June 3, the American Bike League announced the winners of the second year of the Women’s Bike Mini-Grant Program. The program aims to “engage young women in bicycling, encourage more moms to ride and advance female leadership in the bike movement.” This year, grants were awarded to: Bike Easy (New Orleans), for a youth spokeswomen mentorship program; Bike Works (Seattle), for family biking and immersion seminars and expo; West Town Bikes (Chicago), for a girls bike club; and Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition + Multicultural Communities for Mobility (Los Angeles), for a growing allies for bike/ped through women's leadership program. For more about the mini-grant program and the 2014 recipients, see here.
[Source: League of American Bicyclists]

NACTO Urban Street Design Guide endorsed by Massachusetts, California DOTs
In April, the California and Massachusetts Departments of Transportation (DOT) joined the Washington State DOT to endorse the Urban Street Design Guide developed by the National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO). The Guide provides information on design for multi-modal streets and the improvement of public spaces, including specifics on street design elements, intersection design elements, interim design strategies, and design controls. The goal of the Guide is to provide “A blueprint for designing 21st century streets…and the tactics cities use to make streets safer, more livable, and more economically vibrant.” For more on the announcement of the adoption of the Guide in California see here; for Massachusetts see here.
[Source: California DOT, Massachusetts DOT, SmartGrowth America]

Bicycle Friendly Community Spotlight: Las Vegas
Recently recognized as a Bicycle Friendly Community, Las Vegas earned the Bronze Award from the League of American Bicyclists for its efforts to increase bicycle safety, policies and programs to promote bicycling, and enforcement of bicycle-related laws. Although Las Vegas may not traditionally be viewed as a bicycle friendly city, there have been a number of improvements to the bicycling environment in recent years. For example, in 2006 there were only 30 bike lanes in the city, but by 2014 that number had increased to 444 miles of bike lane! To read more about the transformation of Las Vegas see here; for more about the Bicycle Friendly Community program, see here.
[Source: League of American Bicyclists]

Road Diet Shapes up Ponce de Leon
An important connection between many neighborhoods in the metro area and suburbs of Atlanta, Ponce de Leon Avenue has been a crucial road for much of the city’s history. However, the road is also associated with a variety of issues including safety concerns. A case study published in Georgia Engineer offers an in-depth look at proposed changes to several miles of the road, including improved safety, utility, and aesthetics for pedestrians and users of mass transit. The road improvements will be undertaken as a public-private collaboration.
[Source: Georgia Engineer]

UPCOMING CONFERENCES AND WORKSHOPS:

JULY
NONE

AUGUST

10th Annual International Conference on Kinesiology and Exercise Sciences
August 4-7, 2014
Athens, Greece

IDEA World Fitness Convention
August 13-17, 2014
Anaheim, CA

XX IEA World Congress of Epidemiology
August 17-21, 2014
Anchorage, Alaska

SEPTEMBER

2014 SEC Symposium-- Prevention of Obesity: Overcoming a 21st Century Public Health Challenge
September 21-23, 2014
Atlanta, Georgia

USC PRC UPDATES:

USC PRC Receives a $4.35 Million Grant to Implement a Faith-Based Health Improvement Program
The CDC has awarded a $4.35 million grant to the USC PRC. The USC PRC was established through funding by the CDC in 1993, and has been funded continuously since that time. The new award will enable USC PRC Director Dr. Sara Wilcox, a professor in the Department of Exercise Science, and her colleagues to implement and disseminate a faith-based program, called Faith, Activity and Nutrition (FAN). Designed to increase physical activity and encourage healthy eating in South Carolina, the program will have an emphasis on rural and underserved populations. FAN was added this month as one of the National Cancer Institute’s Research-tested Intervention Programs (RTIPs). For more information on the CDC funding and the FAN program, see the PRC website.

Update from the Food Access and Family Food Shopper Study
The Food Access and Family Food Shopper study is a natural experiment, where USC PRC researchers are examining whether changes in the community food environment will result in better dietary intake and health status over time. The study is underway in two South Carolina communities with high poverty and relatively lower access to supermarkets, deemed "food desert" areas according to the USDA definition. Study enrollment was completed in May, with 532 participants completing a baseline in-person interview and 89% of these people completing a dietary recall. Participants were a good match to the targeted enrollment for the communities, with 80% women and 20% men; 92% African American, 5% white, 2% more than one race. Recruitment efforts were successful in great part because of endorsement from community leaders and the use of a variety of recruitment methods. Also in progress are a baseline community food assessment and a context and process evaluation using intercept questionnaires at farmers’ markets.

Update from the National Physical Activity Plan: NPAPA Releases First U.S. Report Card on Physical Activity
On April 29th, the National Physical Activity Plan Alliance (NPAPA) proudly released the 2014 U.S. Report Card on Physical Activity for Children and Youth. In collaboration with its organizational partner, the American College of Sport Medicine (ACSM), the NPAPA unveiled the Report Card grades during a briefing held in collaboration with the Congressional Fitness Caucus in Washington, D.C. The results – no surprise – U.S. kids are not getting enough physical activity. In fact, 58% of 6-11 year olds and 92% of 12-15 year olds are failing to meet the current physical activity recommendations calling for 60 minutes of daily moderate-to-vigorous physical activity on at least 5 days per week. As a result, American youth earned a D- on “overall physical activity”. To review the grades and summaries in more detail, download the full report here.

Update on QuitConnect: A National Smoker’s Registry for Proactive Re-Engagement
The CDC SIP funded project, “Design, implementation, and evaluation of a national quitline registry to enhance smoking cessation in the United States” led by Drs. James Thrasher (USC PRC Affiliate and Associate Professor of Health Promotion Education and Behavior, Arnold School of Public Health) and Scott Strayer (Professor, USC School of Medicine), is beginning the implementation phase of the national smokers’ registry. The registry, “QuitConnect,” will provide smokers with access to a variety of cessation resources in one location. Participants will also be given opportunities to engage in a variety of research studies to determine best practices for promoting smoking cessation. The research team has completed analysis of three focus groups with stakeholders, and is currently making final refinements to the QuitConnect website. Text and email invitations will be sent out by the Roswell Park Cancer Institute to callers of the New York State Quitline. The research team plans for the site to be live and accepting participants by early July.

Updates from the South Carolina Cancer Prevention and Control Research Network (SC-CPCRN)
Through strong state, regional, and national partnerships, the South Carolina Cancer Prevention and Control Research Network (SC-CPCRN) continues working to reduce cancer-related health disparities among medically underserved populations by advancing dissemination and implementation science to accelerate the implementation of evidence-based, multi-level cancer prevention and control programs and interventions. A recent manuscript and presentation examine the benefits of implementing a food assistance incentive program for farmers’ markets.
Freedman, D.A., Mattison-Faye, A., Alia, K., Guest, M.A., & Hébert, J.R. (2014). Comparing Farmers’ Market Revenue Trends Before and After the Implementation of a Monetary Incentive for Recipients of Food Assistance. Preventing Chronic Disease, 11:130347. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5888/pcd11.130347
Freedman, D.A., & Draper, C. Developing, Implementing, and Sustaining a Food Assistance Incentive Program for Farmers’ Markets: Lessons Learned in South Carolina. Webinar presentation delivered for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion-Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity on June 12, 2014.

Writer: Danielle Schoffman

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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.

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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