The 2008 Outdoor Recreation Participation Report is based on an on-line survey capturing responses from over 60,000 Americans ages six and older and covers 114 different outdoor activities, making it the largest survey of its type examining participation in sports and outdoor activities.
Archive for category Physical Activity
This article presents a summarization of the literature on the built environment and its association with physical activity, diet, and obesity among African Americans. With only 17 articles eligible for inclusion into the review, more research is needed to draw conclusions on features of the built environment that are associated with physical activity, diet, and obesity.
7669 individuals aged 18+ from 143 neighborhoods in Portugal reported body height and weight. Results include that different environmental factors are significantly associated with excess weight and obesity, either directly or indirectly (e.g. health-related behaviors such as eating patterns and physical activity, which are key mediators), after adjustment for individual characteristics.
What if free exercise classes were offered in public spaces such as parks, beaches and recreation centers? When a city government in Brazil tried such a program, it greatly increased physical activity among community members. A group of health researchers who studied the program believes it could also work in US cities with warm climates.
Counselling via phone and e-mail were compared with the standard practice of issuing self-help literature in approximately 1400 Dutch workers as an aid to weight management. The authors concluded that lifestyle counselling by phone and e-mail is effective for weight management. Find the original paper here: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19134171?dopt=Abstract
In a study of 244 New Zealand children, researchers found that the children’s daily exercise levels generally declined between the ages of 3 and 5, while their time in front of the TV or in other sedentary activities stayed consistent.
Being sedentary is now considered a risk factor for stroke and dementia, said rearchers at University of Calgary in Canada.
After 12 weeks a workplace program, offered to workers at eight Home Depot sites, 51% of workers were meeting experts’ general recommendations for exercise.
Can lifestyle changes really improve people’s health? In this WHO podcast you can learn about new evidence from research conducted in Iran. Amongst a large number of interventions also you can find the introducing half-portions in restaurants and fast food eateries and advocating for the development of bicycle lanes in the city. Read the orginal article here: http://www.who.int/bulletin/volumes/87/1/07-049841.pdf
Researchers from National Center for Environmental Health at CDC in the US found that working across sectors to incorporate a health promotion approach in the design and development of built environment components may mitigate climate change, promote adaptation, and improve public health.