Archive for category Physical Activity

EPIC physical activity questionnaire validated

Validity and repeatability of the EPIC physical activity questionnaire has been validated using accelerometers as an objective measure. Result: has acceptable measurement characteristics for ranking participants.

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Walking and biking require ‘safe and pleasant surroundings’, ‘low traffic’ and ‘convenience for walking’

A new questionaire has been developed and tested. It addresses: aesthetics, green space, access to amenities, convenience of routes, traffic, road safety and personal safety.

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Home environment and preschool childrens physical activity and dietary patterns

280 Australian preschool children were visited in a cross-sectional study. Observation and parent interview were conducted. Parental behaviours were also associated with PA and dietary patterns.

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New UK Public Health Research programme

£10 million will be spend yearly on the development of modern, evidence-based and politically credible public health practice to identify what public health interventions are worth pursuing and in what contexts.

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5 million to make Healthier choices easier available

Nordic Innovation Centre invites Nordic commercial and public actors, as well as NGOs to submit their Expressions of Interests no later than June 4th 2008.

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Solving Childhood Obesity

We are all responsible for the childhood obesity epidemic: parents, government, schools, communities, companies and the health system. The Washington Post searches for solutions. To view the articles you need to registre which is free.

PART 1: Sunday May 18’th 2008
» Obesity Threatens a Generation
» Overview of Childhood Obesity
» Facts You Should Know

PART 2: Monday May 19’th 2008
» Inertia at The Top
» Making Headway or Headed Nowhere?
» High Profile Campaign Becomes Past Tense
» What the Candidates Say
» 21,000 Calories in Two Hours at High School
» A Smart Snack Machine

PART 3: Tuesday May 20’th 2008
» In D.C.: Where Kids Live Sets Tone for Weight Loss Success
» The Suburbs: They Seem to Have It All and Are Still Overweight. Why?
» Controversial “Fat School”
» Healthy Home Ec

PART 4: Wednesday May 21’th 2008
» One Big Barrier to Healthy Lunches: Parents
» The new PE: If Schools Can’t Offer More, They’ll Try for Better
» A Teacher’s Public Pledge to Lose Weight
» Young Food Critics Offer Schools Insider Help
» 2 Area School System Menus Among Top 10

PART 5: Thursday May 22’th 2008
» Doctors, Researchers are Perplexed
» Maneuvering Restaurant Food
» A Longtime Culprit Makes an “Epochal” Shift

Also watch the videos

VERB campaign evaluation published

In 2001 – 2006 CDC ran an excellent campaign to get 9-13 year old kids to be more active. The campaign combined paid advertising, marketing strategies, and partnership efforts to reach the kids. Other important audiences were parents and adult influencers, including teachers, youth leaders, physical education and health professionals, pediatricians, health care providers, coaches, and others. You can find a huge amount of info about the campaign on http://www.cdc.gov/youthcampaign/index.htm. This includes many reports on formative research which can prove relevant for other campaigns too.

In the June 2008 special issue of American Journal of Preventive Medicine the entire campaign is evaluated and the results are impressive. Click here to read the special issue. Or go directly to the articles of your choice:

  1. It’s what you do! Reflections on the VERB™ campaign.
  2. The VERB™ campaign: applying a branding strategy in public health.
  3. Bringing “play” to life: the use of experiential marketing in the VERB™ campaign.
  4. The VERB™ campaign’s strategy for reaching African-American, Hispanic, Asian, and American Indian children and parents.
  5. Catalyzing community action within a national campaign: VERB™ community and national partnerships.
  6. Overview of formative, process, and outcome evaluation methods used in the VERB™ campaign.
  7. Methodology of the outcome evaluation of the VERB™ campaign.
  8. Initial outcomes of the VERB™ campaign: tweens’ awareness and understanding of campaign messages.
  9. Testing a hierarchy-of-effects model: pathways from awareness to outcomes in the VERB™ campaign 2002-2003.
  10. Did augmenting the VERB™ campaign advertising in select communities have an effect on awareness, attitudes, and physical activity?
  11. Influencing the parents of children aged 9–13 years: findings from the VERB™ campaign.

Validating stage of change measures for physical activity and dietary behaviors for overweight women

Objective: To investigate the construct, concurrent and predictive validity of stage of change measures for physical activity and intakes of fruit and vegetables, dietary fiber and dietary fat among a sample of overweight women.

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Wii computer games boost physical activity

The new Nintendo Wii Fit computer offers 40 games in four categories. Vitual hula hooping, snowboarding and step aerobics are some of the new games.

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NICE recommendations on Physical activity and environment

2008 guidelines on the promotion and creation of physical environments that support increased levels of physical activity Guidance type: Public health programme guidance

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