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Subject: USC Prevention Research Center Notes - 05/2006
Date: Mon, 29 May 2006 11:32:40 -0400
From: USCPRC USCPRC <USCPRC@...>
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****UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA
PREVENTION RESEARCH CENTER NOTES****
"Promoting Health through Physical Activity"

There has been a surge in the attention to childhood obesity in recent weeks
with the release of new national data and the announcement by leading beverage
companies of their intention to remove "empty" calorie, sugar-ladened drinks
from school vending machines. Several large media outlets, including
nationally-syndicated talk radio, have again shined the spotlight on the issue.
We must continue to be careful, however, not to marginalize persons,
especially children, who are overweight. I've always liked the motto "physical
activity for all," meaning for persons of all ages, cultures, abilities, and
sizes. With summer approaching, may we provide ALL persons with opportunities
to engage in enjoyable physical activities.

Steven P. Hooker, PhD, Director
Delores Pluto, PhD, Newsletter Editor (dmpluto@...)
http://prevention.sph.sc.edu
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IN THIS ISSUE - May/June 2006

NEWS YOU CAN USE: Top 10 Walking Cities in US; Bicycle Friendly Communities;
50th Anniversary of President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports; National
Society of Physical Activity Practitioners in Public Health is Formed

WHAT'S HAPPENING IN WASHINGTON: Healthy Places Act of 2006

RESEARCH NOTES: Multi-Scale Analysis of Building Communities to Promote PA; PA
and Adolescent Risk Behaviors

REPORTS, SURVEYS, GUIDELINES, RESOURCES: NCBW Launches New Website; Childhood
Obesity Policy Statement from American Academy of Pediatrics; Let's Just Play;
National SRTS Clearinghouse

PHYSICAL EDUCATION (PE) IN SCHOOLS: PE Curriculum Analysis Tool;
2006 Shape of the Nation Report; Nutrition and PA in US Elementary Schools

PROMOTING ACTIVE COMMUNITIES: Complete Streets Campaign Launched

UPCOMING CONFERENCES AND WORKSHOPS: 2006 Cooper Institute Conference Series; Pro
Walk/Pro Bike Conference; SRTS National Partnership Meeting

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NEWS YOU CAN USE

TOP 10 WALKING CITIES IN US: Prevention Magazine and the American Podiatric
Medical Association (APMA) have named the Top 10 cities for walking the United
States. One hundred cities were evaluated based on the percentage of people who
regularly walk-either for fitness and health or to get to and from work, low
crime rates, mild year-round temperatures, the number of cultural attractions,
participation in recreational sports, and pet ownership. The top 10 cities for
2006 are: 1. Portland, Oregon 2. Colorado Springs, Colorado 3. Madison,
Wisconsin 4. Boise City, Idaho 5. Las Vegas, Nevada 6. Austin, Texas 7. Virginia
Beach, Virginia 8. Anchorage, Alaska 9. Fremont, California 10. Raleigh, North
Carolina. The list appears in Prevention's annual April walking issue. Go to
http://www.prevention.com/article/0,,s1-2-92-34-6707-1,00.html to read the
article.
[Livability Listserv, 4/14/06]

BICYCLE FRIENDLY COMMUNITIES: The League of American Bicyclists has announced
the 2006 Bicycle Friendly Communities. Fifteen cities earned or renewed the
designation in April 2006, and four communities earned an Honorable Mention.
The cities earning "gold" designation are: Madison, WI, San Francisco, CA and
Tucson/Pima Eastern Region, AZ. The program analyzes bicycle friendliness in
five areas: education, enforcement, encouragement, engineering and evaluation.
The Bicycle Friendly Community program is supported by a grant from Bikes
Belong. For more information, go to: http://www.bicyclefriendlycommunity.org/
[Bike League News 4/24]

50th ANNIVERSARY OF PRESIDENT'S COUNCIL ON PHYSICAL FITNESS AND SPORTS: The
President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports is celebrating its 50-year
anniversary in 2006 and invites you to become 50th Anniversary Partners to Get
America Moving. Partners will receive the official PCPFS 50th Anniversary
logo; a link and notable mention on the PCPFS web site and President's Challenge
web site; invitations to participate in celebratory activities at the national,
state, and local levels; and tools and messages to incorporate into state and
community programs. Go to
http://www.fitness.gov/50thanniversary/50th_anniv_partner_info.htm for
registration information and a PCPFS 50th Anniversary Toolkit. [AoA E-News]

NATIONAL SOCIETY OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY PRACTIONERS IN PUBLIC HEALTH: Physical
activity practitioners from state health departments formed the National Society
of Physical Activity Practitioners in Public Health in April. The Society's
mission is to elevate physical activity as a public health priority through
engagement, education, and expansion of partnerships. Visit the Society's
website to become a member at http://www.pacollaborative.org. More resources and
news about the Society will be posted soon. [CDC PA Listserv 5/17/06]

For a list of PA related observances and events, visit the PA links section of
our website at http://prevention.sph.sc.edu/PAlinks/index.htm.


WHAT'S HAPPENING IN WASHINGTON

HEALTHY PLACES ACT: The Healthy Places Act of 2006 (S.2506/H.R.5088) brings
together all levels of government to address environmental health issues by: (1)
establishing and supporting health impact assessment programs to proactively
examine the potential health effects of major policy or programmatic changes,
(2) creating a grant program to assist states and local communities to address
environmental health hazards, particularly those that contribute to health
disparities and (3) accelerating research on the relationship between the built
environment and health, as recommended by two Institute of Medicine reports. Go
to http://thomas.loc.gov/ to view the bill and status.


RESEARCH NOTES

MULTI-SCALE ANALYSIS OF BUILDING COMMUNITIES TO PROMOTE PA: Development
patterns, travel behavior, and physical activity were assessed in a three-scale
(regional, city, and city-block level) analysis of urban built environments in
American cities. Evidence shows that walking and cycling will be encouraged if
destination distances are reduced and streetscapes are safe, but may not result
in more Americans meeting PA recommendations. Race and class issues factor in
because pedestrian-oriented environments have historically been adopted by
wealthier municipalities that can fund such landscapes. Public health
improvements are inextricably linked to social and racial equity. American
municipalities need to balance the needs of pedestrians, cyclists, automobiles,
and public transport. Vojnovic. Building communities to promote physical
activity: a multi-scale geographical analysis. Geografiska Annaler, 88B(1);
67-90, 2006.

PA AND ADOLESCENT RISK BEHAVIORS: Adolescents provided data about physical
activity (PA) and sedentary behaviors and their relation to different risk
behaviors for the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health. The final
sample of 5,979 males and 5,978 females included 70% white, 14% black, 11%
Hispanic, and 4% Asian adolescents. Results of regression analysis show that
participating in a broad range of physical activities is associated with less
participation in risky behaviors and more positive health outcomes, like higher
self-esteem. Adolescent PA is complex and relates to metabolic, behavioral, and
social processes. Nelson & Gordon-Larsen. "Physical activity and sedentary
behavior patterns are associated with selected adolescent health risk
behaviors." Pediatrics, 117(4):1281-1290.

For additional summaries of recent research on promoting physically active
lifestyles, visit the Research Updates section of our website at
http://prevention.sph.sc.edu/updates/index.htm.


REPORTS, SURVEYS, GUIDELINES, RESOURCES

NCBW LAUNCHES NEW WEB SITE: The National Center for Bicycling and Walking has
launched new revisions to its website. Revisions include a new page for the Pro
Walk/Pro Bike conference and a new element called the "State of the Practice,"
which features designing for accessibility and pedestrian and bicycle access
guides and resources frequently used by experts in the field. Send your ideas
for other resources to John Williams, the resources section editor, at
john@.... Check out the new additions at http://www.bikewalk.org.

CHILDHOOD OBESITY POLICY STATEMENT FROM AMERICAN ACADEMY OF PEDIATRICS: The
American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) released a policy statement, "Active
Healthy Living: Prevention of Childhood Obesity Through Increased Physical
Activity," which recommends that physicians, health care professionals, schools,
communities and families all work together to help improve nutrition and
encourage physical activity. In regards to physical activity, the policy
recommends that physicians and health care professionals aggressively advocate
for school and community recreation programs that encourage physical activity;
reinstatement of compulsory, quality, daily physical education programs;
protection of school recess time; creation of safe recreational facilities,
parks, playgrounds, bicycle paths, sidewalks and crosswalks; and social
marketing that promotes physical activity. The full policy statement can be
found in the May 2006 issue of Pediatrics, 117(5); 1834-1842, 2006. View the
pr!
ess release at http://www.aap.org/advocacy/releases/may06physicalactivity.htm.

LET'S JUST PLAY!: The Alliance for a Healthier Generation has partnered with
Nickelodeon to launch the Go Healthy Challenge with the introduction of four
real children on their quest to eat better, play harder, and feel better. Kids
can join the challenge on the Let's Just Play website. The website also
includes health tips, monthly challenges, recipes and message boards. Kids can
visit http://www.nick.com/letsjustplay to view the website. Professionals can
visit http://www.healthiergeneration.org/play.html for more information about
the program and partnership.

NATIONAL SRTS CLEARINGHOUSE: The University of North Carolina Highway Safety
Research Center (HSRC) has been awarded $6 million in funding to assist
communities in enabling and encouraging children to safely walk and bike to
school. The HSRC, funded for 5 years by the U.S. Department of Transportation
Federal Highway Administration, will establish a clearinghouse on the National
Safe Routes to School (SRTS) Program, a federal program established to create
safe settings where more parents and children can walk and bicycle to school.
The clearinghouse will provide technical assistance to SRTS program coordinators
and serve as the central hub of information on successful strategies and
programs. The HSRC also will be responsible for developing educational programs,
as well as developing and maintaining a website, listserv and toll-free phone
number. Visit the clearinghouse website at: http://www.saferoutesinfo.org


PHYSICAL EDUCATION (PE) IN SCHOOLS

PE CURRICULUM ANAYLSIS TOOL: The Physical Education Curriculum Analysis Tool
(PECAT) is now available from CDC to help school districts conduct clear,
complete, and consistent analyses of written physical education curricula, based
upon national physical education standards. The tool features preliminary
curriculum considerations, such as accuracy and feasibility analyses, content
and student assessment analyses, customizable templates for state or local use,
and scorecards and curriculum improvement plan worksheets that can be shared
with key stakeholders, school administrators or other groups interested in
strengthening PE programs. Results from the analysis can help schools enhance an
existing curriculum, develop their own curriculum, or select a published
curriculum, for the delivery of quality PE in schools. The tool is available
online at http://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/pecat. [CDC PA listserv 4/27/06]

2006 SHAPE OF THE NATION REPORT: The National Association for Sport and Physical
Education (NASPE) and the American Heart Association have released the 2006
Shape of the Nation Report: Status of Physical Education in the USA. The report
finds that most states receive a failing grade on their PE requirements. It
recommends that PE instruction be the cornerstone of a comprehensive school
physical activity program that also includes health education, elementary school
recess, after-school physical activity clubs and intramurals, high school
interscholastic athletics, walk/bike to school programs, and staff wellness
programs. The complete report, including mandates, executive summary, and state
policies and profiles, is available at
http://www.aahperd.org/naspe/ShapeOfTheNation/

NUTRITION AND PA IN US ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS: The National Center for Education
Statistics (NCES) has released "Calories In, Calories Out: Food and Exercise in
Public Elementary Schools, 2005." The report, based on a survey conducted by
NCES of elementary schools in the United States, includes findings on the types
of food available (besides full school meals) and the opportunities available
for students to engage in physical activity, such as recess and PE classes. The
report indicated elementary students spend an average of 208 to 222 minutes per
week in scheduled recess and PE. To read the full report, visit:
http://nces.ed.gov/Pubs2006/nutrition/


PROMOTING ACTIVE COMMUNITIES

COMPLETE STREETS CAMPAIGN LAUNCHED: The National Complete Streets Coalition has
announced the launch of the Complete Streets Campaign. Seed funds from Bikes
Belong, AARP, and American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) allow work to
begin on the three-part campaign to encourage adoption of complete streets
policies across the country. The Coalition will spread the word on the benefits
of complete streets; build the coalition to create a powerful broad-based
movement for complete streets; and help get it right when jurisdictions are
ready to adopt a policy. A downloadable brochure and complete street policies
and recommendations are available at http://www.completestreets.org.


UPCOMING CONFERENCES AND WORKSHOPS

2006 COOPER INSTITUTE CONFERERNCE SERIES: Registration for the 2006 Cooper
Institute Conference Series "Parks, Recreation, and Public Health: Collaborative
Frameworks for Promoting Physical Activity" is now open. The conference, to be
held October 26 -28, 2006 in Dallas, TX , will focus on developing collaborative
frameworks for researchers, practitioners, and educators in the fields of public
health, parks, and recreation. For conference and registration information, go
to http://www.cooperinst.org/conf2006intro.asp.

PRO WALK/PRO BIKE CONFERENCE: Schedules and registration information for the Pro
Walk/Pro Bike Conference in Madison, WI will be available on the National Center
for Bicycling and Walking website on May 30. The conference will be held
September 5 - 8, 2006. Go to http://www.bikewalk.org/conference/index.html for
conference information.

SRTS NATIONAL PARTNERSHIP MEETING: The SRTS National Partnership Annual Meeting
will be held on Friday, September 8 from 3-6 PM directly after the conclusion of
the Pro Walk/Pro Bike Conference in Madison, WI. The Partnership will hold a
separate registration for its annual meeting. More information will be
forthcoming soon.
[CDC PA listserv 5/11/06]

For a more complete list of conferences and workshops, visit the PA links
section of our website at http://prevention.sph.sc.edu/PAlinks/index.htm.

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Writers: Lara Peck, Alicia Norris

This and past issues of the "University of South Carolina Prevention Research
Center Notes" are available on our website at
http://prevention.sph.sc.edu/Newsletter/index.htm. To submit an item, please
e-mail Delores Pluto at dmpluto@....

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For continuing discussions about physical activity, join the Physical Activity
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The USC Prevention Research Center is a member of the CDC Prevention Research
Center's National Network, consisting of 28 Centers in the U.S. For more
information about the PRC National Network, visit http://www.cdc.gov/prc.
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Prevention Research Center, University of South Carolina
730 Devine Street, Columbia, South Carolina 29208
803-777-4253

This publication was supported by Cooperative Agreement Number 1-U48-DP-000051
from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Its contents are
solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the
official views of the CDC.
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Kate Walker
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Tel: + 61 2 974 67 703
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