By Rosanne Prinsen, MSc
Note: Where possible, we provide the DOI link to research papers in the Info Round-Up. To use it, cut and paste the DOI into the text box on this webpage: http://dx.doi.org/. Access to research articles will be dependent on your institutional rights.
ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION
Walkable commercial districts are a key
component of communities that promote active living. Walking has great health
benefits, including helping people maintain a healthy weight. This report
examines whether there are also economic benefits to businesses in walkable
communities
Walking advocacy carries its own set of
needs around communications and marketing. What works for messaging bike-friendliness
may not work for messaging walkability. From touting vibrant main streets to
elevating the health benefits of regular exercise, a unique set of messages can
be best for effective walking advocacy.
BUILT ENVIRONMENT
This research demonstrates that walkshed
size varies among neighbourhood types, with the grid block pattern being the
most walkable, and the curvilinear pattern the least. Despite the growing body
of knowledge regarding walkability, the prevailing practice is to continue to
develop the less walkable curvilinear forms.
Health & Place Available online 26
Nov2013 In Press, Accepted Manuscript
“Active Living Research” has been accused
of being overly “physically deterministic” and this article argues that urban
planners must continue to evolve research and address biases in this area. The
article first provides background on how researchers have dealt with the
relationship between the built environment and health over the years. This
leads to a presentation of how active living research might be described as
overly deterministic. The article then offers lessons for researchers planning
to embark in active-living studies as to how they might increase validity and
minimize criticism of physical determinism.
Designation as a Landmark (best practice)
case study through our peer selection process recognizes programs and social
marketing approaches considered to be among the most successful, innovative,
replicable and adaptable in the world.
The current list include Edmonton’s Local Motion Program and Haliburton
Communities in Action.
CHILDREN
From Active For Life this active toy gift
guide will make holiday shopping for active kids a breeze.
The ACTIVE AT SCHOOL initiative is a
multi-year, multi-million dollar grassroots program focused on reversing the
staggering trend of inactivity amongst Canadian children and youth…. The shared
goal of ACTIVE AT SCHOOL is to ensure that Canadian children receive one hour
of quality physical activity and education before, during or after school every
single day.
American Journal Of Lifestyle Medicine Sept/Oct
2013 vol.7 no.5
343-345
doi: 10.1177/1559827613492604
The primary responsibility of (a PA
Champion) is to spearhead the creation of an active school culture where youth
achieve and learn how to adopt the recommended amounts of 60 minutes of
physical activity per day. Using the multicomponent approach highlighted
throughout Castelli et al’s article, this would entail coordinating a comprehensive school
physical activity program (CSPAP) whereby physical activity opportunities are
provided across at least 2 of the 5 integral components……
A Presentation from the 2013 Alberta
Recreation and Parks Association Annual Conference and Energize Workshop.
A new (UK) Primary Literacy Framework has
been produced by the Youth Sport Trust. The Physical Literacy Framework
provides schools with simple, easy to understand guidance on how best to
structure PE and sport provision to ensure every opportunity is provided to
develop the physical literacy of their pupils.
A progress report that captures the
achievements of HIGH FIVE as it has grown to become a nationally recognized
standard, being delivered in both official languages across Canada. It also
outlines current trends that are having an impact on the health of our children
and how HIGH FIVE is responding. You'll see how HIGH FIVE makes a difference in
the lives of hundreds of thousands of children each year.
The Safe Routes to School Policy Workbook
for School Districts was designed to help school boards, administrators, and
stakeholders create policies that support active transportation to and from
school. In using this Workbook, you’ll have the opportunity to select among
policy provisions that support active transportation. Within some provisions,
different options are available that can make your overall policy even
stronger. Each policy is categorized as "beginner," "intermediate,"
or "advanced" depending on the policy's complexity and likely impact
on levels of walking and bicycling.
A slide show related to increasing
school-based physical activity.
The SnowPass program, coordinated by the
Canadian Ski Council, gives all Canadian kids in grade 4 and 5 an opportunity
to get three days on each participating slope, all for only $29.95. More than
150 ski areas across Canada are part of the SnowPass program.
CHRONIC DISEASE
Within this report, ‘living well’ is used
as a broadly conceived term, aimed to include components of well-being from
physical, functional, psychological, social and emotional health domains. Physical Activity is mentioned a number of
times.
MENTAL HEALTH
Mood Walks is a provincial (Ontario) program
that will provide training and support for community mental health organizations
across the Ontario to launch educational walking programs for older adults who
experience mental health issues.
OLDER ADULTS
Does exercise improve functional abilities,
and reduce depression and poor behaviors among people with dementia? The
authors of an updated Cochrane Review sought to answer that question because
more studies have been completed since the original review was published in
2008.
Watch some younger drivers get frustrated
when they encounter a Geriatric Traffic Jam. The old folks are trying to cross
the road in an orderly fashion to get to a corner store only to discover it’s
closed. At least a few of the motorists saw the humor in this geriatric traffic
crossing. Another funny skit from the folks at Just For Laughs Gags.
PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
BMC Public Health 2013, 13:1021
doi:10.1186/1471-2458-13-1021
Results of cost-effectiveness analyses
suggest that National Exercise Referral Scheme (NERS) is cost saving in fully
adherent participants. Though full adherence to NERS (62%) was higher for the
economics sample than the main sample (44%), results still suggest that NERS
can be cost-effective in Wales with respect to existing payer thresholds particularly
for participants with mental health and CHD risk factors.
Health Evidence Quality Review Rating: 7
(Moderate)
Mass media campaigns may promote walking
but may not reduce sedentary behavior or lead to achieving recommended levels
of overall physical activity. Further research is warranted on different
campaign types and in low- and middle- income countries
Mayo Clinic Proceedings Vol 88, Iss 12, Dec
2013, Pgs 1446–1461
The evidence reveals that especially brief exercise
training (ET) counseling is an efficient, effective, and cost-effective means
to increase PA and ET and to bring considerable clinical benefits to various
patient groups. Furthermore, it can be practiced as part of the routine work of
the health care system. However, there is a need and feasible means to increase
the use and improve the quality of ET counseling.
The conference took a fresh look at
behaviour change research, theory and practice and explored how the latest
learning can be applied to the planning of physical activity interventions and
behaviours.
The BHFNC annual conference featured a case
study zone showcasing examples of physical activity interventions that relate
to behaviour change
Tools of Change helps you quickly learn
from proven social marketing / behavior change approaches in a wide range of
environment, health and safety topic areas. We
feature the best ones we can find. There
is a health promotion topic area and under it you will find “active living”.
WOMEN
Mayo Clinic Proceedings, Vol 88, Iss 12,
Dec 2013, Pages 1368-1377
There was a significant reallocation of
time by mothers from PA (eg, housework) to SED (eg, watching television)
between 1965 and 2010. Given the essential role of PA for health and the
potential for the intergenerational transmission of obesity and obesogenic
behaviors, these results suggest that maternal inactivity may be an important
target for the primary prevention of chronic noncommunicable diseases and obesity.
WORKPLACE
From the University of York Centre for
Reviews and Dissemination…
This study evaluated the cost-effectiveness
of the Physical Activity Loyalty (PAL) card, financial incentive scheme, to
increase physical activity, in the workplace. The authors concluded that the
PAL scheme was potentially cost-effective, but further research was of value to
reduce the uncertainty. These conclusions were appropriate, with emphasis
appropriately placed on reducing the uncertainty.
StepJockey is a project that raises
awareness of the benefits of taking the stairs through smart labels that detail
how many calories can be lost by climbing them.
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