QUARTER 4: October- December 2024 | 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 Special Interest Projects

NEWS YOU CAN USE:

  • New WHO Report Highlights Progress and Challenges in Improving Physical Activity Levels Across the European Union
  • Call to Action: Contribute to the Development of the Third Edition of the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans

UPCOMING EVENTS AND OBSERVANCES

  • January, February, March

WHAT’S HAPPENING IN WASHINGTON:

  • Healthy People 2030 Webinar “Empowering Diabetes Prevention, Treatment, and Management” Video is Now Available

RESEARCH NOTES:

  • Physical Activity Interventions: an Update on Advancing Sedentary Time, Technology, and Dissemination and Implementation Research
  • Device-Measured 24-Hour Movement Behaviors and Blood Pressure: A 6-Part Compositional Individual Participant Data Analysis in the ProPASS Consortium
  • Process Evaluation Findings from Strong Hearts, Healthy Communities 2.0: a Cardiovascular Disease Prevention Intervention for Rural Women

REPORTS, SURVEYS, GUIDELINES, RESOURCES:

  • US Report Card on Physical Activity for Children and Youths
  • 2024 Guidelines for the Primary Prevention of Stroke

PROMOTING ACTIVE COMMUNITIES:

  • Meet the November Project

UPCOMING CONFERENCES AND WORKSHOPS:

  • January, February, March, April, May, June

A LETTER FROM OUR DIRECTOR:

I’m guessing that you and most of our newsletter subscribers are busy people. You probably spend a lot of time planning and implementing strategies to improve the health, well-being, and lives of your communities, students, participants, or clients/patients. This can be hard work! How do you care for yourself? Are you getting enough sleep? Taking part in regular physical activity (that you enjoy)? Taking the time to prepare fresh, healthy, and tasty meals? Taking time off from social media? Learning something fun and new just because? We often give this type of advice to others, but do we practice it ourselves?

Why not give yourself an important gift for the holidays? My challenge to you is to give yourself a self-care gift that is also a “want” (and not a “should”). What do you want to do for yourself that you never seem to find the time to do? What might renew your spirits or increase your contentment? How can you make it a priority? I wish I could hear all of the self-care gifts you come up with!

As a psychologist, I know that gratitude can transform us. I can be guilty of focusing on what isn’t right or what could be better (I’m a scientist, after all!). One of my gifts to myself will be to look for opportunities (and reminding myself!) to practice gratitude. Speaking of which…. You’ll see in our newsletter that we’ve had a busy and productive year. I’m fortunate and grateful to work with talented and generous faculty, staff, and students who make all of this possible.
On behalf of our entire PRC, I wish you a happy and healthy holiday season! See you in 2025!

– Sara Wilcox

USC PREVENTION RESEARCH CENTER UPDATES:

Update from the USC PRC

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:

  • Received its highest funding award to date for the new 2024-2029 funding cycle
  • Debuted in a CDC PRC Program video highlighting the USC PRC and Faith, Activity, and Nutrition (FAN) online training program
  • Transferred administration of the FAN online training program to the Health Ministries Association, and worked with Healthy Savannah to translate the FAN training guide and other materials to Spanish to reach new communities
  • Created a podcast episode with Dr. Geoffrey Whitfield from CDC that explores the critical link between transportation, physical activity, and health outcomes
  • Co-hosted the Physical Activity & Public Health Courses with 23 practitioners, 19 researchers, & 28 faculty from around the US and beyond
  • Hosted 8 physical activity and public health professional development seminars
  • Convened 3 Community Advisory Board meetings
  • Published 18 articles across all projects & 2 plain language briefs
  • Provided training experiences for 4 students
  • Disseminated 4 quarterly e-newsletters

The USC PRC has welcomed PRC Co-investigator Dr. Courtney Monroe and Grants Administrator Ms. Lisa James to the team.

The team also warmly celebrates Jenna Dzwierzynski, a graduate assistant who earned her MPH in Physical Activity, and undergraduate assistant, Tammy Nguyen, who will be studying in Spain in 2025.

 

Update from the USC PRC Special Interest Projects

For the 2024-2029 funding cycle, the CDC awarded two new Special Interest Projects (SIPs). As a collaborating center in the CDC PRC Arthritis Management and Wellbeing Research Network, Dr. Pelligrini and her team will conduct research through the DREAM (Dose Response of Exercise for Arthritis Management) study to improve the quality of life for people living with arthritis. The team aims to address a major gap by identifying the minimal dose of activity necessary to see clinical improvements in arthritis-attributable outcomes.

Dr. Swann Adams, a USC professor of both epidemiology and nursing, will lead the administration of the South Carolina Cancer Prevention and Control Research Network (SC-SCPRN-IV). The USC PRC has been a funded site in this Network since 2009. In the new funding cycle, the SC-SCPRN-IV will focus on three goals: disseminating, implementing, and evaluating effective multi-level, multi-site cancer prevention and control interventions; providing training and technical assistance to community and clinical partners; and enhancing partners’ capacity to better serve underserved, minority, and rural populations.

NEWS YOU CAN USE:

New WHO Report Highlights Progress and Challenges in Improving Physical Activity Levels Across the European Union

A recent WHO report highlights both advancements and challenges in promoting physical activity across the European Union. From 2015 to 2024, the adoption of the national action plans for physical activity significantly increased, with the compliance rate rising from 64.7% to 81.8% across 23 indicators. However, despite this progress, the prevalence of insufficient physical activity remains high, increasing from 23.4% in 2000 to 31.3 in 2022. This report emphasizes the health and economic benefits of meeting minimum physical activity guidelines, including the potential to limit and prevent millions of non-communicable diseases (e.g. cardiovascular diseases, diabetes) by 2050. This report also stresses the need for enhanced multisectoral collaboration to create sustainable solutions that encourage healthier lifestyles.

 [Source: WHO]

Call to Action: Contribute to the Development of the Third Edition of the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is currently preparing the third edition of the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, scheduled for release in 2028. A panel of academic experts conducted systematic literature evaluations over a multiyear process to inform the updated recommendations on the types and amounts of physical activity required for health. HHS convened a listening session in May 2024 with researchers, public health professionals, and international collaborators to address emerging topics and research gaps. This collaborative endeavor underscores the significance of involving the scientific community in the development of evidence-based guidance to enhance health outcomes on a national scale. Visit the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion site for more details on the upcoming Physical Activity Guidelines and how you can contribute to their development.

[Source: Translational Journal of the American College of Sports Medicine]

UPCOMING EVENTS AND OBSERVANCES:

JANUARY

FEBRUARY

 

MARCH

WHAT’S HAPPENING IN WASHINGTON:

Healthy People 2030 Webinar “Empowering Diabetes Prevention, treatment, and Management” Video is Now Available

The recording of the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (ODPHP) webinar is now available. “Healthy People 2030: Empowering Diabetes Prevention, Treatment, and Management,” the webinar’s title, emphasizes methods for tackling diabetes through prevention, care, and management. The session highlights evidence-based interventions aligned with the Healthy People 2030 goals. The webinar also offers insights into reducing diabetes-related health disparities. For more details and access to the video recording, visit the ODPHP website.

[Source: Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion]

RESEARCH NOTES:

Physical Activity Inerventions: an Update on Advancing Sedentary Time, Technology, and Dissemination and Implementation Research

Despite the well-known benefits of staying active, only about 28% of American adults meet the recommended guidelines for aerobic exercise and strength training. This highlights a crucial need for innovative strategies to motivate more people to move and reduce sedentary behavior. In this updated review, authors discuss advancements in strategies to promote physical activity and reduce sedentary time using technology-based interventions, including wearables, smartphone apps, artificial intelligence, and gamification. Other takeaways from this review emphasize the importance of cultural adaptation and context in scaling up these interventions and the need for increased dissemination and implementation efforts.

[Source: Lewis, B.A., Napolitano, M.A., Buman, M.P. et al. Physical Activity Interventions: an Update on Advancing Sedentary Time, Technology, and Dissemination and Implementation Research. J Behav Med (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10865-024-00533-y]

Device-Measured 24-Hour Movement Behaviors and Blood Pressure: A 6-Part Compositional Individual Particpant Data Analysis in the ProPASS Consortium

In this new report, researchers highlight that small shifts in daily activity patterns can help in lowering blood pressure, emphasizing the importance of exercise in managing cardiovascular health. This study analyzed data from 14,761 adults who wore activity trackers and had their blood pressure measured. Results revealed that replacing at least five minutes of sedentary behaviors with moderate physical activities like running or cycling could reduce systolic blood pressure by 68 mmHg and diastolic blood pressure by 0.54 mmHg. Exercise lasting 20-30 minutes was associated with larger improvements in blood pressure. Sedentary behaviors negatively impact blood pressure, while standing and walking have minimal effects. This study reinforces that small changes in physical activity and sedentary behavior can make significant differences in blood pressure and overall cardiovascular health.

[Source: Blodgett, J. M., Ahmadi, M. N., Atkin, A. J., Pulsford, R. M., Rangul, V., Chastin, S., Chan, H.-W., Suorsa, K., Bakker, E. A., Gupta, N., Hettiarachchi, P., Johansson, P. J., Sherar, L. B., del Pozo Cruz, B., Koemel, N., Mishra, G. D., Eijsvogels, T. M. H., Stenholm, S., Hughes, A. D., & Teixeira-Pinto, A. (2024). Device-Measured 24-Hour Movement Behaviors and Blood Pressure: A 6-Part Compositional Individual Participant Data Analysis in the ProPASS Consortium. Circulation. https://doi.org/10.1161/circulationaha.124.069820]

Process Evaluation Findings from Stong Hearts, Healthy Communities 2.0: a Cardiovascular Disease Prevention Intervention for Rural Women

This report of the Strong Hearts, Health Communities 2.0 (SHHC-2.0) program aimed to evaluate fidelity and quality using mixed methods. The SHH-C-2.0 was a 24-week cardiovascular disease prevention intervention targeting women in rural New York. SHHC-2.0, a randomized trial, aimed to enhance physical activity, nutritional behaviors, and social support and engagement. Between 2017 and 2018, the team randomly assigned 11 medically underserved towns to either the immediate intervention group or a waitlist control group. Both quantitative and qualitative methods were used to conduct a comprehensive process evaluation of the program’s implementation, examining aspects such as enrollment, participant satisfaction, and adherence to the curriculum. The results showed that the intervention reached an average of 7.5% of eligible women, with an average attendance rate of 60% and an overall high satisfaction rate of over 88%. Despite facing barriers such as limited access to resources, participants reported gains in knowledge and health. Overall, SHHC-2.0 reached a broad audience and was largely delivered as intended. SHHC-2.0 demonstrates the potential for wider dissemination of cardiovascular disease prevention strategies in rural settings.

[Source: Szeszulski, J., Rolke, L. J., Ayine, P., Bailey, R., Demment, M., Eldridge, G. D., Folta, S. C., Graham, M. L., MacMillan Uribe, A. L., McNeely, A., Nelson, M. E., Pullyblank, K., Rethorst, C., Strogatz, D., & Seguin-Fowler, R. A. (2024). Process Evaluation Findings from Strong Hearts, Healthy Communities 2.0: A Cardiovascular Disease Prevention Intervention for Rural Women. The International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, 21(1), 122. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12966-024-01670-y]

REPORTS, SURVEYS, GUIDELINES, RESOURCES:

New U.S. Report Card on Physical Activity for Children and Youth

The Physical Activity Alliance (PAA) has released the 2024 U.S. Report Card on Physical Activity for Children and Youth. This report card highlights the persistent levels of low physical activity among the nation’s youth. With an overall grade of D-, the report shows how activity levels gradually decrease with age and a decline in sports participation. The authors of the report discuss restructuring environments to support safe, enjoyable, and accessible community-wide efforts to reduce barriers to physical activity. The report also provides a call to action to all policymakers and stakeholders to promote programs to foster healthier lifestyles among the youth. You can find the full report on the PAA site.

[Source: Physical Activity Alliance]

2024 Guidelines for the Primary Prevention of Stroke

The American Heart Association (AHA) and the American Stroke Association (ASA) have released an updated guideline for the prevention of stroke among the American population. The update provides strategies to reduce stroke risk by emphasizing a life-course approach. Key recommendations in the update included lifestyle changes such as improving diet (e.g., Mediterranean, low-fat approaches), increasing physical activity, blood pressure management, and new guidance around the use of drugs (GLP-1 receptor agonists) in patients with diabetes and high risk for cardiovascular disease. Additionally, the updated guideline introduces specific recommendations that address social determinants of health, pregnancy-related stroke prevention, and transgender and non-binary prevention and risk.

[Source: American Heart Association]

PROMOTING ACTIVE COMMUNITIES:

Meet the November Project

Regardless of the temperature, the free fitness movement The November Project depends on outdoor group workouts to foster community. Originating in Boston, the project offers inclusivity and inspiration by trying to counteract winter fitness slumps with early morning sessions in public areas. The Project’s unique approach fosters social connection alongside physical fitness, creating a supportive environment for all skill levels. The organization emphasizes in colder months the need for health as well as social connection.

[Source: AP News]

 

UPCOMING CONFERENCES AND WORKSHOPS:

January

February

March

April

May

June

    Writers: Jasmin Parker-Brown

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    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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