American Journal of Health Promotion

Evaluate the implementation of a government planning policy (Liveable Neighbourhoods Guidelines) and its impacts on residents' walking behaviors.

Cross-sectional study of participants from the RESIDential Environments project (RESIDE).

Nineteen “liveable” and 17 “conventionally designed” housing developments across Perth, Western Australia.

Five hundred ninety-four participants from RESIDE who resided in 36 housing developments.

Developed in geographic information systems to assess the on-ground implementation of 43 policy requirements. Policy compliance was defined as the degree to which construction of the developments adhered to the standards outlined. Walking behaviors were measured using the Neighborhood Physical Activity Questionnaire. K-means cluster analyses identified groups of homogeneous developments with respect to policy implementation.

Logistic regression with generalized estimating equations estimated the odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) for the likelihood of undertaking any and ≥ 60 minutes of transport and recreational walking associated with (1) policy compliance and (2) different clusters of developments.

There were few significant differences in on-ground outcomes between the two development types. Despite incomplete implementation, the odds of walking for transport increased with overall levels of policy compliance (OR= 1.53, 95% CI 1.13–2.08) and compliance with the community design (OR = 1.3, 95% CI 1.13–1.42), movement network (OR = 2.49, 95% CI 1.38–4.50), and lot layout elements (OR = 1.26, 95% CI 1.06–1.50).

Consistent with the aims of the policy, residents in walkable (i.e., liveable) neighborhoods may be more physically active.

To assess the use of new pocket parks in low-income neighborhoods.

The design of the study was a quasi-experimental post-test only comparison.

Los Angeles, California, was the setting for the study.

Subjects were park users and residents living within .5 mile of three pocket parks and 15 neighborhood parks.

The creation of pocket parks.

We used the System of Observing Play and Recreation in Communities (SOPARC) tool to measure park use and park-based physical activity, and then surveyed park users and residents about their park use.

We surveyed 392 and 432 household members within .5 mile of the three pocket parks before and after park construction, respectively, as well as 71 pocket park users, and compared them to 992 neighborhood park users and 342 residents living within .5 mile of other neighborhood parks. We compared pocket park use to playground area use in the larger neighborhood parks. We used descriptive statistics and generalized estimating equations for the analysis.

Overall, pocket park use compared favorably in promoting moderate-to-vigorous physical activity with that of existing playground space in nearby parks, and they were cost-effective at $0.73/MET hour (metabolic equivalent hour) gained. Pocket park visitors walked an average of .25 miles to get to a park.

Pocket parks, when perceived as attractive and safe destinations, may increase physical activity by encouraging families with children to walk there. Additional strategies and programs may be needed to encourage more residents to use these parks.

To evaluate the effectiveness of Preventing Obesity by Design (POD), a childcare center outdoor renovation intervention.

Pre-post intervention evaluation.

North Carolina licensed childcare centers (N = 27).

Preschool children.

Outdoor renovation, teacher training.

Behavior mapping, Preschool Outdoor Environment Measurement Scale (POEMS), center director interview.

Descriptive statistics, ordinary least squares and logistic regressions calculated to assess levels of association between environmental change, children's physical activity (PA), social behaviors, and environmental quality. Qualitative interview data analyzed to help understand intervention impact.

Behavior mapping showed that site layout attributes, such as the form (i.e., “single loop” and “double loop”) of pathways (functioning as circulation routes and wheeled toy settings), are associated with higher levels of PA. Teacher interaction was associated with decreased children's PA. Absence of teacher or lack of child/child interaction was associated with increased PA. POEMS assessment of environmental quality was higher after renovation. POEMS domains (Physical Space and Teacher/Caregiver Roles) were positively associated with PA. After renovation, 68% of center directors reported positive changes in children's behavior and 40% mentioned edible plant installations as greatest success.

Built environment renovation of childcare center outdoors, including looped pathways installation, coupled with teacher training, may support increased PA. Renovation, including food gardens, may be a key to success for preschool health promotion and support change in childcare policy.

To examine support for local policies encouraging physical activity and perceived neighborhood environment characteristics by physical activity and weight status of respondents across U.S. counties.

We used a random-digit-dial, computer-assisted telephone interview (CATI) to conduct a cross-sectional telephone questionnaire in selected U.S. counties in 2011.

Counties with high prevalences of obesity and sedentary behavior (HH; n = 884) and counties with low prevalences of obesity and sedentary behavior (LL; n = 171) were selected nationally.

Adult respondents from HH (n = 642) and LL (n = 566) counties.

Questions were asked of respondents, pertaining to support for physical activity policies in various settings, neighborhood features, time spent in physical activity and sedentary behaviors, self-reported weight and height, and personal demographic information.

Means and frequencies were calculated; bivariable and multivariable linear and logistic regression models, developed. Models were adjusted for individual characteristics and county HH/LL status.

Respondents in LL counties perceived their neighborhood and work environments to be more supportive of healthy behaviors and were more supportive of local physical activity policies than respondents in HH counties (p < .001 for all). Positive neighborhood environment perceptions were related to reduced body mass index, increased physical activity, and decreased sedentary behavior.

Policy support and neighborhood environments are associated with behaviors. Results can inform targeting policy agendas to facilitate the improvement of environments (community, work, and school) to be more supportive of physical activity.

To describe how research evidence and non–research-based information are used in testimony and other legislative documents used in arguments for and against physical activity–related bills in Minnesota.

Content analysis

Documents and oral testimony archived by the Minnesota State Legislature from 2007 to 2011.

Not applicable.

A coding instrument was developed to measure descriptive features of materials (e.g., length, document type) and the presence or absence of certain types of research evidence and non–research-based information.

Frequencies of variables and measures of associations using Pearson χ² tests.

Results. Over a third (36%) of the sample contained research evidence, and 88% of the sample contained non–research-based information. Compared to materials related to physical activity, materials related to built environment were significantly less likely to reference research evidence.

Despite an abundance of evidence, research evidence was present in only about one-third of the sample. There may be opportunities during legislative discussions on the built environment for obesity-related data to help make the case for sound policies.

To examine school socioeconomic status (SES) in relation to school physical activity-related practices and children's physical activity.

A cross-sectional design was used for this study.

The study was set in 97 elementary schools (63% response rate) in two U.S. regions.

Of the children taking part in this study, 172 were aged 10.2 (standard deviation (SD) = 1.5) years; 51.7% were girls, and 69.2% were White non-Hispanic.

School physical education (PE) teachers or principals responded to 15 yes/no questions on school physical activity-supportive practices. School SES (low, moderate, high) was derived from the percent of students eligible for free and reduced-price lunch. Children's moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) during school was measured with accelerometers.

School level analyses involved linear and logistic regression; children's MVPA analyses used mixed effects regression.

Low-SES schools were less likely to have a PE teacher and had fewer physical activity-supportive PE practices than did high-SES schools (p < .05). Practices related to active travel to school were more favorable at low-SES schools (p < .05). Children attending high-SES schools had 4.4 minutes per day more of MVPA during school than did those at low-SES schools, but this finding was not statistically significant (p = .124).

These findings suggest that more low- and moderate-SES elementary schools need PE teachers in order to reduce disparities in school physical activity opportunities and that PE time needs to be supplemented by classroom teachers or other staff to meet guidelines.

To test effectiveness of Active School Day policy implementation on physical activity outcomes and estimate school-level implementation costs.

The design of the study was quasi-experimental (pretest–posttest matched controls).

The study took place in six elementary schools with three matched pairs in Boston, Massachusetts, February to June 2011.

Subjects were 455 consenting fourth- and fifth-grade students among 467 eligible.

Active School Day policy implementation provided equipment, curricular materials, and training to physical educators and school wellness champions to promote 150 weekly minutes of quality physical education, recess, and physical activity integrated into classrooms.

Accelerometer assessments of accumulated minutes and bouts of moderate, vigorous, and sedentary physical activity on 5 school days before and after implementation were used. Implementation costs were collected by record review and reported resource utilization.

Analysis was conducted using multivariate mixed models estimated with repeated measures of daily physical activity, adjusted for student demographics and other confounding and design/clustering variables.

Accelerometer data were provided by 201 intervention and 192 comparison students for an average of 4 days per period (84% response). During school time, students in intervention schools demonstrated greater increases in minutes per day of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (3.9, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.8–6.0; p < .001) and vigorous physical activity (1.8, 95% CI.7–3.0; p < .001), and greater decreases in minutes per day of sedentary time (–10.6, 95% CI—15.3– −5.8; p < .001) than controls. Ongoing annual implementation costs totaled $4,523/school ($14/student).

Active School Day implementation increased student moderate-to-vigorous physical activity levels by 24% and decreased sedentary time during school at modest cost.

To examine which school sports engage children in more physical activity.

Observational, cross-sectional study examining differences between intramural (IM) and interscholastic (IS) sports.

Athletic facilities at two schools with IM sports and two schools with IS sports in Wake County, North Carolina.

Middle-school children (N = 6735)

Percentage of children observed in sedentary, moderate, and vigorous activity assessed by the System for Observation Play and Leisure Among Youth (SOPLAY). Energy expenditure and physical activity intensity were also estimated by using MET values.

T-tests; generalized linear model using cumulative logit link function.

IM sports had higher MET values than IS sports (t = −3.69, p < .001), and IM sports ranked in four of the top five sports in terms of average MET values. Regression models found a significant interaction between school sport delivery model and gender, with boys significantly less physically active in IS programs than boys in IM programs (B = –.447, p < .001) but more physically active (B = .359, p < .001) than girls in IM sports.

Regardless of sport type, IM sports generated more physical activity than IS sports among boys but not girls. Soccer, basketball, and track, regardless of school delivery approach, provide the highest physical activity levels. Results suggest that school administrators consider reassessing their programs to more efficiently use diminishing resources to increase students' physical activity levels.

To investigate the implementation of state- and school-mandated physical education (PE) and physical activity policies on students' school-day physical activity behaviors.

Observational, cross-sectional study.

Five elementary schools in rural Alabama.

Six hundred and eighty-three school-age children.

School-day physical activity behaviors were assessed with pedometer step count, the System for Observing Fitness Instruction Time (SOFIT), and the System for Observing Play and Leisure Activity in Youth (SOPLAY).

Descriptive statistics (means and standard deviations) were used to describe the current health and in-school physical activity behaviors of students.

Students accumulated a daily average of 4079.57 (± 1678.1) and 3473.44 (± 1073.37) steps for boys and girls, respectively, throughout the school day. SOFIT findings indicate that students spent an average of 23.80 ± 5.33 min/d in PE and that 14.33 ± 6.10 min/d were spent in moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA). This equates to 59.38% of PE time spent in MVPA. SOPLAY findings showed that recess and before/after school activity was not provided.

It appears that schools were in compliance with the state-mandated PE policies on paper but not in actuality. Students did not attend PE for 30 min/d. The implementation of PE as the sole physical activity opportunity provides inadequate amounts of physical activity during the school day.

To investigate the demographic, physical activity, and route characteristics related to children's school trips.

Cross-sectional exploratory study.

Eighteen elementary schools in the Austin Independent School District, Austin, Texas.

One hundred twelve children aged 7 to 12 years.

Accelerometer and Global Positioning System (GPS) devices provided objective measures of school travel and physical activity. Parental survey (response rate = 34.2%) provided children's demographic and household information.

Generalized linear regression analyses were used for unadjusted and adjusted models estimating correlates of total moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and school trip–related MVPA's contribution rate.

Walking trips were .44 miles (.71 km) on average. Those who walked to school had about 11 more minutes of daily MVPA than nonwalkers (35.03 vs. 24.06) and higher proportions of their daily MVPA obtained from school commute trips (21.78% vs. 2.41%). School trips accounted for 11.2% of total daily MVPA on average, 12.9% for those who met the physical activity recommendation, and 35.2% for the sedentary children who belonged to the lowest MVPA quartile.

Active school commuting appears to be a valuable means to promote physical activity, and its contributions toward total physical activity vary across different demographic groups and community settings. Objective and detailed data from GPS and accelerometer units can facilitate the assessment of route/trip characteristics and physical activity implications of school transportation.

State Safe Routes to School (SRTS) programs provide competitive grants to local projects that support safe walking, bicycling, and other modes of active school travel (AST). This study assessed changes in rates of AST after implementation of SRTS projects at multiple sites across four states.

One-group pretest and posttest.

Florida, Mississippi, Washington, and Wisconsin.

Convenience sample of 48 completed SRTS projects and 53 schools affected by a completed SRTS project.

State-funded SRTS project.

AST was measured as the percentage of students walking, bicycling, or using any AST mode. SRTS project characteristics were measured at the project, school, and school neighborhood levels.

Paired-samples t-tests were used to assess changes in AST. Bivariate analysis was used to identify SRTS project characteristics associated with increases in AST. Data were analyzed separately at the project (n = 48) and school (n = 53) levels.

Statistically significant increases in AST were observed across projects in all four states. All AST modes increased from 12.9% to 17.6%; walking from 9.8% to 14.2%; and bicycling from 2.5% to 3.0%. Increases in rates of bicycling were negatively correlated with baseline rates of bicycling.

State-funded SRTS projects are achieving one of the primary program goals of increasing rates of AST. They may be particularly effective at introducing bicycling to communities where it is rare. The evaluation framework introduced in this study can be used to continue tracking the effect of state SRTS programs as more projects are completed.

Given the need for comprehensive and multidisciplinary active living interventions, this article describes an innovative partnership for park design and evaluation.

The Trust for Public Land partnered with the RAND Corporation and the San Francisco Department of Public Health to generate context-sensitive active park design, establish evaluation methods, and build the framework for future collaboration.

These partners worked together from 2009 to 2012 to design, renovate, and study parks in San Francisco, California.

The three partnering organizations are the focus of this article.

The Trust for Public Land's Parks for People–Bay Area Program raised more than $16 million to renovate three San Francisco parks, which served as the intervention for a study that initially brought the three partnering organizations together.

The authors, who represent the three partners, collaborated to develop the lessons learned.

This article is a description and commentary about a partnership that emphasized community involvement and rigorous evaluation.

Lessons learned and elements for successful partnerships include collaborating with organizations with differing expertise, deciding upon goals initially, finding a common language, involving local communities, and recognizing the importance and appropriate role of evaluations.

The model for collaboration and community involvement presented supports and encourages other organizations to use strategic, multidisciplinary partnerships and highlights the importance of evaluation.

The purpose of this article was to describe the process by which research findings informed the successful passage of legislation designed to increase opportunities for physical activity in Mississippi, and discuss implications and lessons learned from this process.

The article is descriptive and conceptual, and addresses the collaborative process by which research, legal technical assistance, and advocacy informed and shaped shared use legislation in Mississippi.

Collaborators informing this article were an Active Living Research grantee, a staff attorney with the Public Health Law Center, the American Heart Association Mississippi Government Relations Director, and community partners.

The American Heart Association and Public Health Law Center developed policy guidance in the form of sample language for legislation as a starting point for states in determining policy needed to eliminate or reduce barriers to the shared use of school recreational facilities. The policy guidance was informed by evidence from Active Living Research–funded research studies. The American Heart Association, supporting a bill shaped by the policy guidance, led the effort to advocate for successful shared use legislation in Mississippi.

Research should be policy relevant and properly translated and disseminated. Legal technical assistance should involve collaboration with both researchers and advocates so that policymakers have the information to make evidence-based decisions. Government relations directors should collaborate with legal technical staff to obtain and understand policy guidance relevant to their advocacy efforts. Effective collaborations, with an evidence-based approach, can lead to informed, successful policy change.

This article describes a unique effort underway in San Diego County to establish a regional nonmotorized data collection system in support of long-range planning for bicycle and pedestrian systems, and physical activity promotion and monitoring.

Case study of a novel approach to siting a regional active travel data collection program.

San Diego County, California.

None.

Installation of 54 automated bicycle and pedestrian counting units at 35 sites across San Diego County.

Equipment siting criteria including population density, employment density, median household income, planned bicycle network, and planned land uses.

Mapping, stakeholder input, site visits.

A comprehensive network of 76 sites identified and proposed for long-range implementation.

This research establishes a siting methodology that holds promise for replication in other regions. San Diego's counting program is one of the most comprehensive automated data collection systems of any region in the United States.