Physical Activity Update | Eat Smart, Move More…NC

Marie Shelton has accepted the position as Healthy Weight Communications Specialist in the PAN Branch, previously held by Bithiah Lafontant. Marie comes to the Branch from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, where she served as a Health Communications Fellow. As part of her fellowship, Marie was the lead developer of social marketing and strategic planning for CDC’s fruits and vegetables program, re-branding the fruits and vegetables Web site, and developing the nutrition coordinator’s guidance for the roll-out of Fruits & Veggies—More Matters™, among other projects. Prior to joining CDC, Marie worked at UNC-CH as a study coordinator, taught human nutrition at Cabarrus College, and worked as a community income manager for the American Cancer Society.

Marie is a certified Master Fitness Specialist and a Registered Dietitian. Marie stays fit by running and practicing yoga, and dabbles in painting with acrylics on canvas. Marie can be contacted at Marie.Shelton@ncmail.net.

Programs, Projects and Initiatives

Registration Open for International Walk to School Day

Registration is now open for 2007 International Walk to School events on Wednesday, October 3, 2007. Communities around the U.S. will join nearly 40 countries to celebrate walking and bicycling to schools.

Registration is free and available to all Walk to School event organizers in the United States. By registering, organizers have a chance to win prizes for students and gain access to a variety of downloadable items, including certificates, printable sticker templates, media materials and more. Registrants can also subscribe to a Walk to School e-newsletter with tips and resources for walk to school events and registered events will be displayed on an interactive map on the Walk to School Web site.
The National Center for Safe Routes to School at the University of North Carolina Highway Safety Research Center serves as the national coordinating agency for International Walk to School events in the United States.

For more information on planning and resources for Walk to School activities, please visit www.walktoschool.org, or contact Jennifer Bonchak at bonchak@hsrc.unc.edu, (919) 843-4859 or Nancy Pullen-Seufert at pullen@hsrc.unc.edu, (919)-962-7419. (From Safe Routes to School E-News: August 2007)

Healthy Schools Program Receives $20 Million Expansion Grant

The Alliance for a Healthier Generation and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) announced a $20 million expansion of the Healthy Schools Program. The program was created by the Alliance in 2006 to help schools develop and implement policies and practices that promote healthy eating and increased physical activity for students and staff.

The Alliance, a joint initiative of the American Heart Association and Clinton Foundation, also honored 26 schools from around the nation for meeting benchmarks established by the Healthy Schools Program. The expansion announcement and award presentations were highlights of the 2nd Annual Healthy Schools Forum, held at the William J. Clinton Presidential Center in Little Rock, Ark.

The Healthy Schools expansion will focus on states with the highest obesity rates, including: Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas, Tennessee and West Virginia. The new funds will enable the Alliance to provide in-person support to more than 8,000 schools by 2010, a dramatic increase from the 230 schools currently receiving hands-on guidance.

The Healthy Schools Program also will expand online support for schools all across the nation.

Details about the award-winning schools and recognition criteria, as well as information about how any school can sign up to become a Healthy School, is available online at www.healthiergeneration.org/schools.
(From CDC’s and NSPAPPH Physical Activity One-Way Listserv, August 14th, 2007)

Active Living Research - Policy Award Nominations

Active Living Research announces the "Translating Research to Policy Award" to recognize innovators in research, policy or advocacy who have had success in catalyzing policy and environmental change.

Our goal is to celebrate their achievements, understand how they were successful, and share their stories so others will be inspired to use or adapt their approaches. Applications can illustrate impact at any policy-making level, including school, private sector, local, state and federal.

Examples of settings and topics that are relevant include schools, public or private recreation facilities, transportation, community built environment and the social/media environment. In addition to a cash prize, the winner will be invited to provide an oral presentation at the conference and the story will be included in the Active Living Research Annual Conference program.

Nominations will be accepted through September 17, 2007, at 1 p.m. PDT. Read the full Call for Nominations online. (From CDC’s and NSPAPPH Physical Activity One-Way Listserv, August 14th, 2007)

Active Aging Week

Active Aging Week is an annual event held the last week of September (culminating on Oct. 1, International Day of Older Persons) with the goal of giving as many older adults as possible the means to experience activities and exercise in a safe, friendly and fun atmosphere. During the week, host organizations provide a variety of free activities, such as classes, educational seminars, access to fitness facilities, health fairs and community walks. For more information about becoming a host organization, go to this site. (From USC Prevention Research Center Notes - 8/2007)

F as in Fat: How Obesity Policies are Failing in America, 2007

Adult obesity rates rose in 31 states last year, according to the fourth annual F as in Fat: How Obesity Policies are Failing in America, 2007 report from the Trust for America’s Health (TFAH). Twenty-two states experienced an increase for the second year in a row; no states decreased. A new public opinion survey featured in the report finds 85 percent of Americans believe that obesity is an epidemic. To read the report, download this online PDF.

Success Stories

Person County Receives Ralph Ketner Employee Productivity Award

Person County’s Worksite Wellness team was one of the proud recipients of the Ralph Ketner Employee productivity awards presented at the North Carolina Association of County Commissioner’s Association annual meeting. The awards are presented each year at the Association’s Annual Conference, giving all North Carolina county leaders the opportunity to see what local county employees are doing to improve productivity. To date, the Ketner Award program has attracted 1,273 project applications representing over $96 million in savings to North Carolina counties.

The application was submitted for calendar year 2006-07 on behalf of wellness team members, Leigh Ann Creson (Health), Rebecca Morrow (Public Works), Rhonda Long (Transportation), Angie Warren (Human Resources), Yuvette Farmer (Person Industries), Bess Hester-Whitt (Cooperative Extension), and former employee Beth Witherspoon (DSS).

The committee was proud to represent Person County along with County Manager, Steve Carpenter, County Clerk, Faye Fuller, Commissioners Johnny Lunsford, Jimmy Clayton, Larry Bowes and Kyle Puryear at the NCACC meeting in Fayetteville.

Committee members all agree that the teamwork provided by all members of the team as well as the proactive support from Steve Carpenter, and their commissioner team was a great boost to their application. A copy of all winning applications can be found online.

Featured Resources and Research

NC Physical Activity Policy Research Center

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention created the Physical Activity Policy Research Network in October 2004 to develop a physical activity policy research agenda that would bring together interdisciplinary research expertise from such fields as public health, transportation, urban planning, and architecture.

At that time, five sites were funded including the NC Physical Activity Policy Research Center (PAPRC). We work collaboratively with other centers to conduct transdisciplinary policy research by:

Identifying physical activity policies
Identifying the determinants of the policies
Describing the process of implementing policies
Determining the outcomes of physical activity policies

Each member center receives guidance from an advisory board. The advisory board for the NCPAPRC is comprised of an interdisciplinary team with representatives from planning, transportation, architecture, public health, economics, parks and recreation, and law.

The NCPAPRC is presently collaborating with other centers on several physical activity policy-related projects, including: active transport to and from school, trail development, physical education, and concept mapping to determine a physical activity policy agenda. In addition, our center conducted a case study to explore the various types of policies affecting physical activity at a county level. Thus far we have developed three policy fact sheets around these topics to help disseminate our findings:

Walking and Bicycling to and from School
Community Trail Development
Community Health Considerations in School Siting

They can be downloaded from the NCPAPRC website.

To learn more about the national network, please visit the NC Physical Activity Policy Research Center website.

Identifying and Preventing Overweight in Childhood

Action for Healthy Kids Partner organization, the National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners (NAPNAP), created the Healthy Eating and Activity Together (HEAT) Initiative to improve child health through culturally appropriate interventions that enhance the family’s ability to achieve the ideal balance between nutrition and physical activity to support optimal growth and wellness.

The HEAT Clinical Practice Guideline and Resource Kit provides recommendations for health care providers who work with children from infancy through adolescence for addressing physical activity and nutrition with children and their families. In addition the HEAT Resource Kit is now available with customized handouts to assist the practitioner including copies of CDC growth charts and a BMI calculating device. For more information about the HEAT Initiative and resources, visit this link. (From Action for Healthy Kids August Newsletter).

National Parent Teacher Association Healthy Lifestyles Website

National PTA, an Action for Healthy Kids Partner organization, will focus on health and wellness this November by encouraging local PTAs to plan events and activities that will help families adopt healthy lifestyles. The Healthy Lifestyles website features links to ideas and information to help local leaders plan events in November at schools across the country. The website includes information on planning events, activity ideas, suggestions for getting other parents and families to participate, and national programs promoting physical activity and nutrition.

In addition, the website specifically highlights Game On! The Ultimate Wellness Challenge, developed by Action for Healthy Kids in collaboration with the U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services, Agriculture, and Education, and with input from National PTA and other Partner organizations. Game On! is an innovative and fun activity course that integrates nutrition education and physical activity to challenge students’ minds and bodies. View the National PTA’s Healthy Lifestyles website at this link. (From Action for Healthy Kids August Newsletter)

ACSM & AHA Release Updated Physical Activity Guidelines

The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and American Heart Association (AHA) have released updated physical activity recommendations for adults and older adults. The recommendations are an update and clarification of the 1995 recommendation on the types and amounts of physical activity needed by healthy adults and older adults to improve and maintain health. The intent is to provide a more comprehensive and explicit public health recommendation for both populations based upon available evidence of the health benefits of physical activity.

ACSM and AHA have jointly published the papers in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise and Circulation. Specifically, the guidelines recommend all healthy adults aged 18 to 65 years need moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity for a minimum of 30 minutes on five days each week or vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity for a minimum of 20 minutes on three days each week.

A separate companion paper is published for the older adult audience.

While the core recommendation remains fundamentally unchanged, more than 10 years have passed since it was issued. New science has been evaluated to understand the biological mechanisms by which physical activity provides health benefits and the physical activity profile (type, intensity and amount) that is associated with enhanced health and quality of life. This publication reflects a review of that evidence, and considers key issues not fully clarified in the original recommendation.

This set of recommendations serves us all well, by providing new information for public and healthcare professionals, and an early look at science that will support 2008 U.S. government recommendations. Help get the word out! You can read the manuscripts online and view related information about the guidelines at this link. You can also read the news release here. (From CDC’s and NSPAPPH Physical Activity One-Way Listserv, August 14th, 2007)

North Carolina School Officials Pursue Multi-Faceted Student Wellness Program

Officials for the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County school system in North Carolina are broadening their efforts to promote healthy lifestyles among children and curb rising childhood obesity rates, the Winston-Salem Journal reports. Last September, school officials partnered with Forsyth County Medical Center to measure the body mass indices (BMIs) of nearly 12,500 students in first, fourth, seventh and ninth grades and found that more than 40 percent were overweight or obese. Hoping to spur lifestyle changes, the system superintendent sent letters to the parents of students with high BMIs recommending that parents consult with their child’s pediatrician.

Officials also are working to increase the amount of physical activity during the school day by encouraging teachers to conduct five-minute, in-class activities called "energizers" and helping teachers’ integrate nutrition education or physical activity into academic lesson plans.

In addition, elementary schools offer at least 30 minutes of physical education daily and abide by wellness policies established last year requiring the inclusion of healthy food options on cafeteria menus and discouraging the use of food for fundraisers and classroom parties.

In tandem with the schools’ efforts, Forsyth County Medical Center is encouraging local restaurants to participate in its KidSmart program, which recognizes restaurants that meet at least five of seven requirements such as offering fresh produce, skim milk and whole wheat bread as menu options, and requiring a parent’s permission before refilling soft drinks for children younger than age 12. Officials hope the changes will empower students to make healthier eating decisions and maintain active lifestyles. To read the article, go to this site. (Deaver and Giovanelli, Winston-Salem Journal, 7/25/07). (From RWJF News Digest: Childhood Obesity 7/27/07).

Safe Routes to School National Partnership to Launch New Website

On August 22, 2007, the SRTS National Partnership will launch a new, innovative website that is designed to help users build SRTS networks at several levels, but particularly at the state level.

Unlike any other SRTS website available, the new site includes 51 separate, detailed pages for each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia, as well as sections that summarize local and national efforts.

Each state page includes a general SRTS state overview, information on application guidelines and funding, contact information, success stories, links to partner affiliates, and state legislation (if it exists). Our 10 state Network pages include even more detailed information. All state pages will be updated on an ongoing and regular basis to provide users with the most up-to-date information on their state’s SRTS efforts.

Other features of the site include a clickable map of the US to access state networks and pages for all 50 states and DC, a robust site search, regularly updated national SRTS news sources, in-depth policy pages, national and state meetings and events listing, and submit-a-story form.

For more information about the new website or to submit information about a program in your state or community, please contact info@saferoutespartnership.org or visit www.saferoutespartnership.org

IMPORTANT NOTE: Our host website, www.bikesbelong.org, has been redesigned and, as a result, all bikesbelong.org links to Partnership pages will no longer function. Please redirect all links and bookmarks for the current SRTS National Partnership website to www.saferoutespartnership.org.

All sub-pages will need to be accessed through this URL until the Partnership’s new website launches August 22. The new web site is funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Bikes Belong Coalition. (From Safe Routes to School E-News: August 2007)

Heart Healthy and Stroke Free: A Social Environment Handbook

Heart Healthy and Stroke Free: A Social Environment Handbook includes specific strategies for identifying barriers and promoters for heart-healthy and stroke-free living in local environments.

It is written for a broad audience (e.g. concerned community and state leaders along
with public health professionals) and is unique in that it focuses on the connections between the social environment and the prevention and treatment of heart disease and stroke.

All of the specific examples, tables, and worksheets relate directly to heart disease and stroke risk factors, prevention challenges, and treatment issues.
The chapters in this handbook are organized into three sections. The first section discusses three aspects of the social environment that are important for heart-healthy and stroke-free communities:

Availability of preventive and medical services, including high blood pressure and high cholesterol.
Heart-healthy living, specifically physical activity, smoking, and food environments.
Quality of life issues, such as employment, housing, and social cohesion.

The second section focuses on practical community assessment methods such as windshield surveys, key informant interviews, and library resources.

The third section provides blank copies of worksheets that can be photocopied along with a list of resources. To read about the handbook go to this link.

CDC Develops Publication on Community-Based Physical Activity Programs

CDC’s Prevention Research Center-Healthy Aging Research Network held a symposium in February to explore challenges and strategies associated with developing physical activity programs for adults living in communities.
The publication, "Moving Ahead: Strategies and Tools to Plan, Conduct, and Maintain Effective Community-Based Physical Activity Programs for Older Adults," is a monograph of the conference’s key outcomes. The conference centered on the RE-AIM model and its components. For more information access this pdf. (From [Enewsletter] NCPPA News, 8/20/07)

Legislation

Fit Kids Act

The Fitness Integrated with Teaching Kids (FIT Kids) Act (HR 3257) was introduced in the US House of Representatives July 30 to improve standards for physical education in the nation’s schools. The act would add physical education measures to those used for assessing accountability with No Child Left Behind. States would have to demonstrate progress toward the national goal or requiring

150 minutes of PE per week for elementary schools and 225 minutes per week in middle and high schools. Progress would be reported on school report cards. The bill has been assigned to the House Committee on Education and Labor. Sponsors hope to include these requirements in the No Child Left Behind, which will face reauthorization in September. See the press release at in PDF format, or read the text of the bill at the Library of Congress site(From USC Prevention Research Center Notes - 8/2007

Grants

HopeLab is Looking for Product Ideas That Will Get Kids Moving!

Ruckus Nation is an online competition that challenges people to imagine innovative products that will increase physical activity among kids ages 11 to 14. Ruckus Nation, sponsored by the non-profit organization HopeLab is open to people of all ages. Those who enter may have the opportunity to see their ideas come to life. Up to $300,000 in cash and prizes will be awarded for the best product ideas! For more information go to: www.hopelab.org

Ruckus Nation begins in September 2007, but sign up now at www.ruckusnation.com/info for email updates! Interested in being a Ruckus Nation judge? Email us at info@ruckusnation.com.

Healthy Activity Communities

Proposal deadlines for this focus area are March 15 and October 15, of each year. Through our Healthy Active Community focus area, the Foundation seeks to increase physical activity and encourage healthy eating habits for North Carolinians. Healthy Active Communities encompasses the BCBSNC Foundation’s Be Active Kids Signature program, Fit Together Grants and a grant-making program.

For the Healthy Active Communities grant-making program, investment decisions will be based on an organization’s ability to achieve one or more of the following objectives, with highest consideration given to those proposals that utilize a combination of programming, environmental changes, and policy changes to address physical activity and healthy eating:

Measurably increase physical activity and healthy eating opportunities for school age children and staff:

Increase physical activity levels during the school day
Increase access to and consumption of healthy food during the school day
Increase parent awareness about physical activity and healthy eating so that healthy habits learned during the school day are reinforced at home
Measurably increase physical activity and healthy eating opportunities in rural communities or for vulnerable populations in urban communities:
Increase physical activity levels of a targeted population
Increase access to and consumption of healthy food
Increase physical activity levels through the creation of an implementation plan for physical projects (such as greenways or parks)

For more information on how to apply to the Healthy Active Communities Focus Area go to this site. For those agencies interested in requesting funds for EQUIPMENT ONLY (maximum request $5,000), please go to this site.

The National Park Service Program and Grants

The National Park Service has several programs that assist community-led efforts to restore rivers, establish trails, save open spaces, rebuild parks, and preserve other special places. See this site for a listing of these programs.

EPA Announces Awards to Recognize Community Development and Active Aging

*Deadline for applications is October 19, 2007. *
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is accepting applications for the Excellence in Building Healthy Communities for Active Aging awards. The awards recognize outstanding community planning and strategies that support active aging. EPA presents the awards to communities that demonstrate the best and most inclusive overall approach to implementing smart growth and active aging at the neighborhood, tribe, municipality, county, and/or regional levels.

Two types of awards will be made: the Commitment Award and the Achievement Award.

The Commitment Award recognizes communities that have developed and begun to initiate a specific plan to implement smart growth and active aging principles.

The Achievement Award will be given for overall excellence in building healthy communities for active aging.

Active aging refers to maintaining regular physical activity after age 50. Communities can promote active aging by implementing an array of accessible physical-activity programs, and helping to make more accessible self-directed physical-activity opportunities for those 50 years and older.

Smart growth development practices support national environmental goals by preserving open spaces and parkland and protecting critical habitat; improving transportation choices, including walking, bicycling, and transit, which reduce automobile emissions; promoting brownfield redevelopment; and reducing impervious surfaces, which improves water quality.

Applicants must be public-sector entities in the United States and coordinate with their local Area Agency on Aging. Public-sector entities include all levels of elected governments, from city councils to state legislatures and their subdivisions such as planning departments and other executive branch divisions. For more information go to this site. (From [Enewsletter] NCPPA News, 8/3/07)

Bikes Belong Offers Funding for Bicycle Advocacy and Facilities

Deadline for Applications: August 27, 2007 & November 26, 2007
Bikes Belong is a national coalition of bicycle suppliers and retailers working together to put more people on bicycles more often. Bikes Belong welcomes grant applications from organizations and agencies within the United States that are committed to "putting more people on bicycles more often." The Bikes Belong Grants Program funds projects in two categories: 1) facilities; and 2) advocacy.

For the facility category, Bikes Belong will accept applications from nonprofit organizations, public agencies, and departments at the national, state, regional, and local levels. For the advocacy category, Bikes Belong will only fund organizations whose mission is expressly related to bicycle advocacy.

New organizations that are not yet legally nonprofit organizations may submit an application with the assistance of another nonprofit that has agreed to serve as fiscal agent. Bikes Belong will not fund individuals. Because of the program’s limited funds, it rarely awards grants to organizations and communities that have received Bikes Belong funding within the last three years. Applicants can request up to $10,000. In very limited cases, Bikes Belong will consider amounts over $10,000. The organization awards an average of fifteen grants per year. Bikes Belong reviews applications on a quarterly cycle. Applications must be postmarked by the due date to receive consideration for the ensuing decision date. For more information go to this site (From [Enewsletter] NCPPA News, 8/20/07).

Training and Professional Development

Active Living Research- Call for Abstracts

Deadline is, September 17, 2007

Active Living Research (ALR) invites abstracts to be considered for presentation at the 2008 Annual Conference on April 9-12, 2008, in Washington, D.C. Abstracts are welcome on all topics related to active living policies and environments. The theme of the 2008 conference is "Connecting Active Living Research to Policy Solutions," and abstracts related to the theme are particularly encouraged.

Abstracts are invited for both posters and oral presentations. All abstracts should describe research that is related to policy and environmental aspects of active living. Methodological, correlational, intervention, economic and policy studies are encouraged. Abstracts presenting innovative conceptual papers and reviews will also be considered, including those with a focus on translating research into practice and policy to promote active living. Preference will be given to abstracts that report complete results.

We are working with the Journal of Public Health to produce a supplemental issue devoted to research on active living presented at the ALR conference.

Approximately 12 of the abstracts selected for presentation at the conference also will be invited to submit papers for consideration of inclusion in the special issue.

Both theme and non-theme abstracts are eligible for consideration for the Journal of Public Health Policy supplemental issue. The abstract submission deadline is Monday, September 17, 2007, 1:00 p.m. PDT. For more information go to this site. The Call for Abstracts is NOW OPEN online. (From CDC’s and NSPAPPH Physical Activity One-Way Listserv, August 14th, 2007).

Preventing Childhood Obesity: An Ecological Approach

September 26 through November 6, 2007

Childhood obesity is of concern to many members of the community. The Faculty of the Division of Nutritional Sciences at Cornell have developed an online course to help guide you in taking an ecological approach to preventing childhood obesity in a local community.

An ecological approach leads you through a series of assessments (of behavior, of the environment, and then of specific local factors) to help you diagnose the underlying causes of excessive weight gain in children. An intervention based on this approach is more likely to be effective because it focuses on changes needed at the local level to support healthy eating and active living.

In this 6-week long course, you will be applying this approach, while focusing on a community where you work, via a four-part project that runs through the course. A facilitator will interact with you and other participants throughout the course. The format provides structured flexibility, which allows you to work on your own time and at your own pace, but within structured deadlines.

The course is expected to take approximately 2-3 hours of time per week over the 6 weeks for a total of 12-18 hours. Class size is limited to about 25.

The cost is $150 and the course provides 15 CPEUs. For more information, visit the Nutrition Works website. If you have questions, contact nutritionworks@cornell.edu.

First Annual SRTS National Conference

November 5-7, 2007
Dearborn, Michigan

The 1st National Safe Routes to School Conference: Creating, Building and Sustaining Momentum will take place November 5-7, 2007 in Dearborn, Michigan. The conference will be presented by the National Center for Safe Routes to School and the Safe Routes to School National Partnership, and is being hosted by the Michigan Fitness Foundation. For more information, go to this site.

2007 American Public Health Association’s (APHA) Annual Meeting

Washington, D.C.
November 3-7, 2007

The American Public Health Association’s (APHA)Annual Meeting & Exposition is the premier Public Health Educational Forum! Learn from the experts in the field, hear about cutting edge research and exceptional best practices, discover the latest public health products and services, and share your public health experience with your peers. The world of public health is in continual motion, and there is no better time to stay abreast of the research and learn about emerging issues.

The APHA Annual Meeting & Exposition is the oldest and largest gathering of public health professionals in the world, attracting more than 13,000 national and international physicians, administrators, nurses, educators, researchers, epidemiologists, and related health specialists. APHA’s meeting program addresses current and emerging health science, policy, and practice issues in an effort to prevent disease and promote health. APHA has a world of public health in store for you. For more information go to www.apha.org/meetings.

2007 National Prevention and Health Promotion Summit

November 27-29, 2007
Washington, D.C.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will host the 2007 National Prevention and Health Promotion Summit: Creating a Culture of Wellness.

This groundbreaking event will unite health professionals, business entrepreneurs, and government leaders at all levels who are dedicated to health promotion, chronic disease prevention, health preparedness, birth defects, disabilities, genomics, and wellness. For more information visit this site.(From [Enewsletter] NCPPA News, 8/3/07)