Physical Activity Information Round-Up

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April 8, 2010

2010-04-08T08:08:00.003-07:00

By Rosanne Prinsen, MSc

Alberta Centre for Active Living

ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION

Active Community Transportation Act of 2010 (USA)
To direct the Secretary of Transportation to carry out an active transportation investment program to encourage a mode shift to active transportation within selected communities by providing safe and convenient options to bicycle and walk for routine travel, and for other purposes.

Designing Walkable Urban Thoroughfares: A Context Sensitive Approach
This report has been developed in response to widespread interest for improving both mobility choices and community character through a commitment to creating and enhancing walkable communities. Many agencies will work towards these goals using the concepts and principles in this report to ensure the users, community and other key factors are considered in the planning and design processes used to develop walkable urban thoroughfares.

Missouri Bicycle and Pedestrian Federation
The Missouri Bicycle and Pedestrian Federation is a statewide, not-for-profit, membership organization that advocates advancement of bicycling access, safety and education in Missouri.

Transport Canada - Improving Travel Options in Small and Rural Communities
This guide is intended to help practitioners—engineers, planners, health professionals, economic development officials and others—to improve travel options for residents of small and rural communities. This includes a range of actions that make personal transportation activities more sustainable— encouraging drivers to operate their cars more efficiently, or to leave their cars at home and walk, cycle, take transit or carpool instead.

Valuing Bicycling’s Economic and Health Impacts in Wisconsin
This study estimates the economic impact of bicycle recreation and tourism in Wisconsin to be $924,211,000, and the total potential value of health benefits from reducing short car trips and increasing bicycle trips to total $409,944,167. The results of this study demonstrate that bicycling has the potential to contribute substantially to the health and economic well being of Wisconsin citizens.

Walk This Way: Recognising Value in Active Health Prevention
In 2009 the Local Government Information Unit (LGiU) was commissioned by Natural England to explore the opportunities and barriers to getting more people walking. The resulting report offers practical guidance and support on key components of successful walking initiatives that physical activity and health professionals can use to make the case for investment in walking.

CHILDREN

Active Healthy Kids Canada – Report Card
The Report Card is coming early this year! Look out for the Active Healthy Kids Canada Report Card on April 27, 2010.

Each year, our Report Card on Physical Activity for Children and Youth examines physical activity opportunities for kids all across Canada.

Active School Travel Project Goes Nationwide
Green Communities Canada announced [March 16] the national expansion of a project that makes it safer for students to use active transportation methods like walking and cycling to travel to and from school. Funding of $2.1 million from the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer and the Public Health Agency of Canada will enable School Travel Planning (STP) to reach 120 schools, resulting in healthier, happier students and reducing the incidence of chronic disease.

Spark Together for Healthy Kids
Spark Together for Healthy Kids is the Heart and Stroke Foundation's response to the growing epidemic of childhood obesity. We're an Ontario-wide initiative helping to inspire individuals, families, communities, businesses, and government to spark collective change to help children become more physically active and eat healthier foods.

Tackling obesity through the healthy child programme: A framework for action
This document was commissioned to inform the development of the Department of Health’s (UK) work on obesity in early years. It draws on some of the existing and emerging evidence on obesity and early years and sets out key actions for practitioners to effectively support mothers and fathers in encouraging healthy nutrition and physical activity.

DISABILITY

London 2012: A legacy for disabled people
Published by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), this document lays out the Government’s vision and commitment to delivering a lasting legacy for disabled people from hosting the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

OVERWEIGHT/OBESITY

Healthy Habits, Healthy Weights: A Practical Guide to Weight Management
A resource from the Canadian Heart and Stroke Foundation. Physical activity is mentioned 16 times in this 25 page document. It also includes a link to a physical activity log.

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY

BHF Exercise Referral Toolkit - now live
The toolkit is not designed as a 'blueprint' for how exercise referral schemes must be designed, implemented and evaluated; it offers some best practice principles for all those involved in the delivery, management and commissioning of exercise referral schemes. It is for individual schemes to consider whether the implementation of these principles will improve the design, delivery and effectiveness of their scheme, given the capacity and resources available.

Economic costs of physical inactivity fact sheet - UK
This fact sheet summarizes some of the key facts and figures on the disease burden of physical inactivity and the associated healthcare and economic costs.

Get Active for Life: Your guide to an active lifestyle
A resource from the Canadian Heart and Stroke Foundation.

Global Advocacy for Physical Activity
GAPA aims to provide interested stakeholders with communications and resources to help the development, dissemination and implementation of national policies, programs and services that promote physical activity and health.

Joint Use of Community Resources
Joint use is a way to increase opportunities for children and adults to be more physically active. It refers to two or more entities — usually a school and a city or private organization — sharing indoor and outdoor spaces like gymnasiums, athletic fields and playgrounds. The concept is simple: share resources to keep costs down and communities healthy.

URBAN DESIGN

Healthy Urban Development Checklist: A guide for health services when commenting on development policies, plans and proposals
The purpose of the Checklist is to help build the capacity of NSW Health to provide valuable feedback to local councils, and other relevant organisations, on health issues in relation to urban development plans and proposals. It is intended that the use of the Guideline will facilitate strengthened partnerships and collaboration between NSW Health and urban planners and developers as part of NSW Health's initiatives to promote healthy communities in NSW.

Shaping Active, Healthy Communities – A Heart and Stroke Foundation Built Environment Toolkit for Change
The tool kit is a national resource, available in both French and English. Currently it can be downloaded at no cost online on the Heart and Stroke Foundation website at http://www.heartandstroke.ca/HealthyCommunities. Pending additional funding, print copies may become available.

April 1, 2010

2010-04-01T09:51:00.002-07:00

By Rosanne Prinsen MSc

Alberta Centre for Active Living

ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION
Cool Pedestrian Environments: Pedestrian Mobility & Accommodation
At some point during every trip, and on most days, we are all pedestrians. Walking is the universal mode of transport, available to persons of all ages and income levels and in every geographic setting: large, small, urban, suburban, and rural. Though it is the most basic mode, providing for pedestrian safety and mobility is a complex task…. This website is a resource for pedestrian planning, design, and safety documents, and includes web links to other resources.

Pedestrian and Bicyclist Safety and Mobility in Europe
Pedestrian and bicyclist deaths accounted for 14 percent of U.S. highway fatalities in 2008. The Federal Highway Administration…. sponsored a scanning study of five European countries to identify and assess effective approaches to improve pedestrian and bicyclist safety and mobility.

The scan team gathered information on strategies and approaches in the areas of engineering, education, enforcement, encouragement, and evaluation. The team learned that many of the countries studied have established an urban street user hierarchy that gives the highest priority to walking, biking, and public transit.

Walking as a suspicious activity
Long Branch, N.J., police answered a call about a suspicious-looking person walking in a suburban neighborhood in a light rain. The man had stopped on the sidewalk to look at a house for sale. The officer, asked the aging pedestrian, his curly salt-and-pepper hair partly covered by a hood, his purpose in the neighborhood. 'Walking,' the man said. She asked his name. 'Bob Dylan.' She asked for identification. He had none. The officer put Dylan, 68, in the back of the squad car and took him back to a nearby hotel parking lot, where the legendary musician's tour buses were parked, so he could present valid ID..."

CHILDREN
Are children and adolescents less active if parents restrict their physical activity and active transport due to perceived risk?
Social Science & Medicine Article in Press, Corrected Proof
Alison Carver, Anna Timperio, Kylie Hesketh and David Crawford

The findings demonstrate that constrained behaviour exhibited by parents may result in lower levels of active transport and of MVPA outside school hours. In particular, this was true for children and adolescent girls. Social interventions to improve perceived safety and physical interventions involving redesign of the built environment to improve actual safety may help to ease parental restriction of their children’s active transport and physical activity in their neighbourhood.

CDC Youth Physical Activity Guidelines Toolkit
Use this new toolkit to help promote physical activity in young people.

Effect of a Two-Year Obesity Prevention Intervention on Percentile Changes in Body Mass Index and Academic Performance in Low-Income Elementary School Children
American Journal of Public Health April 2010, Vol 100, No. 4

The authors conclude: School-based interventions can improve health and academic performance among low-income schoolchildren.

Online resources for identifying evidence-based, out-of-school time programs: A users guide
Child Trends produced this Guide to assist funders, administrators, and practitioners in identifying and navigating online resources to find evidence-based programs that may be appropriate for their target populations and communities.

Understanding parental physical activity: Meanings, habits, and social role influence
Psychology of Sport and Exercise Article in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Kyra Hamilton, and Katherine M. White

Parents had clear understandings of what constitutes PA and engaged in various activities which were integrated with or independent of the children. Being active with children, however, was not always constructed favorably in which many parents described the difficulties of being active with their children.

MENTAL HEALTH
Best practice guidelines for mental health promotion programs: Older adults 55+
Note this is a “web-resource”.
This web resource is the second in a series of guides to promoting positive mental health across the lifespan. It provides health and social service providers (“practitioners”) with current evidence-based approaches in the application of mental health promotion concepts and principles for older adults and is intended to support practitioners, caregivers and others involved in developing programs in incorporating best practice approaches to mental health promotion initiatives that are directed towards older people (55 years of age and over).

OLDER ADULTS
Physical Activity Resources and Changes in Walking in a Cohort of Older Men
American Journal of Public Health April 2010, Vol 100, No. 4

We evaluated the influence of physical activity resources and neighborhood-level socioeconomic status (SES) on walking among community-dwelling older men. Uncovering reasons that proximity to parks and trails is not associated with maintenance of walking activity among men in low-SES neighborhoods could provide new insight into ways to promote physical activity.

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
2009 Australia Conference of Science and Medicine in Sport, Seventh National Physical Activity Conference, Sixth National Sports Injury Prevention Conference, Be Active '09
Journal of Science and medicine in Sport Volume 12, Supplement 2

This Journal has published abstracts from the October 2009 sports medicine, sports science, sports injury, and physical activity promotion conference.

Application of the Transtheoretical model to physical activity in older adults with Type 2 diabetes and/or cardiovascular disease
Psychology of Sport and Exercise Article in Press
Alison Kirk, Freya MacMillan and Nikki Webster

Findings support the theoretical predictions of the TTM and the use of this model in older clinical populations.

Disparities in Data on Healthy People 2010 Physical Activity Objectives Collected by Accelerometry and Self-Report
American Journal of Public Health April 2010, Vol 100, No. S1

We compared findings on physical activity from national accelerometry data and Healthy People 2010 self-report data to identify differences in disparities by sociodemographic characteristics, gender, age, race/ethnicity, education level, and disability status

Dissemination of effective physical activity interventions: are we applying the evidence?
Health Education Research 2010 25(2):185-198

For physical activity researchers and practitioners, we have effective intervention approaches and analytic tools available for use, such as the Community Guide. However, it is now widely recognized that the mere existence of scientific knowledge is not sufficient to ensure effective application.

This study was undertaken to better understand the importance of studying context as a crucial step in the dissemination of physical activity interventions, focusing particularly on the evidence-based reviews in the Community Guide… One-size does not fit all as illustrated by our study. We must learn about context and capacity before attempting to actively disseminate the Guide's recommendations…..

Global Consultation on the "Toronto Charter for Physical Activity"
The consultation will close on 16th April 2010

URBAN DESIGN
The Built Environment and Location-Based Physical Activity
American Journal of Preventive Medicine Vol 38, Iss 4, April 2010, P 429-438

Findings are consistent with studies showing that certain attributes of the built environment around homes are positively related to physical activity, but in this case only when the outcome was location-based.

Fixing the Great Mistake: Autocentric Development
According to a Feb. 25th StreetFilms entry, "'Fixing the Great Mistake' is a new Streetfilms series that examines what went wrong in the early part of the 20th Century, when our cities began catering to the automobile, and how those decisions continue to affect our lives today."

"In this episode, Transportation Alternatives director Paul Steely White shows how planning for cars drastically altered Park Avenue. Watch and see what Park Avenue used to look like, how we ceded it to the automobile, and what we need to do to reclaim the street as a space where people take precedence over traffic."

Perceived characteristics of the neighborhood and its association with physical activity behavior and self-rated health
Health & Place Article in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Willibald J. Stronegger, Sylvia Titze and Pekka Oja

Results suggest that local infrastructure facilities should be designed so as to ensure accessibility by both walking and cycling.

March 19, 2010

2010-03-19T07:53:00.002-07:00

By Rosanne Prinsen MSc

Alberta Centre for Active Living

Info Round Up will return on April 1, 2010

ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION

Get Active Mississauga – Active Transportation
Lots of good info here – be sure to go to the Get Active homepage too.

CHILDREN

Effect of school based physical activity programme (KISS) on fitness and adiposity in primary schoolchildren: cluster randomised controlled trial
BMJ 2010;340:c785

Conclusion: A school based multi-component physical activity intervention including compulsory elements improved physical activity and fitness and reduced adiposity in children.

Let’s Move
Check out this new childhood obesity program in the US with the involvement of First Lady Michelle Obama.

Neighborhood determinants of self-efficacy, physical activity, and body weights among Canadian children
Health & Place Volume 16, Issue 3, May 2010, Pages 567-572

Both infrastructural investments such as in recreational facilities, sidewalks and parks, as well as health education to promote self-efficacy may increase PA and prevent overweight among children.

Physical activity and adolescents: An exploratory randomised controlled trial investigating the influence of affective and instrumental text messages
British Journal of Health Psychology

The findings suggest that for adolescent individuals who are inactive, receiving messages about affective gains from physical activity are more effective than receiving messages about the potential health benefits.

CHRONIC DISEASE

Management of Low Back Pain
The Alberta Ambassador Program has produced practice guidelines for acute and chronic low back pain which are housed on the Toward Optimized Practice web site of the Alberta Medical Association. The guidelines are available in a two page summary form as well as longer more detailed versions. There are also patient information sheets available.

Type 2 Diabetes: Poverty, Priorities and Policy: The Social Determinants of the Incidence and Management of Type 2 Diabetes
Brand new 2010 report. Physical activity is mentioned many times – including specific tables/figures. (Note: when you go to the link it may ask you to install an add on to open the document – it’s safe to do so).

HEALTHY EATING

Four translations of Eating Well with Canada’s Food Guide – First Nations, Inuit and Métis
This food guide is now available in Woods Cree, Plains Cree, Ojibwe, and Inuktitut. These translations are part of a broader effort by Health Canada to provide Canada’s Food Guide in a variety of languages to better reach Canadians.

OVERWEIGHT/OBESITY

Neighborhoods and obesity in New York City
Health & Place Volume 16, Issue 3, May 2010, Pages 489-499

These findings are consistent with the growing literature showing that area income and availability of food and physical activity resources are related to obesity.

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY

Australian sports urged to engage all cultures
An important part of involving your community in structured sport is the work that clubs and coaches do to build awareness and promote participation within all cultures. Links provide information on how to involve multicultural communities in your locality in sport and recreation.

Health Survey for England 2008: Focus on physical activity and fitness
Released February 2010. This document summarizes the key findings from the 2008 Health Survey for England concerning the physical activity levels of adults and children.

Parks, Playgrounds and Active Living
This synthesis summarizes the growing body of evidence concerning the role of parks in shaping active lifestyles across a variety of study populations, including children, seniors, lower-income families, specific racial and ethnic groups and other populations at high risk of being inactive.

Physical activity and health fact sheet
*New* from the BHF National Centre Physical Activity + Health (UK).
This updated fact sheet provides the latest evidence on how physical activity can help to prevent a range of medical conditions including cardiovascular disease, type II diabetes, some cancers, hypertension and osteoporosis. This fact sheet can be used to make the case and secure funding for physical activity intervention or for professionals to increase and update their knowledge.

Program Costing Worksheets
These worksheets provide templates for determining program costs, which include staff, facilities and additional costs. There is a section for determining cost per participant and for calculating net profit or loss at the end of the program.

Urban Green Space and Public Health
Looks at the links between urban green space and public health

Using Active Living Principles to Promote Physical Activity in Rural Areas
This document is meant for community advocates, leaders, policy makers, or any other stakeholders that are interested in creating supports for active living within rural communities.

WOMEN
Physical activity, sedentary behavior and depression among disadvantaged women
Health Education Research Advance Access published online on February 9, 2010
Megan Teychenne, Kylie Ball and Jo Salmon

This study demonstrates the associations that exist between the risk of depression in women and is novel due to its large number of participants and its focus on disadvantaged neighborhoods

March 12, 2010

2010-03-12T08:47:00.002-07:00

By Rosanne Prinsen MSc

Alberta Centre for Active Living

ABORIGINAL
Indigenous Sport Council Alberta
ACE Communities is working with the Indigenous Sport Council (Alberta) to support the use of recreation, sports, arts, culture and heritage in Aboriginal Communities.

ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION
Active travel strategy
The strategy highlights plans to put walking and cycling at the heart of local transport and public health strategies over the next decade. The guiding principles for the strategy are that walking and cycling should be everyday ways of getting around – not just for their own sake but also because of what they can do to improve public health, tackle congestion, reduce carbon emissions and improve the local environment.

Journal of the Transportation Research Board - Volume 2140 / 2009
There are many, many good articles dealing with pedestrians and cyclists in this issue.

Paths for All
Paths for All is a national charity promoting walking for health and the development of multi-use path networks (Scotland).

Physical activity in the Active People Survey: Developing an indicator that includes walking and cycling for transport
This paper analyses the Sport England Active People Survey data to estimate the percentage of adults participating in moderate intensity physical activity for 30 minutes or more on at least three and five occasions per week that includes walking and cycling for transport.

Portland Bicycle Plan for 2030
Bicycling creates safer streets, reduces the causes of global climate change, promotes a healthy environment, and limits the effects and health care costs related to inactivity. It provides equity and access to viable, affordable transportation options and creates fun, vibrant, and livable neighborhoods. It supports Portland’s economy and is a sound investment. (Portland is very progressive when it comes to Active Transportation!)

CHILDREN
Change4Life one year on
This document reports on the first twelve months of the Change4Life campaign. Change4Life, which launched to the public in January 2009, is the social marketing part of the Healthy Weight, Healthy Lives cross-governmental strategy for England. In its first year, Change4Life focused on those families with children aged 5-11, who were at greatest risk of becoming overweight or obese.

Descriptive epidemiology of youth pedometer-determined physical activity: CANPLAY
Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise: POST ACCEPTANCE, 4 February 2010
Craig, Cora L; Cameron, Christine; Griffiths, Joseph M; Tudor-Locke, Catrine

This study demonstrates the viability of using relatively inexpensive pedometers and methods for the surveillance of young people's physical activity. The resulting descriptive data provide key information regarding the population distribution of pedometer-determined physical activity that may be useful for identifying target groups for population strategies and other interventions.

The GirlStars Program: Challenges to Recruitment and Retention in a Physical Activity and Health Education Program for Adolescent Girls Living in Public Housing
Preventing Chronic Disease Volume 7: No. 2, March 2010

Although physical inactivity is a concern for all adolescents, physical activity levels are especially low among minority adolescents and minimal among girls from low-income families. After-school programs can reduce high-risk behaviors and strengthen schools, families, and communities.

Preventing childhood obesity through lifestyle change interventions: A briefing paper for commissioners
This briefing paper aims to support commissioners by providing a brief guide to current
best available evidence on effective obesity prevention interventions for children and
young people Physical activity is mentioned 12 times in this 10 page document.

Upstart: Low Cost Recreation Space
Take advantage of this Government of Alberta rental rate subsidy that helps community groups run recreational programming for children and youth during out-of-school hours in Calgary and the Rocky View.

Using accelerometers and GPS units to identify the proportion of daily physical activity located in parks with playgrounds in New Zealand children.
Preventive Medicine Article in Press, Corrected Proof
Robin Quigg, Andrew Gray, Anthony Reeder, Alec Holt, Debra Waters

These findings, using accelerometers and GPS units to investigate the location of children’s physical activity, demonstrates that only a small percentage of children’s daily physical activity levels is carried out in parks with playgrounds. It is likely that the provision of parks alone may not be enough to increase physical activity levels in children.

CHRONIC DISEASE
A prediction of obesity trends for adults and their associated diseases
the National Heart Forum Modelling Team compare trends including the most recent data from Health Survey for England (2000- 2007) to the analysis conducted for the Foresight report for adults in three age groups. Furthermore, updated predictions for the burdens of diseases that are attributable to obesity are presented, specifically arthritis, coronary heart disease, diabetes, gall bladder disease, hypertension, stroke and the following cancers: breast, colorectal, endometrial, kidney, oesophageal and liver.

MENTAL HEALTH
Do exercise and fitness buffer against stress among Swiss police and emergency response service officers?
Psychology of Sport and Exercise - Article in Press
Markus Gerber PhD, Michael Kellmann PhD, Tim Hartmann MS and Uwe Pühse PhD

The findings indicate that exercise and fitness can help foster a healthy and thriving workforce that takes less sick leaves and feels better prepared to cope with chronic stress.

Minding our bodies: Physical activity for mental health
Minding Our Bodies is a two-year project (2008-2010). Our goal is to increase capacity within the community mental health system in Ontario to promote active living and to create new opportunities for physical activity for people with serious mental illness to support recovery.

OLDER ADULTS
Changes in leisure-time physical activity and sedentary behaviour at retirement: a prospective study in middle-aged French subjects.
International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity 2010, 7:14

These findings highlight that retirement provides opportunities to increase physical activity, but increasing leisure-time can also lead to increased sedentary behaviour.

International Federation on Aging
The IFA believes in 'generating positive change for older people throughout the world by stimulating, collecting, analyzing, and disseminating information on rights, policies, and practices that improve the quality of life of people as they age.'

WHO Age-Friendly Environments Program
The WHO is the focal point for age friendly cities/communities/environments – this website is now operational and we invite you to go online and join The Global Network. At this time the IFA is temporarily closing its AFC website and transferring relevant information to our main site over the next few weeks. Age Friendly environments remains one of IFAs key priorities and we look forward to sharing new information from the IFA 10th Global Conference in the very near future.

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
Pedometer Use Among Adults at High Risk of Type 2 Diabetes, Finland, 2007-2008
Preventing Chronic Disease Volume 7: No. 2, March 2010

Sedentary adults can be motivated to use a pedometer if we inform them that regular users find it a useful instrument for increasing their level of exercise. These adults should set realistic goals for walking and receive adequate instructions for using pedometers.

Physical activity and physical health functioning among middle-aged Finnish employees
Preventive Medicine - Article in Press
Jouni Lahti, Mikko Laaksonena, Eero Lahelmaa and Ossi Rahkonena

The objective of the study was: “To examine whether physical activity contributes to physical health functioning five to seven years later among middle-aged employees.”

URBAN DESIGN
The Built Environment and Health: 11 Profiles of Neighborhood Transformation
Highlights neighborhood-level changes to the built environment that can have a positive influence on the health of community residents, especially in low-income communities. The profiles demonstrate how health practitioners, community members and many others can work together to improve community well-being by making changes to the built environment.

Community Health and the Built Environment
If a picture is worth a thousand words, then residents from North Central Edmonton have glowing stories to share about their community.

It takes more than stores to build a winning town center
According to a Feb. 28th Washington Post article, "The nation's two largest groups -- baby boomers shedding their houses as they become empty nesters and millennials reaching their 30s and moving into their own homes -- largely prefer densely populated, walkable communities, experts say." Urban planners project that 86 percent of the growth in new households will be single people or couples without children at home -- and neither group wants to live in remote suburbs or in houses surrounded by big lawns.

Ottawa Neighborhood Study
Evidence is mounting that the neighborhoods and communities in which we live affect both the health and the gap in health between rich and poor. Our aim is to better understand the physical and social pathways through which neighborhoods in Ottawa affect health.

WOMEN
Influence of habitual physical activity on body composition, fat distribution and metabolic variables in early postmenopausal women receiving hormonal therapy
European Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Reproductive Biology Article in Press
S. Lara, G. Casanova and P.M. Spritzer

Habitual physical activity plays a major role in preserving a favorable cardiovascular profile in postmenopausal patients using HRT.

February 26, 2010

2010-02-26T09:06:00.001-07:00

By Rosanne Prinsen MSc

Alberta Centre for Active Living

ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION
Canadian Tax Exempt Transit and Cycling Benefits
A Cost Estimate of Proposed Amendments to the Income Tax Act to Exempt Certain Employer-Provided Transportation Benefits from Taxable Income.

Who owns the roads? How motorised traffic discourages walking and bicycling
Injury Prevention 2009; 15: 369-373
This article examines the impact of vehicle traffic on walking and bicycling activity. It indicates that real and perceived danger and discomfort imposed by traffic discourages walking and bicycling, and interventions to reduce traffic speed and volume can improve public health by increasing walking and bicycling activity.

CHILDREN
APPLE Schools: Alberta Project Promoting active Living and healthy Eating
APPLE Schools aim to make the healthy choice the easy choice by changing the school environments. The easy choice for students will be healthy lunches and snacks and an active lifestyle. We aim to create and sustain supportive physical and social environments that foster lifelong health and learning.

Child and Youth Friendly Land Use and Transport Planning: Guidelines and Literature Review.
The project began in November 2007 and is to continue until March 2010. Its main objective is to develop sets of guidelines for municipal transportation and land-use planners, one set for each of Canada’s ten provinces.

The Guidelines are being developed as tools for achieving transportation and land-use arrangements that meet the needs of children and youth — and everyone else.

Neighborhood, Route, and School Environments and Children's Active Commuting
American Journal of Preventive Medicine Vol 38, Issue 3, March 2010, Pages 268-278

Objectively measured neighborhood and route factors are associated with walking and cycling to school. However, distance did not moderate the associations found here. Creating safe environments by improving urban design may influence children's commuting behavior. Intervention studies are needed to confirm the findings from this observational cross-sectional study.

Pan-Canadian Online Survey to Determine a "Communities Perspective" on Children/Youth and their Connection with Nature
This survey will only be available online until the end of day on March 12th, 2010.
An online survey designed to seek input on strategic matters pertaining to children and youth and their perceived lack of engagement/connection with nature (the out-of-doors). The survey should take between 20-30 minutes to fully complete. The survey does not have to be completed in one session.

Programs for Children and Youth in a Community Context
Participants in a recent Child Trends Roundtable explored how evidence-based programs might be integrated into community initiatives to strengthen outcomes for children…. Insights from this Roundtable provide valuable guidance to policymakers and foundations considering investments in similar initiatives and to communities seeking to build or improve a system of services for disadvantaged children and youth.

MISCELLANEOUS
A cross-sectional study of the number and frequency of terms used to refer to knowledge translation in a body of health literature in 2006: a Tower of Babel?
The study of implementing research findings into practice is rapidly growing and has acquired many competing names (e.g., dissemination, uptake, utilization, translation) and contributing disciplines. The use of multiple terms across disciplines pose barriers to communication and progress for applying research findings. The authors of this article sought to establish an inventory of terms describing this field and how often authors use them in a collection of health literature published in 2006.

Guidance for Developers of Health Research Reporting Guidelines
A reporting guideline gives a set of recommendations regarding the information that should be included in the report of a research study. The authors of this article hope this guidance on how to develop a reporting guideline, including an 18-step checklist, will fill a gap in the literature and be of help to potential and practicing developers.

This strategy assumes the involvement of an executive group to facilitate the guideline development and the expectation of having a face-to-face meeting as part of the reporting guideline development.

MENTAL HEALTH
Mental Health and Physical Activity
A new edition of Mental Health and Physical Activity (MENPA) has been released. MENPA is an academic peer-reviewed journal that promotes high-quality research in understanding the link between mental health and physical activity.

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
The potential role of physical exercise in the treatment of epilepsy
Epilepsy & Behavior Article in Press, Corrected Proof
Ricardo Mario Arida, Fulvio Alexandre Scorza, Sérgio Gomes da Silva, Steven C. Schachter and Esper Abrão Cavalheiro

The beneficial effects of exercise for people with epilepsy, including reduction of seizure susceptibility, improvement of quality of life, reduction of anxiety and depression, and better social integration, have increasingly been reported. We present data from human and animal studies supporting the role of exercise as a therapy for epilepsy complementary to standard treatments.

URBAN DESIGN
Where We Want To Be: Home Location Preferences And Their Implications For Smart Growth
Updated 20 January 2010

February 19, 2010

2010-02-19T10:11:00.002-07:00

By Rosanne Prinsen MSc

Alberta Centre for Active Living

ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION

Walking and Biking Through Minnesota Winters
Information from a course to highlight and explore best local, national and international practices for encouraging year-round non-motorized (walking and cycling) transportation. The course included specific exploration of design, maintenance, and operations practices in similar winter climates, and was convened as a starting point for upcoming conversations exploring improvements to our year-round walking and cycling infrastructure and maintenance practices.

CHILDREN

Childhood Obesity – It’s Everyone’s Business: Separating Fact from Fiction
Includes a list of statements about childhood obesity. Each is identified as either
“fact” or “fiction,” with an explanation of the evidence for the statement.

Encouraging Walking and Bicycling through School Policies

Promoting Optimal Monitoring of Child Growth in Canada: Using the New WHO Growth Charts
Developed collaboratively by the Dietitians of Canada, Canadian Paediatric Society, The College of Family Physicians of Canada and Community Health Nurses of Canada. The statement is intended for use as a practice guideline for health professionals. The desired outcome is the promotion of consistent practices in monitoring growth and assessing patterns of linear growth and weight gain in infants, children and adolescents to support healthy child growth and development.

School Travel Planning Newsletter
News and information about the Canadian school travel planning project.

CHRONIC DISEASE
Coalitions Linking Action & Science for Prevention (CLASP)
More than 30 organizations from across Canada are forming partnerships in a $15.5-million series of initiatives designed to prevent chronic disease. The seven collaborative coalitions are to address such issues as childhood obesity, screening for chronic disease by family doctors, and the unique needs of First Nations communities.

CLASP Phase 1 Report
This report provides a detailed description of the CLASP Phase 1 consultation process as well as an outcome summary from each of the workshops, and an overview of the highest priority opportunities for collaborative action as identified by workshop participants.

The Economic Costs of Overweight, Obesity and Physical Inactivity Among California Adults – 2006.
On July 9, 2009, the California Center for Public Health Advocacy (CCPHA) released this report. The study found that the cost of overweight, obesity and physical inactivity had climbed to $41 billion in 2006, nearly double the amount reported in 2000.

Exercise Testing for the Prediction of Cardiac Events in Patients with Diabetes
To assess research evidence on the safety and prognostic value of exercise testing for the prediction of cardiac events in patients with chronic diseases including diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and arthritis.

Getting It Right: Case Studies of Effective Management of Chronic Disease Using
Primary Health Care Teams
Collectively, the five case studies describe a recipe for success for the design and implementation of effective, team-based primary health care for people living with chronic illness.

DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH
An Economic Framework for Analysing the Social Determinants of Health and
Health Inequalities
Reducing health inequalities is an important part of health policy in most countries. This paper discusses from an economic perspective how government policy can influence health inequalities, particularly focusing on the outcome of performance targets in England, and the role of sectors of the economy outside the health service – the ‘social determinants’ of health - in delivering these targets.

HEALTH PROMOTION
Can I use this evidence in my program decision? Assessing Applicability and Transferability of Evidence (2007)
Link to Background Paper and Link to Tool
A summary of the current literature, including a process to help you evaluate the feasibility and generalizability of evidence to your public health practice. The associated tool (available separately) helps you make decisions about program priorities in your own community.

Community Health Improvement Resources (CHIR)
A web-based resource for planning, implementing and evaluating interventions to improve the health of a community. You may access information, tools and resources for health conditions and risk factors. Designed for use by public health practitioners and community stakeholders.

Health Disparities Calculator
The Health Disparities Calculator (HD*Calc) is a statistical software designed to generate multiple summary measures to evaluate and monitor health disparities (HD). HD*Calc was created as an extension of SEER*Stat that allows the user to import SEER Data

Research Tested Intervention Programs (RTIPS)
A listing of physical activity intervention programs.

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
Active People Survey 3
From Sport England the Active People Survey 3 began on 15 October 2008 and ran for 12 months until mid October 2009.

Disparities in Data on Healthy People 2010 Physical Activity Objectives Collected by Accelerometry and Self-Report
American Journal of Public Health - published online ahead of print
Sandra A. Ham Barbara E. Ainsworth

Conclusions. Disparities in physical activity differ from previous findings. Increased understanding of these disparities should be used to design better and more cost-effective physical activity interventions. Physical activity surveillance methods should be revised to make use of data collection methods that are more valid than self-report.

Health Survey for England - 2008: Physical activity and fitness
The 2008 Health Survey for England focused on physical activity and fitness. Adults and children were asked to recall their physical activity over recent weeks, and objective measures of physical activity and fitness were also obtained. A secondary objective was to examine results on childhood obesity and other factors affecting health, including fruit and vegetable consumption, drinking and smoking.

National policy to local practice: Working together to deliver physical activity programs
Keynote, workshop and poster presentations now available to download.

Ontario Society of Physical Activity Promoters in Public Health (OSPAPPH)
The OSPAPPH aims to be the unified voice representing public health practitioners with the mandate of promoting physical activity in their respective communities.

URBAN DESIGN
Active Design Guidelines
The Active Design Guidelines provides architects and urban designers with a manual of strategies for creating healthier buildings, streets and urban spaces, based on the latest academic research and best practices in the field.

WOMEN
Physical Activity at Midlife in Relation to Successful Survival in Women at Age 70 Years or Older
Archives of Internal Medicine Vol. 170 No. 2, January 25, 2010

Data from the ongoing cohort Nurses’ Health Study (NHS) was used. A total of 13,535 participants who were free of major chronic diseases at baseline in 1986 and were aged 70 years or older were included in the study. ……..This research demonstrates regardless of body weight, physical activity, including walking, at midlife may increase the probability of preserving optimal health in women. Maintaining a healthy body weight and high physical activity levels simultaneously at midlife is likely to increase the odds of successful survival.

February 5, 2010

2010-02-05T08:37:00.004-07:00

By Rosanne Prinsen, MSc

Alberta Centre for Active Living

There will not be a Physical Activity Information Round-Up next week. The Roundup will resume on February 19, 2010.

ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION
Bicycling and Walking in the U.S.: 2010 Benchmarking Report
Many of the benchmarks featured in this report contribute to making communities more bicycle and pedestrian friendly by changing the built environment, culture, attitudes, and behaviors.

Canada Walks
Our Mission: to change the current social paradigm so that walkable communities are the cultural and social norm in Canada.

On the Move in the Community: Canada’s first active transportation conference
Montreal June 3rd and 4th, 2010.
The conference will bring together forty local and international speakers and specialists. These experts in the field will present winning formulas that have proven successful in public awareness campaigns and cyclist- and pedestrian-friendly urban planning endeavors.

Pedestrian Forum: Safe Pedestrians and a Walkable America
VOL. 49, Winter 2010
The latest edition of the Federal Highway Administration's (FHWA's) Pedestrian Forum Newsletter. It highlights efforts by the FHWA and its partners to improve the safety of walking and bicycling as a mode of transportation.

CHILDREN
Obesity: Recent Trends in Children Aged 2-11y and 12-19y: Analysis from the Health Survey for England 1993 – 2007
Comparing the HSE (2000-2007) data set shows a significantly healthier picture than the data up until 2004. The overall picture is positive for all age groups and genders. There are some gender differences with 12-19y females faring significantly worse than their 2-11y counterparts and with males where there is little difference between the two age groups.

Parks and open space: For the health and wellbeing of children and young people
See the contribution parks and open space can make to the health & wellbeing of young people, part of the Action for Young Australians program.

Urban Thinkers: Empowering people to walk and cycle
Urbanthinkers is a sustainable transportation think tank based in East Vancouver, BC with over a decade of international experience. We believe that walking and cycling to school can be fun, safe and invigorating – and that student leaders themselves will generate the shift away from a current over-reliance on driving to school.

CHRONIC DISEASE
Prevention of cardiovascular disease, diabetes and chronic kidney disease: targeting risk factors
A new report from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) focuses on targeting disease risk factors such as physical inactivity.

COMMUNITY
Effects of Park Improvements on Park Use and Physical Activity: Policy and Programming Implications
American Journal of Preventive Medicine Vol 37, Iss 6, Dec 2009, Pages 475-480

Improvements to parks may not automatically result in increased use and physical activity, especially when programming decreases. Multiple factors contribute to park use and need to be accounted for in future community-level interventions. Further, improving perceptions of safety alone is unlikely to result in increased park use.

DISABILITY
Participation in Sport by People with a Disability
This fact sheet presents information on disability and participation in sport by people with a disability. It also compares their participation rates with people with no disability and examines whether participation rates vary with sex, age and the type of disability. December 2009 from Australia

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
Adjusting step count recommendations for anthropometric variations in leg length
Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport- Article in Press
Michael W. Beets, Stamatis Agiovlasitis, Christopher A. Fahs, Sushant M. Ranadive and Bo Fernhall

“In conclusion, notable differences in the total number of steps to achieve the recommended levels of physical activity were observed when accounting for variations in leg length. These estimates developed herein provide preliminary evidence that adjusting for anthropometric differences can provide the public with a closer approximation of their individualised steps min threshold required to meet recent physical activity recommendations.”

Blueprint for an Active Australia
The Blueprint for an Active Australia provides key actions, based on evidence of effectiveness, that can increase physical activity levels in Australia from 2010 to 2013. This document draws on available evidence that supports the need for implementation of a comprehensive range of actions at national, state and local levels. These actions address the barriers to physical activity and create opportunities for all Australians to be active in their homes, neighbourhoods, schools, workplaces and communities.

Evaluation of the Ramblers Family Walking Programme – Furness Families Walk4Life
Overall, the project was successful at engaging young families, who reported positive experiences of the program. The evaluation report highlights 34 implications for future practice. These recommendations, (which may be useful for other organizations looking to implement a walking intervention) have been broken down into clear and concise categories.

Let's get physical: The economic contribution of fitness centres in Australia
Find out the potential health and economic savings relating to fitness centres.

Physical Activity Resource Centre (PARC) New website
The PARC website has a new look and a new web address. The new and improved PARC website features include:
• Streamlined navigation to make it easier to find the content you need
• Downloadable workshops that are easier to navigate
• Brighter, cleaner design

RESEARCH TOOLS
The Cochrane Library publication frequency
Effective January, 2010, Cochrane has made the much-anticipated change to monthly publications of The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (CDSR).

Health-Evidence
This site provides current research evidence relevant to public health in a searchable online registry. If you use Health-Evidence, you don’t need to go to Cochrane because all the research in the Cochrane database that is relevant to public health is listed in Health-Evidence.

NICE Guidelines (narrowed by topic to public health)
Based on high-quality systematic reviews; several new topics are added every year.

Pubmed – using the Clinical Queries tool
Clinical Queries uses some “behind the scenes” search strategies to help you find the best evidence for your question.

Pubmed without Clinical Queries tool
You may end up with a lot of hits, but you can use limits (language, human, dates, methods) to narrow down the number.

TRIP (Turning Research into Practice)
Searches across evidence-based resources (synopses, guidelines and systematic reviews); originally clinically based, but expanding to include community prevention.

URBAN DESIGN
Abu Dhabi Urban Street Design Manual
The manual builds on similar efforts in Germany, the UK, Australia, and the US….. it introduces the concept of the pedestrian realm as an integral part of the overall street composition, and shows how this and the traveled way are combined to provide a balanced street network for all modes of transport. In this regard the manual is perhaps one of the most progressive in the world.

Risking Success Through Flexible Design
"What comes to mind when you picture a livable community? Many people probably imagine scenes of bicyclists riding the streets, children walking to school, perhaps riders hopping on streetcars to go to work or run errands, friends meeting in front of storefronts, or diners sitting at outdoor cafes. Roadway congestion and lengthy distances to destinations probably do not spring to mind."

WORKPLACE
What Works in Worksite Health Promotion - Systematic Review Findings and Recommendations from the Task Force on Community Preventive Services
American Journal of Preventive Medicine Volume 38, Issue 2, Supplement 1, Pages A1-A8, S223-S302 (February 2010)

“An important milestone has been achieved through the publication of the Task Force review of workplace health promotion programs in this issue. The thoughtful and rigorous analysis of the literature determined that well-designed, evidence-based, and theory-grounded programs can bring about health improvement, risk reduction, lower levels of healthcare use, and improved worker productivity….”

January 28, 2010

2010-01-29T09:05:00.003-07:00

By Rosanne Prinsen MSc

Alberta Centre for Active Living

ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION
8 - 80 Cities, (formerly Walk & Bike for Life)
8 - 80 Cities is a Canadian based non-profit organization with an international outlook. (Their) goal is to contribute to the creation of vibrant cities and healthy communities, where residents live happier and enjoy great public places. (They) promote walking and bicycling as activities and urban parks, trails and other public spaces as great places for ALL.

The 8/80 rule:
Step 1: Think of a child that you love and care for who is approximately 8 years of age. This could be a child, grandchild, sister, brother, cousin etc.
Step 2: Think of an adult, approximately 80 years of age who you love and care for. This could be a parent, grandparent, friend etc.
Step 3: Ask yourself: Would you send that 8 year old along with the 80 year old on a walk, or a bike ride on that infrastructure? If you would, then it is safe enough, if you would not, then it is not safe enough.

CHILDREN
CFLRI 2008 Physical Activity Monitor: Getting Kids Active Bulletins are now available
Three new bulletins have been released: Main location for PA, Barriers to PA and Awareness of PA guides for children.

Kids Can Play Bulletin #1: Activity Levels of Children and Youth
The Canadian Fitness and Lifestyle Research Institute's Canadian Physical Activity Levels Among Youth (CANPLAY) study measures physical activity levels of
children and youth by using pedometers to measure daily steps. Most of the analyses in this bulletin are based on combined data collected in Years Three and Four (2007 - 2009) of data collection, unless otherwise stated.

COMMUNITY
Parks and recreation programs declining as obesity, health concerns rise
"Research is now showing there's a close correlation between public health and recreational opportunities, both close to home and in state parks,"….. snip

DISABILITY
Free2BMe Physical Activity for Kids and Teens
Our goal is to provide opportunities for children and youth to participate in physical activity and fitness programs, to develop skills and knowledge towards health and wellness while asserting autonomy and independence in a fun and social environment.

MISCELLANEOUS
CPHA Centenary Web site
The Canadian Public Health Association (CPHA) marks its centenary in 2010. This voluntary, non-governmental organization was formed 100 years ago by a small group of doctors who were concerned about the state of public health in Canada.

Mythbusters
Mythbusters is a series of two-page articles that summarize the best available evidence to challenge widely held beliefs about issues in Canadian healthcare.

OLDER ADULTS
Older Adults' Perspectives on Home Exercise after Falls Rehabilitation: Understanding the Importance of Promoting Healthy, Active Ageing
Health Education Journal, v68 n3 p207-218 2009

This study helps us to acknowledge that from an older adult's perspective, independence is highly valued, and encourages us to consider how we can then adopt this as a motivator for participation in healthy, active ageing. When working with older people, professionals need to adopt a holistic approach to their health, using a person-centred approach to promote positive, active ageing.

Prevention of Falls in Older Persons
From the American Geriatrics Society and British Geriatrics. A multi-factorial fall risk assessment is recommended for older adults who have had a fall, who have been identified as having gait and balance problems, or who report difficulties with gait or balance. Includes information on recommended evaluations and interventions, and the key role of evidence-based strength and balance training.

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
CFLRI 2008 Physical Activity and Sport Monitors Bulletins are now available.
Eight new bulletins have been released, including such topics as PA Levels of Canadians, Beliefs about the benefits of PA and Social norms for walking.

CFLRI Lifestyle Tips: Seasonal Variations in Physical Activity
Cold weather is no excuse to be inactive. In fact, Canadian winters offer a wide range of exciting activities that you can’t do in the warmer seasons. Try some of these … snip

CFLRI Research File: Seasonal Variations in Physical Activity
It’s fun to get outside and be active on a lovely summer day, but just how much more active are we when the weather is good and how much does season affect our activity levels?..... snip

URBAN DESIGN
Healthy Planning Guide
This guide is intended to help public health and planning departments collaborate on strategies to promote healthier communities. Each page links health risks to aspects of the built environment, outlining ways to ensure that neighborhoods are designed to support health equity and community well-being.

Janaury 22, 2010

2010-01-22T09:20:00.002-07:00

By Rosanne Prinsen MSc

Alberta Centre for Active Living

ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION
America Walks’ Position Statement: Walking is More Than Local
Investment and policy decisions that encourage or discourage walking are made at the local, regional, state and federal levels. Likewise, the public health, environmental and quality of life impacts of walking or not walking extend beyond local borders……

Go here to see their other position statements.

Calm Traffic before Traffic Calming
A film taken from a streetcar traveling down Market Street in San Francisco in 1906, a few days before the earthquake/fire destroyed the area. “It's worth taking 7 minutes of your life to watch (but one or two minutes is good enough) ... no paved roads, no driving rules, no traffic lights, no pedestrian crosswalks. But it all works because the pace is slower." -- John Cinatl

Congestion Road Tax and Physical Activity
American Journal of Preventive Medicine Volume 38, Issue 2, February 2010, Pages 171-177

The results from this study on the influence of a congestion road tax on levels of physical activity, though inconclusive, suggest that policy changes such as a congestion road tax might promote improvements in physical activity levels in individuals with motorized vehicles.

Mobile phone use while cycling: Incidence and effects on behavior and safety
Ergonomics, Volume 53, Issue 1 January 2010 , pages 30 – 42

Although perhaps mainly restricted to flat countries with a large proportion of cyclists, mobile phone use while cycling has increased and may be a threat to traffic safety, similar to phone use while driving a car. In this study, the extent of the problem was assessed by observing the proportion of cyclists using mobile phones, sending questionnaires to accident-involved cyclists and an experimental study was conducted on the effects of mobile phone use while cycling.

CHILDREN
A One of a Kind Walking, Biking School Opens in Canada
With the dawn of the new year, a newly opened elementary school in Ontario is heralded as the nation's first school that requires nearly all of its students to get to and from school using their own two feet.

Healthy Eating/ Physical Activity/Healthy Weights DRAFT Guidance Document
From the Ontario Ministry of Health Promotion. The purpose of these documents is to summarize current evidence to assist boards of health in the implementation of the Ontario Public Health Standards. An online consultation is currently underway with Public Health Units and will conclude January 31, 2010. We anticipate the release of the final Guidance Documents on March 31, 2010.

Mapping the Walk to School Using Accelerometry Combined with a Global Positioning System
American Journal of Preventive Medicine Volume 38, Issue 2, February 2010, Pages 178-183

(Their) results provide evidence that the journey to school is purposeful and contributes to higher total physical activity and MVPA in children. Combining accelerometer and GPS data may aid our understanding of the environmental context of physical activity.

Physical Literacy for Preschoolers – It’s All About Me Me Me! ... A Multi- Movement Approach to Teaching Preschool Recreational Activities
This presentation from the 2009 Recreation Nova Scotia Annual Conference, focuses on the importance of multi-movement learning opportunities for preschool-aged children to promote Physical Literacy and examines the different teaching styles that can accommodate learning styles and developmental stages of preschool-aged children in a ‘child-centered’ recreational learning environment.

Play Matters: A study of the Best Practices to Inform Local Policy and Process in Support of Children’s Play
In municipalities across America, engaged citizens and civic leaders are actively seeking innovative ways to improve the accessibility, quality, and quantity of play and play spaces for children. To help cities build awareness & political capital and develop a policy on play, KaBOOM! identified 12 relevant and innovative best practices in play.

CHRONIC DISEASE
Launch of Updated Canadian Best Practices Portal for Health Promotion and Chronic Disease Prevention
On January 20, 2010, a new and improved version of the Canadian Best Practices Portal, went live. The Public Health Agency of Canada’s Portal is a virtual front door to community and population health interventions related to chronic disease prevention and health promotion that have been evaluated, shown to be successful, and have the potential to be adapted and replicated by other health practitioners working in similar fields.

COMMUNITY
Development of the Community Healthy Living Index: A tool to foster healthy environments for the prevention of obesity and chronic disease
Preventive Medicine Volume 50, Supplement 1, January 2010, Pages S80-S85

This paper presents a new, comprehensive tool for communities to assess opportunities for active living and healthy eating. The Community Healthy Living Index (CHLI) covers five major sectors where people live, work, learn, and play: schools, after schools, work sites, neighborhoods, and the community-at-large. CHLI and the accompanying procedures enable community teams to assess programs, the physical environment, and policies related to healthy living, and to plan improvement strategies.

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
Physical Activity Research Updates from the USC Prevention Centre
A listing of past and current research published in the area of Physical Activity. This is a GREAT resource.

Special Issue of Preventive Medicine: Active Communities for Youth and Families: Using Research to Create Momentum for Change
Preventive Medicine Volume 50, Supplement 1, Pages S1-S126 (January 2010)

The 15 papers presented at the Active Living Research conference and published in this issue are divided into the following subsections covering various aspects of promoting physical activity in communities:
• Translating Research to Policy Award
• Parks and Recreation
• Youth and Schools
• Transportation and Land Use
• Measurement Advances

URBAN DESIGN
National Geographic New Suburban Design
Explore this interactive learning tool that compares the differences between urban sprawl type design and new urbanism.

Neighborhood determinants of self-efficacy, physical activity, and body weights among Canadian Children
Health & Place, Article in Press
Z. Davidson A, Simen-Kapeu and P.J. Veugelers (U of A Researchers)

Both infrastructural investments such as in recreational facilities, sidewalks and parks, as well as health education to promote self-efficacy may increase PA and prevent overweight among children.

New Urban News
They have created a one-stop location for news, resources, and case studies on designing walkable, complete streets

Urban sprawl and health: Bigger doesn’t necessarily mean healthier
A Healthy Public Policy Information Sheet from Alberta Health Services.

January 15, 2010

2010-01-15T08:38:00.002-07:00

By Rosanne Prinsen MSc

Alberta Centre for Active Living

CHILDREN
Fitness of Canadian children and youth: Results from the 2007-2009 Canadian
Health Measures Survey
Fitness levels of children and youth have declined significantly and meaningfully since 1981, regardless of age or sex. Significant sex differences exist for most fitness measures. Fitness levels change substantially between ages 6 and 19 years……. snip

Meeting the Challenge of Childhood Obesity
The State Education Standard is the policy journal of the National Association of State Boards of Education. Written for lay leaders and professional educators alike, the journal explores major education issues through the lens of policy development and implementation. All articles are free to download as a .pdf.

CHRONIC DISEASE
Leisure-time physical activity and risk of type 2 diabetes in patients with established vascular disease or poorly controlled vascular risk factors
Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice Article in Press
B.G. Brouwer et al

Leisure-time physical activity is associated with a decreased risk of T2DM in patients with manifest arterial disease, or poorly controlled risk factors. The combination of physical activity and non-obesity is associated with an even lower risk of the development of type 2 diabetes than the sum of their independent, protective effect.

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
Canadian Health Measures Survey Results Released
The CHMS captured key information relevant to the health of Canadians by means of direct physical measurements, such as body measurements, cardio-respiratory fitness, musculoskeletal fitness and blood pressure.

Fitness of Canadian adults: Results from the 2007-2009 Canadian Health Measures Survey
Based on results of the fitness tests and anthropometric measurements, many Canadian
adults face health risks due to suboptimal fitness levels….. snip

Kinetic Notions
HumanKinetics.com will now feature Kinetic Notions, a new weekly column offering a thought-provoking look at life and physical activity.

ParticipACTION: Baseline Research on the Resurgence of Canada's Physical Activity Social Marketing Leader
International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity 2009, 6:89

An open access journal. The set of ParticipACTION papers in this issue establish benchmarks and provide baseline and initial impact data for the evaluation and monitoring of ParticipACTION, using qualitative and quantitative research methods. As a set, they describe a comprehensive approach to setting up evaluations of national social marketing efforts to promote physical activity.

The relationship of physical activity and overweight to objectively measured green space accessibility and use
Social Science & Medicine Article in Press, Corrected Proof
Andrew P. Jonesa, Emma Coombes and Melvyn Hillsdon

The findings suggest that the provision of good access to green spaces in urban areas may help promote population physical activity.

January 11, 2009

2010-01-11T08:02:00.001-07:00

By Rosanne Prinsen, MSc

Alberta Centre for Active Living

ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION
Cycling resources from Australia (Queensland Department of Transport).
This series of notes is designed to assist planners and engineers provide for cycling in their local area. (The ink takes you to a main page with links to many different documents/resources)

Integrating Bicycling and Public Transport in North America
This paper provides an overview of bike-transit integration in large American and Canadian cities. It begins with an analysis of national trends in bike-and-ride programs such as the provision of bike racks on buses, accommodation of bikes on rail vehicles, and bike parking at rail stations and bus stops. Most of the paper, however, is devoted to case studies of bike-transit integration in six large American cities (San Francisco, Portland, Minneapolis, Chicago, Washington, and New York) and two Canadian cities (Vancouver and Toronto).

Seattle Crosswalk: Tap foot, Lights blink, Cross street
A unique pedestrian-activated crosswalk that blinks as people cross. Includes video.

Bad crosswalk round about design
A 3-minute video of pedestrians and bicyclists trying to cross what appears to be the exit of a very busy roundabout. The phrase "you can't get there from here" comes to mind...

CHILDREN
Effective elements of school health promotion across behavioral domains: A systematic review of reviews
Most school health education programs focus on a single behavioral domain. Integrative programs that address multiple behaviors may be more efficient, but only if the elements of change are similar for these behaviors. The objective of this study was to examine which effective elements of school health education are similar across three particular behavioral domains.

Go Out and Play: Youth Sports in America
This study measures the nationwide participation rates of girls and boys in exercise and organized team sports. The central focus is on how the intersections among families, schools and communities are related to children’s involvement and interest in athletics and physical activity.

Safe Routes to School Putting Traffic Safety First: How Safe Routes to School Initiatives Protect Children Walking and Bicycling
From the safe routes to school national partnership (USA)

DISABILITY
Pathways Between Physical Activity and Quality of Life in Adults With Multiple Sclerosis
Health Psychology Volume 28, Issue 6, November 2009, Pages 682-689

The observed pattern of relationships supports the possibility that physical activity is indirectly associated with improved QOL through pathways that include fatigue, pain, social support, and self-efficacy in individuals with MS.

Sport and Physical Activity in the Life of a Man with Cerebral Palsy: Compensation for Disability with Psychosocial Benefits and Costs
Psychology of Sport and Exercise Article in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Cadeyrn J. Gaskin, Mark B. Andersen, and Tony Morris

The life history of (this subject) illustrates the benefits and costs of trying to compensate for disabilities through sport and physical activity. In (his) life, sport and physical activity both promoted and impeded (his) psychosocial development.

OLDER ADULTS
Effects of a physical training and nutritional intervention program in frail elderly people regarding habitual physical activity level and activities of daily living—A randomized controlled pilot study
Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics Article in Press, Corrected Proof
Elisabeth Rydwika, Kerstin Frändinb and Gunnar Aknerc

The present study adds data on physical activity level and ADL and indicates that physical training increased the habitual physical activity level in frail elderly people and that this increase remained over time for six months. Increase in physical activity and degree of home-based exercises were moderately related to improvements in ADL. The nutrition intervention did not add any extra benefit. Studies with larger sample sizes and targeted interventions towards behavioral and environmental factors are necessary before any further conclusions can be drawn.

OVEWRWEIGHT/OBESITY
CDC's Recommended Strategies and Measurements to Prevent Obesity in the United States
This manual describes 24 recommended strategies by the CDC to encourage and support healthy eating and active living. In addition, a single measure is provided for each strategy to help communities track their progress over time.

Telephone intervention promoting weight-related health behaviors
Preventive Medicine Article in Press
Youngmee Kim, Joanne Pike, Heather Adams, Di Cross, Colleen Doyle and John Foreyt

The Nutrition and Physical Activity (NuPA) study was designed to promote fruit and vegetable consumption, physical activity, and weight management for a working population.

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
Effective Techniques in Healthy Eating and Physical Activity Interventions: A Meta-Regression
Health Psychology Volume 28, Issue 6, November 2009, Pages 690-701

Meta-analyses of behavior change (BC) interventions typically find large heterogeneity in effectiveness and small effects. This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of active BC interventions designed to promote physical activity and healthy eating and investigate whether theoretically specified BC techniques improve outcome.

Randomised controlled trial of a pedometer-based telephone intervention to increase physical activity among cardiac patients not attending cardiac rehabilitation
Patient Education and Counseling Article in Press
Susan Furber, Lyra Butler, Philayrath Phongsavan, Andrew Mark and Adrian Bauman

The findings that the pedometer-based telephone intervention was successful in increasing physical activity levels in cardiac patients who did not attend a CRP could result in major health benefits for this group of people.

WOMEN
Effects of recommended levels of physical activity on pregnancy outcomes
American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology Article in Press
Katarina Melzer PhD et al

Active women have better aerobic fitness as compared to inactive women. The risk for operative delivery is lower in active women compared to inactive, when controlled for birthweight, maternal weight gain, and parity. Further studies with larger sample size are required to confirm the association between physical activity and pregnancy outcomes.

WORKPLACE
Workplace physical activity and nutrition interventions
This evidence module provides an overview of the best evidence currently available about workplace health promotion programs to promote physical activity, healthy diet or both and prevent overweight and obesity. It synthesises findings and recommendations from multiple systematic reviews and recent reports.

December 18, 2009

2009-12-18T09:56:00.005-07:00

By Rosanne Prinsen MSc

Alberta Centre for Active Living

Welcome to the final Physical Activity Information Round-Up for 2009. We’ll be taking a couple weeks off for the holidays. From all of us here at the Centre, we'd like to wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy and Healthy New Year!

ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION
The Links between Public Health and Sustainable and Active Transportation
This issue paper summarizes the most relevant research on the links between Canadians’ health and their access to and use of sustainable and active transportation infrastructure.

Portland Bike Count Information
Information on the 2009 Bike count, how to do a bike count, forms and much, much, more. Portland, Oregon is a well recognized city for its work on active transportation. They are a great example to model after.

CHILDREN
Children’s Fitness Tax Credit
This is not a new program, just a reminder where to find the information.

Healthy Active Living for Children and Youth – Cdn Pediatric Society
To help combat the growing problem of physical inactivity among Canadian children and youth the CPS has developed tools and resources to help paediatricians and other health care professionals educate parents and patients about the benefits of physical activity, good nutrition and an active lifestyle. Here you’ll find information, resources and web links that you can use in your practice, with your patients and their families, and in your communities.

Parental influences on physical activity behavior in preschool children
Preventive Medicine Article in Press, Uncorrected Proof
Paul D. Loprinzia and Stewart G. Trost

The authors conclude: Family-based interventions targeting preschoolers should include strategies to increase parental support for PA. Parents who perceive their child to have low physical competence should be encouraged to provide adequate support for PA.

Social participation of children with disabilities
A new paper out from Stats Canada. Organized sports and physical activity/sports: Takes part in organized sports with coach or instructor; takes part in other physical activities with coach or instructor, e.g. dance or gymnastics.

CHRONIC DISEASE
Physical Activity, Body Mass Index, and Diabetes Risk in Men: A Prospective Study
The American Journal of Medicine Vol 122, Issue 12, December 2009, Pages 1115-1121

The authors conclude: Active men with normal and overweight BMIs had lower diabetes hazards than their inactive counterparts, but no difference by weekly activity was seen in obese men. Elevated BMI is a key driver of diabetes risk, with relatively modest attenuation by activity.

COMMUNITY
Creating Healthy Communities: Tools and Actions to Foster Environments for Healthy Living
This guide was prepared by Smart Growth BC, in collaboration with an interdisciplinary team of experts from the health and land use planning fields. It recommends 116 land use policies and programs that local governments can adopt to promote healthy living in our communities. It also includes specific examples of these programs and policies in action, as well as quick links to specific policy documents and language that can be used as templates.

OLDER ADULTS
Exercise and Physical Activity: Getting Fit For Life
From the National Institute on Aging.

Exercise & Physical Activity: Your Everyday Guide from the National Institute on Aging
This guide shows you many types of exercise and physical activity. It also has lots of tips to help you be active in ways that suit your lifestyle, interests, health, and budget, whether you’re just starting out, getting back to exercising after a break, or fit enough to run a 3-mile race. It’s for everyone — people who are healthy and those who live with an ongoing health problem or disability.

OVERWEIGHT/OBESITY
Validity of Self-Reported Height, Weight, and Body Mass Index: Findings From the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2001-2006
Preventing Chronic Disease 2009;6 (4)
The authors conclude: Men and women significantly over report their height, increasingly so at older ages. Men tend to overestimate their weight, but women underreport their weight, more so in younger ages. Corresponding BMI is underestimated, more so for women than for men at each age and increasingly so with older age for both sexes.

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
Exercise and cancer rehabilitation: A systematic review
Cancer Treatment Reviews - Article in Press, Corrected Proof
Rosalind R. Spence, Kristiann C. Heescha, and Wendy J. Brown

The authors conclude: Although the methodological limitations of studies in this new field must be acknowledged, initial evidence indicates that exercise is feasible and may provide physiological and psychological benefits for cancer survivors during the rehabilitation period. Future studies with rigorous study designs are now required to advance the field.

Minnesota Department of Health – Physical Activity Resources
There is a lot of great information here.

National Society of Physical Activity Practitioners in Public Health
A professional organization dedicated to growing the capacity of physical activity practitioners in public health.

Physical Activity: An Investment That Pays Multiple Health Dividends
Arch Intern Med. 2009; 169 (22):2124-2127.

Comment on "Combined Effects of Cardiorespiratory Fitness, Not Smoking, and Normal Waist Girth on Morbidity and Mortality in Men," "Physical Activity and Survival in Male Colorectal Cancer Survival," "Effects of a Television Viewing Reduction on Energy Intake and Expenditure in Overweight and Obese Adults," and "Physical Activity and Rapid Decline in Kidney Function Among Older Adults"

Physical Inactivity Cost Calculator
Developed by East Carolina University they have developed a very easy-to-use tool that can provide an estimate of the financial cost of physically inactive people to a particular community, city, state or business. They also provide companion resources and information you need to re-allocate resources and plan for healthier workplaces and communities that are more supportive of physical activity

WHO global strategy on diet, physical activity and health: a framework to monitor and evaluate implementation.
This document sets out an approach to measure the implementation of the WHO Global Strategy on Diet, Physical Activity and Health (DPAS) at country level and proposes a framework and indicators for this purpose.

URBAN DESIGN
2009 BC Sprawl Report: Walkability and Health
This report is the third in Smart Growth BC’s Sprawl Report series and focuses on how the physical design of neighbourhoods affects walking and biking in BC’s communities, and whether this has any impact on individual health.

Sprawl and Smart Growth in Greater Vancouver
Produced by the Sightline Institute in collaboration with Smart Growth BC, this report maps population density trends throughout the Greater Vancouver area, using data from the last four Canadian censuses. The researchers found that in the 1990s a combination of factors helped Greater Vancouver limit the type of low-density sprawl that marred many comparably-sized US cities during that decade. But in recent years, the pace of compact growth slowed.

WORKPLACE
Preventing Noncommunicable Diseases in the Workplace through Diet and Physical Activity
This WHO report summarizes the current evidence available in addressing the different dimensions of the workplace as a key setting for interventions designed to prevent NCDs through diet and physical activity.

Walking Works
The Walking Works campaign is one in a series of Living Streets' campaigns that aim to get us all walking more in our daily lives. Walking Works aims to encourage more people to walk to and from work, and to walk more during their working day

Workplace Physical Activity Toolkits
A CDC compilation. The toolkits in this section are designed specifically for work sites to encourage physical activity and may contain checklists, step-by-step guides, budgets, and other tools that aid in program planning, design, and management.

December 11, 2009

2009-12-11T08:14:00.001-07:00

By Rosanne Prinsen MSc

Alberta Centre for Active Living

ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION
Access to Destinations: Application of Accessibility Measures for Non-Auto Travel Modes
Conventional transportation planning is often focused on improving movement (or mobility)--most often by the automobile…. When it comes to bicycling, walking, and transit measures of accessibility are an endeavor long on rhetoric but short on execution….. This report discusses such hurdles, presents alternatives for overcoming them, and demonstrates how accessibility for walking, cycling, and transit--and for different types of destinations--can be reliably measured.

Great news for Active Transportation in Edmonton
At the Transportation & Public Works Committee meeting on Nov. 17th, 2009, the Committee approved both an Active Transportation Policy and an accelerated funding strategy for the Sidewalk Strategy and Bicycle Transportation Plan update. Both still need to be approved by full City Council. This is great news as it will provide enhanced capital funding to complete the work of both plans over a ten year time frame.

CHILDREN
Childhood obesity is a serious concern in New York City: Higher levels of fitness associated with better academic performance
To better understand the prevalence of childhood obesity and how physical fitness may be associated with academic performance in New York City….reviewed academic and fitness records of public school students in grades K-8 who participated in the NYC FITNESSGRAM program during the 2007–08 schoolyear.

Eat Right Be Active - A guide for parents and caregivers of toddlers ages 12 - 36 months
We all want the best for our children. We want them to grow up healthy and feeling good about themselves. This booklet can help. It has lots of everyday ideas for you, as the busy parent or caregiver of a toddler.

Eat Right Be Active - A guide for parents and caregivers of toddlers ages 12 - 36 months
FRENCH version

Fuel up for fun – Winter 2010
Each four-page edition aims to contribute to the development of knowledge, positive attitudes and healthy behaviours of children 6-8 years of age so they will eat right and be active with their families throughout the year. A “Parents Walk the Talk” section is included on the back page of each edition.

Fuel up for fun – FRENCH version

NYC Department of Education: Fitness and health
Student success depends on a blend of academic skills, good health, and physical and mental fitness. New York City schools offer a wide range of fitness and health instruction……

NYC FITNESSGRAM Assessment
Originally developed by the Cooper Institute of Aerobic Research, FITNESSGRAM supports students in learning about and measuring components of health-related fitness: aerobic endurance, muscular strength and endurance, flexibility, and body composition.

CHRONIC DISEASE
Diabetes Fact Sheets in 13 languages
The Ontario Ministry of Health and Long term Care along with the Canadian Diabetes Association has put together a Diabetes resource fact sheet series that includes physical activity in 13 languages. Each language set contains the following sets of fact sheets

Diabetes - An Introduction
Staying Healthy - Managing Type 2 Diabetes
Healthy Eating - The Basics
Physical Activity
Maintaining a Healthy Weight
Alcohol and Diabetes
Managing Your Cholesterol
Foot Care
Managing Blood Glucose Levels
Using Insulin
Health Coverage

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
The Crawford Report (Aus)
This report, combined with compelling new data from the WHO showing physical inactivity to be our fourth largest killer should provide additional evidence to convince decision makers of the importance of physical activity, and the relative under investment we have made in solutions to the inactivity epidemic.

Physical Activity Line
The Physical Activity Line is a free phone line and online resource to active, healthy living. The PAL is staffed by national, CSEP Certified Exercise Physiologists® (CSEP-CEP's), who have undergraduate and/or graduate degrees in exercise science and advanced training in clinical exercise prescription.

Physical activity statistics by province – Institute of health economics
If you type “physical activity” into their search engine many, many hits come up. Lot’s of good information here.

URBAN DESIGN
High Point Walking for Health: Creating Built and Social Environments That Support Walking in a Public Housing Community
November 2009, Vol 99, No. S3 American Journal of Public Health S593-S599
Conclusions. A multicomponent intervention developed through participatory research methods that emphasized walking groups and included additional strategies to change the built and social environments increased walking activity at a public housing site in Seattle.

Planning complete streets for an aging America
This study encourages transportation planners and decision makers to build upon the principles of Complete Streets to address the specific needs of older drivers and pedestrians. Adoption of these principles ultimately improves the safety for all road users.

December 4, 2009

2009-12-04T08:13:00.002-07:00

By Rosanne Prinsen MSc

Alberta Centre for Active Living

ABORIGINAL
Recreational Tool Kit for Rural, Northern & Remote Aboriginal Communities
This toolkit contains information and resources to help guide you through creating, planning, implementing and evaluating your Recreational Programs. It is designed in a way to educate and remind individuals of the four aspects of maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Within each section you will find information pertaining to personal, emotional, spiritual and physical growth.

CHILDREN
Couch Kids: The nation's future
A new report from the BHF which serves to outline the current picture of children’s physical activity levels in the UK. This comprehensive report includes the latest statistics and evidence relating to: Activity levels among children and young people in the UK and why physical activity is so important; Differences in participation by gender, age, socio-economic status and ethnic origin; Screen based sedentary behaviour; and Prevalence of overweight and obesity and trends over time.

Healthy Hearts
An initiative of the Black Gold Regional School District, designed to help parents and teachers connect with resources that will help create and maintain a healthy learning environment.

Shaping the Future
The first Ever Active Schools Health Promoting Schools Conference is taking place Jan. 14-16, 2010

COMMUNITY
An Innovative Approach to Great Neighbourhoods
After researching leading practices across North America, the City of Edmonton is embarking on a new, comprehensive approach to creating and sustaining great neighbourhoods. All city departments will work together, and with its partners and citizens, to deliver services more effectively and efficiently, synchronize planning efforts and facilitate improved two-way communication with residents

Attitudes Toward Physical Activity
New Data discussion from the 2008 CFLRI Physical Activity Monitor

Bridging the Terminology Gap in Support of Active Communities: Land-use Planners and Public Health Professionals
This report will be of interest to those working in the area of: land-use planning; built environment; active transportation and chronic disease prevention through community design. Includes an overview of the development of a joint glossary of terms for land-use planners and public health professionals based on provincial terms. This joint glossary of terms consists of an alphabetical listing of 130 terms and their corresponding sources.

Understanding Your Community: The Key to Building an Impactful, Sustainable Coalition
Through research, extensive experience and practical application, LiveWell Colorado has gained tremendous insight into coalition building, serving as a champion of the importance of community partners, as well as utilizing the broad reach of community members.

HEALTH GENERAL
What Does it Take to Make a Healthy Province?
A benchmark study of jurisdictions in Canada and around the world with the highest levels of health and the best health behaviors.

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
Fit vs. Fat – Acting on Your New Year’s Resolutions – CFLRI Lifestyle Tips
The new December issue,

The Gift of an Active Lifestyle – CFLRI Research File
The new December issue.

Making the Link from Transportation to Physical Activity and Obesity
This research brief presents an overview of findings demonstrating the potential impact of infrastructure investments and other transportation programs on walking and bicycling for transportation, and on related health outcomes. It focuses on public transit, greenways and trails, school-related infrastructure and programs, pedestrian and bicycle facilities, and efforts to manage car traffic.

Rating Canada’s Regional Health
Latest statistics from CFLRI

Social Determinants of Health and Physical Activity – Online workshops
This workshop will present information and considerations on ways to address the social determinants of health when developing physical activity programs and services.
January 14th and February 3rd, 2010.
By the end of the workshop you should:
1. Have a good understanding of what the social determinants and health inequities are and the connection to physical activity.
2. Be aware of some existing physical activity programs that address the social determinants of health.
3. Understand how to create physical activity programs that address the social determinants of health.
4. Have increased knowledge of current research in the area of physical activity and the social determinants of health.

URBAN DESIGN
Future Health: Sustainable Places for Health and Well-being
Future health tells us how good design makes healthy places. It brings what CABE has learned about sustainable, health-promoting environments together with the latest thinking about health and well-being.

November 26, 2009

2009-11-26T08:15:00.001-07:00

By Rosanne Prinsen MSc

Alberta Centre for Active Living

ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION

Objective versus subjective measures of the built environment, which are most effective in capturing associations with walking?
Health & Place, In Press, Accepted Manuscript, Available online 14 November 2009
The results showed that objective measures of the built environment had stronger associations with walking than subjective measures.

CHILDREN

Associations between physical activity, fitness, and academic achievement
Volume 155, Issue 6, December 2009, Page A1
These results suggest that physical activity and fitness can be beneficial to school performance.

Take Action: A guide for those working towards getting children and youth more physically active
This guide is intended to help you take the Active Healthy Kids Canada Report Card on Physical Activity recommendations further and turn the research into action. This is for all of us who are working towards getting children and youth more physically active—from NGOs to public health to sport organizations and municipal recreation departments,

CHRONIC DISEASE

Alberta Diabetes Atlas 2009 – Launch
The Alberta Diabetes Atlas provides information on the number of people living with diabetes in Alberta, their related health conditions, and the health services they use.

COMMUNITY

Advocacy update: top ten reasons parks are important: the values of public parks and recreation in America.
This list of values encompasses the range of why public parks and recreation are an essential part of the national heritage, and the value provided to all citizens.

The Excellent City Park System.: What Makes it Great and How to Get There
Identifies seven factors as key to city park excellence. These factors are explored in detail in this publication and are also embellished with vignettes of “excellent practices” from cities around the country.

Neighborhood Land Use Diversity (LUD) and Physical Activity in Adjacent Parks
Health & Place, In Press, Accepted Manuscript, Available online 14 November 2009
This paper investigated whether parks were more likely to be used for PA if surrounded by greater LUD, as well as the interaction of LUD with the number of facilities in the park for predicting use of the park for PA.

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY

Does a population-based multi-factorial lifestyle intervention increase social inequality in physical activity? The Inter99 study
Br J Sports Med doi:10.1136/bjsm.2009.064840
The authors conclude: A population-based multi-factorial lifestyle intervention did not influence social inequality in physical activity

Global health risks: mortality and burden of disease attributable to selected major risks
It is interesting to note that physical activity ranked as the fourth most important risk factor contributing to global deaths…… This report provides some interesting data on physical inactivity, particularly its risk contribution in developing countries as well as middle income and developed countries. For this reason it is an important report, because it profiles the relative importance of physical inactivity, independent of, and at least as important (or slightly more important) than obesity to global death.

Promotion of Physical Activity in the European Region: Content Analysis of 27 National Policy Documents
Journal of Physical Activity and Health, 2009, 6: 805-817
This paper provides a useful snapshot of the current state of physical activity policy in Europe. It is promising that a recent increase in physical activity policy development has occurred in the region. It is also promising that many policies contain recommended components and actions.

THENAPA
Thematic Network "Educational and Social Integration of Persons with a Handicap through Adapted Physical Activity ".

THENAPA II: "Ageing and disability - a new crossing between physical activity, social inclusion and life-long well-being"
The aim of our project is to collect and bring together on European level, the information concerning physical activity and sport for older adults and to make possible the identification and the fulfillment of relevant educational programs in the students’ curricula.

November 19, 2009

2009-11-19T08:51:00.001-07:00

By Rosanne Prinsen, MSc

Alberta Centre for Active Living

ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION
Dangerous By Design: Solving the Epidemic of Preventable Pedestrian Deaths (and Making Great Neighborhoods)
The report can be considered a report card on pedestrian safety at the national, state, and major metropolitan area levels. For those of us who must frequently make the argument that sidewalks and Complete Streets are not a luxury, but a necessity, the Dangerous by Design report provides ample cause to show that a very modest amount of investment can yield impressive returns in pedestrian safety.

The impact of transportation infrastructure on bicycling injuries and crashes: a review of the literature
Environmental Health 2009, 8:47 21 Oct 2009
Evidence is beginning to accumulate that purpose-built bicycle-specific facilities reduce crashes and injuries among cyclists, providing the basis for initial transportation engineering guidelines for cyclist safety. Street lighting, paved surfaces, and low-angled grades are additional factors that appear to improve cyclist safety.

CHILDREN
Children & Cities: Planning to Grow Together
This article concerns the role of children in our communities. A review of research shows that children play a limited role in the decision making processes that shapes their environment. What is more, as they have become increasingly dependent on parental cars for activities and travel, children are loosing touch with their immediate neighbourhoods, a trend reflected in the declining number of children who walk or bike to school.

Childhood Obesity: It's Everyone's Business
An action-oriented toolkit designed to help employers address childhood obesity and its implications on health care costs for the current and future work force. It includes examples of how employers can use existing programs or facilities to fight childhood obesity in their communities. There are many links to different resources here.

Children's Participation in Cultural and Leisure Activities, Australia
This publication presents results from the survey of Children's Participation in Cultural and Leisure Activities conducted in April 2009. While the publication primarily provides information about the participation of children aged 5 to 14 years in cultural, sporting and other leisure activities, details on children's use of the Internet and mobile phones are also presented.

Embedding the Play Strategy
From Play England this guidance will help local decision makers put children’s play at the heart of their local communities. The guidance shows how planning and investing in local play space – and considering children’s needs within the wider environment – can benefit children, families and whole communities.

MISCELLANEOUS
2009 ARPA Conference Presentations
All of the presentations are of very high quality and represent some of the hottest topics in recreation, so be sure to check them out. Great Neighborhoods, Children in Nature, Community Gardening and much, much more.

Gateway Rural Health Research Institute
Canada's Centre of Excellence for Community Driven Rural Health

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
Building Capacity in local government for integrated planning to increase physical activity: evaluation of the VicHealth MetroACTIVE program
Health Promotion International, 2009 Advance Access published October 13, 2009
These results show integrated planning to be a feasible strategy for developing a coordinated approach to increasing physical activity, and to engaging a range of council services and functions. Strategies to promote leadership, cultural and structural change within councils should also be facilitated to allow local governments to fulfill their potential to build communities for active living and to promote an increase in physical activity.

Physical Activity Resource Center for Public Health (PARC-PH)
The PARC–PH was developed in order to satisfy the need for a comprehensive center that can provide up–to–date physical activity assessment and intervention information as well as guidance to interested researchers and community members.

November 12, 2009

2009-11-12T14:34:00.002-07:00

By Rosanne Prinsen, MSc

Alberta Centre for Active Living

ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION
The impact of transportation infrastructure on bicycling injuries and crashes: a review of the literature
Environmental Health 2009, 8:47
Evidence is beginning to accumulate that purpose-built bicycle-specific facilities reduce crashes and injuries among cyclists, providing the basis for initial transportation engineering guidelines for cyclist safety. Street lighting, paved surfaces, and low-angled grades are additional factors that appear to improve cyclist safety.

CHILDREN
DPA Action Tracker (ActNow BC)
An interactive tool for students in Grades 10 – 12….. the Action Tracker helps you keep track of your Daily Physical Activities and create a printed report for your teacher or school administrator.

Daily Physical Activity for Families Booklets
Four different booklets for specific age groups. The Daily Physical Activity For Families booklets are designed to help you maintain a healthy, active lifestyle. Each booklet includes basic information about Daily Physical Activity (DPA), safety tips, and age appropriate suggestions for getting more physically active

Physical Activity within the Health Promoting School: A Partnership Approach

OLDER ADULTS
Efficacy of Two Tailored Interventions Promoting Physical Activity in Older Adults
American Journal of Preventive Medicine Volume 37, Issue 5, Nov 2009, Pg 405-417
The results indicate that tailoring can be an effective tool in attaining and enhancing awareness, initiation, and maintenance of physical activity among older adults. Targeting environmental determinants in addition to psychosocial determinants, however, did not result in an additional increase in physical activity behavior

Physical activity and memory functions: Are neurotrophins and cerebral gray matter volume the missing link?
NeuroImage Article in Press, Corrected Proof
While mediating factors will need to be further elucidated, these findings indicate that even low-level physical activity exerts beneficial effects on memory functions in older individuals.

Seniors Policy Handbook: A Guide for Developing and Evaluating Policies and Programs for Seniors
Prepared by the Federal/Provincial/Territorial Committee of Officials for the Federal/Provincial/Territorial Ministers Responsible for Seniors (Canada) and published in June 2009, the purpose of this handbook is to help policy analysts and program planners consider the perspective of seniors, the diversity of the seniors’ population, and the needs and issues facing seniors today and in the future.

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
Beneficial effects of exercise: shifting the focus from body weight to other markers of health
British Journal of Sports Medicine 2009;43:924-927
These data demonstrate that significant and meaningful health benefits can be achieved even in the presence of lower-than-expected exercise-induced weight loss. A less successful reduction in body weight does not undermine the beneficial effects of aerobic exercise. From a public health perspective, exercise should be encouraged and the emphasis on weight loss reduced.

Cost Analysis of Internet vs. Print Interventions for Physical Activity Promotion
Psychology of Sport and Exercise – article in press
The authors conclude: Relative to print-based interventions, Internet-based interventions may be a more cost efficient way to reach a large number of sedentary individuals.

Exercise is Medicine
Their vision: For physical activity to be considered by all health care providers as a vital sign in every patient visit, and that patients are effectively counseled and referred as to their physical activity and health needs, thus leading to overall improvement in the public's health and long-term reduction in health care cost.

Leisure-Time Physical Activity is Associated with a Reduced Risk for Metabolic Syndrome
Annals of Epidemiology Volume 19, Issue 11, Nov 2009, Pg 784-792
These results suggest that increasing levels of leisure-time physical activity, in terms of duration or intensity, are linearly associated with a reduced risk for metabolic syndrome.

Let’s Get Moving - introducing a new physical activity care pathway
The new Let's Get Moving (LGM) physical activity care pathway is based on the principles of the NICE public health guidance 2006: Four Commonly Used Methods to Promote Physical Activity, which endorses the delivery of brief interventions for physical activity in primary care as both clinically and cost effective in the long term.

The physical therapist’s role in physical activity promotion
British Journal of Sports Medicine 2009;43:99-101
Because of their training and experience, physical therapists are ideally placed to promote the health and well being of individuals and the general public through physical activity and exercise prescription. Therefore, physical therapists, general practitioners and other caregivers alike should become aware of the physical therapist’s potential in promoting safe and healthy physical activity……..

Potential strategies to improve uptake of exercise interventions in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease
Journal of Hepatology Article in Press, Corrected Proof –
The management of non-alcoholic liver disease (NAFLD) concerns lifestyle modification and exercise; however, adherence is poor. Factors such as lack of confidence to exercise, poor understanding of the benefits of exercise, and a fear of falling all influence engagement in physical activity. To increase exercise in NAFLD it is important to understand the barriers to performing it.

When will we treat physical activity as a legitimate medical therapy...even though it does not come in a pill?
British Journal of Sports Medicine 2009;43:80-81
There is no action (except abstaining from smoking) that could improve health more than being physically active, yet it remains an afterthought in clinical medicine and federal funding priorities. We continue excitably to search for health in a pill, yet we already have the readily available behavior of regular exercise that would provide enormous benefits.….

URBAN DESIGN
Key stakeholder perspectives on the development of walkable neighbourhoods
Health & Place Volume 16, Issue 1, January 2010, Pages 43-50
Evidence supports the link between the built environment and physical activity. This study investigated factors that influence the decisions made by key stakeholders as they relate to neighbourhood development. Seventeen stakeholders including public health and municipal employees, city councillors , and the private sector (e.g., land developers, food retailers) , participated in interviews.

WOMEN
The effectiveness of exercise in the management of post-natal depression: systematic review and meta-analysis
Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of exercise in the management of post-natal depression. Conclusion: It was uncertain whether exercise reduced symptoms of post-natal depression.

WORKPLACE
Exercise for the primary, secondary and tertiary prevention of low back pain in the workplace: a systematic review
The authors' conclusions about the evidence of benefits of exercise interventions were based on the results of small RCTs and some non-randomised trials. Although the results of the trials showed benefits of exercise in the workplace, the conduct of the majority of the trials makes it difficult to draw firm conclusions about the effectiveness of these interventions.

November 6, 2009

2009-11-06T09:27:00.001-07:00

By Rosanne Prinsen, MSc

Alberta Centre for Active Living

ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION
Cycle Tracks: Lessons Learned
A cycle track is an exclusive bicycle facility that combines the user experience of a separated path with the on-street infrastructure of a conventional bike lane. This document describes the lessons learned from the European experience with cycle tracks, including implementation, safety concerns and design features of cycle tracks in Europe.

CHILDREN
“Caution! Kids at Play?” Unstructured Time Use among Children and Adolescents
This paper looks at the allocation and purpose of unstructured time for children and adolescents with respect to environments, activities, expectations and outcomes, and argues for a balanced approach.

Healthy Eating and Physical Activity Guidelines for Early Childhood Settings
The page looks blank but scroll down and you will see the description and the 4 resources. You will also notice an entire PA and Nutrition Section (of which this is a subsection) in the left hand nav column.

Promoting Positive Youth Development Through Physical Activity
This article looks at regular physical activity as leading to important physical, social, psychological, and academic competencies and healthy outcomes among children and adolescents.

DISABILITY
AMELIA: making streets more accessible for people with mobility difficulties
An important aspect of making streets more liveable is ensuring that they are accessible to everybody. This is part of the process of reducing social exclusion. There is a wide range of characteristics that are associated with being socially excluded: for example, having a disability which includes being in a wheelchair, having learning difficulties, and being visually impaired; being elderly; being a member of an ethnic minority; having a low income; being unemployed; not having access to a car; and being a single parent

HEALTH
Bringing Health to the Planning Table - A Profile of Promising Practices in Canada and Abroad
This report profiles case studies of 13 Canadian communities where collaborative approaches to improve health outcomes have been a key consideration in planning decisions related to the built environment. With one case study from each province and territory, it provides a pan-Canadian perspective. Two international examples highlight similar work happening abroad.

Health policy guidelines for organizations
Includes a Physical Activity Policy. This booklet is designed to assist organizations in developing, implementing, promoting, monitoring and reviewing their health policies. It contains sample position statements and clauses that may serve as a guide to organizations developing a health policy.

OLDER ADULTS
Creating Age Friendly Environments A resource for developers, designers, engineers, project managers, planners and architects.
Age friendly design supports active living, good health and social connectedness for all ages. Three key areas that need to be addressed in bringing about Age Friendly Environments are Transport, Urban Planning and Design and Housing.

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
As baby boomers flock to get fit, gyms prepare for aging exercisers
Over the next decade, the 18- to 49-year-old fitness market will grow by 0.6% and the 50-plus market will grow 25% yet most fitness clubs still cater to the younger market. To attract and keep baby boomers, the clubs will need to make some changes……

Building community capacity to increase participation in regular and social physical activity
A factsheet.

The health and economic benefits of reducing disease risk factors Research Report
July 2009
It is a large report and will take a bit of time to download. Physical activity is specifically mentioned 31 times and exercise is mentioned 33 times.

Preventive Medicine Volume 49, Issue 4, Pages 275-352 (October 2009)
Themed Issue: Forum on Physical Activity Research and Funding

URBAN DESIGN
A Resident’s Guide for Creating Safe and Walkable Communities
This guide is intended to assist residents, parents, community association members, and others in getting involved in making communities safer for pedestrians. The guide includes facts, ideas, and resources to help residents learn about traffic problems that affect pedestrians and find ways to help address these problems and promote pedestrian safety. The guide includes information on identifying problems, taking action to address pedestrian concerns, finding solutions to improve pedestrian safety, and resources to get additional information.

October 30, 2009

2009-10-30T08:29:00.004-07:00

By Rosanne Prinsen, MSc

Alberta Centre for Active Living

ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION
ACS journey to work results for the 70 largest US cities
This is a great table with lots of data. The tables show the share of commuters for 2000, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, and their percent change over time

ACS journey to work results for the 50 US states
Use the tabs at the bottom for bicycle commuters and walking commuters. The sheets also include the amount of federal dollars spent on bicycle and pedestrian project between 2000 and 2008.

American Community Survey Bicycle Commuting Trends, 2000 to 2008
Overall, the results of the 2008 ACS travel data show that bicycling to work is becoming more popular. Locations that had relatively high shares of bicycle commuting in 2000 showed no signs of leveling off. In fact, those communities increased their shares of bicycle commuters at above average rates.

Creating a RoadMap for Producing & Implementing a Bicycle Master Plan
This document will serve as a starting point for discussion and as a guide to developing a BMP. Readers are encouraged to change, add, or ignore steps as necessary to meet local needs. Many of the suggested steps can be done simultaneously, while others may require a more linear process.

Healthy, Equitable Transportation Policy: Recommendations and Research
In this project, leading academic researchers and advocates working at the intersection of transportation policy, equity, and public health identify opportunities for creating transportation systems that promote health and equity. This report synthesizes their insights and offers concrete recommendations for change.

How to Develop a Pedestrian Safety Action Plan
This guide is primarily a reference for improving pedestrian safety through street redesign and the use of engineering countermeasures as well as other safety-related treatments and programs that involve the whole community.

The impact of transportation infrastructure on bicycling injuries and crashes: a review of the literature
Environmental Health 2009, 8:47
Evidence is beginning to accumulate that purpose-built bicycle-specific facilities reduce crashes and injuries among cyclists, providing the basis for initial transportation engineering guidelines for cyclist safety. Street lighting, paved surfaces, and low-angled grades are additional factors that appear to improve cyclist safety.

No Excuse Zones
Based on a series of test rides, zones around the CBDs of major cities were mapped to measure the distance a healthy person can cycle within half an hour. The maps are surprisingly far reaching and provocatively suggest that if a person lives within this zone and works in the CBD, then they should try cycling to work a few days a week and enjoy the benefits. While only cities in Europe and Australia have been zoned to date there are many good resources on this site to check out.

Research to Learn More about Bicycling
Surveys such as: retailers and advocacy, a review of bicycle safety campaigns, Do trails lead to sales? and more.

UK Cyclist Awareness tests
These are good! You may remember the one with the ape and the basketball but there are others that are new.

CHILDREN
Everyone Jump: Kids Changing Diabetes
A resource, music CD and Educational Challenge that raises awareness of the importance of regular physical activity and proper nutrition in preventing type 2 diabetes. Everyone Jump 2009/2010 is available to all public and Catholic schools in British Columbia, Alberta, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland Ontario and Saskatchewan.\

COMMUNITY

How to Engage Inactive Communities in Physical Activity: Top Tips from the BHFNC 8th Annual Conference
This booklet includes both generic tips, relevant to practitioners working across a broad range of communities and/or groups, and specific tips for engaging key target groups, for example people with disabilities, girls and young women, older adults, people with mental ill-health, black and minority ethnic communities and socially deprived communities.

NCBW / ALRC Environmental Scan for Active Community Implementation
Communities looking to become more walkable and bike-friendly have a host of tools, projects and programs available to help them on the path towards their goals… This document is a guide to these resources, suggesting their utility for different needs and user groups.

NCBW / ALRC Roadmap for Active Community Implementation
Designed to be a guide to using and implementing the wide range of active living tools, resources, projects and programs that put communities on the path toward fashioning themselves as active living environments.

OLDER ADULTS
Finding Balance Alberta
This website is dedicated to helping seniors prevent a fall before it happens so they can stay active and independent.

URBAN DESIGN
The Built Environment and Physical Activity Levels: The Harvard Alumni Health Study
American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 37: 293-298.
It has been theorized that people who are more physically active self-select neighborhoods more conducive to physical activity and these results support this idea as change in sprawl index over time did not lead to more physical activity. From this study alone, the importance of the built environment on physical activity cannot be confirmed yet studies with larger numbers of people who move from one type of neighborhood to another may provide clearer evidence.

WORKPLACE
Meta-Analysis of Workplace Physical Activity Interventions
American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 37: 330-339.
These findings document that some workplace physical activity interventions can improve both health and important worksite outcomes. This latest evidence can assist in making the case to organizations of the importance of physical activity in this setting.

October 23, 2009

2009-10-23T09:18:00.002-07:00

By Rosanne Prinsen, MSc

Alberta Centre for Active Living

ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION
Centre for Sustainable Transportation
This edition of the newsletter highlights the past spring and summer activities on the Centre, as well as local events in and around Winnipeg.

The Top 10 Facts on Bicycling and Walking in the United States
Although these are US statistics, they are helpful because, in most cases, equivalent Canadian numbers do not exist.

CHILDREN
Active After-school Communities
An Australian initiative that provides primary school-aged children with access to free, sport and other structured physical activity programs in the after-school time slot of 3.00pm to 5.30pm.The program aims to engage traditionally inactive children in sport and other structured physical activities, and through a positive and fun experience, develop a love of sport that inspires them to join a local sporting club

BMI report cards: will they pass or fail in the fight against pediatric obesity?
Research does not suggest that BMI report cards will be effective in reducing rates of pediatric overweight and obesity. Instead, recent findings show that the potential for harm may outweigh possible benefits. States and countries that mandate the use of BMI report cards should make evaluation of these policies a priority."

Built4kids - A good practice guide to creating child-friendly built environments
An Australian resource developed to help create built environments with and for children and young people. It can be used by local councils, government agencies, planners, schools, architects, developers and other professionals.

Environmental correlates of children's active transportation: A systematic literature review
This systematic review investigated the environmental (physical, economic, socio-cultural and political) correlates of active transportation (AT) among young people aged 5-18 years to better inform the promotion of active living.

Keeping children safe: rethinking how we design our surroundings
Injury is the leading cause of death among children in North America, many of them traffic-related injuries that can be traced back to poor community design decisions, like locating a school on the wrong side of a busy street, says Dr. Andrew Howard in a paper published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal.

COMMUNITY
How to Engage Inactive Communities in Physical Activity: Top Tips from the BHFNC 8th Annual Conference
This booklet provides practical ‘tips’ for engaging inactive communities in physical activity. It includes generic tips relevant to practitioners working across a broad range of communities and/or groups, and specific tips for engaging the following key target groups: People with disabilities, girls and young women, older adults, people with mental ill-health, black and minority ethnic communities and socially deprived communities.

Sport in the Neighborhood resources
A guide is designed to help implement a grass-roots sport and physical activity program in a local community. There are many resources here including reports, brochures, factsheets, templates and useful links.

DISABILITY
The Key to Getting Services Right for People with Disabilities
This presentation goes step by step through a demographic study undertaken by Toronto Parks, Forestry and Recreation to reach out to those who are disenfranchised through disability - developmental, intellectual, physical, cognitive, emotional, mental and social.

HEALTHY EATING
BC Food Security Gateway
The Food Security Gateway is designed to be a “one stop” Web resource for food security practitioners and others in British Columbia who want to make “healthy eating the easy choice” and build food-secure communities.

MISCELLANEOUS
A user’s guide to advocacy evaluation planning
Developed for advocates, evaluators, and funders who want guidance on how to evaluate advocacy and policy change efforts. This tool takes users through four basic steps that generate the core elements of an advocacy evaluation plan, including what will be measured and how.

Australian Public Service Social Inclusion Policy Design and Delivery Toolkit
While not specifically related to physical activity – this web resource is a gold mine of information J

Challenges of evidence-based policy-making
In the real world, policy is developed in a fluid environment, is subject to competing vested and political interests, and can be driven by pressure to act quickly to solve headline-grabbing problems. Ideally, we need systems that are informed by evidence at each stage of policy development, from when an issue is first identified, to the development of the most appropriate response, and subsequent evaluation of its effectiveness.

Health and Wellness related maps for British Columbia
A partnership between the University of Victoria and the BCStats agency, with support from the BC Ministry of Healthy Living and Sport has resulted in a the creation of a website that gives the ability to construct a variety of health and wellness related maps for BC, and compare the relationship between wellness indicators.

The National Collaborating Centres for Public Health: Strengthening public health by learning from each other

OLDER ADULTS
Active Aging Week – Resources from ICAA
Links to numerous fact sheets, handouts and other resources as part of its celebration of Active Aging Week.

Clear Print Accessibility Guidelines
From CNIB - Readability shouldn’t be an afterthought when producing materials.
It should be the first step in making your merchandise, service, location or information accessible to everyone.

Continuing Care in the Edmonton Region: A Research Inventory
The inventory, prepared by the Alberta Centre on Aging at the University of Alberta, includes information on funding sources as well as summaries of the results and conclusions of each research project.

Dynamic exercise programs (aerobic capacity and/or muscle strength training) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis
Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Issue 4, 2009
Based on the evidence, aerobic capacity training combined with muscle strength training is recommended as routine practice in patients with RA.

How to select an age-friendly fitness facility
From ICAA this is a comprehensive checklist to assist in comparing and rating local facilities, with sections on facilities operations, equipment, programming and staff.

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
Canadian Health Measures Survey
The Canadian Health Measures Survey (CHMS) aims to collect important health information through a household interview and direct physical measures at a mobile clinic.

Could this be the fittest generation?
[O]n the eve of their golden years, could this be the most active generation of 50-year-olds Canada has ever seen? Health experts are anticipating the definitive answer early next year, when Statistics Canada releases fitness data from a project called the Canadian Health Measures Survey, the most comprehensive study ever to look at fitness levels among Canadians of all ages.

Exercise, Recreation and Sport Survey (ERASS)
Australia - First conducted in 2001, the ERASS collects information on the frequency, duration, nature and type of activities that are participated in by persons aged 15 years and over for exercise, recreation and sport during the 12 months prior to interview. Participation means active ‘playing’ participation, and does not include coaching, refereeing and being a spectator or activities related to work, household chores or gardening duties. (Note: the 2008 report was in the round up earlier this year; this link lets you see each of the yearly reports).

Intensity and timing of physical activity in relation to postmenopausal breast cancer risk: the prospective NIH-AARP Diet and Health Study
BMC Cancer 2009, 9:349
A high level of recent, but not historical, physical activity of moderate-to-vigorous intensity is associated with reduced postmenopausal breast cancer risk. More precise recall of recent physical activity than activity in the distant past is one possible explanation for our findings.

Let’s get moving - a new physical activity care pathway for the NHS: commissioning guidance
The commissioning guidance sets out an evidence-based behaviour charter model Let’s Get Moving encouraging local commissioning of physical activity interventions in primary care.

October 15, 2009

2009-10-15T08:46:00.002-07:00

By Rosanne Prinsen MSc

Alberta Centre for Active Living

ABORIGINAL
Closing the Nutrition & Physical Activity Gap in Victoria: Victorian Aboriginal Nutrition & Physical Activity Strategy
This strategy is not merely about preventing disease. It takes a holistic view of nutrition and physical activity, incorporating the social determinants of health (from Australia).

ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION
Active Transportation: Making the Link from Transportation to Physical Activity and Obesity Research Brief
This research brief summarizes the latest peer-reviewed research that demonstrates the potential impact of infrastructure investments and other transportation programs on walking and bicycling for transportation, and on related health outcomes.

Active Travel: The Role of Self-Selection in Explaining the Effect of Built Environment on Active Travel Research Brief
This research brief highlights research that shows that creating more traditionally designed communities may lead to increase in active travel and self-selection has a role to play.

Idaho Walk Smart: Walk Safe, Walk Smart, Walk Often
This booklet contains three chapters addressing general safety guidelines, and two special chapters addressing the unique challenges children and seniors face as pedestrians.

CHILDREN
Active Education: Physical Education, Physical Activity and Academic Performance Research Brief
This research brief summarizes the latest peer-reviewed research on the relationship between physical activity and academic performance among children and adolescents.

Children and Bike Riding: Tips for Parents

Helping children reach and maintain a healthy weight
From the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. Physical activity is addressed.

Influence of the Social Environment on Children's School Travel in Walkable Neighborhoods
Presentation from the 2009 Active Living Research Annual Conference

Tired of hanging around: Using sport and leisure activities to prevent anti-social behaviour by young people
This study focuses on the role of sport and leisure activities in preventing anti-social behaviour in young people aged 8 to 19 years. These activities are part of the actions that local councils and their partners can use to tackle and prevent anti-social behaviour.

HEALTHY EATING
Act Now BC: Healthy Eating for Seniors Handbook and Videos

Dietitians of Canada Senior Friendly¹ fact sheets

Getting to Grocery: Tools for Attracting Healthy Food Retailers to Underserved Neighborhoods
Bringing a grocery store into an underserved neighborhood not only makes fresh produce and other healthy food more accessible, it can provide living-wage jobs, raise the value of surrounding property, and anchor and attract additional businesses to the neighborhood.

The Senior Chef: Cooking for One or Two
Recipes in the Senior Chef have been selected so that you may be assured of serving nutritious, economical and easy to prepare meals.

Seniors Nutrition Research and Resources
An excellent website with a great deal of information about current seniors nutrition research and resources.

OVERWEIGHT/OBESITY
Obesity in Canada: Snapshot
A report from the Public Health Agency of Canada.

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
Environmental Nutrition and Activity Community Tool
ENACT is a concrete menu of strategies designed to help you improve nutrition and activity environments on a local level. These strategies have been organized into seven environments that were carefully selected for their importance in individual and community health.

Each ENACT strategy presents useful information based on current research and practice and includes model policies and programs, hands-on tools, articles and other publications, and resources. The strategies are structured to be interactive so that implementation can become a reality.

Powering Participation: Successful initiatives to boost sports participation and club membership
Case studies presenting the approach selected sports have taken to power participation and membership in non-traditional ways. They offer successful examples of how New Zealand sports are adapting to the changing environment.

URBAN DESIGN
Essential Smart Growth Fixes for Urban and Suburban Zoning Codes
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Smart Growth Program has released a report that explores 11 "essential fixes" that address the barriers local governments may face in implementing smart growth. Topics include mixing land uses, addressing parking requirements, modernizing street standards, managing storm water, adopting smart annexation policies, and more. Each essential fix describes actions that a community could take to overcome smart growth challenges.

October 8, 2009

2009-10-08T08:20:00.002-07:00

By Rosanne Prinsen, MSc

Alberta Centre for Active Living

ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION
How to Get More Bicyclists on the Road: To boost urban bicycling, figure out what women want
“If you want to know if an urban environment supports cycling, you can forget about all the detailed ‘bikeability indexes’—just measure the proportion of cyclists who are female,” says Jan Garrard, a senior lecturer at Deakin University in Melbourne, Australia.

Seeking and Valuing Win-Win Built Environment Investments for Healthy and Sustainable Travel
This study aims to identify and evaluate win-win built environment improvement strategies that would simultaneously promote sustainable and healthy travel behavior. Furthermore, the paper presents a quantitative assessment of the economic return of promising built environment improvement strategies by estimating and comparing the associated health benefits against construction costs.

CHILDREN
Evaluation of a Walking School Bus for Promoting Physical Activity in Youth
Journal of Physical Activity and Health, 2009, 6: 560-567.
Results revealed that school-wide prevalence of walking to school at least half of the time was 27% higher in the intervention schools than in the control school. The interventions students were significantly more active than control students, doing an average of 78 versus 67 minutes of physical activity each day.

Get Set 4 Life - Habits for Healthy Kids Guide
This Guide provides practical information on children’s health and covers techniques and tips for teaching children healthy habits that could last a lifetime. Key areas of health and age appropriate development covered in the booklet include: healthy eating, regular exercise, speech and language, oral health and more.

Leadership for Healthy Communities Action Strategies Toolkit: A Guide for Local and State Leaders Working to Create Healthy Communities and Prevent Childhood Obesity
The strategies outlined in this document are divided into several policy areas in order to increase awareness of the promising and evidence-based policy options to reduce childhood obesity.

Presentations from the August Safe Routes to School National Conference
A number of the PDF versions of the presentations are available for download. We are updating these presentations daily as we receive them from the speakers- please check back regularly.

School-based physical activity programs for promoting physical activity and fitness in children and adolescents aged 6-18
Given that there are no harmful effects and that there is some evidence of positive effects on lifestyle behaviours and physical health status measures, ongoing physical activity promotion in schools is recommended at this time.

CHRONIC DISEASE
Implementing Exercise: What Do We Know? Where Do We Go?
Advances in Chronic Kidney Disease Volume 16, Issue 6, November 2009, Pages 536-544
This article reviews what is known regarding the implementation of exercise and provides suggestions as to how exercise counseling might become a routine part of the care of patients with chronic kidney disease.

DISABITLITY/ACCESSIBILITY
Including People with Disabilities in Coordinated Transportation Plans
It provides ideas and suggestions for increased involvement by people with disabilities, who have a perspective essential to the success of coordinated planning.

HEALTH – GENERAL
Healthy Futures for BC Families — Policy Recommendations for Improving the Health of British Columbians
The Report contains 45 recommendations covering such areas as early childhood development, housing, food security, income security, transportation and supportive environments. Physical activity is also mentioned.

Measure Up! Campaign: Phase One Evaluation results
The evaluation for Phase One of the Measure Up campaign was conducted through a series of surveys with the target audience.

OLDER ADULTS
Does a home based strength and balance programme in people aged 80 years provide the best value for money to prevent falls?: A systematic review of economic analyses of falls prevention interventions
British Journal of Sports Medicine On-line first
The authors found single factor interventions to be most cost effective.

OVERWEIGHT/OBESITY
Moving beyond 'rates, roads and rubbish': How do local governments make choices about healthy public policy to prevent obesity?
Semi structured interviews were conducted with representatives of local government in Australia. Factors most likely to facilitate policy change were those supported by external funding, developed from an evidence base and sensitive to community and market forces. Barriers to change included a perceived or real lack of power to make change and the complexity of the legislative framework.

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
Activity-Promoting Video Games and Increased Energy Expenditure
The Journal of Pediatrics Volume 154, Issue 6, June 2009, Pages 819-823
The authors conclude that activity-promoting video games have the potential to increase movement and energy expenditure in children and adults.

BC Healthy Living Alliance: Physical Activity Strategy
BCHLA has four initiatives to take British Columbians from the TV to the trails. Knowing that small steps lead to big results, and that their actions can influence their children and aging parents, adults are the primary target.

The Community Guide: Promoting Physical Activity
Information on campaigns and informational approaches to increase physical activity, including community-wide campaigns; mass media campaigns; classroom-based health education focused on providing information; and much more.

Interventions on Diet and Physical Activity: What Works
Implementation of the Global Strategy on Diet, Physical Activity and Health
Interventions on diet and physical activity: what works" (What Works) provides policy-makers and other stakeholders with a summary of tried and tested diet and physical activity interventions that aim to reduce the risk of chronic noncommunicable diseases (NCD).

September 28, 2009

2009-09-28T09:00:00.003-07:00

By Rosanne Prinsen, MSc

Alberta Centre for Active Living

CHILDREN
After School Recreation Initiatives: Final Report
This study examines the state of afterschool recreation programming (in Alberta) and identifies opportunities for engaging recreation practitioners and allied stakeholders in developing a provincial strategy for action to create quality afterschool programs as a way to use those hours for constructive, healthy activities.

Encourage the Kids, Support the Game
A community education campaign, funded by the Victorian Government and VicHealth, which aims to stamp out poor spectator behaviour in junior sport so that players, parents, all spectators and officials can enjoy the game

Interactions of socioeconomic position with psychosocial and environmental correlates of children's physical activity
International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity 2009, 6:56
Learn how socioeconomic, psychosocial and environmental factors relate to physical activity in this new study from South Australia.

CHRONIC DISEASE
Type 1 Diabetes: Living Well with Diabetes
This section of the NHS (UK) Choices website provides information about eating a healthy diet if you type 1 diabetes. It is aimed at the general public.

Type 2 Diabetes: Diet
This section of the NHS Choices website provides information about eating a healthy diet if you type 2 diabetes. It is aimed at the general public.

DISABITLITY/ACCESSIBILITY
MS Practice - for health professionals
A series of free resources developed for health professionals & students who work with people with MS, developed by MS Australia and physiotherapy experts is now available.

HEALTHY EATING
Study Suggests Easy Access to Fast-Food Restaurants, Coupled with No Access to a Car, Prompts Weight Gain
The researchers attribute the weight variations to the fact that individuals who are less affluent and do not own cars are unable to travel the distance necessary to obtain healthier foods, resulting in overreliance on the lower-priced, higher-calorie foods available at fast-food outlets

OLDER ADULTS
Marketing and Communicating to Older Adults
This presentation from the Canadian Centre on Activity and Aging 2009 Research to Action conference provides an overview of marketing fundamentals - know your product, know your audience, have a plan - and how to apply this to the older adults market segment.

OVERWEIGHT/OBESITY
Disentangling the Risks Associated With Weight Status, Diet, and Physical Activity
We conclude that sufficient evidence demonstrates that the effects of weight status on cardiovascular and metabolic risk can be mediated by physical activity and CRF (5-9). As public health researchers, we should refocus our investigations to better understand the separate effects of diet and physical activity in the total population, regardless of a person’s weight status, and use the most objective measures possible. These efforts will enable us to determine the most favorable physical activity and fitness levels for all Americans to reach optimal health and prevent illness.

Validity of Self-Reported Height, Weight, and Body Mass Index: Findings From the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2001-2006
Men and women significantly overreport their height, increasingly so at older ages. Men tend to overestimate their weight, but women underreport their weight, more so in younger ages. Corresponding BMI is underestimated, more so for women than for men at each age and increasingly so with older age for both sexes.

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
Website-delivered physical activity interventions: a review of the literature
The results found some evidence suggesting that website-delivered physical activity interventions produced increased levels of physical activity. The effects of the interventions were short-term. There was limited evidence of continued changes in physical activity

URBAN DESIGN
New urban community promotes social networks and walking
This study is probably the first to show, in an academic study, such a big difference in social activity between a new urban community and a comparable suburban development. Also, it is the first to show such high rates of walking to stores.

WOMEN
Life events and changing physical activity patterns in women at different life stages
Annals of Behavioral Medicine 37(3)
See how life events can affect physical activity participation in the latest results from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health.

WORKPLACE
Workplace resource kit
The Western Australia Department of Sport and Recreation have produced a new resource kit for developing physical activity and health programs in the workplace. (It’s large 48.1 MB)

September 18, 2009

2009-09-18T06:54:00.004-07:00

By Rosanne Prinsen MSc

Alberta Centre for Active Living

ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION

Tools to Encourage Active Transportation – Kingston, ON
A report suggesting a variety of measures to encourage Kingstonians to choose active forms of transportation like walking or cycling. "Trails for Active Transportation" was developed out of a Walk & Bike for Life community workshop on Active Transportation that took place last March.

CHILDREN

Benefits of Providing SPORT 4 ALL YOUTH
Evidence that quality youth sport programs that remove the participation barriers of cost and transportation will help reduce crime, drug use, depression, and obesity.

Journal of Adolescent Health: Special Issue on Adolescent Obesity
This supplement highlights recent findings that illustrate the depth of research related to adolescent obesity prevention and its relevance for informing policy changes. The issue is free and open to the public.

Local Government Actions to Prevent Childhood Obesity
The report identifies specific actions that local (USA) governments can take to improve healthy eating and increase physical activity in communities. Highlighted are twelve policies that have the greatest potential for impact, including incentive programs to attract grocery stores to underserved areas, complete streets policies, and joint use. Many of these policies can be found in Prevention Institute’s Environmental Nutrition and Activity Community Tool (ENACT), along with tools and resources for implementation

Physical Literacy Website Launched
PHE Canada has launched a new website that targets educators and parents to support the development of physical literacy in children and youth.

SPARK Together for Healthy Kids
Spark Together for Healthy Kids is the Heart and Stroke Foundation's response to the growing epidemic of childhood obesity. This announcement also includes the release of a report card on the Heart Health of Ontario’s children.

DISABITLITY/ACCESSIBILITY

Disability Health Promotion Network
A new on-line health promotion resource from the Society for Manitobans with Disabilities (SMD). Our goal is to provide credible and timely health information for people living with disabilities and seniors living with disabilities. In the absence of the Canadian Health Network SMD thought that it was important to continue to provide an online health promotion tool for the groups of people that our organization serves.

HEALTHY EATING

The Role of the Registered Dietitian in Primary Health Care: A National Perspective
Dietitians of Canada (DC) released a report describing the integral role played by registered dietitians, as members of multi-disciplinary teams that contribute to promoting and supporting health among Canadians. The report presents evidence for the cost-effectiveness of nutrition services in the prevention and treatment of chronic conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, cancer and heart disease.

HEALTH (GENERAL)

Health Impact Assessment e-News
Produced by the Centre for Health Equity Training, Research and Evaluation (CHETRE), part of the Centre for Primary Health Care and Equity at the University of New South Wales, Australia.
OLDER ADULTS

Checklist of Essential Features of Age-friendly Cities
This checklist is intended to be used by individuals and groups interested in making their city more age-friendly. For the checklist to be effective, older people must be involved as full partners.

Growing Stronger - Strength Training for Older Adults
From the CDC a web-site showing a series of exercises including the warm up and cool down.

How much physical activity do older adults need?
From the CDC. As an older adult, regular physical activity is one of the most important things you can do for your health. It can prevent many of the health problems that seem to come with age. It also helps your muscles grow stronger so you can keep doing your day-to-day activities without becoming dependent on others.

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY

APHA Physical Activity Special Primary Interest Group (PA SPIG)
The groups mission is to provide a visible and credible home within APHA for PA researchers, practitioners, advocates and partners, help close the gap between science and practice, and integrate PA into APHA’s advocacy efforts.

Physical Activity for Everyone – Videos
From the CDC, these videos help explain the guidelines, give you tips on how to meet them and show you how to do muscle strengthening exercises properly.

RESEARCH TOOLS

Increasing the use of evidence in health policy: practice and views of policy makers and researchers
Australia and New Zealand Health Policy 2009, 6:21
Better communication is often suggested as fundamental to increasing the use of research evidence in policy, but little is known about how researchers and policy makers work together or about barriers to exchange. This study explored the views and practice of policy makers and researchers regarding the use of evidence in policy. The paper identifies four potential strategies for increasing the use of research in policy.

URBAN DESIGN

Where We Want To Be: Home Location Preferences And Their Implications For Smart Growth
Although market surveys indicate that most North American households preferred single-family homes, they also indicate strong and growing consumer preference for smart growth features such as accessibility and modal options (reflected as short commutes and convenient walkability to local services).