February 5, 2010

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….”

April 23, 2009

By Rosanne Prinsen MSc

Alberta Centre for Active Living

ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION
Adult Active Transportation: Adding Habit Strength to the Theory of Planned Behavior
American Journal of Preventive Medicine Vol 36, Issue 3, Pages 189-194 (March 2009)
They conclude: Habit strength is a moderator of the intention–behavior relationship regarding bicycle use, with intention becoming less relevant when bicycle use increases in habit strength. Future determinant and intervention studies on physical activity may benefit from including a measure of habit strength—for instance, by identifying the differential effects of informational and environmental interventions.

Bicycle and Pedestrian Transportation Pathfinder
Over the past few decades, the topics of pedestrian safety and bicycle transportation have moved increasingly to the forefront. This guide provides a list of bicycle and pedestrian transportation resources. (A great listing of papers, resources. Clicking on a resource will take you to their library catalogue BUT it also provides a link to the actual document in most cases).

Cycling reduces absenteeism at the workplace
In February 2009, TNO, a Dutch contract research organization, published research directly studying the relation between commuting by bicycle, work performance and absenteeism. FINDINGS: Employees regularly cycling to work are ill less often. A 1% increase in regular commuting by bicycle would translate into savings of approximately 27 million Euro (£24M) per annum for employers, as calculated by TNO.

Health Economic Appraisal Tool (HEAT) for cycling
This tool estimates the economic savings resulting from reduced mortality due to cycling i.e.: if x people cycle y distance on most days, what is the economic value of the improvements in their mortality rate?

Ireland's first National Cycle Policy Framework
This document sets out the National Cycle Policy Framework, 2009-2020.

Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center: Case Study Compendium
A large 258 page document. The case studies, or success stories, cover pedestrian and bicycle projects and programs from across the US and abroad, including engineering, education, enforcement, encouragement, planning, health promotion, and comprehensive safety initiatives. They are intended to provide ideas and spur thinking about potential activities communities can undertake to further support bicycling and walking.

Reclaiming city streets for people Chaos or quality of life?
This new handbook sets out some case studies where road space has been reallocated for other uses. New, attractive and popular public areas can be created on sites that were once blocked by regular traffic jams. If these are properly planned, they need not result in road traffic chaos, contrary to what might be expected.

Valuing the Benefits of Cycling: A Report to Cycling England

Why Bicyclists Hate Stop Signs
In this essay University of California physics professor Joel Fajans and Access transportation journal editor Melanie Curry to write that requiring cyclists to follow the same complete-stop rules as motorists defies science.

CHILDREN
Treatment of Childhood Overweight and Obesity
2009 Ontario Medical Association Background Paper and Policy Recommendations.

Walking and Cycling to School: Predictors of Increases Among Children and Adolescents
American Journal of Preventive Medicine Vol 36, Issue 3, Pages 195-200 (March 2009)
They conclude: Social factors and physical environmental characteristics were the most important predictors of active commuting in children and adolescents, respectively.

HEALTH GENERAL
Centre for Health Communication and Participation
Established within the Australian Institute for Primary Care at La Trobe University in April 2009, the Centre's mission is to improve communication with and participation by consumers and carers, through evidence-informed policy and decision making. (Typing Physical Activity into the search engine yields 989 hits.)

Five Ways to Well-Being
The New Economics Foundation (NEF) centre for well-being has developed a set of five evidence-based actions that, if practiced regularly, can improve personal well-being. Physical Activity is one of the five J

NEF’s Well-Being Web-site
The centre for well-being at nef seeks to understand, measure and influence well-being. In particular we ask the question 'what would policy making and the economy look like if their main aim were to promote well-being?'

MISCELLANEOUS
Center for Planning Excellence – Land Use Toolkit
Toolkit functions as a shared resource from which parishes and municipalities can adopt a complete development code or select cafeteria-style from individual tools that meet their specific needs. This website contains both the complete Toolkit, and a separate User Guide.

OLDER ADULTS
45 and Up Study
The 45 and Up Study is the largest study of healthy ageing ever undertaken in the Southern Hemisphere. Over 250,000 men and women aged 45 and over across NSW have been recruited – about 10% of this age group – and will have their health followed over the coming decades.

Building Healthy Communities for Active Aging: Training and Demonstration Projects
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced that two universities are being recognized for improving the quality of life of older residents through community planning and strategies that support active aging and smart growth.

Estimating Older Adults' Preferences for Walking Programs via Conjoint Analysis
American Journal of Preventive Medicine Vol 36, Issue 3, Pages 201-207.e4 (March 2009)
The results suggest that the characteristics of walking programs, such as whether they involve participation in a formal group, substantially influence their perceived acceptability and the likelihood of participation. The results also suggest that, independent of other program attributes, modest financial incentives increase the likelihood of program participation by sedentary older adults, and thus are a potential means to increase the effectiveness of walking programs.

Retirement and Physical Activity: Analyses by Occupation and Wealth
American Journal of Preventive Medicine Vol 36, Issue 5, Pages 422-428 (May 2009)
Older adults close to retirement age show the lowest level of physical activity. Changes in lifestyle with retirement may alter physical activity levels. This study investigated whether retirement changes physical activity and how the effect differs by occupation type and wealth level.

OVERWEIGHT/OBESITY
Public transit, obesity, and medical costs: Assessing the magnitudes
Preventive Medicine 46 (2008) 14–21
While no silver bullet, walking associated with public transit can have a substantial impact on obesity, costs, and well-being. Further research is warranted on the net impact of transit usage on all behaviors, including caloric intake and other types of exercise, and on whether policies can promote transit usage at acceptable cost

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
2008 Alberta Recreation Survey
In the fall 2008, over 2,200 Alberta households responded to questions about their participation in recreational activities they took part in over the past 12 months. Walking for pleasure, gardening and attending fairs and festivals are the top three leisure or recreational activities…..

Measurement of the Food and Physical Activity Environments: Enhancing Research Relevant to Policy on Diet, Physical Activity, and Weight
This supplement is organized into four main sections:
* history of measurement of food and physical activity environments,
* the state of the science of measuring these environments,
* measurement of food and physical activity environments of populations at increased risk of obesity and related health conditions, and
* summaries of discussions and recommendations from four workshop breakout groups.

Physical Activity and Health Alliance
Welcome to the Physical Activity and Health Alliance online community website for practitioners engaged in physical activity and health across Scotland.

Premier's Council for Active Living (New S Wales)
To assist and support leaders in the public, private and community sectors to make decisions that will facilitate and encourage active living, PCAL has summarized in this Active Living Statement the key evidence demonstrating the benefits of active living and the individual and social costs of a sedentary lifestyle.

Quantifying the positive health effects of cycling and walking
This (WHO) project aimed at facilitating the harmonization of methodological approaches to provide guidance for practitioners, focusing in particular on approaches to the economic valuation of positive health effects related to cycling and walking.

Translating Physical Activity Recommendations into a Pedometer-Based Step Goal: 3000 Steps in 30 Minutes
American Journal of Preventive Medicine Vol 36, Issue 5, Pages 410-415 (May 2009)
Moderate-intensity walking appears approximately equal to at least 100 step·min–1. However, step counts per minute is a poor proxy for METs, and so 100 step·min–1 should be used only as a general physical activity promotion heuristic. To meet current guidelines, individuals are encouraged to walk a minimum of 3000 steps in 30 minutes on 5 days each week. Three bouts of 1000 steps in 10 minutes each day can also be used to meet the recommended goal.

Western Australia’s Physical Activity Plan 2007-08 / 2010-11
This discussion document sets the scene for a Strategic and Action Plan for Physical Activity. The aim of the plan is to give clear direction for the promotion of physical activity in Western Australia. This document is intended to stimulate discussion within sectors and among others with an interest in physical activity. It sets out the key issues and suggests some strategic directions in Western Australia.

RESEARCH
Canadian Cochrane Network announces FREE access to the Cochrane Library for all Canadians
The Cochrane Library contains high-quality, independent evidence to inform healthcare decision-making. It includes reliable evidence from Cochrane and other systematic reviews, clinical trials, and more. Cochrane reviews bring you the combined results of the world’s best medical research studies, and are recognized as the gold standard in evidence-based health care.

Using financial incentives to achieve healthy behaviour
BMJ 2009; 338:b 1415
For those developing incentive schemes, the literature provides some guidance on effective components. Schemes targeting habitual behaviors such as smoking or physical inactivity may be more effective if they provide valued incentives for initial as well as sustained behavior change, delivered intermittently and as part of effective behavior change programs. For schemes aimed at initiating relatively simple behaviors in low income populations such as clinic attendance and participation in vaccination programs, small incentives delivered immediately seem most effective.

April 2, 2009

By Rosanne Prinsen, MSc

Alberta Centre for Active Living

ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION
Promotion of safe walking and cycling in urban areas
This WHO project focuses on exchange and dissemination of good practices and on improving the assessment of health effects from cycling and walking, as well as the costs and benefits of promoting non-motorized transport.

Transport and physical activity
From the WHO. Lots of information here, be sure to take the time to look at all of the sub-topics and resources.

CHILDREN
Action for Healthy Kids
A national nonprofit organization dedicated to addressing the epidemic of overweight, undernourished and sedentary youth by focusing on changes in schools. We work in all 50 states and the District of Columbia to improve children's nutrition and increase physical activity, which will in turn improve their readiness to learn.

CATCH (Coordinated Approach To Child Health)
An evidence-based Coordinated School Health Program designed to promote physical activity and healthy food choices, and prevent tobacco use in elementary school-aged children. By teaching children that eating healthy and being physically active every day can be FUN, the CATCH Program has proven that establishing healthy habits in childhood can promote behaviour changes that can last a lifetime.

Children's Environment and Health Action Plan for Europe (CEHAPE)
This action plan addresses the environmental risk factors that most affect the health of European children. It was developed at the request of Member States and adopted by European Ministers at the Fourth Ministerial Conference on Environment and Health (2004) on "The future for our children".

Effectiveness of interventions to promote physical activity in children and adolescents: systematic review of controlled trials
Author's conclusions: Multi-component interventions combining school with family or community involvement appear to be effective in adolescents. Conclusions regarding the efficacy of interventions in children were limited by study quality.

Game On! The Ultimate Wellness Challenge
An on-line toolkit. Game On is a year-long program that challenges America’s youth, their families and schools to incorporate healthy food choices and physical activity into their daily lives. A series of four theme-based challenges spaced throughout the school year promotes, engages and recognize students for their efforts to make better food choices and move more.

It’s the Daily Things That Count
This website offers information, resources, and links to help you raise healthy children. Daily habits such as eating healthy, being physically active, and having positive self esteem make all the difference when it comes to having a healthy weight. (The homepage has a number of great PSA posters).

OPHEA DPA Resource Database
Ophea is providing this website as an information source to boards and school authorities to assist them in selecting programs for their schools. Programs are listed in alphabetical order and include contact names and other information. Readers should contact the program provider directly.

Play England
Play England provides advice and support to promote good practice, and works to ensure that the importance of play is recognized by policy makers, planners and the public. (Be sure to check out the resource section, many good documents there!)

Play Strategy – UK Department for Children, Schools and Families
Click on the Play Strategy link under “related links”. The first national Play Strategy sets out the Government’s plans to improve and develop play facilities for children throughout the country. Based on consultation with thousands of children and young people, as well as their parents, the strategy outlines the short-, medium- and long-term objectives in bringing to life children’s right to play.

Progress or Promises? What’s Working For and Against Healthy Schools
An Action for Healthy Kids Report Fall 2008. In preparing this report, Action
for Healthy Kids assessed on-the ground achievements large and small; examined initiatives in place and changes effected; and carefully evaluated the tasks remaining.

Taking Steps toward a Healthy School - Step One: Make Community Partners Part of Your Team
Part one of a three part series from OPHEA.

Taking Steps Toward a 'Healthy School’ - Part Two: Reach out to Sport and Recreation Organizations
Part two of a three part series from OPHEA.


Taking Steps Toward a Healthy School – Part 3: Make Public Health Your Partner
Part three of a three part series from OPHEA.

CHRONIC DISEASE
An evaluation of cost sharing to finance a diet and physical activity intervention to prevent diabetes
The intervention was for the prevention of type 2 diabetes in people with impaired glucose tolerance (IGT). The primary intervention comprised a combination of diet and moderate-intensity physical activity, such as brisk walking. The program included a one-on-one, 16-lesson core curriculum, followed by monthly maintenance visits that included both group sessions and one-on-one visits with case managers. Placebo participants received standard lifestyle recommendations through an annual 30-minute education session.

COMMUNITY
Local Venues for Change: Legal Strategies for Healthy Environments
The Journal of Law, Medicine & Ethics Volume 35 Issue 1, Pages 138 - 147
This article illustrates that local laws and policies can be a valuable tool in changing a community's environment in order to improve nutritional options and increase opportunities for physical activity.

The Role of Community Programmes and Mass Events in Promoting Physical Activity to Patients
British Journal of Sports Medicine 2009;43: 44-46
“This review discusses three potential contributors: clinician advocacy for and engagement in physical activity as role models, referral to mass community participation events, and encouraging attendance at health fairs. These will not solve the inactivity crisis, but could add new approaches for clinicians, in advising their patients to initiate and try to become more physically active.”

OLDER ADULTS
Retirement and Physical Activity Analyses by Occupation and Wealth
American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 2009, article in press
The findings highlight how physical activity decreases at retirement in people of lower wealth and SES levels. This indicates a vulnerable section of the community who are at greater risk of both physical and mental health problems arising from inactivity.

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
Designing Sport and Physical Activity projects: Overview & Case studies
Planning and implementing sport and physical activity projects with the aim of increasing participation in neighbourhood renewal areas involves: undertaking an assessment of sporting and physical activities; developing long-lasting partnerships; developing a local infrastructure of volunteers, clubs and networks; accessing increased and longer-term funding; and demonstrating the success of sports projects through good organization, planning, marketing, monitoring and review

Exercise is Medicine
This program is managed by the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM). The vision of the program is for physical activity to be considered by all healthcare 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 healthcare cost.

PARC Physical Activity Symposium 2009 proceedings
Proceedings from the March 4th & 5th symposium can be found here. Information from concurrent session workshops on a variety of topics including: Youth Engagement, Building Healthy Communities, Policy Change, Working with Schools and many more.

Sport, Physical Activity and Renewal: Case studies
Encouraging people to participate in sport and physical activity regularly and to lead more active lives takes time and resources. Sport and physical activity projects that seek to contribute to neighborhood renewal need to be clear and selective about the outcomes they are seeking to achieve.

RESEARCH
American Journal of Preventive Medicine – Special Supplement
Volume 36, Issue 4, Supplement 1, Pages A1-A6, S81-S190 (April 2009)
The introduction notes: “Our hope is that the papers in this supplement will stimulate interest and development in measuring food and physical activity environments
(both in the research community as well as funding organizations); strengthen research on these environmental impacts on behavior; and inform policy to improve diet, physical activity, and health outcomes.”

Journal of Public Health Policy – Special Supplement
Volume 30, Issue S1 (2009)
The papers in this supplement were presented at the 2008 Active Living Research Conference whose theme was "Connecting Active Living Research to Policy Solutions." The papers include evaluations of policy initiatives and research that suggests promising new policies.

Listing of other current physical activity research
Click through to find out more about additional recently released physical activity research articles.

Statistics on Obesity, Physical Activity and Diet: England, February 2009
For the first time, the report provides information on attitudes towards and knowledge about leading a healthy lifestyle for both adults and children. This includes information on how much physical activity should be done, barriers towards doing more physical activity, knowledge of the recommended daily number of portions of fruit and vegetables and attitudes towards a healthy diet.

Telephone interventions for physical activity and dietary behavior change: a systematic review
This review, which assessed the effectiveness of telephone counseling interventions in changing physical activity and dietary behaviors, concluded that telephone interventions are effective in improving such behaviors. Broadly, the authors' conclusions appear to follow the results of the review, although they may be oversimplified.

WOMEN
The role of exercise in preventing and treating gestational diabetes: a comprehensive review and recommendations for future research
The authors concluded that exercise may have positive and protective effects for the treatment and prevention of GDM (gestational diabetes mellitus). In view of poor reporting in the review, the small number of controlled studies, failure to assess or address heterogeneity between the studies and failure to systematically assess study quality, it is impossible to determine the reliability of the conclusions.

February 27,2009

By Rosanne Prinsen, MSc

Alberta Centre for Active Living

ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION
Cycling
Strategies for promoting cycling as an alternative form of transport for local journeys.

Living streets library
Living Streets has developed a library of some 5,000 items relating to streets and walking. There is lots more to find on this site, be sure to browse the topics in the left hand navigation column.

Personal travel planning
Personal Travel Planning (PTP) is a technique that delivers information, incentives and motivation to individuals to help them voluntarily make sustainable travel choices. It seeks to overcome habitual use of the car, enabling more journeys to be made on foot, by bike, bus, train or in shared cars. PTP forms an important part of UK national and local transport policy, contributing to the suite of tools promoted under the general heading of ‘smarter choices’.

Walking
Promoting walking as a healthy and more preferable option to the motor car for short journeys.

CHILDREN
Kids Sports (from Statistics Canada)
This article will examine trends in regular organized sports participation of children aged 5 to 14, using data from the General Social Surveys (GSS) of 1992 and 2005. It will also look at the factors that influence children’s participation in sports including parental involvement in sports, socio-demographic characteristics of the family, and geography.

Organized extracurricular activities of Canadian children and youth
Report released by Statistics Canada September 2008.

Parent and child reports of children's activity
Report released by Statistics Canada August 2008.

YMCA of Greater Toronto launches Strong Kids Campaign
The YMCA Strong Kids focus is to raise much needed financial support for children, teens and families who are unable to afford the full cost of participation in a YMCA program or activity.

CHRONIC DISEASE
Early Child Development and Chronic Disease
The report provides several examples of Canadian best practice programs that have proven to be effective in improving the health of babies and young children and may lower their future risk of chronic disease as well as recommendations for concrete actions. (Physical activity is mentioned a number of times).

OVERWEIGHT/OBESITY
Healthy Weights Halton newsletter
the inaugural newsletter for Healthy Weights: Halton Takes Action. This initiative, based on the socio-ecological model, will help to address the rising rates of childhood obesity in Halton.

Obesity on the job
International studies have found that the combination of a sedentary job and poor eating habits often leads to obesity, which can put the heart at risk and pave the way for a litany of other diseases.

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
Developing Effective Physical Activity Programs
This new book emphasizes the move away from a one-size-fits-all approach to physical activity interventions by providing evidence-based recommendations for designing, implementing, and evaluating more effective and appropriate physical activity interventions for women, overweight and obese populations, older adults, and ethnically diverse populations.

Who Participates In Active Leisure? Canadian Social Trends
This article (published in 2009) looks at the factors influencing active leisure activities of Canadians aged 20 and over. It will also examine which groups are more likely to participate in active leisure in 2005. Check out the document link (pdf or html) and also check out the 'subject' links (scroll down) for even more data.

RESEARCH
The University’s Role in the Dissemination of Research and Scholarship — A Call to Action
This paper intends to provide guidance to identify actions that should be taken to expand the dissemination of the full range of products of the university community’s research and scholarship. It offers a broader vision for the university’s role and provides a series of recommended actions, both for campus leaders and for collective action by the university community.

November 27, 2008

By Rosanne Prinsen, MSc

CHILDREN
Children and physical activity: a systematic review of barriers and facilitators
This review was undertaken to address what is known about the barriers to, and facilitators of, physical activity amongst children aged four to 10. It aimed to bring together the findings from 'qualitative' as well as 'quantitative' research on these barriers and facilitators.

CHRONIC DISEASE
Almanac of chronic disease 2008

Partnership to fight chronic disease
The Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease (PFCD) is a national coalition of patients, providers, community organizations, business and labor groups and health policy experts committed to raising awareness of the number one cause of death, disability, and rising health care costs in the United States: chronic disease.

COMMUNITY
Community mapping kit: Healthy eating and active living
If you're interested in creating a map for your neighborhood, you're in the right place!
Open the first link to read more and follow the instructions from there.

Prevention for a healthier California: Investments in disease prevention yield significant savings, stronger communities
Physical activity is mentioned throughout.

DISABILITY
A framework for identifying high-impact interventions to promote reductions in late-life disability
Lots of physical activity information here.

MISCELLANEOUS
How healthy is prime time? An analysis of health content in popular prime time television programs
Note: they track “exercise” instead of physical activity.

LIN office goes virtual!
Effective November 28, the LIN staff will start working in a virtual office! LIN will maintain a small office and mailing address which can be used for meetings, but all staff will be working from home.

Television as a Health Educator: A Case Study of GREY´S ANATOMY
The study reported on here was the result of a unique opportunity to place a health storyline in one of the top-rated shows on television.

OLDER ADULTS
Increasing home access: Designing for visitability
A different concept from full accessibility and universal design.

OVERWEIGHT/OBESITY
Report on childhood obesity

Schemes to promote healthy weight among obese and overweight children in England

Physical activity is mentioned throughout the document.
School Nutrition Programs and the Incidence of Childhood Obesity

August 2008 from Germany. “In light of the recent rise in childhood obesity, the School Breakfast Program (SBP) and National School Lunch Program (NSLP) have received renewed attention. Using panel data on over 13,500 primary school students, we assess the relationship between SBP and NSLP participation and (relatively) long-run measures of child weight.”

Social and environmental interventions to reduce childhood obesity: a systematic map of reviews
This report describes a systematic map of existing research reviews relating to social and environmental interventions aimed at reducing or preventing obesity and overweight. Its focus is on research which has included children and young people.

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
Cost effectiveness of community-based physical activity interventions
Roux, L., et al Am J Prev Med. 2008 Dec;35(6):578-88.
This study assessed the cost-effectiveness of population-wide strategies to promote physical activity in adults and followed disease incidence over a lifetime. All of the evaluated physical activity interventions appeared to reduce disease incidence, to be cost-effective……

Designing for mobile: A walk in the park
Describes the Park Walk Project where participants use a specially programmed application on a mobile phone, connected via Bluetooth with a GPS device, to see images and hear stories mapped to various locations, enabling an exploration of the social, cultural, and natural history of Toronto’s Grange Park.

The environment and active living
A factsheet.

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.

Murmur
A documentary oral history project that records stories and memories told about specific geographic locations…. In each of these locations we install a [murmur] sign with a telephone number on it that anyone can call with a mobile phone to listen to that story…. Some stories suggest that the listener walk around, following a certain path through a place, while others allow a person to wander with both their feet and their gaze.

The role of community programs and mass events in promoting physical activity to patients
Bauman, A., Murphy, N., Lane, A. (2008). British Journal of Sports Medicine, Online First.
“The central idea of this paper is that clinicians could take a more pro-active role in
community physical activity promotion, as they did in the anti-smoking movements in
previous decades. Clinicians should routinely ask about physical activity, as it is central
to chronic disease prevention.”

Walking, cycling, and obesity rates in Europe, North America, and Australia
Stevens, M., de Jong, J., Lemmink, K., Journal of Physical Activity and Health, 2008; 5, 795–814.
Walking and bicycling are far more common in European countries than in the United States, Australia, and Canada. Active transportation is inversely related to obesity in these countries. Although the results do not prove causality, they suggest that active transportation could be one of the factors that explain international differences in obesity rates.

RESEARCH
Effective dissemination of findings from research
Knowledge Translation……..The essays presented in this book have grown out of a workshop on effective dissemination of findings from research organized by the Institute of Health Economics (IHE), that was held two years ago at the University of Alberta. The publication includes some of the material presented at that workshop.

URBAN DESIGN
Assessing the physical environment
Assessing a community’s physical environment, especially aspects related to walking and cycling is becoming more important as physical activity recommendations focus on active living and incorporating moderate intensity activity into daily life.

Creating healthy environments: A review of links between the physical environment, physical activity and obesity.
This document comprises two parts: an Overview Report that provides an integrated summary of how physical environments can influence physical activity, nutrition and obesity; and a Technical Report that provides a review of public health research on this topic.

Healthy by design: A planners’ guide to environments for active living
In line with the Heart Foundation’s ethos of promoting healthy lifestyles, this resource is designed to make it easier for planners to incorporate healthier design Considerations into daily planning decisions.

Healthy urban environments site assessment audit
The Healthy Urban Environments Site Assessment Audit is an audit instrument designed to be used by practitioners and consumers.

Involving the community in assessing the environment
There is potential for members of the community to play a significant role in assessing the physical environment for physical activity. Involving community members can lead to the initiation of positive environmental changes.

Planning and design guidelines resources
A great list of resources from Australia.

September 12, 2008

By Rosanne Prinsen, MSc

Alberta Centre for Active Living

ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION
Alta planning and design
We do plans for bikes, pedestrians, urban landscapes greenways, trials and paths, but we're also masters of innovation, research, programs and training.

Commute trip reduction program (CTR)
The Washington State Legislature passed the Commute Trip Reduction (CTR) Law in 1991, incorporating it into the Washington Clean Air Act. The goals of the program are to reduce traffic congestion, reduce air pollution, and petroleum consumption through employer-based programs that decrease the number of commute trips made by people driving alone.

Bikes 4 work
The Bicycle Federation of Australia (BFA) today launched a new service to help organizations set up bike fleets in their workplaces

Physician engagement program
Physician Engagement provides BC physicians with resources for their patients about the benefits of physical activity, how to get started with a walking program, and local information on programs and opportunities.

Planning for bicycling and walking: 2005 amendments to the growth management act
This guidance is intended to help those Washington counties, cities, and towns fully planning under the Growth Management Act (GMA) to understand and comply with 2005 amendments to the GMA requiring communities to plan for bicycle and pedestrian transportation and physical activity. This bill requires communities to consider urban planning approaches that promote physical activity, and requires a bicycle and pedestrian component be included in the Transportation Element of a comprehensive plan.

Walk BC
Walk BC is a joint initiative between the Heart & Stroke Foundation of BC & Yukon and the BC Recreation & Parks Association. Walk BC encourages individual and group walking to increase overall health in communities through a range of programs that promote walking.

CHILDREN
CAHPERD name change
September 3rd, 2008 marks the official day that the Canadian Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (CAHPERD) officially changes its name to Physical and Health Education Canada (PHE Canada).

Charter for active kids: A Blueprint for active and healthy children in Western Australia
The charter was developed to identify and articulate the key strategies that will enhance participation in daily physical activity for all children and adolescents in Western Australia.

IWALK October
October is International Walk to School Month (IWALK October) here in Canada and around the world. Wednesday, October 8, 2008 is IWALK Day and October 6-10, 2008 is IWALK Week. Schools can choose to organize relevant activities for the week, just one day or they can participate for the entire month. The IWALK movement started in 2000 with just eight countries and has grown each year to over 40+ participating countries.

School time physical activity of students with and without autism spectrum disorders during PE and recess
This study compared moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) of students with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and students without disabilities during inclu­sive physical education and recess. [APAQ, 25(4), October 2008]

CHRONIC DISEASE
Exercise or exercise and diet for preventing type 2 diabetes mellitus.
“Interventions aimed at increasing exercise combined with diet are able to decrease the incidence of type 2 diabetes mellitus in high risk groups (people with impaired glucose tolerance or the metabolic syndrome). There is a need for studies exploring exercise only interventions and studies exploring the effect of exercise and diet on quality of life, morbidity and mortality, with special focus on cardiovascular outcomes.”

COMMUNITY
The parent's jury: Active friendly communities
“The Parent's Jury has launched a new campaign for active friendly communities. The campaign kit contains advocacy ideas and resources.”

DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH
WHO report on the social determinants of health
Social determinants of health have been the focus of a three-year investigation by an eminent group of policy makers, academics, former heads of state and former ministers of health. Together, they comprise the World Health Organization's Commission on the Social Determinants of Health.

DISABILITY
Development of a conceptual model to predict physical activity participation in adults with brain injuries
Findings indicate that affect is critical in shaping the physical activity cognitions and behaviors of adults with brain injuries. Suggestions are made on practical ways to enhance affect and subsequently physical activity participation. [APAQ, 25(4), October 2008]

OBESITY
1st annual national obesity summit
The Canadian Obesity Network's premiere obesity event for 2009 is set to go in beautiful Kananaskis country. Canada's only professional conference dedicated solely to obesity, the National Obesity Summit will feature lectures, workshops and student poster presentations on cutting-edge research…...

OLDER ADULTS
Promoting active aging by connecting BC researchers and communities: Towards 2010 and beyond
This is the final report from the BCNAR annual conference held in Vancouver, BC April 2008.

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
Effectiveness of public health interventions for increasing physical activity among adults: A review of reviews (evidence briefing)
This evidence briefing collates review-level evidence about he effectiveness of interventions to increase physical activity among adults. It focuses on individual-centered interventions and discusses the potential generalization of the results to UK settings.

Guidance on the promotion and creation of physical environments that support increased levels of physical activity
“This guidance offers the first national, evidence-based recommendations on how to improve the physical environment to encourage physical activity. It demonstrates the importance of such improvements and the need to evaluate how they impact on the public's health.”

The rise and fall of Australian physical activity policy 1996 – 2006: a national review framed in an international context
Despite some progression of physical activity policy in the decade since 1995/6, this review found inconsistent policy development, both in Australia and elsewhere. Arguably, Australia has done no worse than other countries….. [Australia and New Zealand Health Policy 2008, 5:18]

Sport, physical activity and renewal: Case studies
“Encouraging people to participate in sport and physical activity regularly and to lead more active lives takes time and resources. Sport and physical activity projects that seek to contribute to neighborhood renewal need to be clear and selective about the outcomes they are seeking to achieve.”

RESEARCH
The Informed Decisions Toolbox
Using research evidence when making decisions about the organization and financing of health care has great appeal, yet decision-makers do not always use this information. The Informed Decisions Toolbox addresses this issue in six steps and aims to help the health care decision-maker: acquire the best available evidence when making management decisions; assess whether evidence is useful, defined as accurate, applicable, actionable, and accessible; and improve the process by which evidence is used in decision-making.

WOMEN
Physical Activity and Women Aged 55 to 70
In an effort to further understand barriers and solutions related to physical activity and sport for women 55-70, a three-year project was undertaken by the Canadian Association for the Advancement of Women and Sport and Physical Activity (CAAWS) with funding provided by the Public Health Agency of Canada, through the Population Health Fund. From the wealth of information collected, CAAWS developed the following resources to help increase physical activity levels for women 55-70.

April 4, 2008

By Rosanne Prinsen, MSc, Alberta Centre for Active Living

ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION

City of Toronto walking strategy
http://www.toronto.ca/transportation/
walking/walking_strategy.htm

London vote on cycling May 1st
http://www.newstatesman.com/200803310004
“….they need to be behind cycling, because without a 400% increase in cycling from 2000 to 2025, the anticipated increase in population of one million will mean that London’s transport system will grind to a halt. Under Ken Livingstone cycling has soared by more than 83% in the capital…”

Walkable towns curb obesity, pollution, expert says
http://www.reuters.com/article/
healthNews/idUSCOL15888220080401
Jim Sallis is interviewed

Walking Englishman: Walk time calculator
http://www.walkingenglishman.com/walktime.aspx
Allows you to calculate how much time it will take you to walk to your destination.

CHILDREN

Government investment in childhood obesity strategy applauded
http://tinyurl.com/2ovphs
The Ontario Collaborative Group on Healthy Eating and Physical Activity (OCGHEPA) commends the government's significant investment in a strategy to reduce Ontario's childhood obesity rates.

CHRONIC DISEASE

The prevention of lifestyle-related chronic diseases: An economic framework
http://tinyurl.com/3468bv
This OECD paper provides an economic perspective on the prevention of chronic diseases, focusing in particular on diseases linked to lifestyle choices. (Physical Activity is mentioned a number of times)

CONFERENCES

2008 International congress on physical activity and public health
http://www.icpaph08.org/
Find out more about plans to form a new professional society - the International Society for Physical Activity and Health.

Recreation summit 2008
http://tinyurl.com/387kaf
May 16th & 17th – Australia. The Summit will bring together local, national and international enthusiasts on active recreation

GENERAL PHYSICAL ACTIVITY

Adapted physical activity quarterly
http://www.humankinetics.com/
APAQ/currentIssue.cfm
The official journal of the international federation of adapted physical activity.

Adulthood lifetime physical activity and breast cancer
http://tinyurl.com/2k9maw
Conclusions: Leisure-time moderate-to-vigorous activities reduce breast cancer risk irrespective of underlying host characteristics.

Correlates of the stages of change for physical activity in a population survey
http://www.ajph.org/cgi/content/abstract/
AJPH.2007.123075v1?papetoc

National association of counties: Active living survey (December 2007)
http://tinyurl.com/yvhln2

HEALTHY COMMUNITIES

How to create and implement healthy general plans: A toolkit for building healthy, vibrant communities through land use policy change
http://www.healthyplanning.org/healthygp_toolkit
/HealthyGP_Toolkit.pdf
“In recent years, the dramatic rise in chronic disease rates in cities and towns has begun to bring public health and planning back together…. planning and public health professionals have begun to promote design and development patterns that facilitate physical activity and neighborly interactions as antidotes….”

Increasing active living -a guide for policy-makers: Policy-making for healthy and active communities
http://www.rwjf.org/files/research/
activelivinglhc2007.pdf

Rural obesity: Strategies to support rural counties in building capacity
http://tinyurl.com/294b6v
Physical activity is mentioned prominently.

POPULATION HEALTH

Senate sub-committee on population health reports
http://tinyurl.com/2zqg9oThe 3rd and 4th reports were just published

March 14, 2008

By Rosanne Prinsen, MSc, Alberta Centre for Active Living

CHILDREN

After school programs in the 21st century
http://www.gse.harvard.edu/hfrp/projects/afterschool
/resources/issuebrief10/
Do afterschool programs make a difference and if they do what is it about the program that makes it work?

CONFERENCES

CDPAC 3rd national conference – Call for abstracts
http://www.cdpac.ca/media.php?mid=393
Ottawa November 24th – 26th 2008

GENERAL PHYSICAL ACTIVITY

A review of public exercise stations and trails in the ACT
http://catalogue.ausport.gov.au/fulltext/2000/nhf/
publicexercisestations.pdf
A user survey of a select range of facilities clearly indicated that the use of the stations is low and that the cost of a regular maintenance regime would be high relative to the low usage. The majority of trails on the other hand (with or without stations) are used frequently for walking/cycling/jogging. This finding is consistent with evidence that the majority of people prefer to walk as a regular form of activity.

A field survey undertaken to evaluate condition, safety and effectiveness of each of the stations and trails revealed that the majority of exercise stations have not been maintained and are in poor working order. There are safety risks associated with poorly maintained and/or inappropriately designed/located exercise equipment.

HEALTH

Unnatural causes
http://www.pbs.org/unnaturalcauses/
A new PBS series about “why some of us get sicker more often and die sooner and what causes us to fall ill in the first place….. Compelling personal stories illustrate obstacles and inequities in society but they also point the way to new possibilities, as individuals and communities organize to gain control over their destinies and their health.

Airing nationally four consecutive Thursdays (March 27, April 3, 10, 17 at 10 PM) on most PBS stations.

HEALTH LITERACY

A vision for a health literate Canada
http://www.cpha.ca/en/portals/h-l.aspx
Links to the executive summary and full report from the Canadian Public Health Association.

HEALTHY WEIGHT

Measured BMI data now available
http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/surveill/atlas/index_e.html
Choose “view maps for each indicator” from the right hand navigation column to go to the statistics.

State of the evidence review on urban health and healthy weights
http://secure.cihi.ca/cihiweb/dispPage.jsp?cw_page=GR_1929_E
“The resulting analyses provide a high-level overview of the strengths of and gaps in the research on associations between urban environments and healthy weights.”


URBAN PLANNING

Complete streets bill introduced in US senate
http://blog.smartgrowthamerica.org/?p=137
“The Complete Streets Act of 2008 would encourage towns, cities, and metropolitan planning organizations to consider the needs of all users when building new roads or improving existing roads.”

MISCELLANEOUS

The Interviewing Cheat Sheet: 100 Resources for interviewers and candidates http://www.hrworld.com/features/interviewing-cheat-sheet-092507/
Resources for interviewers, answers for candidates, types of interviews, interviewing techniques and advice, interviewing strategies for candidates and more.

March 7, 2008

By Rosanne Prinsen, MSc, Alberta Centre for Active Living

ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION

Economic assessment of transport infrastructure and policies: Methodological guidance on the economic appraisal of health effects related to walking and cycling
http://tinyurl.com/2nll3h
This new document from the WHO provides guidance on approaches to the inclusion of health effects through transport-related physical activity in economic analyses of transport infrastructures and policies.

CHILDREN

Assessment of an after-school physical activity program to prevent obesity among 9- to 10-year-old children: a cluster randomized trial.
http://tinyurl.com/3e3zf2

Gym class can boost other grades
http://tinyurl.com/2oy6ac
The Vancouver Sun (Fri 29 Feb 2008 Source: Reuters) reports on a new U.S. study that suggests spending time in gym class can actually help to boost elementary school children's grades.

Outcomes of Switch-Play: A trial to prevent excess weight gain, reduce screen behaviors and promote physical activity in 10-year olds
http://tinyurl.com/yuja9s
Learn about the effectiveness of the Switch-Play intervention that is based in Melbourne, Victoria.

Unplug + Play parent campaign
http://tinyurl.com/ytvysd
The Heart Foundation's Unplug + Play Parent Campaign targets parents' awareness of the need for children to spend more time in active play and less time using TV, electronic games and the Internet.

CONFERENCES

International conference on childhood obesity: Evidence and practice from Exercise Science
http://www.cuhk.edu.hk/spe/obesity
2008/announce_eng.html
Target Attendants: Exercise scientists, health professionals, PE teachers, policy makers, researchers, students in related areas, and those who have an interest in the prevention and intervention of childhood obesity.

COMMUNITIES

Age-friendly rural and remote communities: A guide
http://tinyurl.com/3dlwxz
The federal/provincial/territorial Ministers Responsible for Seniors and the Public Health Agency of Canada, in partnership with nine provinces, the Nova Scotia Department of Seniors and Guysborough County, have developed the Age-Friendly Rural and Remote Communities: A Guide. Complementing this guide is a research report detailing the focus group findings specifically from Guysborough County.

Measuring up
http://www.2010legaciesnow.
com/measuring_up/
Measuring Up helps B.C. communities assess and improve how accessible and inclusive they are for people with disabilities and for the whole community.

GENERAL PHYSICAL ACTIVITY

Motivators and constraints to participation in sports and physical recreation
http://tinyurl.com/2895kb
The Australian Bureau of Statistics has produced a new report on the associations between participation in sport and activity and motivations and constraints across different demographic groups.

Promoting or creating built or natural environments that encourage and support physical activity
http://tinyurl.com/3dm629
From the U.K. National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence – 2008

With moderate exercise, you can lower your stroke risk
http://tinyurl.com/2uhff8
By engaging in moderate exercise, new research finds both men and women can lower the risk of stroke.

HEALTHY EATING

Using healthy eating and active living initiatives to reduce health disparities
http://tinyurl.com/3atplv
“Healthier eating and being physically active can significantly improve health. In low income communities and communities of color, it can reduce health disparities. This report identifies key lessons from eight (USA) national programs for making healthy eating and active living initiatives successful in reducing health disparities.”

HEALTHY WEIGHT

Motivators and constraints to participation in sports and physical recreation
http://tinyurl.com/2895kb
The Australian Bureau of Statistics have produced a new report on the associations between participation in sport and activity and motivations and constraints across different demographic groups.

MISCELLANEOUS

Mythbusters teaching resource
http://www.fcrss.ca/mythbusters/
teaching-resource.php
The CHSRFoundation's new online Mythbusters Teaching Resource is a resource to facilitate instructors of graduate-level classes to teach students how to write plain-language research summaries for policy makers, managers and others.

February 22, 2008

By Rosanne Prinsen, MSc, Alberta Centre for Active Living

ACTIVE LIVING

Healthy living comes to town: Developing a statewide campaign for active living
http://www.bikewalk.net/presentations/
LeighAnnVonHagen.pdf
(PDF Format - 6MB)

ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION

Climate emissions by travel type
http://tinyurl.com/2plf3p
"Charts CO2 emissions by transportation mode, from an SUV to a plane to a bus. The best strategy for reducing your impact: walk, bike, or fill up a seat that's already going your way!"

Ontario drops PST on most bikes
http://www.rev.gov.on.ca/english/
notices/rst/61.html
Starting on December 1, 2007, Ontario dropped the PST on bicycles under $1,000.00, bike helmets and other cycling safety equipment. It’s part of the province’s plan to encourage more people to get active.

CHILDREN

Smart Moves Queensland
http://www.pando.com.au/san/
articles/story/38234.html
The State Government have launched a new school physical activity program, called Smart Moves, as part of the "Year of Physical Activity" in Queensland.

GENERAL PHYSICAL ACTIVITY

The association between physical activity in leisure time and leukocyte telomere length
http://www.heartfoundation.org.au/
AusPAnet_Article_Commentary_2

Scottish Physical Activity and Health Alliance (PAHA) briefing papers http://www.healthscotland.com/
physical-activity-publications.aspx
The Scottish Physical Activity and Health Alliance (PAHA) produces briefing papers on key topics, including two new papers on physical activity, inequalities and the importance of sedentary behaviour. (There is lots of other good info here.)

Sport participation in Canada 2005
http://www.statcan.ca/english/
research/81-595-MIE/81-595-MIE2008060.htm
Click on the link in the left-hand navigation column to download the 101-page report.

HEALTHY WEIGHT

Healthy Weight, Healthy Lives: A cross government strategy for England http://tinyurl.com/36rp5h
This new strategy, produced by the Department of Health in England, aims to support people to maintain a healthy weight. It includes a large section on "building physical activity into our lives."

MISCELLANEOUS

How does copyright infringement apply to the Internet?
http://www.us-cert.gov/cas/
tips/ST05-004.html

February 15, 2008

By Rosanne Prinsen, MSc, Alberta Centre for Active Living

CHILDREN

Exercise balls replace chairs at Simcoe elementary school
http://tinyurl.com/2jn3ft
The Simcoe Reformer reports that students are bouncing off the wall over their new seating arrangement at Elgin Avenue Public School …

Nova Scotia pumps up phys-ed. requirements
http://tinyurl.com/2tn6yu
The Cape Breton Post reports that starting next fall, new Nova Scotia high school students will be expected to enrol in at least one full credit of physical education in order to graduate …

CONFERENCES/ LEARNING

National Physical Activity Institute
http://www.canadainmotion.ca/
registration.php
June 23-25, 2008: In Motion Manulife National Physical Activity Institute, hosted at the University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada.

GENERAL PHYSICAL ACTIVITY

Clinic-based support to help overweight patients with type 2 diabetes increase physical activity and lose weight
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/
pubmed/18227359?dopt=Abstract

ParticipACTION newsletter needs a name
http://www.lin.ca/resource-details/9919

Statistics Canada Report on Sport Participation
http://www.lin.ca/resource-details/9917
Barely three out of every 10 Canadians aged 15 and over participated regularly in one or more sports in 2005, a dramatic decline from the early 1990s when the proportion was closer to one-half ….

HEALTHY WEIGHT

The Heart and Stroke Foundation's new national healthy waists initiative is live!
http://tinyurl.com/3y34xg
What is Healthy Waists all about? The purpose of the Healthy Waists website is to help Canadians understand that they may be at increased risk for heart disease and stroke if their waistlines exceed a certain size. The website displays a video as well as written instruction to explain how to measure waists properly.

URBAN DESIGN

Safety benefits of smart growth design
http://www.planetizen.com/
node/28523
Includes references to Larry Frank’s work.

Speeding on arterial roads
http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001wPHqVN6_pjik8iPScRF
1eiUB3tIWWjy7jtlO7yhdVXJ1YeI2keMbD-f
DNj5NtV3qZynIPMQqo-i_kzg3u3MK9ZFdi_
SmmLfSTybwIKBQ2SIjyh9UC7q0GA==
Forty-five per cent of speeding deaths occur on arterial roads. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety last year looked at arterial roads with posted limits of 40 or 45 mph in Atlanta, Boston, Denver, Los Angeles, Omaha, Tampa, and Washington, D.C. Arterial roads aren't built to the same safety standards as interstates and have much higher crash rates.

WALKING

A meta-analysis of pedometer-based walking interventions and weight loss
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/
pubmed/18195317?dopt=Abstract

Interventions to promote walking: systematic review
http://health-evidence.ca/
articles/show/17214

Pedestrians 2007
http://tinyurl.com/2l87wl
The Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board, No. 2002 "includes 16 papers that explore a healthier way to travel, level of service of the urban walking environment and pedestrian route choice behavior, estimating nonmotorized travel demand, pedestrian counting methods at intersections, deficiencies in Florida pedestrian crash data, and methods to prioritize pedestrian high-crash locations.” Cost: $55.

WELLNESS

BC atlas of wellness (updated Jan. 10, 2008)
http://www.geog.uvic.ca/wellness/
This Atlas presents data on the geography of wellness in British Columbia. The Atlas covers topics such as:

• Assets and determinants.
• The geography of smoking behaviours and policies in B.C.
• The geography of nutrition and food security in B.C.
• The geography of physical activity in B.C. (this part is 37Mb)
• The geography of healthy weight in B.C.
• The geography of healthy pregnancy in B.C.
• The geography of wellness outcomes in B.C.

WORKPLACE

Workplaces in Motion launches in Manitoba
http://tinyurl.com/2rrsgn
Workplaces in Motion is a new component of the Manitoba in motion program that will encourage employees and employers to build physical activity into their daily lives at work …

February 1, 2008

By Rosanne Prinsen, MSc, Resource Coordinator, Alberta Centre for Active Living

ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION

A synthesis of research addressing the view of children, young people and parents on walking and cycling for transport.
http://eppi.ioe.ac.uk/cms/
Default.aspx?tabid=942

CHILDREN

Clinton Foundation: Go healthy challenge
http://tinyurl.com/33cjlh
“The Go Healthy Challenge is a comprehensive on-air, online and grassroots campaign that encourages kids across the country to make their lives, friends and family, and communities healthier.”

NFL Rush
http://www.nflrush.com/
Interactive website geared toward children.

BEST PRACTICES/EVIDENCE

EPPI Centre
http://eppi.ioe.ac.uk/cms/
Default.aspx?tabid=56
“The EPPI-Centre conducts systematic reviews of research evidence across a range of topics and works with a large number of funders. Major areas include: Education, Health Promotion.”

New & improved health evidence website
http://health-evidence.ca/
An updated website from Health-Evidence.ca.

INTERNATIONAL RESOURCES

Healthy Johor Bahru City 2005
http://tinyurl.com/384e4a
“Healthy City Program
People in cities, particularly the poor, experience stresses and exposures that result in health problems ranging from communicable diseases and malnutrition to mental illnesses and chronic respiratory diseases.

“Conditions that contribute to this situation include poverty, inadequate food and shelter, insecure tenure of land, physical crowding, poor waste disposal, unsafe working conditions, inadequate local government services, overuse of harmful substances and environmental pollution.”

National centre for health statistics (U.S.A.)
http://tinyurl.com/2njdwz
Scroll down the page a bit to see the 2005-06 questionnaire files for physical activity & physical activity individual activity file information.

Physical health law of the People's Republic of China
http://english.gov.cn/2006-02/
08/content_182552.htm
“The Nationwide Physical Fitness Program has set targets that, by 2010, about 40 percent of China's population will participate in regular physical exercise, there will be a clear improvement in the national physique and a major increase in the number of fitness sites so as to satisfy people's needs for keeping fit.”