Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Mental Health Benefits Of Physical Activity In Older Adults, Adrian Kurt Zitzmann

Master of Science in Nursing Family Nurse Practitioner

Physical activity is the fountain of youth, strengthening both the physical body as well as the mind, leading to better emotional stability and a general sense of well-being. The population over age 65 is nearing retirement age and are transitioning from a high paced work and family life to a slower and less active “empty nest” lifestyle. Among adults over age 65, will implementing an exercise program for 30 minutes per day increase mental well-being? The benefits of physical activity will be supported by gathering a group of older adults ages 65 and up from a local retirement community to …

How Do Neighbourhood Definitions Influence The Associations Between Built Environment And Physical Activity?, Suzanne Mavoa, Nasser Bagheri, Mohammad Javad Koohsari, Andrew T. Kaczynski, Karen E. Lamb, Koichiro Oka, David O'Sullivan, Karen Witten

Faculty Publications

Researchers investigating relationships between the neighbourhood environment and health first need to decide on the spatial extent of the neighbourhood they are interested in. This decision is an important and ongoing methodological challenge since different methods of defining and delineating neighbourhood boundaries can produce different results. This paper explores this issue in the context of a New Zealand-based study of the relationship between the built environment and multiple measures of physical activity. Geographic information systems were used to measure three built environment attributes—dwelling density, street connectivity, and neighbourhood destination accessibility—using seven different neighbourhood definitions (three administrative unit boundaries, and 500, …

How Do Neighbourhood Definitions Influence The Associations Between Built Environment And Physical Activity?, Suzanne Mavoa, Nasser Bagheri, Mohammad Javad Koohsari, Andrew T. Kaczynski, Karen E. Lamb, Koichiro Oka, David O'Sullivan, Karen Witten

Faculty Publications

Researchers investigating relationships between the neighbourhood environment and health first need to decide on the spatial extent of the neighbourhood they are interested in. This decision is an important and ongoing methodological challenge since different methods of defining and delineating neighbourhood boundaries can produce different results. This paper explores this issue in the context of a New Zealand-based study of the relationship between the built environment and multiple measures of physical activity. Geographic information systems were used to measure three built environment attributes—dwelling density, street connectivity, and neighbourhood destination accessibility—using seven different neighbourhood definitions (three administrative unit boundaries, and 500, …

School Administrators' Perceptions Of Factors That Influence Children's Active Travel To School, Anna Greer, Delores Pluto, Olga Ogoussan, Jorge Banda

Anna E. Greer

BACKGROUND: Increasing children's active travel to school may be 1 strategy for addressing the growing prevalence of obesity among school age children. Using the School Travel Survey, we examined South Carolina school district leaders' perceptions of factors that influence elementary and middle school students walking to school. METHODS: Frequency distributions and chi-square tests were used to analyze the survey responses; open-ended questions were reviewed qualitatively for recurring topics and themes. RESULTS: School and district leaders (N = 314) most often reported street crossing safety (54.0%) and number of sidewalks (54.0%) as priority factors that should be addressed to increase students' …

The Feasibility Of Delivering A Home-Based Motivational Exercise Program To African-American Breast Cancer Survivors, Denise Spector, Claudio Battaglini

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Most African-American breast cancer survivors do not meet current exercise recommendations for cancer survivors, which include both aerobic and strength-training exercises. This pilot study tested the feasibility of delivering a home-based exercise intervention to African-American breast cancer survivors. Sedentary African-American breast cancer survivors were recruited for a 16-week motivational home-based progressive aerobic and strength-training exercise pilot study. Participants completed weekly exercise logs and received weekly phone calls. To assess feasibility, we evaluated recruitment, retention, and adherence rates, as well as participant acceptance and safety. 17 women enrolled; 13 completed the intervention (76%). Participants had moderately-high adherence (70%) to walking goals, …

Taking Physical Activity To The Streets: The Popularity Of Ciclovia And Open Streets Initiatives In The Us, J. Aaron Hipp

Brown School Faculty Publications

As a way to reduce chronic diseases associated with increasingly sedentary lifestyles, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advocates community-wide initiatives promoting physical activity. One such initiative gaining popularity in the US is the Ciclovía, or Open Streets initiative, where city streets are opened to residents for physical activity and closed to motorized traffic.1 Open Streets gained international prominence in Bogota, Colombia, and are viewed by policy makers and health and community advocates as being beneficial to social, environmental, and community health.2 The interest in initiatives is demonstrated by the increase in the number of events within and across …

Walking Increases Among African American Adults Following A Community-Based Physical Activity Intervention: Racial And Ethnic Approaches To Community Health, 2002–2005, I. W. Miles, J. Kruger, Y. Liao, S. A. Carlson, J. E. Fulton

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health (REACH) 2010, a communitybased program, is a cornerstone of CDC’s efforts to eliminate racial and ethnic health disparities. Six African American REACH sites implemented walking interventions as part of their plans to decrease health disparities. We evaluated changes in walking using annual evaluation assessments (2002–2005) from the REACH 2010 Risk Factor Survey. Walking was classified 3 ways: (1) any walking (≥ 10 minutes per week); (2) regular walking (≥ 30 minutes each day, ≥ 5 days per week); and (3) median minutes of walking per week. Any walking increased from 68.3% in 2002 …

School Program Planning To Increase Active Transport To School, Brenda Aguilar

McNair Poster Presentations

Studies have shown that active transport is known to increase physical activity of children, decrease traffic congestion and the production of greenhouse gasses. This study examines active transport to school (ATS) [walking, biking, or other self-powered wheels to school] among elementary students. Through the Nevada Moves Day program an increase proportion of elementary students who use ATS was expected.

This study was done at two elementary schools, one being the intervention school that participated in the Nevada Moves Day, and a control school, which did not participate. Data was collected over a three week period. Students using active transport and …

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 …