Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Parental School Involvement On Physical Activity And Screen Time Among Middle And High School Students, Joseph Greer, Kiran Thapa, Jessica Mcnulty, Janani R. Thapa

Journal of the Georgia Public Health Association

Background: High levels of sedentary activity and low levels of physical activity have led to an increase in childhood obesity. A reduction of sedentary behavior and the promotion of an active lifestyle positively impacts weight status of children. A child may modify their behavior through direct interventions from their parents, such as enforcement of rules or guided activities, or through broad interventions, by expressing their values and modeling behavior. Current research does not establish if broad or specific parental involvement has a greater effect on healthy behavior. Our group sought to support existing evidence that parental involvement directly impacts behavior …

Tailoring A Hybrid Program For Reducing Health And Education Disparities In Georgia Communities: Outcomes Of Listening Sessions, Chinwe Ejikeme

Journal of the Georgia Public Health Association

Background: Minorities in Georgia experience increased rates of chronic disease and poor health and education outcomes. In the general population in 2013, about 35% of adolescents were either overweight or obese and approximately 13% of children 2-4 years old were obese, with minorities accounting for higher rates. In 2010, 23% of students from low-income families, comprising a higher proportion of minorities, scored at or above proficient level for reading at the end of third grade. Targeting children 0-5 years, Georgia Department of Public Health developed an integrated curriculum to train Early Childcare Educators (ECEs) to increase their knowledge and skills …

The Association Between Nutrition, Physical Activity, And Weight Status Among Adults In Georgia, Trang Nguyen, Janani R. Thapa, Donglan Zhang, Elizabeth Pullekines

Journal of the Georgia Public Health Association

Background: Obesity is classified as having a body mass index (BMI) greater than 30 and is associated with higher risks of type 2 diabetes, coronary heart diseases, hypertension, and other adverse health outcomes. In 2015, the prevalence of self-reported obesity among adults in Georgia was 30.7. The present study focused on how, in 2015, lifestyle factors, specifically nutrition and physical activity levels, related with weight status in Georgia.

Methods: The dataset used for this analysis was from the 2015 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. The association between weight status (as measured by BMI) and nutrition and physical activity levels was …

Can Summer Camp Improve Childhood Asthma Management? Outcomes From Augusta Area Asthma Camp, Terrill M. Flakes

Journal of the Georgia Public Health Association

Background: Childhood asthma is the most common chronic condition in the U.S., affecting 8.6% of children.1 Asthma is particularly an issue in Georgia where 16.2% of children have been diagnosed with this condition.2 Research suggests an association between pediatric asthma education and a decrease in emergency room visits and hospitalizations, and improved quality of life (QOL).3,4 The Augusta Area Asthma Camp, a free week-long educational day camp, was created to address a critical need for asthma education in the community by increasing parent and child knowledge and self-management of asthma symptoms while providing typical summer camp activities in a safe …

Community Engagement To Address Socio-Ecological Barriers To Physical Activity Among African American Breast Cancer Survivors, Selina A. Smith, Mary S. Whitehead, Joyce Q. Sheats, Brittney Chubb, Ernest Alema-Mensah, Benjamin E. Ansa

Journal of the Georgia Public Health Association

Background: With high rates of obesity, low levels of physical activity (PA), and lack of adherence to physical activity guidelines (PAGs) among African American (AA) breast cancer survivors (BCSs), culturally appropriate interventions that address barriers to participation in PA are needed.

Methods: To develop intervention content, members of an AA breast cancer support group participated in four 1-hour focus group discussions (related to the barriers to PA, strategies for overcoming them, and intervention content), which were audiotaped, transcribed, and analyzed.

Results: The support group collaborated with researchers to construct the Physical Activity Intervention Developed (PAID) to Prevent Breast Cancer, a …

Air Pollution, Physical Activity, And Markers Of Acute Airway Oxidative Stress And Inflammation In Adolescents, Emily Pasalic, Matthew J. Hayat, Roby Greenwald

Journal of the Georgia Public Health Association

Background: The airway inflammatory response is likely the mechanism for adverse health effects related to exposure to air pollution. Increased ventilation rates during physical activity in the presence of air pollution increases the inhaled dose of pollutants. However, physical activity may moderate the relationship between air pollution and the inflammatory response. The present study aimed to characterize, among healthy adolescents, the relationship between dose of inhaled air pollution, physical activity, and markers of lung function, oxidative stress, and airway inflammation.

Methods: With a non-probability sample of adolescents, this observational study estimated the association between air pollution dose and outcome measures …

Local Efforts Toward Addressing Health Disparities In Dekalb County, Georgia, April Hermstad, Erikka Gilliam, Sedessie Spivey, Zipatly Mendoza

Journal of the Georgia Public Health Association

Background: In underserved African American communities throughout DeKalb County, the DeKalb County Board of Health (DCBOH) is implementing community-based initiatives using policy, systems, and environmental improvement approaches to reduce racial and ethnic health disparities by increasing opportunities for nutrition and physical activity.

Methods: The initiatives are being implemented in priority census tracts where the population is at least 40% African American, 30% live below federal poverty level, and 25% did not graduate from high school. Communications promote awareness of the programs, and evaluation activities document processes and outcomes.

Results: To date, implementation of five interventions has affected approximately 276,000 DeKalb …

Using The Exercise Is Medicine® On Campus Platform To Assess College Students’ Practice Of Physical Activity In A Rural Setting, Bridget Melton, Jazmin A. Williamson, Helen Bland, Jian Zhang

Journal of the Georgia Public Health Association

Background: The college setting offers public health educators and exercise scientists a favorable environment to implement wide-spread change in levels of physical activities. With over two-thirds of all adults in the U.S. now categorized as obese or overweight (CDC, 2015), it has become necessary to increase physical activity levels on college campuses. Exercise is Medicine® on Campus (EIM®-OC) is a national initiative to increase physical activity on college campuses by creating an environment to change the subjective norm of diminished exercise movement and fitness among adults. The purpose of the present study was to use the EIM®-OC platform to assess …

Growing Fit: Georgia’S Model For Engaging Early Care Environments In Preventing Childhood Obesity, Kelsey Mcdavid, Catalina Piedrahita, Emily A. Vall, Christi Kay, Jean O’Connor

Journal of the Georgia Public Health Association

Background: In the United States, one in three children is overweight or obese by their fifth birthday. In Georgia, 35 percent of children are overweight or obese. Contrary to popular belief, children who are overweight or obese are unlikely to outgrow their weight status as adults, making early childhood an essential time to address weight status. An estimated 380,000 Georgia children attend early care and education environments, such as licensed child care centers, Head Start, and pre-kindergarten programs, which provide an opportunity to reach large numbers of children, including those at risk for obesity and overweight.

Methods: To address this …

Factors Associated With Body Mass Index Among African American Breast Cancer Survivors, Selina A. Smith, Mechelle D. Claridy, Mary S. Whitehead, Joyce Q. Sheats, Wonsuk Yoo, Ernest Alema-Mensah, Benjamin E. Ansa, Ronald L. Braithwaite

Journal of the Georgia Public Health Association

Background: Weight gain after diagnosis and treatment is common among breast cancer survivors (BCSs). Little information exists regarding associations between body mass index (BMI) and lifestyle factors and health-related quality of life (HR-QoL) among African American (AA) BCSs. The present study sought to determine associations between BMI, dietary intake, and physical activity as lifestyle modification strategies and HR-QoL among AA BCSs.

Methods: For this cross-sectional study, a lifestyle assessment tool was administered to 195 AA BCSs. Possible predictor variables included socio-demographic and medical characteristics, dietary intake and physical activity patterns, and physical health. The outcome variable was BMI.

Results: Many …

The Need For Culturally-Tailored Smartphone Applications For Weight Control, Stephen S. Coughlin, Dale Hardy, Lee S. Caplan

Journal of the Georgia Public Health Association

Background: Approximately 35% of U.S. adults are obese, and this rate is expected to increase by almost 50% by 2030. New media such as smartphone applications (apps) provide a useful and low-cost way to disseminate weight control information. For many culturally distinctive population subgroups, however, there is currently an absence of research-tested smartphone apps for weight control.

Methods: In this commentary, we highlight the need for culturally tailored smartphone apps for weight control and offer recommendations for further research by providing two specific examples: 1) the characteristic dietary patterns and absence of smartphone apps for weight loss for Hispanic Americans, …

A Systematic Review Of Lifestyle Interventions For Chronic Diseases In Rural Communities, Selina A. Smith, Benjamin Ansa

Journal of the Georgia Public Health Association

Background: Rural Americans suffer disproportionately from lifestyle-related chronic diseases (e.g., obesity, diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and breast cancer). Interventions that consider the distinctive characteristics of rural communities (e.g., access to healthcare, income, and education) are needed. As an initial step in planning future research, we completed a systematic review of dietary intake and physical activity interventions targeting rural populations.

Methods: Manuscripts focused on dietary intake and physical activity and published through March 15, 2016, were identified by use of PubMed and CINAHL databases and MeSH terms and keyword searches.

Results: A total of 18 studies met the inclusion criteria. Six …

Addressing Childhood Obesity In Georgia: Past, Present, And Future, Debra L. Kibbe, Emily Anne Vall, Christine Green, Brenda F. Fitzgerald, Karen J. Minyard, Kelly Cornett

Journal of the Georgia Public Health Association

Background: The Trust for America's Health ranks Georgia 17th (16.5%) in the nation for childhood obesity prevalence among youth aged 10-17 years. Georgia has a long history of addressing childhood obesity at the state, regional, and local levels. This report outlines the historical efforts in childhood obesity in Georgia from the mid-1990’s to the present, summarizes current childhood obesity prevention and management strategies, and provides childhood obesity-related data relevant to the current strategies.

Methods: Childhood obesity-related efforts in Georgia from 1996 to the present are documented, along with how these efforts led to the creation of Georgia Shape. The Georgia …

A Review Of Community-Based Participatory Research Studies To Promote Physical Activity Among African Americans, Steven S. Coughlin, Selina A. Smith

Journal of the Georgia Public Health Association

Background: As part of the planning process for new research, the literature on community-based participatory research (CBPR) approaches for promoting physical activity in African American communities was systematically reviewed.

Methods: Studies published through October 31, 2015 that employed CBPR methods were identified using PubMed and CINAHL databases and MeSH terms and keyword searches.

Results: A total of 15 studies met the search criteria. One focused on CBPR and physical activity among African American school children and adolescents, 13 on adults, and one on both children and adults. Seven studies employed CBPR methods to promote physical activity in church settings. Eight …