QUARTER 2: April - June 2015 | USC-PRC Notes
"Promoting Health through Physical Activity"
Topics in this issue
NEWS YOU CAN USE:
Every Body Walk! Collaborative Video Competition
National Get Fit Don't Sit Day
America Walks Launches "Walking College" Training Program
Upcoming Events And Observances: July, August, September
WHAT’S HAPPENING IN WASHINGTON:
Fiscal Year 2016 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Bill Passes House
RESEARCH NOTES:
Supplement, Journal of Physical Activity and Health: Walking and Walkability: Approaches to Increase Physical Activity and Improve Health
New Perspective on Factors Related to Coalition Success: Novel Findings from an Investigation of Physical Activity Coalitions Across the United States
Built Environment Assessment and Interventions for Obesity Prevention
Redesigning a Neighborhood Park to Increase Physical Activity: A Community-Based Participatory Approach
REPORTS, SURVEYS, GUIDELINES, RESOURCES:
The University of Washington Health Promotion Research Center Releases Mall Walking: A Program Resource Guide
Bike State Rankings
Free Webinars from the National Safe Routes to School Resource Center
Research Brief: Impact of Safe Routes to School Programs on Walking and Biking
CDC Publishes CDC Winnable Battles 2010-2015, Progress Report 2014
The National Physical Activity Plan: A Call to Action from the American Heart Association a Science Advisory From the American Heart Association
PROMOTING ACTIVE COMMUNITIES:
Healthy Economies Need Healthy People — Nashville Leads the Way for Other Regions
Chicago's New 606 Trail a Boon for Open Space, Neighborhoods it Links
Long Beach Touts a Steady Growth in Cycling
Walkable Urban Places are the Future of Real Estate Development
UPCOMING CONFERENCES AND WORKSHOPS:
July, August, September
USC PREVENTION RESEARCH CENTER UPDATE:
Update from the National Physical Activity Plan
Update from the South Carolina Cancer Prevention and Control Research Network II
Update from the South Carolina Healthy Brain Research Network
NEWS YOU CAN USE:
Every Body Walk! Collaborative Video Competition
The Every Body Walk! Collaborative is seeking video submissions from individuals and organizations about what walking means to them. The videos should be short (between 30 seconds and a minute), and can focus on a variety of topics, including why walking is fun, walking with friends/family, favorite walking routes, and why America is a great place to walk (for the complete list, visit the competition website). Videos are due by October 1st, and the videos with the most likes, shares and views will be highlighted at the 2nd National Walking Summit, featured on Every Body Walk! Website and used by the partners at the Every Body Walk! Collaborative.
[Source: Every Body Walk!]
National Get Fit Don't Sit Day
On May 6, 2015, more than 2,700 business and organizations—plus countless individuals—joined the American Diabetes Association for their first National Get Fit Don’t Sit Day. People committed to reducing their sedentary time by getting up and moving around at least every 90 minutes. Visit the American Diabetes Association website for pictures of people getting active at work, as well as an e-toolkit to help inspire action at your workplace!
[Source: America Diabetes Association]
America Walks Launches "Walking College" Training Program
America Walks recently announced the first class of 25 Fellows in its newly launched “Walking College” program. The College is a structured, distance-education program of self-study, mentored instruction, and team problem-solving. It is designed to provide Fellows with tools to advocate for walking in their communities, including recruiting and inspiring other local advocates to get involved in the walking movement, organizing public events to emphasize the need for walkability, and engaging professionals across a variety of disciplines to consider the impact of walkability on their respective fields. Although the mentored instruction and team problem-solving components of the Walking College are only available to the 25 registered Fellows, everyone is welcome to participate in the self-study program and join the Walking College series of webinars.
[Source: America Walks]
UPCOMING EVENTS AND OBSERVANCES:
JULY
Park and Recreation Month
July 1-31, 2015
AUGUST
none
SEPTEMBER
America On The Move, Steptember
September 1-30, 2015
Fruit and Veggies - More Matters Month
September 1-30, 2015
Gynecological Cancer Awareness Month
September 1-30, 2015
Healthy Aging® Month
September 1-30, 2015
National Cholesterol Education Month
September 1-30, 2015
National Yoga Month
September 1-30, 2015
Whole Grains Month
September 1-30, 2014
World Alzheimer's Month
September 1-30, 2015
European Mobility Week
September 16-22, 2015
Active Aging Week
September 27-October 3, 2015
National Women's Health & Fitness Day
September 23, 2015
Family Health and Fitness Day USA
September 26, 2015
World Heart Day
September 29, 2015
WHAT’S HAPPENING IN WASHINGTON:
Fiscal Year 2016 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Bill Passes House
On June 9th, 2015 the House of Representatives passed its Fiscal Year 2016 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development (THUD) appropriations bill, by a narrow margin of 6 votes. Transportation advocates were disappointed by the approved budget which cut $200 million for all new transit construction, slashed the TIGER competitive grant program by 80 percent, and cut Amtrak’s budget by $240 million. However, the budget is not in a final form, as it now moves to the Senate Appropriations Committee, where members are currently drafting their own THUD spending bill.
[Source: U.S. House of Representatives, Transportation for America]
RESEARCH NOTES:
Supplement, Journal of Physical Activity and Health: Walking and Walkability: Approaches to Increase Physical Activity and Improve Health
This special supplement of the Journal of Physical Activity and Health highlights approaches to increase population levels of physical activity through walking and improved walkability. The articles focus on two main strategies to accomplish this. The first calls for improving the physical environment to support walking, such as having safe streets with sidewalks and crosswalks or attractive areas to walk, including nearby trails or parks. The second strategy recognizes the role of personal motivation for walking which may include walking the dog or walking to nearby destinations, such as public transit, stores, or schools. The entire supplement is available open access, with all articles available free to read and download.
Supplement, June 2015. Walking and Walkability: Approaches to Increase Physical Activity and Improve Health. Journal of Physical Activity and Health.
Among the articles in the supplement is one that highlights some of the findings of the previous USC PRC Core Research Project, Sumter County on the Move!. This article describes the characteristics of volunteer walking group leaders as compared to walking group members in order to better identify who might volunteer for these roles in future interventions. The authors conclude that while self-selected walking group leaders were no more active than members at the beginning of the walking program, they did display psychosocial characteristics and behaviors consistent with a greater readiness for change.
Wilcox S., et al. 2015. Characteristics of Walking Group Leaders as Compared to Walking Group Members in a Community-Based Study. Journal of Physical Activity and Health.
New Perspective on Factors Related to Coalition Success: Novel Findings from an Investigation of Physical Activity Coalitions Across the United States
While physical activity coalitions play a role in efforts to increase the population-level of physical activity in the United States, little was known about their composition and what factors about the groups are associated with successful efforts. To better understand physical activity coalitions, a cross-sectional survey of individuals from a diverse sample of coalitions in the United States was conducted, and 120 individuals responded to the query. The survey assessed: descriptive characteristics of the coalitions, 3 subscales about organizational membership factors (Strategic Alignment, Organizational Alignment, and Providing Input), and 2 subscales for assessing perceived coalition success. Higher scores on the key organizational membership factors (Strategic Alignment, Organizational Alignment, and Providing Input) were associated with greater perceived coalition success. However, the researchers point out that many coalitions were missing organizational members from the areas where they were working to make change, and thus a recommendation is to include more members from a broader background, including the built environment and educational sectors.
Bornstein DB et al. 2015. New Perspective on Factors Related to Coalition Success: Novel Findings From an Investigation of Physical Activity Coalitions Across the United States. Journal of Public Health Management & Practice.
Built Environment Assessment and Interventions for Obesity Prevention
This collection of four articles is a product of the 2-day long Built Environment Assessment Training Think Tank that was held in 2013. The Think Tank brought together thought leaders from a variety of areas of research related to observational and self-reported measures of nutrition and activity environments and related behavioral assessments. This themed collection of articles describes the progress to date in built environment assessment and interventions for obesity prevention, and helps readers to look ahead at important and fertile areas for future research, intervention development, and training.
Glanz K and Davis E.L. 2015. Built Environment Assessment and Interventions for Obesity Prevention: Moving the Field Forward. American Journal of Preventive Medicine.
Glanz K., Sallis J.F., Saelens B.E. 2015. Advances in Physical Activity and Nutrition Environment Assessment Tools and Applications: Recommendations. American Journal of Preventive Medicine.
Economos C.D., Hatfield D.P., King A.C. 2015. Food and Physical Activity Environments: An Energy Balance Approach for Research and Practice. American Journal of Preventive Medicine.
King A.C., Glanz K., Patrick K. 2015.Technologies to Measure and Modify Physical Activity and Eating Environments. American Journal of Preventive Medicine.
Eyler A.A., Blanck H.M., Gittelsohn J., et al. 2015. Physical activity and food environment assessments: implications for practice. American Journal of Preventive Medicine.
Redesigning a Neighborhood Park to Increase Physical Activity: A Community-Based Participatory Approach
Engaging the community and actively collaborating with residents are essential for the success of health promotion projects that target the built environment. However, less is known about the direct impact of community engagement on levels of physical activity of residents, in response to changes to community parks. This research brief describes the process of community engagement and discusses outcomes of a participatory park redesign project, as measured through environmental audits of park features and amenities completed before and after implementation of the redesign. Overall, there were no differences observed in the level of physical activity of children and adolescents observed in the parks at pre- and post-redesign, however the goals of the project related to capacity building and meeting residents’ needs were accomplished.
Patton-López MM, Muñoz R, Polanco K, et al. 2015. Redesigning a Neighborhood Park to Increase Physical Activity: A Community-Based Participatory Approach. Journal of Public Health Management & Practice.
REPORTS, SURVEYS, GUIDELINES, RESOURCES:
The University of Washington Health Promotion Research Center Releases Mall Walking: A Program Resource Guide
The goal of Mall Walking: A Program Resource Guide is to encourage the development of mall walking programs by providing readers with information about the health benefits of walking, explaining why mall walking programs can help people walk more, and providing practical strategies for starting and maintaining walking programs in malls or other venues in areas where a mall is not available. The information in the Guide is based on a review of research on mall walking programs; environmental audits of malls and other venues with walking programs; and interviews conducted with walkers, program leaders, and managers in malls and other venues with walking programs.
[Source: CDC]
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 66.0 out of 100 points on the BFS questionnaire. For the complete rankings, see here.
[Source: The League of American Bicyclists]
Free Webinars from the National Safe Routes to School Resource Center
The Safe Routes to School Resource Center offers a range of informational materials that are regularly updated, as well as a webinar series. In a recent webinar, speakers from Cincinnati Public Schools, Safe Routes to School, and the Prevention Institute discussed how to increase safety for children in the community, especially as it relates to routes to school. Links to past archived webinars are available on the Safe Routes Partnership website.
[Source: Safe Routes to School National Partnership]
Research Brief: Impact of Safe Routes to School Programs on Walking and Biking
A new research brief from Active Living Research highlights evidence on walking and biking rates, safety, and economic issues associated with safe routes to school (SRTS). The research review shows that:
- Actively commuting to and from school can improve mental and physical health.
- SRTS has increased the number of students who walk or bike to and from school.
- Unsafe routes make it harder for students to walk or bike to and from school. SRTS has made it safer for students to walk or bike to or from school.
- SRTS can lower health care and transportation costs for school districts and families.
[Source: Active Living Research]
CDC Publishes CDC Winnable Battles 2010-2015, Progress Report 2014
CDC’s “winnable battles” are in seven public health areas: tobacco, nutrition/physical activity/obesity, food safety, healthcare-associated infections, motor vehicle injuries, teen pregnancy, and HIV. Three key highlights related to physical activity were reported for 2014. First, The State Indicator Report on Physical Activity was released and presents state-level information on physical activity behaviors and on environmental and policy supports for physical activity. Second, the Comprehensive School Physical Activity Program Guide was developed to assist schools and school districts to develop, implement, and evaluate comprehensive physical activity programs. Third, participation in Let’s Move Child Care by early care and education providers increased from 11,981 to 15,963 providers, who serve over 910,000 children. For more information about Winnable Battles, visit http://www.cdc.gov/winnablebattles/.
[Source: CDC]
The National Physical Activity Plan: A Call to Action from the American Heart Association a Science Advisory from the American Heart Association Recognizing the links between physical inactivity and morbidity and mortality from chronic disease, such as heart disease, the American Heart Association (AHA) is actively involved in efforts to increase physical activity at the population level. As part of this involvement, the AHA is a member of the National Physical Activity Plan (NPAP) Alliance, working as part of a collective team to help organizations from all sectors of society come together to increase the physical activity of Americans. This report summarizes the health benefits of physical activity, describes the role of the NPAP to increase population-level physical activity, and includes a call to action to get other professionals to join the AHA in promoting physical activity.
Kraus W.E., Bittner V., Appel L., et al. 2015. The National Physical Activity Plan: A Call to Action From the American Heart Association, A Science Advisory From the American Heart Association. Circulation.
PROMOTING ACTIVE COMMUNITIES:
Healthy Economies Need Healthy People — Nashville Leads the Way for Other Regions
Representatives from five regions across the United States gathered recently in Nashville to learn more about the Nashville Area Metropolitan Planning Organization’s methods for successfully prioritizing health in transportation policy and action. In recent years, Nashville transportation officials have become nationally recognized for their innovative policies that place the health and economic benefits of active transport at the forefront of their planning processes. Among their ambitious projects is the goal of expanding transportation infrastructure in the rapidly growing town of Nolensville (pop. 8,000), such that all children can walk to school. Transportation for America will report on the resulting impact of the meeting and the example that Nashville has set on the policies and projects implemented in the other five regions.
[Source: Transportation for America]
Chicago's New 606 Trail a Boon for Open Space, Neighborhoods it Links
Chicago’s newest trail, named 606 for the area’s zip code, stands to make a large impact on the recreation and transit patterns of residents. The trail is a renovation of a dormant elevated freight line that has not added much to the bordering neighborhoods of Bucktown and Logan Square for a long time. While the project cost more than $75 million, all but $5 million was subsidized by the federal government and private donors. The trail, which opened on June 6, 2015, has the potential to add a connection between economic and culturally diverse neighborhoods and offer a pleasant space for active transport and leisure physical activity.
[Source: Chicago Tribune]
Long Beach Touts a Steady Growth in Cycling
In 2009, Long Beach proclaimed itself “the most bicycle friendly” city in America, and they have been taking measures since then to live up to this title. Today, more than 10% of the city’s 80 miles of streets are marked with bike lanes, a novel feature for a Southern Californian city in a culture that relies heavily on automobile transportation. There is an additional 40 miles of off-street bike paths along the Los Angeles and the San Gabriel rivers on the eastern and western edges of the city and the Pacific shoreline, bringing the total to more than 120 miles of bike infrastructure. A Times analysis showed a 30% increase in citywide ridership from 2008 to 2014. The growth was greatest during commuter hours: morning traffic was up 130% and afternoon traffic increased 91%. City officials continue to work on projects to identify gaps in currently existing trails as develop future trails to fit these needs.
[Source: LA Times]
Walkable Urban Places are the Future of Real Estate Development
Recognition of the benefits of walkable neighborhoods is spreading across sectors, as evidenced by a recent conference held by the National Association of Realtors. Speakers discussed the potential for walkability to change the dynamics of a neighborhood to increase foot traffic to nearby restaurants and shops. Christopher Leinberger, professor at George Washington University School of Business, added that, “Walkable urban regions in the U.S. have a 41 percent higher Gross Domestic Product over non-walkable regions” which is “the difference between countries like Germany and Romania.” Participants discussed the potential impact of zoning regulations as a point where development could be stalled, and strategies for proactively working to rezone and allow for future progress.
[Source: National Association of Realtors]
UPCOMING CONFERENCES AND WORKSHOPS:
JULY
11th Annual International Conference on Kinesiology and Exercise Sciences
July 13-16, 2015
Athens, Greece
IDEA World Fitness Convention
July 15-19, 2015
Los Angeles, CA
NONE
USC PRC UPDATES:
Update from the National Physical Activity Plan
The revision and update of the National Physical Activity Plan (NPAP) is currently underway. The NPAP Alliance is excited to report that all eight Sector Expert Panels have submitted their recommendations for revision to the NPAP. Moving forward with the revision process, the newly convened NPAP Revision Executive Committee and Diversity Committee will compile the Sector Expert Panel recommendations into a near-final draft of the revised NPAP. After the near-final draft of the revised NPAP has been completed, the Alliance will solicit public comment. Based on the feedback received, final revisions to the Plan will be completed and presented to the NPAP Alliance Board of Directors for review. Release of the revised NPAP is anticipated for late 2015.
Update from the South Carolina Cancer Prevention and Control Research Network II
Recent publications:
Brandt, H.M., Young, V.M., Campbell, D.A., Choi, S.K., Seel, J.S., & Friedman, D.B. (2015 May 11 Epub). Federally qualified health centers’ capacity and readiness for research collaborations: Implications for clinical-academic-community partnerships. Clinical and Translational Science (DOI: 10.1111/cts.12272).
Friedman, D.B., Wilcox, S., & Hebert, J.R. (2015 Apr 18 Epub). Proposing an interdisciplinary, communication-focused agenda for cancer and aging researchers. Journal of Cancer Education (DOI 10.1007/s13187-015-0822-3).
Kegler, M., Carvalho, M., Ory, M., Kellstedt, D., Friedman, D.B., McCracken, J.L., Dawson, G., & Fernandez, M. (2015 March 2 Epub). Use of mini-grant to disseminate evidence-based interventions for cancer prevention and control. Journal of Public Health Management & Practice (DOI: 10.1097/PHH.0000000000000228).
Update from the South Carolina Healthy Brain Research Network
Recent Publications:
Friedman, D.B., Becofsky, K., Anderson, L.A., Bryant, L.L., Hunter, R.H., Ivey, S.L., Belza, B., Logsdon, R.G., Brannon, S., Vandenberg, A.E., & Lin, S.Y. (2015 Jan 16 Epub). Public perceptions about risk and protective factors for cognitive health and impairment: A review of the literature. International Psychogeriatrics (DOI: 10.1017/S1041610214002877).
A research brief (click here) summarizing key points from this publication has been developed collaboratively by HBRN Centers and the CDC Healthy Aging Program.
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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