QUARTER 4: October - December 2023 | USC-PRC Notes

"Promoting Health through Physical Activity"

Topics in this issue

A LETTER FROM OUR DIRECTOR

USC PREVENTION RESEARCH CENTER UPDATES:

  • Update from the USC PRC Core Research Project
  • Update from the USC PRC
  • Update from the USC PRC Special Interest Projects
  • Update from the South Carolina Cancer Prevention and Control Research Network II

NEWS YOU CAN USE:

  • A JPAH Special Issue Call for Papers
  • Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Selects 2023 Culture of Health Prize Winners
  • APHA Officially Commences Grant Program that will Create Cooler, Healthier Cities

UPCOMING EVENTS AND OBSERVANCES

  • January, February, March

WHAT’S HAPPENING IN WASHINGTON: 

  • No FY24 Budget & (Another) Possible Government Shutdown – What Does it Mean for Walking, Bicycling, and Safe Routes to School?
  • U.S. Rep. Nannette Diaz Barragán Leads Rally in Support of Outdoors for All Act

RESEARCH NOTES:

  • Randomized Trial of Exercise and Nutrition on Chemotherapy Completion and Pathologic Complete Response in Women With Breast Cancer: The Lifestyle, Exercise, and Nutrition Early After Diagnosis Study
  • Association of Accelerometer-measured Physical Activity Intensity, Sedentary Time, and Exercise Time with Incident Parkinson’s Disease
  • Association Between Leisure Sedentary Behavior and Uterine Fibroids in Non-menopausal Women: A Population-based Study

REPORTS, SURVEYS, GUIDELINES, RESOURCES:

  • National Youth Sports Health and Safety Institute Launches New Podcast: Healthy Youth Sports
  • Moving The Nation: The Role of Federal Policy In Promoting Physical Activity
  • First WHO report details devastating impact of hypertension and ways to stop it

PROMOTING ACTIVE COMMUNITIES:

  • Clemson University Receives Funding to Improve Nutrition and Physical Activity in South Carolina
  • Rowan University Hosts Camp Aiming to Empower Visually Impaired Youth Through Physical Activity

UPCOMING CONFERENCES AND WORKSHOPS:

  • January, February, March

A LETTER FROM OUR DIRECTOR:

As I’m writing this introduction to our newsletter, I’m feeling the “Thanksgiving to Christmas” crunch. It seems impossible that everything will get done – work goals and deadlines, course prep, holiday concerts and events with the kids, holiday parties,
shopping, travel preparations, and so much more! But yet, it always manages to get done. And more than that, I am truly fortunate that these are the types of “stressors” I have, particularly given the upheaval, despair, and trauma that so many parts of our
world are experiencing.

So, I’m keeping this short and sweet. I wish you (and our world) peace. I hope that you enter 2024 content, healthy, and well.

Enjoy the holiday season.

-Sara Wilcox

USC PREVENTION RESEARCH CENTER UPDATES:

Update from the USC PRC Core Research Project

The PRC’s core project has surpassed the enrollment goal for the Faith, Activity, and Nutrition (FAN) Online Training Program and will complete the 12-month follow-up surveys in early 2024. 107 churches representing 23 states across the U.S. enrolled in the program. The USC PRC will be partnering with Health Ministries Association to offer the FAN Online Training to interested churches with new sessions beginning in early 2024. More information about the FAN Online Training can be found on the FAN website.

Update from the USC PRC

The PRC has released the third episode of its Physical Activity and Public Health Podcast. In this episode, the PRC’s Dr. Andrew Kaczynski is joined by Dr. Jennifer Roberts from the University of Maryland for a conversation on health equity within green spaces and active living. Dr. Kaczynski and Dr. Roberts discuss the importance of equitable built environments and
environmental justice. You can find the podcast 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. submitted a grant proposal for 2024-2029 PRC funding cycle.
  2. been highlighted in a CDC PRC Program “Success Story” on the scale-up of the Faith, Activity,
    and Nutrition (FAN) Program.
  3. identified an organizational partner to test the administration of FAN Online training Program
  4. co-hosted the Physical Activity and Public Health Research Course (PAPH) with 30 researchers, 13 practitioners, and faculty from across the country.
  5. hosted 8 PAPH professional development seminars.
  6. convened two Community Advisory Board meetings.
  7. published 11 articles across all projects & 2 plain language briefs
  8. provided training experiences for 6 students.
  9. disseminated 4 quarterly e-Newsletters.

Updates from the USC PRC Special Interest Projects

Arthritis SIP Project
Arnold School doctoral candidate, Scott Jamieson, presented his abstract “Influence of Adiposity on Physical Function, Physical Activity, and Self-Reported Symptoms Severity for Individuals with Arthritis Prior to Beginning a Physical Activity Promotion Intervention” at the American College of Rheumatology’s Annual Meeting in San Diego, CA this November. Scott was awarded an Emerging Investigator Excellence Award for his work.

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

The South Carolina CPCRN are included in a newly released special supplemental issue of Cancer Causes and Control to mark CPCRN’s 20th Anniversary, found here.

Other recent SC-CPCRN publications include:

Adsul P, Wheeler SB, Young AL, Lee RJ, Brandt HM. Supporting implementation science and health equity in cancer prevention and control through research networks. Cancer Causes Control (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10552-023-01732-9

Bilenduke E, Wangen M, Brenner A, King J (student), Risendal B, Shannon J, Land SR, Zahnd WE, Anderson S, Eberth JM, Siegel L, Waters AR, Studts JL. Equitable implementation of lung cancer screening: avoiding its potential to mirror existing inequities among people who use tobacco. Cancer Causes and Control. Epub ahead of print on September 15, 2023. DOI: 10.1007/s10552-01790-z.

Hirschey R, Rohweder C, Askelson N, Eberth JM, Haines H, Yeager K, Zahnd WE, Bea JW, Seaman AT, Guan Y, Farris PE, Adsul P. Prioritizing rural populations in state comprehensive cancer control plans: a qualitative assessment. Cancer Causes and Control. Epub ahead of print on February 25, 2023. DOI: 10.1007/s10552-023-01673-3

Wahlen MM, Lizarraga IM, Kahl AR, Zahnd WE, Eberth JM, Overholser L, Askselson N, Hirschey R, Yeager K, Nash S, Engelbart JM, Charlton ME. Effect of rurality and travel distance on contralateral prophylactic mastectomy for unilateral breast cancer. Cancer Causes and Control. Epub ahead of print on April 25, 2023. DOI: 10.1007/S10552-023-01689-9

Wheeler SB, Lee RJ, Young AL, Dodd A, Ellis C, Weiner BJ, Ribisl KM, Adsul P, Birken SA, Fernández ME, Hannon PA, Hébert JR, Ko LK, Seaman A, Vu T, Brandt HM, Williams RS. The special sauce of the Cancer Prevention and Control Research Network: 20 years of lessons learned in developing the evidence base, building community capacity, and translating research into practice. Cancer Causes and Control 2023;E Published:00-000. 

Seaman AT, Rowland JH, Werts SJ, Tam RM, Torres TK, Hucek FA, Wickersham KE, Fairman CM, Patel HD, Thomson CA, Hebert JR, Friedman DB. Examining provider perceptions and practices for comprehensive geriatric assessment among cancer survivors: An implementation science focus. Frontiers in Aging (Interventions in Aging). Epub ahead of print on December 4, 2023.  (DOI: 10.3389/fragi.2023.1305922).

Mathias W, Nichols KA, Golden-Wright J, Fairman CM, Felder TM, Workman L, Wickersham KE, Flicker KJ, Sheng J, Noblet SB, Adams SA, Eberth JM, Heiney SP, Wilcox S, Hébert JR, Friedman DB. Implementation during a pandemic: findings, successes, and lessons learned from community grantees. J Cancer Educ 2023;38(3):957-62.

NEWS YOU CAN USE:

A JPAH Special Issue Call for Papers: "Physical Activity as a Necessary Solution to Current Global Health Challenges"

In celebration of its 20th anniversary, the Journal of Physical Activity and Health (JPAH) has issued a call for papers for a special issue of the journal. The special issue aims to further help policy makers, stakeholders, and researchers understand physical activity's contribution to population health. JPAH is looking for papers that explore physical activity's role, currently and looking toward the future, in global public health challenges, including health inequalities, climate change, the prevalence of chronic and infectious diseases, and healthy aging. Additional information regarding the call for papers can be found on the JPAH site.
[SOURCE: Human Kinetics Journal]

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Selects 2023 Culture of Health Prize Winners

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) has announced the nine community winners of its 2023 RWJF Culture of Health Prize. The Culture of Health prize highlights the work done by organizations and coalitions that have dedicated themselves to creating solutions to health inequities within their communities and improving overall community health. The prize of $250,000 is awarded to these organizations and their communities across the country. Organizations for this year’s prize span diverse sectors and include The Los Angeles County African American Infant and Maternal Mortality Prevention Initiative (Los Angeles County, California), Tacoma’s Equity Index (Tacoma, Washington), and the Zuni Youth Enrichment Project (Zuni Pueblo). More information about RWJF, the Culture of Health Prize, and this year’s winners can be found on the RWJF site.
[SOURCE: Robert Wood Johnson Foundation]

APHA Officially Commences Grant Program that will Create Cooler, Healthier Cities

The American Public Health Association (APHA) has awarded six state organizations grant funding through the Smart Surfaces Coalition. The Smart Surfaces Coalition, a collaborative effort of over 40 organizations, aims to implement more sustainable and health-focused changes in landscape and urban development throughout the country.
Grant awardees receive $75,000 through APHA’s Center for Climate, Health, and Equity and close partnership with Smart Surfaces Coalition in implementing changes within their cities. Winners of the grant are the Florida Public Health Association, the Georgia Public Health Association, the Louisiana Public Health Association, the North Carolina Public Health Association, the Oregon Public Health Association, and the South Carolina Public Health Association.  More information about APHA’s work in climate and health equity, and the Smart Surfaces Coalition can be found online.
[SOURCE: American Public Health Association]

UPCOMING EVENTS AND OBSERVANCES:

JANUARY

FEBRUARY

MARCH

WHAT’S HAPPENING IN WASHINGTON:

No FY24 Budget & (Another) Possible Government Shutdown – What Does it Mean for Walking, Bicycling, and Safe Routes to School?

In the current congressional session, the Senate has passed its FY24 Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development budget for the upcoming 2024 fiscal year. However, there is still a stalemate within the House of Representatives due to disagreement about Amtrak funding. An amendment has been put forth to prevent the use of funds to support the Advisory Committee on Active Transportation. Absence of this budget and potential of another government shutdown pose significant implications for active transportation. Additional amendments have also been offered to protect the Department of Transportation’s (DOT) funding toward their Equity Action Plan.
[Source: Safe Routes Partnership]

U.S. Rep. Nannette Diaz Barragán Leads Rally in Support of Outdoors For All Act

Representative Diaz Barragán (California) and the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) rallied support for the Outdoors for All Act and codifying the Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership into federal law. The Outdoors for All Act seeks to increase support and investment for equitable outdoor spaces in underserved communities and ensure fair and inclusive access to parks and recreational spaces throughout the country. 
[Source: National Recreation and Park Association]

RESEARCH NOTES:

Randomized Trial of Exercise and Nutrition on Chemotherapy Completion and Pathologic Complete Response in Women with Breast Cancer: The Lifestyle, Exercise, and Nutrition Early After Diagnosis Study

Relative dose intensity (RDI) is the ratio of chemotherapy delivered to actually prescribed, and is a measure associated with cancer mortality. To better understand the effect of exercise and nutrition on RD and pathologic complete response (pCR), a randomized control trial of 173 women with stage I-III breast cancer were assigned to a usual care group (n=86) or the home-based exercise and nutrition group (n=87) to assess the differences. The home-based intervention group consisted of oncology-specialist registered dietician counseling sessions that centered around improving exercise and a healthy diet during the duration of their chemotherapy. The usual care group had access to a registered dietician and clinics throughout their chemotherapy. Results from the study showed that participants within the intervention group had significantly greater improvements in exercise and diet quality as compared to the control group. RDi differences between groups were not significant. In a smaller sample of women (n=72) that received neoadjunctive chemotherapy, those in the intervention group that received specific hormone therapy and those with triple negative breast cancer were more likely to have a higher pCR.
[Source: Sanft, T., Harrigan, M., McGowan, C., Cartmel, B., Zupa, M., Li, F.-Y., Ferrucci, L. M., Puklin, L., Cao, A., Nguyen, T. H., Neuhouser, M. L., Hershman, D. L., Basen-Engquist, K., Jones, B. A., Knobf, T., Chagpar, A. B., Silber, A., Tanasijevic, A., Ligibel, J. A., & Irwin, M. L. (2023). Randomized Trial of Exercise and Nutrition on Chemotherapy Completion and Pathologic Complete Response in Women With Breast Cancer: The Lifestyle, Exercise, and Nutrition Early After Diagnosis Study. Journal of Clinical Oncology, 41(34), 5285–5295. https://doi.org/10.1200/JCO.23.00871]

Association of Accelerometer-measured Physical Activity Intensity, Sedentary Time, and Exercise Time with Incident Parkinson’s Disease

There is still much that is unclear regarding the association between physical activity (PA) and Parkinson’s disease (PD). In a prospective study using UK Biobank data from 96,422 participants, researchers aimed to explore the effects of accelerometer- measured light physical (LPA),moderate-to-vigorous (MVPA), sedentary behavior, and exercise time of day. The study examined participant data over a duration of 6.8 years and found 313 participants diagnosed with PD. The team found that there was evidence that regardless of when exercise was occurring (morning, midday, afternoon, or evening), there was still an inverse association for LPA and MVPA with risk of developing PD, and a positive association for sedentary time with the risk of developing PD. The researchers also found objective evidence that exercise, regardless of type (LPA or MVPA), was significantly associated with decreased risk of PD incidence. In contrast, participants with low exercise and high sedentary time were at highest risk for PD. [Source:Liu, M., Gan, X., Ye, Z., Zhang, Y., He, P., Zhou, C., Yang, S., Zhang, Y., & Qin, X. (2023). Association of Accelerometer-measured Physical Activity Intensity, Sedentary Time, and Exercise Time with Incident Parkinson’s Disease. Npj Digital Medicine, 6(1), 224. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41746-023-00969-7]

Association Between Leisure Sedentary Behavior and Uterine Fibroids in Non-menopausal Women: A Population-based Study

6623 participants were involved in a cross-sectional study exploring the relationship between leisure sedentary time (LST) and uterine fibroids in Chinese women. Non-menopausal women aged 30-55 were recruited and assessed using an in-person questionnaire and diagnosed for fibroids through an abdominal B-ultrasound. 562 participants were diagnosed with fibroids within the participant population for a prevalence rate of (8.5%). The team found that there was a dose-relationship between leisure sedentary time and uterine fibroids in that risk of fibroids were more likely if women had LST greater than 6 hours per day compared to those that had less than two hours of LST per day. Further results showed that there was correlation between LST and uterine fibroids in women with BMI<24 kg/m2 (after stratification for menstrual status and BMI).
[Source: Yunrui Sun, Xiaoyu Han, Zhongxin Hou, Haoyuan Deng, Nan Cheng, Nishang Zhang, Jianghui Zhang, Yi Li, Qian Wang, Jianzhong Yin, & Qiong Meng. (2023). Association Between Leisure Sedentary Behaviour and Uterine Fibroids in Non-menopausal Women: A Population-based Study. BMJ Open, 13(12), e073592. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2023-073592]

REPORTS, SURVEYS, GUIDELINES, RESOURCES:

National Youth Sports Health and Safety Institute Launches New Podcast: Healthy Youth Sports

The National Youth Sports Health and Safety Institute (NYSHSI) has launched its new podcast: Healthy Youth Sports. NYSHSI, a community impact program from the collaborative efforts of the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and Stanford Health, discusses topics within youth and adolescent sports. The topics will range from injury prevention to physical activity and health, and will include guest episodes with experts in the field. You can find more information about the new podcast on the NYSHSI site.
[Source: ACSM]

Moving The Nation: The Role Of Federal Policy In Promoting Physical Activity

The Federation of American Scientists (FAS) provided a comprehensive overview of the need for physical activity policies and agencies that are current (or possible) collaborators in increasing PA policies within the country. The FAS emphasizes strategies and initiatives for advancing PA policy at the federal level, and underscores the many comprehensive approaches that are in use to promote enhanced PA among the American people.
[Source: Federation of American Scientists]

First WHO Report Details Devastating Impact of Hypertension and Ways to Stop It

The WHO has released its inaugural report on Hypertension’s global public health impact. This report discusses the increasing repercussions of hypertension in the global population and outlines effective strategies to help combat its harmful effects. The report also highlights the urgent need for preventative strategies and interventions to decrease the widespread prevalence of hypertension. You can find the full report here.

[Source: WHO]

PROMOTING ACTIVE COMMUNITIES:

Physical Activity Intervention on Cognitive Development of Young Children in Low Socioeconomic Areas

Clemson University Receives Funding to Improve Nutrition and Physical Activity in South Carolina
Clemson University has secured $768,000 in funding from the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to implement the first year of their $3.8 million High Obesity Program (HOP). The five-year program aims to enhance nutrition and physical activity in underserved areas around South Carolina. HOP will be a collaborative effort across many of the colleges within the University and will work to address food and nutrition security, accessible active transportation routes, family healthy weight initiatives, and improving early care and education program’s settings around physical activity and nutrition.
[Source: Clemson News]

Rowan University Hosts Camp Aiming to Empower Visually Impaired Youth Through Physical Activity

Rowan University welcomed over a dozen children with visual impairments to Camp Abilities. The camp, staffed by undergraduate students and faculty, facilitated activities that included canoeing, rock climbing, and a ropes course housed in the University. Rowan’s Camp Abilities is one of 29 programs worldwide. The goal of Camp Abilities is to encourage children with visual impairments to engage in physical activity and try things outside of their comfort zone. The camp is free for all participants and will continue with additional activities in the Spring.

[Source: CBS News Philadelphia]

UPCOMING CONFERENCES AND WORKSHOPS:

JANUARY

  • none

FEBRUARY

MARCH

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.

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