Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Process Evaluation Of An Email-Based Walking Program With Extension Educators, Elizabeth Richards

School of Nursing Faculty Publications

This study evaluated the implementation process of an email-based walking program from the perspectives of program deliverers. Twenty-four Extension Educators participated in the process evaluation. We used an online survey to examine the perceptions of the implementation process of Get WalkIN’, a twelve-week email-based walking program. Educators agreed that the provided program training and recruitment materials were sufficient for successful program delivery. Program implementation involved sending emails to program participants at least weekly. Educators also agreed that the program was easy to deliver and took twenty minutes or less to implement each week. Strengths and areas for program improvement are …

Statewide Dissemination Of An Evidenced-Based Email Walking Program Delivered Through Cooperative Extension, Elizabeth A. Richards, Stephanie Woodcox, Anna Forster

Purdue University Libraries Open Access Publishing Fund

Using the RE-AIM framework, this study evaluates the statewide dissemination of an evidenced-based, email-delivered physical activity intervention implemented through Cooperative Extension. The Get WalkIN' program is comprised of 16 email messages sent over 12 weeks. Email messages target social cognitive theory constructs of self-efficacy, goal-setting, self-monitoring, and social support. Program reach, effectiveness, adoption, implementation, and maintenance were assessed with quantitative measures in a pre-post design. Findings indicate that within the Extension system, program adoption was high and program maintenance was moderate. Program effectiveness was demonstrated with an increase of 77.1 ± 49.9 min in weekly walking post-program. This increase in …

Walking For Our Health: Couple-Focused Interventions To Promote Physical Activity In Older Adults, Melissa M. Franks, Elizabeth A. Richards, Meghan H. Mcdonough, Sharon L. Christ, Mary E. Marshall

School of Nursing Faculty Publications

More than 50% of U.S. adults do not engage in sufficient physical activity to meet current recommendations, making physical activity change and maintenance a priority for health promotion throughout adulthood. Among married partners, change in physical activity of one partner often is concordant with change of activity of the other. The primary purpose of this study was to examine two couple-focused interventions that capitalize on the co-occurrence of health behavior change within couples to promote physical activity in older adults. In this study, partners (N = 31 couples) participated together in assessment and intervention activities, and were randomized together into …

State Of The Art Review: Promoting Dog Walking For Healthy Lifestyles, Hayley Christian, Adrian Bauman, Jacqueline Epping, Glenn N. Levine, Gavin Mccormack, Ryan E. Rhodes, Elizabeth Richards, Melanie Rock, Carri Westgarth

School of Nursing Faculty Publications

Regular physical activity is associated with numerous health benefits, including the prevention of many chronic diseases and conditions or a reduction in their adverse effects. Intervention studies suggest that promoting dog walking among dog owners who do not routinely walk their dogs may be an effective strategy for increasing and maintaining regular physical activity. Strategies that emphasize the value of dog walking for both dogs and people, promote the context-dependent repetition of dog walking, enhance the social-interaction benefits, encourage family dog walking and ensure availability of public space for dog walking may encourage increased dog walking. Research also supports organizing …

The Evolution Of Physical Activity Promotion, Elizabeth Richards

School of Nursing Faculty Publications

Overview: A physically active lifestyle has numerous physical and mental health benefits for patients of all ages. Despite these significant benefits, a majority of Americans do not meet current physical activity guidelines. Health care providers, especially nurses, play a vital role in physical activity promotion. Over the past several decades, exercise and physical activity guidelines have evolved from a focus on structured, vigorous exercise to a focus on moderate-intensity “lifestyle” physical activity. The author updates nurses on physical activity guidelines and provides tips for promoting physical activity, with a focus on lifestyle activities such as walking to work. This article …

Dog Ownership And Physical Activity: A Review Of The Evidence., Hayley E. Christian, Carri Westgarth, Adrian Bauman, Elizabeth Richards, Ryan E. Rhodes, Kelly R. Evenson, Joni A. Mayer, Roland J. Thorpe Jr

School of Nursing Faculty Publications

Background:

Dog walking is a strategy for increasing population levels of physical activity (PA). Numerous cross-sectional studies of the relationship between dog ownership and PA have been conducted. The purpose was to review studies comparing PA of dog owners (DO) to non-dog owners (NDO), summarize the prevalence of dog walking, and provide recommendations for research.

Methods:

A review of published studies (1990-2010) examining DO and NDO PA and the prevalence of dog walking was conducted (N=29). Studies estimating the relationship between dog ownership and PA were grouped to create a point-estimate using meta-analysis.

Results:

Most studies were conducted in the …

Exploratory Study Of Environmental Effects On Physical Activity And Overweight In Older Women: Research Update, Heather A. Whitcomb, Kosuke Tamura, Lauren Milius, Francine Laden, Steve Melly, Peter James, Robin Puett, Ellen Cromley, Eran Ben-Joseph, Philip J. Troped

GIS Day

Background: Physical inactivity and obesity are major public health issues. Recent studies have provided evidence that attributes of the built environment influence physical activity among adults and that factors such as greater urban sprawl are related to overweight and obesity. Few studies have developed objective individual-level measures of the built environment, a geographic scale that may be more relevant to certain types of physical activity, such as walking. In addition, further research is needed to assess the associations of both objective and perceived environmental factors with physical activity. In this 2-year exploratory study funded by the National Cancer Institute, we …