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 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 …

December 21, 2007

Rosanne Prinsen, MSc, Alberta Centre for Active Living

Welcome to the final Info. Round-up for 2007. 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

Inverse associations between cycling to work, public transport and overweight and obesity
http://www.heartfoundation.org.au/
AusPAnet_Article_Commentary_1

Find out the associations between active commuting behaviour and overweight and obesity in New South Wales.

CHILDREN

Active Living Resource Center (ALRC) 2007 City-SRTS pilot project city reports
http://www.activelivingresources.org/
saferoutestoschool8.php

In 2006, the ALRC staff began work on an SRTS program for diverse populations in heavily urbanized environments where schools are typically located in the middle of cities with row homes, multi-family dwellings and industrial neighbours.

A series of pilot workshops were presented in communities across the United States. You can download and read the reports from the first and second year of the program.

Renewed Nova Scotia Active Kids Healthy Kids strategy

• Press Release: http://www.gov.ns.ca/news/details.asp?id=20071212001
• Strategy (scroll down a bit): http://www.gov.ns.ca/hpp/index.asp

CHRONIC DISEASE

Why health care renewal matters: Learning from Canadians with chronic health conditions
http://www.healthcouncilcanada.ca/en/

Canada must strengthen efforts to prevent chronic health conditions and support patients as active partners in their own care, says the Health Council of Canada’s latest report.

If governments act now, they can curb the growing epidemic of chronic illness such as heart disease, diabetes, and cancer.

COMMUNITY HEALTH PROMOTION INITIATIVES/PROGRAMS

(If you know of any others, please let me know at rosanne.prinsen@ualberta.ca.)

• Active City Campaign, Surrey (http://tinyurl.com/ypxab)
• BC Healthy Communities
  (http://www.bchealthycommunities.com
  /content/home.asp)
• Calgary Commuter Challenge (http://www.calgarycommute.ca/
  commuterchallenge/)
• Do It Well - Healthy Living Hamilton (http://www.doitwell.ca/)
• First Nations Get Fit Challenge (http://www.claybruno.com/
  0000pg.asp/ID/8369/SID/1264)
• Get Active Mississauga (http://www.mississauga.ca/portal/residents/
  getactivemississauga)
• Get Active — NWT Community Challenge 2007 (http://tinyurl.com/2z32a2)
• Go2 — Calgary (http://www.go2calgary.com/)
• Go Healthy Newfoundland (http://gohealthy.ca/en/)
• Healthy Living Niagara (http://www.healthyliving
  niagara.com/index.htm)
• Healthy Ontario (http://www.healthyontario.com/
  home.aspx)
• Inverness County on the Move — N.S. (http://tinyurl.com/yvl4vd)
• Manitoba in Motion (https://www.movingaroundmanitoba.ca/)
• Move More — Halifax (http://www.halifax.ca/recreation/
  MoveMore.html)
• Move This Way — City of Fredericton (http://www.movethisway.ca/
  main-e.asp)
• Niagara Region — A Great Place to Be Active
  (http://www.regional.niagara.on.ca/living/
  health_wellness/physicalactivity/faq.aspx#3)
• Northern Links — Recreation Connection for Rural, Remote and Aboriginal Communities (http://www.northernlinks.org/index.cfm?fa=nl.main)
• Ottawa Walking Info (http://ottawa.ca/
  residents/health/environments/
  workplace/activity/pedometer_en.html)
• Spring Into Action — Atlantic (http://www.horizonscda.ca/
  events.html)
• Recreation and Parks Association of the Yukon (http://www.rpay.org/content.php?id=18)
• Toronto Coalition for Active Transportation (http://www.torontocat.ca/TCAT%20Home.html)
• U of A on the Move (http://www.onthemove.ualberta.ca/)
• Vision 2020 Hamilton (http://www.myhamilton.ca/
  myhamilton/Cityand
  Government/ProjectsInitiatives/V2020)
• Walking Programs in Lambton County (http://www.lambtonhealth.on.ca
  /Active/6_2_Walking_%20Programs.asp)

NUTRITION

Dietary practices, dining out behavior, and physical activity correlates of weight loss maintenance
http://www.cdc.gov/pcd/issues/
2008/jan/06_0158.htm

Conclusion: The behavioural strategy of reducing consumption of fast foods could help people k weight off.

The combined approach of consuming five or more fruit and vegetable servings per day and attaining 150 minutes or more per week of physical activity was a common strategy among adults successful at weight loss maintenance.

OLDER ADULTS

Cardiorespiratory fitness and adiposity as mortality predictors in older adults
http://tinyurl.com/yq6dq5

In this study population, fitness was a significant mortality predictor in older adults, independent of overall or abdominal adiposity.

Clinicians should consider the importance of preserving functional capacity by recommending regular physical activity for older individuals, normal-weight and overweight alike.

Developing a telephone assessment of physical activity (TAPA) questionnaire for older adults
http://www.cdc.gov/pcd/issues/2008/
jan/06_0143.htm

Conclusion: The pilot test demonstrated that the TAPA questionnaire is a promising instrument for use as a brief, telephone-based questionnaire for assessing physical activity in older adults.

It is our exercise family: Experiences of ethnic older adults in a group-based exercise program
http://www.cdc.gov/pcd/issues/
2008/jan/06_0170.htm

Conclusion: Findings from this study suggest strategies for developing community-based physical activity programs for older adults from ethnically diverse communities.

Translating a community-based motivational support program to increase physical activity among older adults with diabetes at community clinics: A pilot study of physical activity for a lifetime of success (PALS)
http://www.cdc.gov/pcd/issues/2008/
jan/07_0142.htm

Interpretation: A community-based referral and support program to increase physical activity among elderly, ethnically diverse, low-income people with diabetes, many of whom are not English-speaking, may be thwarted by unforeseen barriers.

Those who enrol and participate in the PALS program appear to increase their level of physical activity.

Walking inside-out
http://tinyurl.com/2e3qbl

AARP advice for walking indoors or outdoors during winter months.

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY — GENERAL

America Walks!
http://www.americawalks.org/

America Walks launches new website. This is the latest piece in the America Walks 2007 technology upgrade.

Please explore the site and come back to see the numerous additions planned over the coming weeks and months.

Can newly acquired healthy behaviors persist? An analysis of health behavior decay
http://www.cdc.gov/pcd/issues/
2008/jan/07_0031.htm

Conclusion: During an 18-month period, participants’ physical activity and dietary behaviors improved significantly. Even though behaviour improvement tended to be greater at six weeks, most healthy behaviours did not return to baseline levels after 18 months.

CJSR to revive bicycle traffic reports
http://www.cjsr.ualberta.ca/

From a recent announcement from the University of Alberta student radio station:

“Join CJSR Bicycle Traffic Reporters Daryl Richel and Karly Coleman as they head out every Thursday morning to check on bicycle traffic on the bike paths and streets of Edmonton.

"The Bicycle Traffic Report also includes interviews and features about cycling issues around town and around the world.

"You can listen to the Bicycle Traffic Report on Peter Chapman's new morning show Full English Breakfast heard Thursdays from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. Listen to the Bicycle Traffic Report and avoid those nasty bicycle bottlenecks on your bike commute to work. Two wheels good, four wheels bad.”

Get active and stay injury free
http://www.ophea.net/Ophea/PARC/upload/
PARC_InjuryPreventionDecThemePARC_21NV07.pdf

This article will first highlight the cost of injury in Ontario due to physical activity, as outlined in The Economic Burden of Injury in Ontario, released in 2006 by SMARTRISK.

They also offer tips on how to take part in physical activity while avoiding injury from the Canadian Health Network.

Inactive Australia
http://www.sma.org.au/pdfdocuments/
PfizerHealthReport_07.pdf

Find out the current activity levels of adult Australians in this newly released report from Pfizer and Sports Medicine Australia.

ISBNPA Conference '08
http://www.isbnpa.org/abstract.cfm

Next year's conference of the International Society for Behavioural Nutrition and Physical Activity (ISBNPA) takes place in Canada in May. The deadline for submission of abstracts is 15 January.

Ongoing physical activity advice by humans versus computers: The CHAT Trial
http://www.heartfoundation.org.au/AusPAnet_
Article_Commentary_2

Are real people more effective than computers in providing advice on being physically active?

URBAN PLANNING/RECREATION

A survey of policies and local ordinances supporting physical activity in Hawaii countieshttp://www.cdc.gov/pcd/issues/
2008/jan/06_0153.htm

Interpretation: The most populous county, Honolulu, had the most policies in place, although discrepancies existed between reported and written policies.

This baseline measure of physical activity–related policies will help focus efforts of county coalitions to increase opportunities for physical activity. Additional policies should be tracked with population behaviour surveillance.

Cities, sustainability and health
http://www.publish.csiro.au/nid/226/
issue/4094.htm

Cities, sustainability and health is the focus of the latest issue of the N.S.W. Public Health bulletin.

Neighbourhood walkability and TV viewing time among Australian Adults
http://www.heartfoundation.org.au/AusPAnet_
Article_Commentary_3

Another publication from the PLACE study shows the links between neighbourhood environments and sedentary behaviour.

Trail-building toolbox
http://tinyurl.com/2fr66d
Building trails is not always a simple, straightforward task. Transforming former railroad tracks into a vibrant rail-trail requires technical know-how, support from your community, guidance from experienced trail builders and successful strategies to overcome barriers.

Whether you are new to the trail movement, or a seasoned trail builder, use Rails-to-Trails Conservancy's resources to find answers to technical questions or to guide you through the trail-building process.

WORKPLACE

Get Moving at Work Tasmania
www.getmoving.tas.gov.au/article.
php?article_id=138

This kit for workplace health and wellbeing programs was launched in October 2007. The audit tool has also been based very closely on the work of the Alberta Centre for Active Living.

December 14, 2007

By Rosanne Prinsen, MSc (Alberta Centre for Active Living)

CHILDREN

Active Education Physical Education, Physical Activity and Academic Performance

http://tinyurl.com/2kbwmm

There are competing schools of thought in relation to the importance of research linking physical education and academic achievement.

Early Life Determinants of Physical Activity in 11 to 12 Year Olds: Cohort Study
http://tinyurl.com/295ryl

This piece of research looks at factors in early life (up to the age of 5 years) that are associated with objectively measured physical activity in 11-12 year olds.

GENERAL PHYSICAL ACTIVITY

The Effect of Season and Weather on Physical Activity: A Systematic Review http://tinyurl.com/yuja9s

“This review looked at previous research concerned with the effect of seasonality and the weather on physical activity participation, as an influencer of conditions of the built environment.”

Effectiveness of Exercise-Referral Schemes to Promote Physical Activity in Adults: Systematic Review
http://tinyurl.com/35rwtd

“Despite the health benefits of physical activity, most adults do not take the recommended amount of exercise.”

Ontario Society of Physical Activity Promoters in Public Health [OSPAPPH)
Announced Dec 12/07 (no website address yet)

“Our mission is to elevate physical activity as a public health priority in Ontario through engagement, education, advocacy and strategic alliances.

“This organization builds on the strengths of an established infrastructure and mandate within the public-health system, as well as the partnerships formed at the community, provincial and national levels with the ultimate purpose of increasing physical activity levels in Ontario.
“We look forward to working more closely with our members and partners in pursuit of a healthier, more active Ontario!”

HEALTH

Financial Health
Financial health is often a topic overlooked by people when they are considering an assessment of their “health.” We also know that when people are a victim of investment fraud, aside from financial loss, mental and physical health are the next casualties.

The following documents, are available from the Alberta Securities Commission (ASC), and provide helpful information:

• The Basics of Investing


• Choosing Your Financial Adviser


• Investing and the Internet - Be Alert to Signs of Fraud


• Characteristics of Various Types of SecuritiesMutual Funds - What You Need to Know


• The Prospectus - Being Informed is Being Protected

To understand more about the impact of fraud on victims and their families, read the Executive Summary from ASC’s national investor study.

For more tips on investing and your financial health, visit the For Investors section on the ASC's website at http://www.albertasecurities.com/

Health Effects of Exercise
http://tinyurl.com/34lqxn

If you missed ABC Radio National's interview with leading physical activity researcher Professor Steven Blair, who visited Australia from the U.S.A., you can access the transcript here.

It's Your Health Web Site: Update
http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/iyh-vsv/index_e.html

The changes to the site were based on suggestions received from subscribers and Healthcare, Educational and Internal Advisory Committees.

You will now find articles organized under themes (such as Diseases, Food & Nutrition, Lifestyles) and audiences (such as Seniors, Parents & Children, Women).

MENTAL HEALTH

Leisure Program for Mental Health Sufferers in Calgary
http://tinyurl.com/2s3oum

The Calgary Herald reports on a leisure recreation program run by the Canadian Mental Health Association Calgary Region and funded by the United Way of Calgary and Area.

NUTRITION

Cost of Eating in B.C. 2007: The Bite Nutritious Food Takes From the Income Pie
http://kuuc.chair.ulaval.ca/url.php?i=4477&f=News&l=En

This report is published by Dietitians of Canada, B.C. Region in partnership with the Community Nutritionists Council of B.C.

The report demonstrates that some groups within our population are denied the right to safe and nutritious food due to limited financial resources.

Health Check Launches New Website
http://tinyurl.com/2u9qy9

“With over 1,300 licensed products , including many of Canada’s leading brands, the Health Check symbol can be found in every food group, in virtually every grocery store aisle across the country and on a growing number of restaurant menus.

"Health Check’s growth is making it easier for Canadians to find healthy choices in grocery stores and in restaurants.”

URBAN PLANNING

Planning for Health: The Built Environment (Australia)
http://tinyurl.com/2joxkc

“The Public Health Bulletin South Australia is a publication of the South Australian
Department of Health.

“The Bulletin aims to provide current data and information to practitioners and policy makers emphasizing the value of orienting services towards prevention, promotion and early intervention and to support effective public health interventions.”

WALKING/PEDOMETERS

Safe to Walk? Neighborhood Safety and Physical Activity Among Public Housing Residents
http://tinyurl.com/36mqkw

“Despite its health benefits, physical inactivity is pervasive, particularly among those living in lower-income urban communities.

“In such settings, neighborhood safety may impact willingness to be regularly physically active. We examined the association of perceived neighborhood safety with pedometer-determined physical activity and physical activity self-efficacy.”

October 19, 2007

By Rosanne Prinsen, MSc, Alberta Centre for Active Living

CHILDREN

2007 Report Card on Nutrition for School Children
http://www.breakfastforlearning.ca/english/resources/
index_ReportCard2007.html
Breakfast for learning’s 2007 Report Card on Nutrition for School Children gives Canadian children and adolescents a “D” when it comes to meeting the recommendations of the new 2007 Canada’s Food Guide.

Are schools making the grade? School nutrition policies across Canada
http://www.cspinet.org/canada/pdf/makingthe
grade_1007.pdf
A resource from the Centre for Science in the Public Interest.

CDC school health index
http://apps.nccd.cdc.gov/shi/Static/paper.aspx
This resource includes:

• Module 3: Physical Education and other physical activity programs.
• Module 4: Nutrition Services. You can choose between an index for elementary schools or middle/high schools.

You can access a “customizable paper format and select only those health topics you wish to address. After selecting the health topics, you will be able to print and complete the SHI on paper.”

Childhood obesity: An environmental scan among health region partners of the Southern Alberta Child & Youth Health Network: 2006 http://www.sacyhn.ca/media/pdf/external_childhood
_obesity_scan.pdf
Prepared by the Joint Consortium for School Health Secretariat in June 2006 (updated by the Canadian Association for School Health Feb, 2007), this document is full of active links to many other documents and reports.

Communities and schools promoting health
http://www.safehealthyschools.org/index.htm
“This gateway website provides access to many resources in school health promotion as well as being home for the Canadian School Health Centre and the Canadian School Health NGO Network. There is also reference to the School Health Research Network as another part of the school health promotion community in Canada. These organizations, as well as many others initiatives are linked in an effort to create the Canadian School Health Knowledge Network.”

Dietary, physical activity and sedentary behaviour among Australian secondary students in 2005
Scully M., Dixon H., White H., & Beckmann K. (2007). Dietary, physical activity and sedentary behaviour among Australian secondary students in 2005. Health Promotion International, 22(3), 236–245.

Environmental scan of childhood obesity in the Calgary region: 2005 http://www.sacyhn.ca/media/pdf/Environmental
_Scan_Obesity.pdf
A resource prepared for the Southern Alberta Child & Youth Health Network.

Environmental scan of Pan-Canadian activities related to schools and nutrition
http://www.safehealthyschools.org/Nutritionand
Schools.pdf
This report comes from the Joint Consortium For School Health Secretariat.

How to conduct a school health audit
http://www.chdf.org.au/i-cms_file?
page=824/hpsbook07.pdf
This resource even has sample questions.

Physical activity measurement in children 2–5 years of age
http://www.cpah.health.usyd.edu.au/pdfs/2007
_pa_measurement_farrell.pdf
Here’s another resource from Australia.

Review of physical activity interventions for children from 2 to 5 years of age
http://www.cpah.health.usyd.edu.au/pdfs/2007_pa
_interventions.pdf
This is a new resource from Australia.

This study assessed Australian secondary students’ self-reported dietary, physical activity and sedentary behaviour and also examined the relationship between television viewing and students’ dietary behaviour.

CONFERENCES/SYMPOSIUMS/WEB EVENTS

Getting children and youth to walk and cycle more: Webinar November 9, 2007

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=
UVNbsPZGBf6zEYg_2b191NCw_3d_3d

This webinar will feature two practical approaches for getting children and youth to walk and cycle more.

Dr. O’Brien will cover the Centre for Sustainable Transportation’s Child and Youth Friendly Land Use and Transport Planning Guidelines, their rationale, and her work with Ontario municipalities in implementing the guidelines.

Jacky Kennedy will present highlights of Green Communities Canada’s Active and Safe Routes to School program, including related barriers and benefits, and the results achieved and lessons learned over many years of implementation.

The first 75 qualified Canadian registrants will have their fees covered by Transport Canada’s Urban Transportation Showcase Program. Presented on Friday, November 9, 2007, 12 noon Eastern Time.

Presenters: Catherine O’Brien, Cape Breton University; and Jacky Kennedy, Green Communities Canada.

NUTRITION

“My food guide online” available to print in multiple languages
http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/ahc-asc/media/nr-cp
/2007/2007_145_e.html
On October 9, 2007, the Hon. Tony Clement, Minister of Health, announced that “My Food Guide Online” is now available to print in multiple languages.

Release of CCHS cycle 2.2, nutrition (2004): Nutrient Intakes from Food, Provincial, regional and national summary data tables
http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/pubs/
cchs-nutri-escc/index_e.html
This first volume includes 13 sets of data tables that compile Canadians’ usual intakes from in 2004 for a set of nutrients based on the Nutrition Facts table.

Results are presented for 13 geographical areas in the country, i.e., the 10 provinces, the Atlantic Region, Prairie Region, and Canada excluding the Territories. The document does not provide any interpretation or draw conclusions.

GENERAL PHYSICAL ACTIVITY

Cost of physical inactivity: What is the lack of participation in physical activity costing Australia?
http://www.heartfoundation.org.au/AusPAnet
_Article_Commentary_4
A new report from Medibank Private, Australia s largest provider of medical insurance, has calculated a $1.5 billion cost each year to the public and private health sectors for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of medical conditions attributable to physical inactivity in the adult population.

ParticipACTION launches national movement to move Canadians
http://www.participaction.com/
ParticipACTION’s public awareness campaign is targeted to all Canadians with an emphasis on parents and Canadian youth.

With only 9% of Canadian children and youth (aged 5 to 19) meeting the recommended guidelines in Canada’s Physical Activity Guides for Children and Youth, ParticipACTION’s new ads seek to show the implications of youth inactivity and motivate parents to make physical activity a priority at home.

The campaign will include TV and radio advertisements that will run nationally from October 2007 to March 2008.

RECREATION

Physical activity and building stronger communities
http://www.cpah.health.usyd.edu.au/pdfs/
2007_pa_communities1.pdf
A resource from Australia.

ThemePARC: Creating healthy communities through active living
http://www.ophea.net/parc/themeparc.cfm
This resource was developed by Ontario Healthy Communities Coalition (OHCC). For more information on OHCC and their Healthy Communities and the Built Environment Project, go to http://www.healthycommunities.on.ca.

URBAN DESIGN

Linking health and the built environment: An annotated bibliography of Canadian and other related research
http://www.healthycommunities.on.ca/
publications/HCBE/index.html
This literature review reported on studies identifying and exploring the relationships between the built environment and the health of Ontario’s population, with attention to our diversity. (Scroll down the page a bit to find the link to the pdf.)

WORKPLACE

Healthy Workplace Week: October 22^–27^, 2007
http://www.healthyworkplaceweek.ca/
Canada’s Healthy Workplace Week is a yearly celebration of workplace health in Canadian organizations.

October 5, 2007

By Rosanne Prinsen, MSc, Alberta Centre for Active Living

CONFERENCES/SYMPOSIUMS

Second International congress: Physical activity and public health

http://www.icpaph08.org/

The 2nd International Congress on Physical Activity and Public Health is happening in Amsterdam in 2008. Deadlines for submitting work are coming up very soon.

GENERAL PHYSICAL ACTIVITY

10,000 steps Rockhampton: Latest research findings

http://tinyurl.com/295ryl

Find out the latest results from this large-scale adult pedometer intervention in Queensland, Australia.

F as in fat: How obesity policies are failing in America

• 2005 http://tinyurl.com/2af77o
• 2006 http://tinyurl.com/jyt2o
• 2007 http://tinyurl.com/2mby46

These resources discuss physical activity rates and physical inactivity.

Heart Foundation interview with Professor Jim Sallis

Professor Jim Sallis gives us views on physical activity in Australia from an international perspective.

http://www.heartfoundation.org.au/AusPAnet_Article_Commentary_7

Why adults with disabilities don’t participate in physical activity

Kosma, M., Ellis, R., Cardinal, B.J., Bauer, J.J., & McCubbin, J.A. (2007). The mediating role of intention and stages of change in physical activity among adults with physical disabilities: An integrative framework. Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 29, 21-38.

Only 44% of adults with physical disabilities participate in leisure-time activity, compared to 64% of adults without disabilities. Thus, intention to change and the stages of change for physical activity should be analyzed.

Over a six-month period, the authors used the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and the TPB/Stages of Change (TPB/SOC) models to study the mediating factors of physical activity for 143 adults with physical disabilities.

The participants answered questions on their level of physical activity, intention, attitude, and perceived control related to participation in physical activity.

Based on path analyses, attitude was the mediating role on intention and SOC. Perceived behavioral changes were mediating factors for physical activity.

The TPB and the TPB/SOC models predicted 16% and 28% of the variance respectively.

The SOC model was the strongest predictor of physical activity, but it is still suggested that health promoters and researchers need to include both intention and behavior elements that reinforce the benefits of physical activity when developing physical activity programs for adults with physical disabilities.

RECREATION

A winning game plan: Creating opportunities in sport and active recreation

http://tinyurl.com/2y5rwu

Through VicHealth's Active Participation Grants, community-based organisations are funded for one to two years to partner with a range of organisations in their communities to develop opportunities for people who would not normally participate in traditional sport or active recreation.

Participation in community sport and active recreation

http://tinyurl.com/2ckb8c

Check out the "Tips for creating a great community sport and active recreation program” the bottom of the page. There’s information on the following groups:

• Culturally and linguistically diverse communities
• Youth
• Older adults
• Women

URBAN DESIGN

Active neighborhoods checklist

http://prc.slu.edu/Documents/Active_Neighborhood_Checklist.pdf

The St. Louis University School of Public Health, Prevention Research Center designed this neighbourhood checklist. Walkability and bikeabilty are major components.

Unfit for purpose: How car use fuels climate change and obesity

http://tinyurl.com/2gahaa

A resource from the Institute for European Environmental Policy.

WHO: Tackling obesity by creating healthy residential environments

http://www.euro.who.int/Document/E90593.pdf

Discover how residential environments can affect obesity in this new document from the World Health Organization.

WORKPLACE

The Health Promotion Clearinghouse (HPC)

http://tinyurl.com/2jnefo

HPC is a provincial non-profit resource aimed at building capacity and support for health promotion work across Nova Scotia. In the summer of 2007, all 15 of the HPC's existing resource lists were updated.

Three new lists were also created to cover the topics of injury prevention, mental health promotion and workplace health promotion.

September 28, 2007

By Rosanne Prinsen, MSc, Alberta Centre for Active Living

CHILDREN

The ecology of childhood overweight: A 12-year longitudinal analysis

http://tinyurl.com/23cunr

O'Brien M., Nader P.R., Houts R.M., Bradley R., Friedman S.L., Belsky J., Susman E. (2007). The ecology of childhood overweight: A 12-year longitudinal analysis. Int J Obes (Lond), 31(9),1469-1478.

Objective: To investigate ecological correlates of the development of overweight in a multisite study sample of children followed from age 2 to 12.

Conclusion: The results support the idea that childhood overweight is determined by many factors.

The one potentially important and changeable factor identified as a target for intervention centres on how children spend their time, especially their after-school time. Children who are more physically active and spend less time watching TV after school are less likely to become overweight by age 12.

Go healthy challenge

http://www.healthiergeneration.org/teens.aspx?id=202

The Go Healthy Challenge is an on-air, online and community-based movement that empowers kids to take the lead in making their lives, schools and communities healthier.

The goal of the Go Healthy Challenge is to encourage at least 2 million kids to take the Go Healthy Pledge to eat better and exercise more.

School walking routes pilot project (Transport Canada)

http://www.tc.gc.ca/programs/environment/
most/schoolwalkingroutes.htm

Greenest City is expanding its School Walking Routes project (part of the Active & Safe Routes to School (ASRTS) project) from Toronto into three additional cities in Ontario.

The School Walking Routes pilot project is directly linked to the longer term sustainability of active travel to school and the Walking School Bus and will likely increase participation in ASRTS programs

CONFERENCES/SYMPOSIUMS

Big sky: New horizons for systematic reviews in health care

http://www.ccs2008.ca/

The sixth Canadian Cochrane Symposium will bring together health policy decision-makers, health researchers, practitioners and consumers to learn about the latest research on creating, presenting, disseminating and using evidence.

The Symposium will be held on March 6 to 8, 2008, in Edmonton.

You will be able to submit a proposed presentation between Oct. 1 and Nov 30, 2007.

OBESITY

Facts and figures on obesity (USA)

http://www.healthiergeneration.org/
about.aspx?id=316

This fact sheet discusses how obesity related health-care costs are soaring, how obese and overweight kids are at risk for serious health problems and a lesser quality of life. The fact sheet also discusses nutrition, eating habits and physical activity.

GENERAL PHYSICAL ACTIVITY

2007 benchmarking report: Bicycling and walking in the U.S.

http://tinyurl.com/2lky7r

Besides linking cycling, walking and public health, the report highlights the challenges the U.S. faces in increasing bicycling and walking.

Albertans urged to eat smart, move more

http://tinyurl.com/yq3l65

A new public awareness campaign called Create a Movement has been launched to encourage Albertans to take aggressive action to lead healthier lives.

"It’s time to wake up. Get off our couches, smell the lettuce, eat our vegetables and give our health the respect it deserves. A healthy future is an individual choice." This is an Alberta government website: http://www.createamovement.ca/default.asp

Everybody stretch: A physical activity workbook for people with various levels of multiple sclerosis

http://www.mssociety.ca/en/pdf/
EverybodyStretch.pdf

This workbook focuses on flexibility, range of motion and some mild muscular strength and endurance exercises.

As you go through these activities, you will learn about the importance of exercise for people with MS. The content of this activity book is also adaptable to other physical disabilities.

ParticipACTION: New website

http://www.participaction.com/

ParticipAction is relaunching in October. To visit the archived site, go to http://www.usask.ca/archives/participaction/.

URBAN DESIGN

Smart growth: Building better communities

http://www.realtor.org/smart_growth.nsf

Editor’s note: An interesting website from National Association of Realtors. Be sure to look at the "On common ground" newsletter and the resource centre section. I found a lot of good information in the Community Design section.

WOMEN

What older women want: New website

http://www.wowhealth.ca/

What do older women rank as their top unmet health care needs? If health-care professionals and community organizations are made aware of these needs, how can they change practices to better meet them? What kinds of tools will be needed, and where will they come from? This site is both for professionals and the general public.