QUARTER 1: January - March 2018 | USC-PRC Notes
"Promoting Health through Physical Activity"
Topics in this issue
NEWS YOU CAN USE:
Innovative Playground Design Trends and Fundraising Resources
New Monthly Podcast about Transit and Development
StreetFilms Releases Video Series Promoting Bicycling
Tony Hawk Foundation Skatepark Grants
Upcoming Events and Observances: April, May, June
WHAT’S HAPPENING IN WASHINGTON:
Advisory Committee for 2018 Physical Activity Guidelines Submits Scientific Report
TIGER Grant Recipients Announced While Future of TIGER Grant Program Remains
Uncertain
RESEARCH NOTES:
New Journal Release: Journal for the Measurement of Physical Behaviour
Commitment Lotteries Promote Physical Activity Among Overweight Adults—A Cluster
Randomized Trial
Environmental Supports for Physical Activity, National Health Interview Survey–2015
Effectiveness of eHealth Interventions for the Promotion of Physical Activity in Older
Adults: A Systematic Review
Active Learning Increases Children's Physical Activity across Demographic Subgroups
REPORTS, SURVEYS, GUIDELINES, RESOURCES:
Parks and Recreation Inclusion Report
Best Complete Streets Initiatives of 2017
Cities Alive: Designing for Urban Childhoods
New Maps for National Recreation Trails
PROMOTING ACTIVE COMMUNITIES:
America Walks Announces Community Change Grantees
Active Streets + 352Creates Celebrates Community
McCrary Elementary 60 Years Later: Here’s What a Community Working Together Can Accomplish
Why Everyone in San Francisco Lives Within a 10-Minute Walk to a Park
UPCOMING CONFERENCES AND WORKSHOPS:
April, May, June
USC PREVENTION RESEARCH CENTER UPDATES:
Announcing the 2018 Physical Activity & Public Health Courses!
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:
Innovative Playground Design Trends and Fundraising ResourcesPlaygrounds can provide diverse spaces for children to be active and for families to engage in positive outdoor experiences. While playgrounds can also support community engagement, updates to current park designs and new ways of thinking about inclusive physical activity may be necessary to increase park and playground usage among diverse populations. This article from the National Recreation and Parks Association provides insights in playground design and case studies illustrating the success of these design ideas. One suggestion for park improvements is multigenerational playgrounds that include play equipment for children and fitness equipment for adults, encouraging physical activity for all family members. The article also highlights ideas for increasing funds to build new parks or renovate existing parks to improve inclusivity.
[Source: National Recreation and Parks Association]
New Monthly Podcast about Transit and Development
The Federal Transit Administration has released a new podcast series titled, “Building Better Communities with Transit.” Each month, the podcast features stories and perspectives from organizational leaders regarding transit development and its potential to catalyze city growth and improve community health. The premier episode featured representatives from Pittsburgh, PA, talking about transit initiatives through neighborhoods and streets. Despite being known as the City of Bridges, valleys, and hills, Pittsburgh city leaders have improved connectivity through new transit, bicycle, and walking systems. Speakers also highlighted their hope to continue setting trends in the city for non-automobile focused programs that will encourage active transportation. Podcast episodes are released monthly, and you can subscribe online.
[Source: Transportation for America]
Streetfilms Releases Video Series Promoting Bicycling
Streetfilms produces educational videos that promote active transportation and opportunities for physical activity. Each post contains tips with short descriptions followed by real-world examples. For example, one of their recent posts discusses ways communities can advocate for protected bike lanes and promote cycling. The tip, “organize not only riders, but politicians & businesses,” is followed by a video example of workers and organizations participating in the 2017 Bike to Work Day in New York City. You can stay up-to-date on new educational video series by subscribing to the streetfilms newsletter.
[Source: Streetfilms]
Tony Hawk Foundation Skatepark Grants
Public skateparks, like public parks, basketball and tennis courts, may provide opportunities to increase physical activity in a community. The second round of Tony Hawk Foundation (THF) skatepark grants will open on April 30 and close on June 11. The THF promotes high quality, public skateparks in low-income areas in the United States. THF grant awards range from $1,000 to $25,000 and the THF will provide a detailed review of all proposed grant projects and skatepark designs, regardless of award status. Award winners will be announced in July.
[Source: Tony Hawk Foundation]
APRIL
Cancer Control Month
April 1-30, 2018
National Minority Health Awareness Month
April 1-30, 2018
National Start Walking Day
April 4, 2018
National Public Health Week
April 2-8, 2018
National Walk to Work Day
April 6, 2018
World Health Day
April 7, 2018
World T'ai Chi & Qigong Day
April 28, 2018
Screen-Free Week
April 30-May 6, 2018
MAY
Stroke Awareness Month
May 1-31, 2018
Clean Air Month
May 1-31, 2018
Arthritis Awareness Month
May 1-31, 2018
Older Americans Month
May 1-31, 2018
National Bike Month
May 1-31, 2018
National Cancer Research Month
May 1-31, 2018
Global Employee Health and Fitness Month
May 1-31, 2018
American Stroke Month & National High Blood Pressure Education Month
May 1-31, 2018
National Osteoporosis Month
May 1-31, 2018
National Physical Fitness and Sports Month
May 1-31, 2018
Medical Fitness Week
May 7-13, 2018
National Bike to School Day
May 10, 2018
National Women's Health Week
May 13-19, 2018
National Bike to Work Day
May 18, 2018
JUNE
Men’s Health Month
June 1-30, 2018
National Great Outdoors Month
June 1-30, 2018
National Trails Day
June 2, 2018
National Cancer Survivors Day
June 3, 2018
Global Running Day
June 6, 2018
WHAT’S HAPPENING IN WASHINGTON:
Advisory Committee for 2018 Physical Activity Guidelines Submits Scientific Report
The 2018 Physical Activity Guidelines Advisory Committee has submitted the scientific report summarizing the findings from the committee’s systematic review of physical activity research to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary. The report reinforces recommendations in the 2008 report and provides updates and expanded findings related to physical activity and health. The full report is available online and open for public comment until April 2. The 2nd edition of the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans will be released later this year using information from the revised report as well as input from federal agencies and the public.
[Source: Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion]
TIGER Grant Recipients Announced While Future of TIGER Grant Program Remains Uncertain
The U.S. Department of Transportation has announced the newest recipients of nearly $500 million in grant funding through the Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery Program (TIGER). The newest group of TIGER recipients focused primarily on projects in rural areas as well as complete streets projects, which encourage active transportation into street design. While the TIGER grant program provides the U.S. Department of Transportation with funding to invest in national projects, including bicycle lanes and pedestrian walkways, future TIGER funding remains uncertain. The President’s recently released infrastructure proposal eliminates funding for TIGER grants, putting local infrastructure improvement projects at risk. Since the creation of the TIGER grant program, $5.6 billion has been allocated for capital investments in infrastructure over 9 competitive grant application cycles.
[Source: U.S. Department of Transportation]
RESEARCH NOTES:
New Journal Release: Journal for the Measurement of Physical Behaviour
With the rise of the popularity of wearable technology and an increase in their use in research, the International Society for the Measurement of Physical Behaviour and Human Kinetics have released the Journal for the Measurement of Physical Behaviour. In its first year, the new journal will publish volumes in March, June, September, and December. The mission of the journal is to publish papers that apply sensory-based measures of physical activity as well as movement disorders, sedentary behavior, and sleep. Submissions may include experimental studies, best practices, reviews, brief reports, and more.
[Source: Human Kinetics]
Commitment Lotteries Promote Physical Activity Among Overweight Adults—A Cluster Randomized Trial
Commitment to a regular physical activity routine proves difficult for many. Researchers tested if lottery-based incentive programs assisted overweight individuals in reaching a gym attendance goal. Participants from 6 corporate gyms were randomized into 3 groups: (1) a weekly attendance goal with a lottery drawing at 13 weeks, (2) a weekly attendance goal with lottery drawings at 13 and 26 weeks, and (3) a control arm without lotteries. Lottery winners were selected only if they reached their attendance goal. Researchers found that participants in the experimental groups reached their attendance goals more than the control participants, with the highest attendance in the group with drawings at 13 and 26 weeks. Incorporating incentives such as this may help individuals make health goals a reality.
[Source: van der Swaluw, K., et al. 2018 Commitment Lotteries Promote Physical Activity Among Overweight Adults – A Cluster Randomized Trial. Annals of Behavioral Medicine]
Environmental Supports for Physical Activity, National Health Interview Survey–2015
This study assessed near-home walkable infrastructures and destinations of adults participating in the National Health Interview Survey, with the goal of describing the distribution of walkable landscapes across the U.S. Prevalence of various infrastructures and destinations such as sidewalks, paths, transit stops, stores, and places to reduce stress were counted. Of these built environment features, respondents reported the highest prevalence of sidewalks, paths, or trails near the home. Shops were the most commonly identified walkable destination. However, prevalence of these features was less commonly reported among older adults and those living in the Southern U.S. These findings may assist future efforts of promoting built environment approaches to increase physical activity, as recommended in the Guide to Community Preventive Services.
[Source: Whitfield, G.P., et al. 2018. Environmental Supports for Physical Activity, National Health Interview Survey-2015. American Journal of Preventive Medicine]
Effectiveness of eHealth Interventions for the Promotion of Physical Activity in Older Adults: A Systematic Review
While regular physical activity is an important component of healthy aging, only a small portion of older adults meet current recommendations for physical activity. eHealth interventions have been proposed as a scalable model for increasing physical activity among populations, including adults over age 55. This systematic review evaluated evidence from 20 studies comparing eHealth interventions to either no or non-eHealth interventions to determine differences in physical activity outcomes. The authors found variability in study quality, intervention mode, duration, and outcomes of interest, and concluded that eHealth interventions can effectively promote short-term increases in physical activity for older adults. However, evidence of long-term impacts is lacking.
[Source: Muellmann, S, et. al. 2018. Effectivenss of eHealth interventions for the promotion of physical activity in older adults: A systematic review. Preventive Medicine.]
Active Learning Increases Children’s Physical Activity across Demographic Subgroups
Hours spent in sedentary time largely outweigh hours spent in physical activity for children in K-12 school settings. Physically active lessons, or “active learning” techniques, have been proposed as a method of increasing activity by incorporating movement into academic content. In this study, researchers evaluated the school-based active learning program, Texas Initiatives for Children’s Activity and Nutrition (I-CAN!), on physical activity time among a group of diverse fourth-grade students. The authors found active learning techniques increased moderate to vigorous physical activity among students in intervention schools compared to those in control schools. These outcomes were not moderated by socioeconomic status, race, BMI, or fitness level, indicating that active learning techniques are effective at increasing activity among potentially hard-to-reach populations.
[Source: Bartholomew, J., et al. 2018. Active learning increases children’s physical activity across demographic subgroups. Translational Journal of the American College of Sports Medicine.]
REPORTS, SURVEYS, GUIDELINES, RESOURCES:
Parks and Recreation Inclusion Report
A new report published by The National Recreation and Park Association provides insight into how organizations and agencies across the U.S. can ensure all community members, regardless of background or ability, can enjoy parks and recreation. The report includes data and suggestions for programs that are inclusive for individuals with physical or cognitive disabilities and racially/ethnically diverse communities. The authors highlight the impact that policies may have on ensuring that recreation facilities are accessible to all community members. Finally, the report outlines suggestions for addressing challenges to creating inclusive recreation facilities such as insufficient funding, staffing needs, and staff training.
[Source: National Recreation and Park Association]
The Best Complete Streets Policies of 2017
Smart Growth America and the National Complete Streets Coalition have released the Best Complete Streets Policies of 2017, an annual update to the organizations’ yearly assessment of complete streets programs across the country. The report also serves as a tool for local communities, coalitions, and policy makers, providing guidance and examples for enacting complete streets policies. The complete streets approach seeks to connect community and individual needs with planning, design, and transportation construction in communities in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. T The new report highlights 12 cities from the US and Canada, providing detailed examples of complete streets policy and program implementation. The report also includes complete streets policy grades and an updated policy development and implementation template.
[Source: Smart Growth America]
Cities Alive: Designing for Urban Childhoods
A new report, Cities Alive: Designing for urban childhoods, provides information to promote child-focused urban planning efforts that may increase health and activity. Child-focused urban planning considers alternative methods for designing cities to encourage children’s development into healthy adults. The report provides an overview of 7 key areas with accompanying case studies focused on: (1) health and well-being, (2) local economies, (3) safety, (4) stronger communities, (5) nature and sustainability, (6) resilience, and (7) catalysts for improving cities. The report suggests that child and community health may be improved by making changes in the urban environment such as improving safe and active streets and focusing on making connections with nature.
[Source: ARUP]
New Maps for National Recreation Trails
The National Recreation Trails Program, an effort by American Trails, seeks to preserve and celebrate pathways across the U.S. As part of an ongoing effort to promote physical activity on America’s national trails and greenways, American Trails has worked with federal partners to collect important data about recreational pathways and has created a searchable database. The database is designed to help users find nearby recreation spaces for outdoor activity including hiking, walking, biking, and backpacking. Users can upload photos, update outdated or incorrect information, and provide personal trail reviews. The mobile-friendly database includes 1,270 trails.
[Source: American Trails]
PROMOTING ACTIVE COMMUNITIES:
America Walks Announces Community Change Grantees
America Walks, an organization promoting the creation of safe and accessible walking conditions, has announced recipients of their most recent Community Change Grants. The micro-grant program will provide funding to 27 communities to support community-based solutions to infrastructure issues through 2018. Short descriptions of each proposal can be found online. For example, the city of Mulberry AR, will use funds to install solar lights at a city park to encourage safe use of park pathways at all times. Another award winner, KC Healthy Kids in Kansas City, KS, will use the funds to support their Walking Detective Program. This program encourages children to conduct walking audits to find clues and collect evidence demonstrating the walkability of their community.
[Source: America Walks]
Active Streets + 352Creates Celebrates Community
The Active Streets + 352Creates event, held annually in Gainesville, FL, was created to celebrate and advocate for increased opportunities for physical activity and active transportation. The 5th annual celebration was held in the city’s newly renovated Depot Park that includes walking paths, playgrounds, and a splash pad. This year’s event focused on promoting the intersection of the arts and physical activity. One of the premier events was a human foosball arena, where player moved in unison along sliding rods to kick a ball as if they were a real foosball table. Other events included a Brazilian Capoeira dance circle, Irish step dancing, yoga, and hula hoop activities.
[Source: The Gainesville Sun]
McCrary Elementary 60 Years Later: Here’s What a Community Working Together Can Accomplish
Charles W. McCrary Elementary School has been a part of the Asheboro community for 60 years. As time has passed, parents of the McCrary Parent Teacher Organization realized the outdoor spaces around the school needed some tender loving care. With the assistance of a foundation grant, they restored the running track by the school and now offer running and walking programs for students. Since the renovation, the school has received the Mayor’s Fitness Challenge award and has developed a local running club for girls. An additional foundation grant allowed for more renovations around the school such as installing fitness stations, repainting the basketball courts, adding new volleyball equipment, building a nature path, and providing a storage barn to teach students about composting and planting vegetables. What began as a few passionate parents in the community has led to additional partnerships and programs increasing opportunities to be active.
[Source: Courier-Tribune]
Why Everyone in San Francisco Lives Within a 10-Minute Walk to a Park
In 2017, San Francisco’s mayor announced that the city was the first and only in the U.S. where all residents lived within a 10-minute walk to a park. To explore this achievement, a recent episode of the Open Space podcast series highlighted city administrators’ and residents’ efforts to increase access to recreation areas. The interview with the San Francisco Recreation and Parks General Manager focuses on the steps they took to increase access to parks. They also discussed more recent efforts to maintain park quality and ensure all San Francisco residents can continue to enjoy diverse recreational experiences.
[Source: National Recreation and Park Association]
UPCOMING CONFERENCES AND WORKSHOPS:
APRIL
Preventive Cardiovascular Nurses Association 23rd Annual Symposium
April 5-7, 2018
Baltimore, MD
Symposium on Therapeutic Recreation and Adapted Physical Activity
April 11-13, 2018
Kansas City, MO
39th Annual Meeting of the Society of Behavioral Medicine
April 11-14, 2018
New Orleans, LA
National Outdoor Recreation Conference
April 23-26, 2018
Burlington, VT
MAY
Building a Healthier Future Summit
May 2-4, 2018
Washington, DC
National Conference on Health Disparities
May 16-19, 2018
Philadelphia, PA
24th European Congress on Obesity
May 23-26, 2018
Vienna, Austria
ACSM's 65th Annual Meeting and 9th World Congress on Exercise is Medicine
May 29-June 2, 2018
Minneapolis, MN
JUNE
53rd Annual Canadian Transportation Research Forum Conference
June 3-6, 2018
Gatineau, Canada
Annual Meeting of the International Society for Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity
June 3-6, 2018
Hong Kong, China 2018
48th Annual Conference of the Environmental Research Design Association
June 6-9, 2018
Oklahoma City, OK
43rd Annual National Wellness Conference
June 18-20, 2018
St. Paul, MN
USC PRC UPDATES:
Announcing the 2018 Physical Activity & Public Health Courses!
The postgraduate course on research directions and strategies (September 11-19, 2018) and the practitioner’s course on community interventions (September 13-19, 2018) will be offered in 2018! To learn more about these courses, please visit http://www.asph.sc.edu/paph/ or contact Janna Borden, Project Coordinator, (803) 576-6050 or jsborden@mailbox.sc.edu
Update from the USC PRC Core Research Project
A paper that describes the role of community health advisors in the USC PRC’s core research project (from Phase 1) is now available in an epub ahead of print version in the Journal of Community Health. This paper was led by USC PRC Investigator Dr. Patricia A. Sharpe and reports the community health advisors’ high levels of intervention fidelity, confidence, and competence.
Dr. Sara Wilcox, the USC PRC Director, had the opportunity to present at the United Methodist Day of Health on March 17, 2018 in Atlanta, GA. The meeting was hosted by the United Methodist Church Global Ministries and the North Georgia Annual Conference. Dr. Wilcox and Reverend Kathy James, Director of Connectional Ministries in the South Carolina Annual Conference, presented on their faith-academic partnership to deliver the Faith, Activity, and Nutrition (FAN) program to United Methodist Churches across South Carolina. Their talk was highlighted as a “model conference health initiative” and is highly consistent with the United Methodist Church’s new Abundant Health initiative.
Update from the National Physical Activity Plan
The National Physical Activity Plan Alliance released new “Promoting Walking and Walkable Communities – Cross-Sector Recommendations from the NPAPA” on March 20th. The recommendations outline a strategy for increasing walking in the U.S. population. The recommendations suggest a new conceptual framework that helps to organize the recommended strategies and tactics. The included strategies and tactics call for changes in multiple societal sectors including transportation and community planning, public health, business and industry, education, and healthcare. The complete Recommendations can be found on the NPAP website. More information can also be found in this Be Active Your Way Blog post.
Additional releases from the NPAPA this quarter include objectives for the Public Health 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. A new National Physical Activity Plan State Legislative Report highlights significant physical activity legislation from across the country last year. Highlights include passed legislation in three states (Arizona, Florida, and Arkansas) related to recess time in schools. The complete report can be found here.
Update from the South Carolina Healthy Brain Research Network
Dr. Daniela Friedman, SC-HBRN principal investigator and Dr. Lee Pearson (Associate Dean of Operations and Accreditation in the USC Arnold School of Public Health), Co-Directors of the USC Office for the Study of Aging planned for the first annual Arnold School of Public Health Aging Lecture to highlight the 30th anniversary of the Alzheimer’s Disease Registry in South Carolina and the release of the 2018 Registry Annual Report. Discussions with community partners were held to gauge collaborative interest and identify potential speakers. This first annual Arnold Aging Lecture was held on Thursday, March 29 at the USC Alumni Center. The keynote presentation was given by Dr. Kenneth M. Langa from the University of Michigan on the topic of “Exploring the Risk of Alzheimer’s Disease: Epidemiological Evidence from Around the World."
According to the 2018 Registry Annual Report, 93,310 individuals were living with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD) in 2014 (most current year with available and comprehensive data) in South Carolina, of which 63% were women. African Americans represent 28% of those in the Registry, while only 20% of South Carolinians age 65 and older are African American. According to Registry data, ADRD prevalence has increased with an average rate of 7.4% from 1994 to 2014 and the overall trend is steadily increasing.
Update from the South Carolina Cancer Prevention and Control Research Network II
Dr. Daniela Friedman, SC-CPCRN II principal investigator, serves as the co-lead for the South Carolina Cancer Alliance (SCCA) Prostate Cancer Workgroup. Recently the workgroup developed a two-page guide for both community members/patients and health care providers to improve communication surrounding prostate health. This tool will be provided to healthcare practices in SC.
Recent publications by the SC-CPCRN II team and partners:
Friedman, D. B., Adams, S. A., Brandt, H. M., Heiney, S. P., Hébert, J. R., Ureda, J. R., ... & Dees, R. V. (2018). Rise Up, Get Tested, and Live: An Arts-Based Colorectal Cancer Educational Program in a Faith-Based Setting. Journal of Cancer Education, 1-6.
Hébert, J. R., Adams, S. A., Ureda, J. R., Young, V. M., Brandt, H. M., Heiney, S. P., ... & Friedman, D. B. (2018). Accelerating Research Collaborations Between Academia and Federally Qualified Health Centers: Suggestions Shaped by History. Public Health Reports, 133(1), 22-28.
Writers: John Bernhart and Caroline Dunn
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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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