-------- Original Message --------
Subject: USC Prevention Research Center Notes - 03/2005
Date: Mon, 21 Mar 2005 15:33:02 -0500
From: USCPRC USCPRC <USCPRC@...>
Reply-To: USCPRC USCPRC <USCPRC@...>
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****UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA
PREVENTION RESEARCH CENTER NOTES****
"Promoting Health through Physical Activity"

The goal of the recent National Chronic Disease Conference was to
accelerate the rate of progress in improving the lives of those at
highest risk for poor health, including racial/ethnic minorities and
low-income and less educated populations. As I attended the
sessions, it became clear that eliminating health disparities is a
complex issue with many underlying factors. However, it also became
clear to me that environment-behavior interactions are critical, and
those of us in physical activity research and practice can play a
vital role in better understanding this relationship. Each new
piece of information that you gather will help improve the health of
individuals, families and communities. I applaud your efforts in
this most worthwhile pursuit!

Steven P. Hooker, PhD, Director
Delores Pluto, PhD, Newsletter Editor (dmpluto@...)
http://prevention.sph.sc.edu
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IN THIS ISSUE - March/April 2005

NEWS YOU CAN USE: Pro Walk/Pro Bike Presentations Available Online;
Older Americans Month 2005; SummerActive 2005

WHAT'S HAPPENING IN WASHINGTON: Transportation Reauthorization
Update; Bicycle Commuter Act

RESEARCH NOTES: Active Commuting to School; Some Work Hard While
Others Play Hard; Active Living Research Supplement

REPORTS, SURVEYS, GUIDELINES, RESOURCES: Strategic Alliance for
Healthy Food and Activity Environments; NIEHS 2004 Conference
Summary; NHTSA Releases News Safe Routes Guide; AARP Physical
Activities Workbook for Older Adults; Exercise for Life PA Module
Now Available; "It's Not Too Late to Prevent Diabetes" Campaign
Launched

PROMOTING ACTIVE COMMUNITIES: Prescriptions for Exercise; Built
Environment's Influence on PA; Success Stories from State and Local
Leaders; Active Living and Social Equity

UPCOMING CONFERENCES AND WORKSHOPS: 2005 PAPH Course; 6th
International Conference on Walking; Childhood Obesity Conference;
2nd Annual NIEHS Conference on Obesity and the Environment; Walking
for Health

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NEWS YOU CAN USE

PRO WALK/PRO BIKE 2004 PRESENTATIONS AVAILABLE ONLINE: Presentations
and posters from the Pro Walk/Pro Bike 2004 Conference in Victoria,
British Columbia are now available online at www.bikewalk.org.

OLDER AMERICANS MONTH 2005: The Administration on Aging is pleased
to unveil the poster and logo to commemorate Older Americans Month,
May 2005 - "Celebrate Long-Term Living!" The poster and logo, in
various formats, can be downloaded at
http://www.aoa.gov/press/oam/oam.asp. [Administration on Aging
eNews, 2/9/05]

SUMMERACTIVE 2005: SummerActive, Canada's annual, six-week
community-based physical activity campaign, is May 6th - June 20th.
Organized by the Public Health Agency of Canada, the campaign helps
Canadians take their first steps to becoming more active. This
year's campaign highlights participation in sports activity.
Schools, worksites, communities, etc. can organize and register
their own events with the help of leader manuals, tip sheets and key
messages found at
http://www.summeractive.canoe.ca/SummerActive/home.html.

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

TRANSPORTATION REAUTHORIZATION UPDATE: Action on the reauthorization
of TEA21 is finally moving forward. The House passed HR 3, TEA-LU
(Transportation Equity Act-A Legacy for All Users) on March 9. The
Senate Environment and Public Works Committee marked-up SAFETEA
(Safe, Accountable, Flexible, and Efficient Transportation Equity
Act of 2005) on March 16. SAFETEA 2005 is essentially the same bill
as that passed last year by the Senate in the 108th Congress. Both
bills are proposed at similar funding levels. Read more details at
http://www.nrpa.org/content/default.aspx?documentId=1967.

BICYCLE COMMUTER ACT: Congressman Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) and Mark
Foley (R-FL) have reintroduced the Bicycle Commuter Act (H.R. 807).
The goal is to reduce traffic congestion, pollution, and wear and
tear on the roads. Under H.R. 807, employers could offer monthly
cash reimbursement of up to $100 to an employee who commutes to work
by bicycle, providing a tax benefit to the employer and helping
defray commuting expenses for the bicyclist. Go to
http://thomas.loc.gov/ to look up the text of the bill and follow
its status.

RESEARCH NOTES

ACTIVE COMMUTING TO SCHOOL: To determine the prevalence of active
commuting to school, 8 elementary schools in urban and suburban
Columbia, SC were assessed by direct observation of the number of
children arriving to and departing from school by various
transportation methods. The total enrollment for all schools was
3911 students. Only 5% of the students arrived or departed school
by walking or bicycling. 83% arrived to school by car or bus.
There were no differences in active commuting between urban and
suburban school or SES groups. This study did not consider crime,
traffic, weather, etc. and these factors should be considered in
future studies. Direct observation provided more accurate counts
compared to other studies in which other methodologies, such as
surveys, were used. Sirard JR, Ainsworth BE, McIver KL, Pate RR.
"Prevalence of Active Commuting at Urban and Suburban Elementary
Schools in Columbia, SC". American Journal of Public Health.
95(2):236-237, 2005.

SOME PLAY HARD WHILE OTHERS WORK HARD: Data was collected from 2153
people taking part in the West of Scotland Twenty-07 study to
identify physical activities that contribute to the achievement of
PA recommendations. One-third achieved the physical activity
recommendation (30 mins/most days of the week), mostly during
leisure activity. Walking was the most reported leisure activity.
Women and older adults reported lower levels of activity. Men with
manual jobs achieved 30 minutes more PA but were less likely to
participate in leisure time PA than men with non-manual jobs. This
may have implications when these men retire if most of their
physical activity was occurring during work. The data suggests that
interventions focused on women and older adults and walking should
be the focus of health promotion efforts. Murtrie N, Hannah MK.
"Some work hard while others play hard: the achievement of current
recommendations for physical activity at work, at home, and in
leisure time in the West of Scotland." International Journal of
Health Promotion and Education, 42(4):109-117, 2004.

ACTIVE LIVING RESEARCH SUPPLEMENT: Active Living Research (ALR)
supported a February supplement to the American Journal of
Preventive Medicine. This issue includes papers selected from
abstracts submitted for presentation at ALR's First Annual
Conference. Free access to this issue (Feb 2005, 28(2) Supplement 2)
is now available at http://www.ajpm-online.net/.

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

STRATEGIC ALLIANCE FOR HEALTHY FOOD AND ACTIVITY ENVIRONMENTS: The
Strategic Alliance for Healthy Food and Activity Environments, a
coalition of nutrition and physical activity advocates in
California, is reframing the debate on nutrition and physical
activity, away from a focus on individual choice and lifestyle,
towards one of environment and corporate and government
responsibility. Their website is full of policy information, data,
newsletters and resources for the media, industry, schools and
communities. Visit www.eatbettermovemore.org for more information.

NIEHS 2004 CONFERENCE SUMMARY: The Executive Summary of the National
Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) sponsored a
conference on "Obesity and the Built Environment: Improving Public
Health Through Community Design" held on May 24-26, 2004 in
Washington, DC is now available online. The full Summary Report
(200 pages) along with other related information, such as
presentation slides, can be found on the conference web site at
http://www.niehs.nih.gov/drcpt/beoconf/agenda.htm

NHTSA RELEASES NEW SAFE ROUTES GUIDE: At the Pro Walk/Pro Bike 2004
conference, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
released its new "Safe Routes to School - Practice and Promise"
report. The 122-page publication offers an
overview of Safe Routes to School activities around the world,
listing information on challenges and lessons learned, as well as
contact people. The report is available at
http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/people/injury/pedbimot/bike/Safe-Routes-
2004/index.html. [Centerlines, 9/10/04]

AARP PHYSICAL ACTIVITIES WORKBOOK FOR OLDER ADULTS: AARP has
published the "Physical Activities Workbook" (stock number D561) for
older adults. This 40-page workbook shows readers how to add
physical activity to their daily routine without disrupting their
schedule or lifestyle. Information includes how to get motivated,
start safely, set goals that meet individual health and fitness
needs, develop a support network, and tackle roadblocks. You can
order one copy for free, and extra copies are $1 each. Call 1-888-
687-2277 to request a copy or see the website for more details:
http://www.aarp.org/health-active/Articles/a2004-06-28-workbook-
users.html

EXERCISE FOR LIFE PA MODULE NOW AVAILABLE: "Exercise for Life!
Physical Activity for Older Adults" is the American Society on
Aging's (ASA) new comprehensive resource for aging-services and
healthcare providers. The module, which is now available on the Live
Well, Live Long health promotion website, features information on
the benefits of exercise, barriers and solutions, exercise and
functional fitness programming, lifestyle physical activity
guidelines, and tips for working with elders with sensory changes,
cognitive loss, or chronic disease. The module also provides
professionals who want to create programs in their communities or
improve existing ones with examples of innovative programs,
extensive resources, and directions on how to evaluate a new or
existing program. Go to http://www.asaging.org/cdc.

"IT'S NOT TO LATE TO PREVENT DIABETES" CAMPAIGN LAUNCHED: To spread
the word that diabetes prevention for older adults is proven and
possible, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS)
National Diabetes Education Program (NDEP) launched a public
awareness campaign today called "It's Not Too Late to Prevent
Diabetes. Take Your First Step Today." Tailored specifically for
older adults, "It's Not Too Late..." encourages adults over 60 that
modest lifestyle changes can yield big rewards in preventing or
delaying the onset of type 2 diabetes by losing a small amount of
weight and increasing physical activity. For more information about
the diabetes prevention campaign, free materials, tip sheets, and
the GAMEPLAN for Preventing type 2 Diabetes, which contains tools to
help people lose weight, get active, and track their progress, visit
the NDEP website at www.ndep.nih.gov or call 1-800-438-5383.


PROMOTING ACTIVE COMMUNITIES

PRESCRIPTIONS FOR EXERCISE: Doctors at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical
Center in New Hampshire, in association with the Upper Valley Trails
Alliance, are writing "prescriptions" for exercise to help improve
patients' health. As part of a larger project funded by the Robert
Wood Johnson Foundation's (RWJF) Active Living by Design program
called Upper Valley Trails for Life, a project to promote routine
physical activity via trails, the prescription program provides
patients with specific instructions for working out on a
prescription-like form, a booklet of trail maps, brochures and
pedometers. For more information about this program, visit
http://www.uvtrails.org/ and scroll down to "Prescription Walking
Program Now Underway."

BUILT ENVIRONMENT'S INFLUENCE ON PA: According to a new report from
the National Academies' Transportation Research Board and Institute
of Medicine, research increasingly shows a link between physical
activity and the "built" environment -- buildings, roads, parks, and
other structures that physically define a community -- but more
research is needed to assess whether the built environment affects
people's actual levels of physical activity. "Does the Built
Environment Influence Physical Activity? Examining the Evidence" is
available in PDF form at http://www.nap.edu/catalog/11203.html or
from the Transportation Research Board Business Office (202) 334-
3213.

SUCCESS STORIES FROM STATE AND LOCAL LEADERS: Want to find out about
the successful efforts of local and state leaders to enable and
promote healthy community design? Active Living Leadership, a
national project supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, is
pleased to announce the release of a new publication, Healthy
Community Design - Success Stories from State and Local Leaders.
Download a copy from
http://www.activelivingleadership.org/storybookhome.htm
or order copies from info@... or call 619-
260-6336.

ACTIVE LIVING AND SOCIAL EQUITY: Now available online from the
International City/County Management Association, "Active Living and
Social Equity: Creating Healthy Communities for All Residents E-
Document" shows how local governments can respond to health
disparities by planning and designing communities that facilitate
healthy lifestyles for all residents. This guide describes how local
managers, department heads and local government staff can design
healthy communities for all residents, explains connections between
active living and social equity, provides a toolbox of local
government strategies for equitably promoting active living, and
highlights notable examples of local initiatives from around the
country. To download the guide, go to
http://bookstore.icma.org/freedocs/Active%20Living%20and%20Social%20
Equity.pdf


UPCOMING CONFERENCES AND WORKSHOPS

2005 PAPH COURSE: The 2005 Physical Activity and Public Health
Courses (PAPH), sponsored by the University of South Carolina
Prevention Research Center and the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, will be held September 13-21, 2005 at Sea Pines Resort
and Conference Center in Hilton Head, SC. For more information,
please visit our website at
http://prevention.sph.sc.edu/seapines/index.htm or contact Janna
Borden at (803) 576-6050 or jsborden@....

6TH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON WALKING: The 6th International
Conference on Walking in the 21st Century will be held September 22-
23, 2005 in Zurich, Switzerland. This year's conference theme,
Everyday Walking Culture, will focus on incorporating walking into
daily technical, political and structural means. Visit
http://www.walk21.com/ for more information.

CHILDHOOD OBESITY CONFERENCE: The Cooper Institute's 8th Annual
Conference will focus on childhood obesity. Current interventions,
energy balance, diet, physical activity, physical inactivity and e
genetic influences, neuroscience, and developmental factors that
underlie these topics will be discussed. Conference will be October
27 -29, 2005 in Dallas, TX. For details visit: www.cooperinst.org


2nd ANNUAL NIEHS CONFERENCE ON OBESITY AND THE ENVIRONMENT: The
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) is
sponsoring a 2nd Annual Conference on Obesity and the Environment
conference entitled "Environmental Solutions to Obesity in America's
Youth" to be held June 1-2, 2005 in Washington, DC. Additional
information about the conference and registration can be found on
the conference web site at
http://www.niehs.nih.gov/drcpt/events/oe2005/


WALKING FOR HEALTH: The American College of Sports Medicine and the
University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign announce "Walking for
Health: Measurement and Research Issues and Challenges" will be held
October 13-15, 2005 on the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
campus. The program will be focused around the benefits, issues,
and challenges of walking. For additional details regarding
abstract submission, registration, etc., please visit:
http://www.acsm.org/meetings/walkingconference2005.htm [CDC's one-
way Physical Activity listserv, 03/15/05]

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, Delores Pluto

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@....

To subscribe or unsubscribe to this newsletter, e-mail the
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For continuing discussions about physical activity, join the
Physical Activity and Public Health On-Line Network listserv.
Instructions are located on our website, at
http://prevention.sph.sc.edu/Listserv/index.htm.

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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