The purpose of this study was a comparative international physical activity across 20 countries. Between 2002-2004, a standardised protocol using IPAQ was used to assess PA participation in 20 countries in 52,746 people aged 18-65 years.
Archive for category Physical Activity
Development of new physical activity and sedentary behavior change self-efficacy questionnaires
Apr 3
A new physical activity and sedentary behavior change self-efficacy scale have fewer items than classical test theory derived alternatives and have reasonable validity for boys, but more work is needed to develop comparable scales for girls.
The plenary sessions from the 20th National Conference on Chronic Disease Prevention and Control are now available to be viewed on-demand.
Some interventions are providing information and motivating individuals to modify their behaviors. Other interventions are modifying environmental forces through social policies. There is a tension between empowering individuals to manage their weight through diet and exercise and blaming them for failure to do so. Environments differ in their health-promoting resources; for example, poorer communities have fewer supermarkets, more fast-food outlets, and fewer accessible and safe recreational opportunities. A social justice perspective facilitates a synthesis of both models. The concept of ‘œbehavioral justice’ convey the principle that individuals are responsible for engaging in health-promoting behaviors but should be held accountable only when they have adequate resources to do so. This perspective maintains both individuals’ control and accountability for behaviors and society’s responsibility to provide health-promoting environments.
This review show that schools have been making some progress in improving the school food and physical activity environments but that much more work is needed. Stronger policies are needed to provide healthier meals to students at schools; limit their access to low-nutrient, energy-dense foods during the school day; and increase the frequency, intensity, and duration of physical activity at school.
This review by JAMES F. SALLIS and KAREN GLANZ found that numerous cross-sectional studies have consistently demonstrated that some attributes of built and food environments are associated with physical activity, healthful eating, and obesity. Residents of walkable neighborhoods who have good access to recreation facilities are more likely to be physically active and less likely to be overweight or obese. Residents of communities with ready access to healthy foods also tend to have more healthful diets. Disparities in environments and policies that disadvantage low-income communities and racial minorities have been documented as well.
This study published in December 2008 identified two distinct aspects of policies: ‘influential factors’ which are factors that might impact policies related to Active transportation to and from school and ‘policy actions’ which are policies and initiatives that directly affected their success. Influential factors included sidewalks, crosswalks/crossing guards, funding, personal safety concerns, advocacy group involvement and others. Policy actions included policies on school speed zone, drop-off, no-transport zones, school siting, school start/dismissal time and school choice.
This report provides guidance to Federal land managers on how to promote bicycling. Bicycling facilities are important transportation and recreation links to connect gateway communities, visitor centers, campgrounds, trailheads, and other attractions on Federal lands. This report presents benefits of bicycling, successful bicycling programs, policies that support bicycling, issues and challenges faced by land managers, and useful resources available to help meet these challenges. Bicycle transportation networks have significant positive impacts for the environment, health and visitor experience on Federal lands. Federal land managers have the opportunity to serve as positive national role models by mainstreaming bicycling to create sustainable transportation networks.
People who put off regular exercise until they hit the age of 50 can still benefit from physical activity but it appears to take 10 years for the effects to kick in, Swedish researchers said Friday.
This paper explores how ‘green’ school grounds, which contain a greater diversity of landscaping and design features, affect the quantity and quality of physical activity among elementary school children. Of particular significance is the potential to encourage moderate and light levels of physical activity by increasing the range of enjoyable, non-competitive, open-ended forms of play at school. Seen in this light, green school grounds stand to be an important intervention to be included in school health promotion initiatives.