Alberta Centre for Active Living
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ABORIGINAL
Identifies the issues affecting Aboriginal populations with
regards to satisfying their recreation needs. Focuses on program planning to
meet the needs of Aboriginal populations and the methods of engaging these
populations. Supported by health, population and demographic statistics it
underlines the growing issue of recreation satisfaction for the Aboriginal
community.
ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION
Health & Place Vol 18, Iss
6, Nov 2012, Pages 1323–1334
►Promotion of active travel as a physical activity
necessitates an understanding of the influence of built environments. ►
Walkability audits used to collect data on pedestrian environments are costly
and time-consuming. ► A model-based approach is proposed to select sites for
walkability audits. ► A case study based demonstrates that the proposed
approach can help to better target scarce resources.
American Journal of Preventive
Medicine Vol 43, Iss 6, Dec 2012, Pages 621–628
Active transportation was associated with more-favorable
cardiovascular risk factor profiles, providing additional justification for
infrastructure and policies that permit and encourage active transportation.
Transport experts from the Netherlands and Scotland are
meeting in Edinburgh to discuss ways of improving cycling safety.
American Journal of Preventive
Medicine Vol 43, Iss 6, Dec 2012, Pages e45–e57
Drawing on a literature review
and insights from the SLOTH (sleep, leisure, occupation, transportation, and
home-based activities) time-budget model, this paper argues that financial
incentives may have a larger role in promoting walking and cycling than is
acknowledged generally.
This Australian report explores
how a national approach might help to encourage and support walking and riding
as part of the transport system in Australia’s cities and towns.
CHILDREN
Health & Place Vol 18, Iss 6, Nov 2012, Pages
1224–1230
► Outdoor play is an important aspect of young children's
physical activity. ► We examined environmental predictors of outdoor play in
Head Start preschool children. ► We analyzed data from FACES 2006, a
representative sample of US children in Head Start. ► Aspects of the home
environment were associated with outdoor play. ► Outdoor time at school was not
related to outdoor time at home.
A collaborative that was formed in 2010 with the
objective to enhance the delivery of quality after school programs across
Canada. CAASP goals include increased
access for all Canadian children to after-school programs that provide an
opportunity to engage in physical activity, healthy living and sound nutrition
practices.
CAASP presently includes the Active Living Alliance of
Canadian with a Disability (ALACD), Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada (BGCC),
Canadian Association for the Advancement of Women and Sport and Physical
Activity (CAAWS), Canadian Parks and Recreation Association (CPRA), National
Association of Friendship Centres (NAFC) and Physical and Health Education
Canada (PHE). CASSP is funded by the Public Health Agency of Canada.
A research project taking place in Southern Alberta
schools. We are exploring the best ways for schools to help students feel safe,
valued and connected.
American Journal of Preventive Medicine Vol 43, Iss 6,
Dec 2012, Pages 643–649
This evaluation of the impact of policies on school-based
physical activity indicates that such policies can affect health outcomes,
specifically by increasing levels of physical activity. This study highlights
the value of policy reform and calls attention to the need for independent
evaluation of such policies.
To support Member States’ efforts, the WHO Regional Office
for Europe has developed a blueprint for making physical activity appealing to
young people. It is intended to be a resource for physical-activity promoters,
with a focus on supportive urban environments and settings where children and
young people live, study and play. This report outlines the blueprint, its
development and suggested next steps.
CONFERENCES
January 24-26th, 2013 | Kananaskis, Alberta
DISABILITY/ACCESSIBILITY
Newly released guidelines.
Research in Developmental Disabilities Vol 34, Iss 1,
Jan–Feb 2013, Pages 579–587
► A reverse-integrated basketball activity benefited
young people with a disability. ► Quality of life and perceived self competence
improved after six-month training. ► Low functional ability did not constrain
the favorable effects of the program. ► Separate competitive and recreational
sport activity did not have beneficial results.
HEALTHY EATING
Health & Place Vol 18, Iss 6, Nov 2012, Pages
1261–1269
A classroom-based survey of racially/ethnically diverse
adolescents (n=2724) in 20 secondary schools in Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota
was used to assess eating frequency at five types of fast food restaurants.
Black, Hispanic, and Native American adolescents lived near more fast food
restaurants than white and Asian adolescents and also ate at fast food
restaurants more often. After controlling for individual-level
socio-demographics, adolescent males living near high numbers fast food
restaurants ate more frequently from these venues compared to their peers.
Health & Place Vol 18, Iss 6, Nov 2012, Pages 1292–1299
We found no difference in availability or cheapest price
across neighbourhoods. However, the poorest neighbourhoods had less variety of
healthy products and poorer quality fruit and vegetables than more affluent
neighbourhoods. Dietary inequalities may be exacerbated by differences in the
variety and quality of healthy foods sold locally; these factors may influence
whether or not consumers purchase healthy foods.
OLDER ADULTS
Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics Available online 5
Nov In Press, Corrected Proof
The study discusses the possibility that enhancing the
moderate daily physical activity could be helpful for lowering the rate of
neurocognitive degradations in healthy elderly individuals.
New statistics from the Alberta Centre for Injury Control
& Research.
OVERWEIGHT/OBESITY
Health & Place Vol 18, Iss 6, Nov 2012, Pages
1314–1322
► Obesity disparities by race–ethnicity are remarkable and
greater in women than in men. ► Neighborhood socioeconomic status is a negative
contextual correlate of obesity risk. ► Neighborhood walkability and access to
parks are negatively associated with obesity risk. ► Population density is
positively linked to obesity risk for women but negatively for men. ► The built
environment does not explain obesity disparities by race–ethnicity.
PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
UAlberta researcher Tanya Berry found that reality TV
shows depicting exercise as an ordeal can fuel negative attitudes about
physical activity.
Being physically active every day is enjoyable and safe
for most people. Health benefits of physical activity include improved fitness,
strength and feeling better. This booklet shows how you and your family can
plan to be physically active every day using the Canadian Physical Activity
Guidelines. Don't forget to reduce sedentary time too!
Health Educ Behav October 4, 2012
Doi: 1090198112459515
Find Thirty every day® has demonstrated some beneficial
effects in both awareness, intention raising and actual behavior change and can
be taken as a best practice example of a social marketing campaign both
nationally and internationally. Effects in low SES groups are particularly
important as these are key target groups for interventions.
This latest evidence briefing from the BHF National Centre
summarizes what is known about active video gaming (known as exergaming) from
both laboratory and ‘real life’ research. It also provides recommendations on
the use of exergaming as a physical activity intervention.
Although individual healthy behaviours are moderately
associated with successful aging, their combined impact is substantial. We did
not investigate the mechanisms underlying these associations, but we saw clear
evidence of the importance of healthy behaviours for successful aging.
PLoS Med 9(11): e1001335.
doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.1001335
The researchers pooled data on 650,000 men and women aged
40 and older in Sweden and the U.S. who reported their activity levels. The findings show that 75 minutes a week — or
just over 10 minutes a day — was associated with 1.8 years of added life
expectancy, compared to getting no leisure-time activity. As well, brisk
walking for 450 minutes a week, just over an hour a day, was associated with
living 4.5 years longer.
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2012, 9(7),
2454-2478;
doi:10.3390/ijerph9072454
This paper is a systematic review of how much time is
spent in physical activity among adults using public transport. It also
explores the potential effect on the population level of physical activity if
inactive adults in NSW, Australia, increased their walking through increased
use of public transport.
The recently developed UN Member States Global Framework
for NCD Prevention and Control includes a target to reduce physical activity by
10% by 2025.
URBAN DESIGN
Social Science & Medicine Available online 7 Nov 2012
In Press, Accepted Manuscript
► The built environment determined recreational (RW) and
transport walking (TW). ► Following relocation, TW declined, as did access to
transport-related destinations. ► Yet for each type of TW destination gained,
TW increased 5.8 minutes/week. ► Following relocation, RW increased, as did
access to recreational destinations. ► For each type of recreational
destination gained, RW increased 17.6 minutes/week.
This comprehensive report describes how livability is
understood, provides examples of livable communities in practice and adds
clarity to several concepts.
This document is full of photos and diagrams that do a
great job of illustrating concepts good and bad.
The purpose of this toolkit is to: 1) explain what is
meant by a Complete Streets approach to designing and building a transportation
network; 2) share the benefits of Complete Streets; 3) identify the various
elements that make streets truly “complete” and describe the needed amenities
to accommodate users of Montana’s roadways……
Chapter 3: explores how states are working to providing a
variety of viable, accessible and affordable transportation options. Policies reviewed
in this section include bicycle and pedestrian safety and travel initiatives.
Chapter 4: This section examines how transportation
decisions can successfully achieve diverse public benefits. Including ….. two
examples of how transportation activities have been linked with environmental
and public health planning and goals.
Instead of scolding people to eat right and exercise, the
region wants its planners and policy makers to start designing communities that
intrinsically promote healthier living — with more stairs, transit, enticements
to walk or cycle, and easier access to healthy food.
Health & Place Available online 7 Nov 2012 In Press,
Accepted Manuscript
Of Note: authors include Neville Owen, Larry Frank, James
Sallis
The study purpose was to examine the strength, direction
and shape of the associations of environmental perceptions with recreational
walking and leisure-time moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, using pooled
data from four study sites (Baltimore [USA], Seattle [USA], Adelaide
[Australia] and Ghent [Belgium]).
WOMEN
American Journal of Preventive Medicine Vol 43, Iss 6,
Dec 2012, Pages 629–635
Exercise training reduces adiposity and risk of
cardiovascular disease. However, the combined effects of habitual free-living
physical activity and aerobic training on waist circumference, weight, fitness,
and blood pressure in postmenopausal women are unknown…..
WORKPLACE
Preventive Medicine Available online 11 Oct 2012 In
Press, Corrected Proof
This interesting study found clear links between
participation in vigorous physical activity and subsequent sickness absence at
work, after investigating changes over a five-seven year period. These findings
promote the importance of physical activity for productivity in the workplace,
with important ramifications for governments and companies when considering
health promotion strategies.
Prev Chronic Dis 2012; Vol 9, October 2012
Promoting Activity and Changes in
Eating (PACE) was a group-randomized worksite intervention to prevent weight
gain in the Seattle metropolitan area from 2005 through 2007. The authors found that dietary and physical
activity behaviors of workers may be associated with average levels of
perceived stress. Longitudinal studies are needed, however, to support
inclusion of stress management or mindfulness techniques in workplace obesity
prevention efforts.
Prev Chronic Dis 2012; Vol 9, October 2012
The Take-a-Stand Project reduced time spent sitting by 224%
(66 minutes per day), reduced upper back and neck pain by 54%, and improved
mood states. Furthermore, the removal of the device largely negated all
observed improvements within 2 weeks.
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