Alberta Centre for Active Living
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ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION
American Journal of Preventive
Medicine Vol 43, Iss 5, Supplement 4, Pgs S384–S389
Children in WSB programs showed no differences in %MVPA
compared to children not participating in the WSB; however, when comparing the
relationship of %MVPA and age, the slope of the regression line was steeper for
those children not participating in the WSB.
Organizers define a
bicycle-friendly business district as an area where business owners actively
encourage people, including employees, to bike to nearby shops and eateries.
These cycle-friendly zones can inspire residents to slow their pace of life
down, enabling them to discover and support businesses near where they live.
This report explores environmental health and Safe Routes to
School through a review of the relationship between environmental health and
school travel, a discussion on measuring the environmental health impacts of
school travel, and five examples of methods used by SRTS programs to estimate
the impact of their activities on local air quality and carbon dioxide
emissions.
Among the top recommendations
for reducing crashes and injuries among those on foot is the adoption of a
Complete Streets approach when building and rebuilding roads.
CHILDREN
Preventive Medicine In Press, Accepted Manuscript
First study on acceptability and impact of a
standing-workstations environment within a school setting on total sitting,
standing and walking time during school week ► Students, parents, and school
staff responded positively to standing workstations ► Musculoskeletal
discomfort was not evident in children who used workstations ► Clinically
important differences observed in sitting and standing time during weekdays. ►
Standing workstations have the potential to be integrated in the classroom
environment.
The elementary and secondary health and physical
education (H&PE) curricula in Ontario have been in a state of limbo for
nearly two and a half years, pending further consultations on one component of
this curriculum. Revisions to the H&PE curriculum are long overdue, and
Ontario teachers and students have waited long enough, especially given the
state of child and youth health.
Journal of Sport and Health Science Available online 24
October 2012
This review takes a historical perspective on the science of
PA and academic achievement prior to and during the past 5 years. A total of
125 published articles were included and reviewed…. The majority of conclusions
show a positive effect of PA on constructs related to academic achievement.
Future studies should use strong study designs to examine the types and doses
of PA needed to produce improvements in academic achievement.
DISABILITY/ACCESSIBILITY
Many individuals have trouble typing, moving a mouse or
reading a web page. They can’t access a website without assistive technology…. This
application features an array of keyboard and mouse replacement solutions
(alternative input methods including a webcam-based hands-free movement
tracking system) that allow users to overcome any physical limitation….
MENTAL HEALTH
Mental Health and Physical Activity In Press, Accepted
Manuscript
► Non-leisure time physical activity was not associated with
depression. ► Leisure-time physical activity was associated with fewer
depression symptoms. ► Improvement in positive and negative affective states
mediated the association. ► Increased physical activity self-efficacy mediated
through improved positive affect. ► Psychosocial experiences of physical
activity are important mediators of response.
MISCELLANEOUS
This report reveals Canadian wellbeing dropped by 24%
between 2008 and 2010 and the decline in our wellbeing continues despite
subsequent economic recovery. It shows that in the seventeen year period from 1994 to
2010, Canada's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) grew by a robust 28.9% while our
quality of life only improved by a very modest 5.7%.
OLDER ADULTS
The Atlanta Regional Commission and community partners
hosted the Lifelong Communities Summit to highlight integrated approaches for
creating communities that support healthy aging. Presentations and information
for key topics showcased during the event are included here
The Lancet, Early Online Publication, 17 October 2012
doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(12)61263-X
Researchers have long assumed that seniors most often
fall because they slipped or tripped, information based on interviews with the
seniors themselves, incident reports or re-enactments in the laboratory….But
Prof. Stephen Rabinovitch said falls his team observed “were really failed
attempts at performing daily activities, like walking, sitting down, even
standing, reaching or turning.”
PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
American Journal of Preventive Medicine Vol 43, Iss 5, Suppl
4, Pgs S390–S391
Activate Omaha was successful in gaining credibility and
leveraging additional funding to implement complementary programming and
physical projects, and as a result, changing community perceptions and
influencing policy decisions.
Volume 43, Issue 5, Supplement 4, Pages A1-A4, S267-S414
(Nov 2012)
A special issue of the American Journal of Preventative
Medicine. Together, the articles in this
supplement give decision makers a sense of how quickly and how much the
environment can change within a 5-year period. Increases in physical activity,
though modest, tend to support prevailing systematic reviews in the scientific
literature.
There is strong scientific evidence that says frequent
moderate- to vigorous-intensity exercise during the week plays a significant
preventative role in cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity and some
cancers. The human body…. is made to move, yet, hi-tech advances in civilized
societies within the last 50 years have created an environment that promotes
sedentary
behaviors.
American Journal of Preventive Medicine Vol 43, Iss 5,
Nov 2012, Pages 551–561
The goal of the systematic review described in this summary
was to determine the effectiveness of stand-alone mass media campaigns to
increase physical activity at the population level. This systematic review is
an update of a Community Guide systematic review and Community Preventive
Services Task Force recommendation completed in 2001.
RESEARCH STUFF
An updated guide from CPHA ($14.95). This guide is designed to provide a glossary
of terms used in questionnaire construction and question writing and provide a
list of “do’s” and “don’ts” when writing questions and formatting
questionnaires.
URBAN DESIGN
The American Planning Association has released a report
that discusses a framework and tools for including public health goals and
objectives in jurisdictions’ comprehensive planning processes.
This Province of Ontario project is based on the idea
that community participation is key to the creation of vibrant and healthy
public spaces.
WOMEN
This project is designed to enhance capacity at the
community, regional and provincial levels to increase healthy living
opportunities for girls and young women from ethnic communities.
WORKPLACE
The top two wellness goals of employees categorized as fit
and healthy were to improve general fitness (55%) and eat more healthily (43%).
For those who were classified as unfit/unhealthy, the wellness goals were to
lose weight (67%) and improve general fitness (56%)…. Major reasons to enroll
in a company provided wellness program were that it was free and participation
could improve health. Signing up with a coworker and convenience were also
factors for some elements of a program.
