QUARTER 4: October - December 2021 | USC-PRC Notes

"Promoting Health through Physical Activity"

Topics in this issue

A LETTER FROM OUR DIRECTOR

UofSC PREVENTION RESEARCH CENTER UPDATES:

  • Update from the USC PRC Core Research Project
  • Update from the South Carolina Cancer Prevention and Control Research Network III

NEWS YOU CAN USE:

  • Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Selects Ten Communities as 2020-2021 RWJF Culture of Health Prize Winners
  • National Youth Sports Strategy Champions - Partnership Initiative Update
  • Community Support Key to Including People with Intellectual Disabilities in Fitness

UPCOMING EVENTS AND OBSERVANCES

  • January, February, March

WHAT’S HAPPENING IN WASHINGTON: 

  • Debt Limit Vote Deals Blow to Physical Activity Bill
  • Infrastructure Package Paves the Way for More Physical Activity

RESEARCH NOTES:

  • Responses to the Physical Activity Guidelines and Dissemination Strategies for Behavior Change in a Representative Sample of US Adults
  • Effects of Urban Park Quality, Environmental Perception, and Leisure Activity on Well-Being Among the Older Population
  • Historical Body Temperature Records as a Population-Level ‘Thermometer’ of Physical Activity in the United States
  • Examining the Relationship Between Physical Activity and Mental Health During the COVID-19 Pandemic Across Five U.S. States

REPORTS, SURVEYS, GUIDELINES, RESOURCES:

  • Fair Play: Building a Strong Physical Activity System for More Active People
  • 2020 Annual Report to Congress
  • Advancing Key Actions to Enhance Physical Activity Surveillance in the United States

PROMOTING ACTIVE COMMUNITIES:

  • City of Columbia Opens New Playground Park Project
  • Pennsylvania Awards 10 Community Grants to Increase Community Physical Activity
  • Commonwealth Communities Kicks Off with Engaging, Expert-Led Session on Walkability
  • Montclair, NJ Resident Launches Special Needs Fitness Magazine

UPCOMING CONFERENCES AND WORKSHOPS:

  • January, February, March

A LETTER FROM OUR DIRECTOR:

Season’s Greetings!

I hope that the holiday season finds you happy and healthy. I will admit that I went into December feeling tired and somewhat grumpy. I decided not to do holiday cards this year and thought it was futile to put up a Christmas tree (our new kitten would probably destroy it anyway!). And I thought, “if I don’t put up a tree, why bother with other decorations?” But then I came into work one day and sat myself down for a talk. I reminded myself that I had a choice – I could be grumpy or I could embrace all in my life I am thankful for and enjoy the holiday cheer. I went home that night, put together our family holiday card and greetings (which include our family year in review), and planned for my weekend (decorating, baking cookies, purchasing gifts….and maybe even putting up the tree!). I felt my grumpiness gradually leave me.

Let’s face it – 2021 has been another year with its fair share of challenges. But collectively we have reason to be thankful – vaccine boosters and the approval of the COVID-19 vaccine for children are just two of these reasons. Most likely each of you has your own additional personal reasons for gratitude – no matter how small they might be.

As I reflected on our Center’s accomplishments in 2021, it further elevated my mood and my gratitude for all the staff in our Center, all our organizational and community partners, and all the churches who have joined our study and share their success stories with us. I hope you, too, enjoy reading our Center’s year in review.

Happy New Year to you and your loved ones!

- Sara Wilcox

UofSC PREVENTION RESEARCH CENTER UPDATES:

Update from the USC PRC Core Research Project

USC’s core research project, the Faith, Activity, and Nutrition (FAN) Online Training Program, is currently recruiting churches for upcoming sessions this spring. The next cohort will launch in January of 2022! The FAN online training program consists of eight self-paced lessons that aim to teach churches how to create healthier environments through increasing opportunities, sharing messages, creating policies that promote physical activity and healthy eating, as well as ways to enlist their pastor’s support. To learn more about the training or to sign up for participation, please visit the PRC’s website or contact the program coordinator, Jessica Stucker at 877-971-5259 or at FAN4Life@mailbox.sc.edu.

Update from the USC PRC

The University of South Carolina Prevention Research Center, in partnership with the South Carolina Community Health Worker Association, the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control, and Palmetto Aids Life Support Services, developed the “Vaccine Communication Toolkit for Community Health Workers Serving African American Communities.” The toolkit was created as part of a larger project led by Dr. Shan Qiao to increase vaccine confidence in African American adults in South Carolina. The work is funded through the CDC’s Vaccine Confidence Network. The toolkit contains guidance and suggestions for how community health workers can talk about the COVID-19 vaccine with residents in their communities – it is informed by CDC messaging guidelines, research done at UofSC, and other sources. The toolkit is available here.

Physical Activity and Public Health Podcast Episode 1- Walkability and Active Transportation: Solutions to All that Ails the Planet

The PRC has released the first episode of its Physical Activity and Public Health Podcast. This inaugural episode features the PRC’s own Andrew Kaczynski, PhD as he hosts nationally recognized public health, planning, and transportation consultant, Mark Fenton, MS. This episode focuses on what steps can be taken to tackle global challenges brought on from the previous year and what role ensuring equitable walking-friendly environments can play in addressing them. Episode 1 of the podcast can be found here.
As we end this year, we want to say thank you to all who have contributed to and supported our work. With support from many partners, the PRC has:

  1. Enrolled 57 churches from 14 U.S. states in our core research project intervention, Faith, Activity, and Nutrition (FAN).
  2. Co-hosted the Physical Activity and Public Health Research Course with 28 researchers and 18 faculty from across the country.
  3. Launched an online training portal of Resources and Tools for Community-Engaged Research & Practice.
  4. Created 2 toolkits in partnership with the state health department focused on supporting church health ministries and strategies for communicating vaccine information to the community.
  5. Hosted a podcast on walkability and active transportation with Mark Fenton, a nationally recognized leader in the field.
  6. Convened 3 Community Advisory Board meetings.
  7. Provided training experiences for 4 students.
  8. Hosted 8 physical activity and public health professional development seminars.
  9. Published 17 articles across all projects and 4 plain language briefs.
  10. Presented on community engagement at the 2021 PRC Virtual Meeting.
  11. Disseminated 4 quarterly e-Newsletters.

Update from the South Carolina Cancer Prevention and Control Research Network (SC-CPCRN) III

In collaboration with its active community advisory council, the SC-CPCRN continues to engage in efforts focused on community-clinical linkages for implementation of evidence-based cancer prevention and control strategies.
SC-CPCRN mini-grant awardees, Upper Midlands Rural Health Network (UMRHN) and Trinity Baptist Church (TBC), have wrapped up their grant years and submitted their final reports. UMRHN focused on promotion of the Alston Trailhead and a historical walking trail both located in Fairfield County. TBC focused on catching up on health screenings missed or delayed during the pandemic. TBC held multiple events focused on dental and breast cancer screenings, and they also offered Covid-19 testing and vaccination.
Congratulations to Dr. Jan Eberth and colleagues for their newly published manuscript,  “How cancer programs identify and address the financial burdens of rural cancer patients,” in Support Care Cancer.

NEWS YOU CAN USE:

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Selects Ten Communities as 2020-2021 RWJF Culture of Health Prize Winners

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation announces 10 new communities as 2020-2021 recipients of the RWJF Culture of Health Prize. Communities selected for the prize have made impactful steps in creating strategies that address barriers and create environments focused on equitable opportunities and resources, health, and safety for all community members. The 10 winners will receive a cash prize of $25,000 to help support their individual initiatives to advance change. More about current and previous prize winners can be found on the RWJF website.
[ Source: The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation]

National Youth Sports Strategy Champions - Partnership Initiative Update

Looking back at this past year, the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion’s National Youth Sports Strategy Champions (NYSS Champions) reflect on the impact that the initiative has made on increasing safe and equally accessible community sports and recreation to youth nationally. Through a multi-component focus, the NYSS Champions were able to create a network of diverse community stakeholders, keep youth engaged and safe while encouraging youth physical activity and wellness, and build the foundation for more collaborative efforts in the future. To join the many other NYSS Champions in their work to promote youth physical activity and wellness through youth sports, you can find more information here.
[ Source: Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion ]

Community Support Key to Including People with Intellectual Disabilities in Fitness

The International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association (IHRSA), in collaboration with the American Council of Exercise (ACE), developed a grant project aimed at better promoting increased opportunities and inclusion of people with intellectual disabilities within fitness spaces. The project, funded by the CDC, included the development and execution of a survey that collected data on people with intellectual disabilities’ experiences in gyms and similar fitness-facility based program settings. In addition to the key findings of the survey and recommended action steps, an inclusion toolkit, training program, and insights also resulted from the project.
[Source: IHRSA The Global Health & Fitness Association]

UPCOMING EVENTS AND OBSERVANCES:

JANUARY

FEBRUARY

MARCH

WHAT’S HAPPENING IN WASHINGTON:

Debt Limit Vote Deals Blow to Physical Activity Bill

The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) provided an update on the Promoting Physical Activity for Americans Act, S. 1301. In summary, they stated that there was no longer a Senate-passed physical activity guidelines bill. Earlier this year, the Senate passed S. 1301 that would establish updated physical activity guidelines every 10 years by the HHS. Unfortunately, after being sent to the House, the bill was amended by omitting the physical activity centered language and introducing debt suspension as a new component. With these recent happenings, there are now additional barriers in getting a physical activities guideline bill passed in the House and to the President. To take action, learn more about ACSM’s advocacy for the bill here.
[ Source: American College of Sports Medicine]

Infrastructure Package Paves the Way for More Physical Activity

In November, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act was passed into law. The law supports robust funding in creating safer, healthier, and more equitable support for accessible infrastructure, encouraging physical activity among community members, and making a positive impact on climate change. The law’s focus on the Active Transportation and Transportation Alternatives Program initiatives is a large step in increasing resources and advancements toward other major community well-being-based programs.
[ Source:  Physical Activity Alliance ]

RESEARCH NOTES:

Responses to the Physical Activity Guidelines and Dissemination Strategies for Behavior Change in a Representative Sample of US Adults

Previous studies have found an association between limited public knowledge of the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans and low adherence rate to those guidelines. With a recent update of the guidelines, an exploratory study of dissemination channels and guideline adherence can prove beneficial in creating efficient action plans to increase overall population physical activity in the US. To conduct this study, researchers used a 2019 population sample of 5,047 Americans, and surveyed them for responses that were conceptualized by two overarching aims: 1) a characterization of who heard about the Guidelines and how they responded, and 2) how the population was hearing about the Guidelines and the associations between the source of information and the actual responses recorded. The study provided insight that one-third of the US had an increased change in their physical activity behaviors due to interaction with the Guidelines. The study also identified which channels of dissemination proved to result in a higher amount of increased physical activity adherence including hearing information about the Guidelines from a medical professional, through social media, and a combination of multiple information sources. A better understanding of how to leverage these channels of dissemination can lead to direct results in increased population physical activity.
[ Source: Polster, M., Dooley, E. E., Olscamp, K., Piercy, K. L., & Oh, A. (2021). Responses to the Physical Activity Guidelines and Dissemination Strategies for Behavior Change in a Representative Sample of US Adults. Journal of Physical Activity and Health, 18(11), 1342–1351.]

Effects of Urban Park Quality, Environmental Perception, and Leisure Activity on Well-Being Among the Older Population

Given previous research has documented that natural environment settings like parks have a positive influence on mental health and general well-being, there is a gap in our understanding of how perceptions of these parks’ quality and individual well-being interact. This study used a sample of middle-aged to older adults (55 and older) to target the population of frequent park users. The Neighborhood Green Space Assessment Tool (NGST) was key in assessing park quality and was used to create the survey conducted at 19 park sites to investigate participants’ perceptions and how they determined the likelihood of engaging in recreational activities and links to well-being. The authors found that the relationship between individual well-being and perceptions of the environment were mediated by factors that helped define the park’s quality, such as amenities, recreational benefits, undesirable behaviors, and functionality. Ultimately, the individual’s perception of the park’s environment and recreational usage had a noticeable effect on well-being through a positive association with life satisfaction and reduced depression. This allows for more informed maintenance and design to better increase health wellness among the middle-aged and older park-going populations.
[Source: Chu, Y.-T., Li, D., & Chang, P.-J. (2021). Effects of Urban Park Quality, Environmental Perception, and Leisure Activity on Well-Being among the Older Population. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(21), 11402.]

Historical Body Temperature Records as a Population-Level ‘Thermometer’ of Physical Activity in the United States

Scientists theorize that as society and technology have advanced from the Industrial Revolution era to now, overall physical activity has decreased as a result. In this cross-sectional study, scientists used society’s declining resting body temperature as a ‘thermometer’ to measure societal physical activity decline. To do this, researchers first analyzed and converted body temperature to resting metabolic rate (RMR) and utilized excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC) to further explain the connection between population-level physical activity and estimated RMR declines. Through these measures, they estimated that gradually, the US has reduced its moderate-to-vigorous physical activity by approximately 27 minutes, or about a ~6% decline since 1820. Although the decline in population body temperature and RMR can also be attributed to other factors, physical activity’s influence is still supported through multiple evidence sources. Overall, further investigation of these relationships is suggested to better understand how physical activity has shaped population health over the years.
[Source:  Yegian A. K., Heymsfield S. B., Lieberman D. (2021). Historical body temperature records as a population-level ‘thermometer’ of physical activity in the United States. Current Biology, 31(20), R1375–R1376.]

Examining the Relationship Between Physical Activity and Mental Health During the COVID-19 Pandemic Across Five U.S. States

Through initial survey data collected during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, we know that there was a definitive difference in physical activity (PA) and mental health (MH) pre- and post-pandemic. With the evidence of a relationship between both PA and MH, scientists employed a mixed methods approach to better understand how the pandemic changed both PA and MH behaviors in the US. To accomplish this assessment, they administered a 52-question survey that focused on food security, health behaviors, health conditions, and other demographic questions for both pre- and post-pandemic to over 4,000 participants in five states. Using both quantitative and qualitative methods of analysis, it was found that the additional stressors of the pandemic had lasting effects on both PA and MH post-pandemic. Most important among these findings are the links between pre-pandemic PA levels and increased MH distress during the pandemic, especially among those with lower socioeconomic status and minority affiliations. The bi-directional, non-linear relationship between PA and MH suggests that encouraging PA at low to no cost to the public can act as a prevention tactic against increasing MH distress resulting from the pandemic.
[Source: Grocke-Dewey, M., Hardison-Moody, A., Haynes-Maslow, L., Maras, S., Webber, E., Andress, L., Houghtaling, B., Patton-Lopez, M., Shanks, J., & Byker-Shanks, C. (2021). Examining the relationship between physical activity and mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic across five U.S. States. Preventive Medicine Reports, 24, 101537.]

REPORTS, SURVEYS, GUIDELINES, RESOURCES:

Fair Play: Building a Strong Physical Activity System for More Active People

The WHO released a new advocacy brief, “Fair Play: Building a strong physical activity system for more active people.” In this new brief, the WHO provides strategies for multi-level stakeholders to better create and improve systems for promoting physical activity to communities everywhere.
[Source: The World Health Organization]

2020 Annual Report to Congress

The CDC-appointed panel of preventative health experts, the Community Preventative Services Task Force, has released its annual progress report, 2020 Annual Report to Congress. In this year-in-review, the CPSTF provides its recommendations for key health intervention strategies, economic reviews of previous interventions, gaps in knowledge through review, as well as identifying topics of interest for future review by the task force.
[Source: The Community Guide]

Advancing Key Actions to Enhance Physical Activity Surveillance in the United States

The Physical Activity Alliance has released its new report, “Advancing Key Actions to Enhance Physical Activity Surveillance in the United States.” The report highlights progress made in the past year to enhance surveillance of physical activity in four main sectors of public health. The report also presents actionable steps in continuing to advocate and enact change for equitable physical activity programming and policy on a national level. For further details, access the report here.
[Source: Physical Activity Alliance]

PROMOTING ACTIVE COMMUNITIES:

City of Columbia Opens New Playground Park Project

The City of Columbia, SC unveiled the results of the newly renovated T.S. Martin Park Playground Project. The park, named after Martin, an established pillar in the local African American community, now features brand new equipment like an elephant basketball tree, updated awnings, and an updated basketball court. With these additions to the park, residents will get to experience a new and refreshed environment to enjoy in their community.
[Source: WLTX News 19 Columbia]

Pennsylvania Awards 10 Community Grants to Increase Community Physical Activity

The Pennsylvania Department of Health and the Pennsylvania Downtown Center’s WalkWorks program awarded 10 local communities with grants totaling $160,000 through funding support from the CDC and Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. The WalkWorks grants are used as resources for communities to enhance the WalkWorks mission to create safer and more accessible communities for all Pennsylvania residents. The 10 awarded communities were selected from a highly competitive cohort of applicants and have committed themselves to working with professional transportation partners to create strategies that improve local Active Transportation plans and increase community-level physical activity within the next year.
[Source: Pennsylvania Pressroom]

Commonwealth Communities Kicks off With Engaging, Expert-Led Session on Walkability

Smart America, along with LOCUS: Responsible Real Estate Developers and Investors, began their 5-part web series for Massachusetts’ city officials and staff with the kick-off session, Make Way for Walkability. This webinar featured an expert panelist discussion on the importance of walkability in local communities, the lasting effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, and best practices to promote safer and more equitable walkable spaces statewide.
[Source: Smart Growth America]

Montclair, NJ Resident Launches Special Needs Fitness Magazine

Special Needs Fitness Magazine was created by Yomi Karade to reach a broader population of people struggling to find programs that cater to individuals with intellectual disabilities and other special needs. Karade, also the creator of the local Inclusive Fitness Program, cited that she wanted to create a space that encourages healthy lifestyles for those living with intellectual disabilities and other needs after being disappointed in the lack of fitness opportunities for her son who has autism. Karade envisions the magazine giving people a “sense of home,” and providing support and community through experiences and shared resources. Special Needs Fitness Magazine is available online and can be read here.
[Source: Montclair Local]

UPCOMING CONFERENCES AND WORKSHOPS:

JANUARY

Smart Growth America’s Equity Summit
January 11-13, 2022
Virtual

Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education Mental Health Conference
January 13-15, 2022
Boston, MA

MARCH

American Academy of Health Behavior Annual Scientific Meeting
March 13-16, 2022
Key Largo, FL

2022 Hispanic Health Conference
March 24-27, 2022
Crystal City, VA

National Bike Summit
March 27-30, 2022
Washington, DC

American College of Sports Medicine’s International Health & Fitness Summit
March 31- April 3, 2022
Dallas, TX

Writers: Jasmin Parker-Brown

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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 U48DP006401 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.

The University of South Carolina does not discriminate in educational or employment opportunities or decisions for qualified persons on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, age, disability, sexual orientation, or veteran status.