Physical Activity Update | Eat Smart, Move More…NC

Leigh Haugseth will join the PAN Branch on Monday October 1st. Leigh is a Project Specialist, spending a majority of her time overseeing the Active Community and Neighborhood Grants Program, with the Physical Activity Unit. She will also be working with the Worksite Wellness Unit.

Leigh has a Master of Science in Public Health and Environmental Policy from UNC-Chapel Hill. Leigh has extensive experience including working as a research assistant with One NC Naturally at the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR). We are very excited to have Leigh on our team. She can be reached at Leigh.Haugseth@ncmail.net.

Eat Smart, Move More…North Carolina Holiday Challenge

The PAN Branch and local partners are gearing up for the second annual Eat Smart, Move More Maintain Don’t Gain Holiday Challenge. The Challenge will run Nov. 18 – Dec. 31 (the week of Thanksgiving to New Year’s Eve), with the goal being that North Carolinians maintain their current weight during the upcoming holiday season. Local health departments and other partners are invited to implement the campaign in their worksites, and to work with local businesses and organizations to implement the campaign in their local communities. Here are a few details:

Locals can partner with an interested organization, such as health care provider, community-based organization, and/or a media outlet.
The idea is that local “events” will kick off the campaign, inviting consumers to join in the Challenge.

Campaign Components include:
Weekly electronic newsletter, each focused on a different theme or concept. Following are some potential ideas for the themes:

Stress and relationship to eating - coping strategies
Strategies for eating healthy when entertaining or being entertained (healthy beverage choices, etc.)
Seasonal fruits and veggies
Healthy recipes for leftover Thanksgiving turkey
Cooking tips, recipes, healthy substitutions for baking
Healthy gift ideas
How to set achievable resolutions
Reader tips - section of e-letter
Highlight an individual story each issue
Weekly newspaper article
Food diary, weight log, physical activity log or some other physical activity planning tool

New for 2007: Holiday Challenge blog on www.myeatsmartmovemore.com and radio commercials.

Participants can enroll in the challenge on www.myeatsmartmovemore.com.

Next month’s update will include more detailed information for how to get involved. Contact Marie Shelton, Healthy Weight Communications Specialist, for more information at Marie.Shelton@ncmail.net or call 919-707-5223.

Success Stories

Eat Smart, Move More…NC funds 21 projects for improving healthy eating and physical activity around the state

Eat Smart, Move More…North Carolina announced the recipients of 21 community grants on September 14th. Thirty-eight counties around the state competed for $320,000 in funds to increase opportunities for healthy eating and physical activity in their communities. Funded projects ranged from worksite wellness programs to building new parks and walking trails. Read summaries of the funded projects at: www.EatSmartMoveMorenc.com

Featured Resources and Research

CDC’s Division of Adolescent and School Health- School Policy Website

DASH provides a policy website that includes information, tools and guidance on local school policies from both federal and nonfederal sources on topics from farm-to-school, wellness, as well as physical education.

Visit page here (From CDC’s and NSPAPPH Physical Activity One-Way Listserv, September 6th, 2007)

Safe Routes to School: Why They Matter to Kids, to Communities, and to TDM Professionals

On July 26, 2007, the Association for Commuter Transportation (ACT) and the National Center for Transit Research (NCTR) at the University of South Florida held a netconference on Safe Routes to School.

Safe Routes to School (SRTS) programs educate students, parents, and community members on the value of walking and bicycling for school travel. Successful SRTS programs use the five Es: education, encouragement, enforcement, engineering, and evaluation to increase the number of students walking and bicycling to school creating healthy lifelong habits. Students and communities benefit from reduced congestion and air pollution, increased physical activity, and a safer environment for students. Today, only 16% of children walk or bicycle to school compared to 42% in the late 1960s. Unintended consequences of this sea-change in school trip-making include: 20-25% of morning traffic attributable to school travel in many communities significant increase in childhood obesity (from 4% in 1963-1970 to 16% in 1999-2002).

The speakers discussed how communities nationwide are getting kids out of the back seat and on their feet or bicycles for their trips to school. Attendees heard how TDM professionals are applying their behavior change skills to start mini-commuters off on the right foot. Donna Smallwood shared MassRIDES’ experience directing Massachusetts Safe Routes initiatives where 60+ schools are already implementing programs. Mike Eberlein, Michigan’s Safe Routes Coordinator, presented examples of school programs and explore the factors that make them successful. The streaming media recording also includes over 20 minutes of questions and answers.
Questions were fielded from 14 locations around the country who heard the presentation live. For more information and to access the media recording go to this site (From CDC’s and NSPAPPH Physical Activity One-Way Listserv, September 6th, 2007).

Programs, Projects and Initiatives

Submit Your Award Nominations

Deadline to submit nominations to PCPFS: November 15, 2007

The President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports invites the public to submit nominations for its 2008 Lifetime Achievement, Community Leadership, and Science Honor Awards.

Please keep in mind that this award is given annually to an academic or research professional who has made a significant contribution to the advancement and promotion of the science of physical activity.

For criteria and a nomination form for the LAA, please visit this site.

For criteria and nomination information for the CLA, please visit this site.

Information on the award and an award form can be found here.

Reference Guide of Physical Activity Programs for Older Adults: A Resource for Planning Interventions

CDC’s Division of Diabetes Traslation (DDT) formed the Diabetes and Aging Work Group (DAWG) to highlight the health issues of older adults with diabetes. In addition to conducting scientific research and communications, the DAWG chose one programmatic focus: preserving physical function in older adults. To further that end, this Reference Guide of Physical Activity Programs for Older Adults: A Resource for Planning Interventions was created as a programmatic tool.

To access this tool, visit download this PDF
(From CDC’s and NSPAPPH Physical Activity One-Way Listserv, September 20th, 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.

For more information, visit this site. (From CDC’s and NSPAPPH Physical Activity One-Way Listserv, September 20th, 2007).

Legislation

There are no updates at this time.

Grants

U.S. Soccer Foundation Opens Online Application Process for 2008 Grants Program

Deadline for Applications: October 15, 2007

The 2008 Annual Grants Program will emphasize programs or projects that have a significant impact on furthering
the Foundation’s mission to enhance, assist and grow the sport of soccer in the U.S. A preference will be given to those projects or programs in economically disadvantaged urban areas encompassing populations of 50,000 or more. Application can be made for: a Program Grant to support the development of players, coaches or referees; a Field Enhancement Grant to improve a field with new goals, irrigation or lighting; or an All Conditions Fields Grant to help build a synthetic grass field. For more information go to this site (From [Enewsletter] NCPPA News, 9/10/07).

Bikes Belong Offers Funding for Bicycle Advocacy and Facilities

Deadline for Applications: 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. The last review date for 2007 is November 26.
For more information go to this site (From [Enewsletter] NCPPA News, 9/10/07).

Training and Professional Development

The Cooper Institute and the Measurement & Evaluation Council of AAHPERD

October 19-20, 2007
Dallas, Texas
“Diversity in Physical Activity and Health: Measurement and Research Issues and Challenges.”

The conference will be held at the Cooper Institute, Dallas, TX, October 18 - 20, 2007. This will be the first conference of its kind in the area of physical activity and public health. A pre-conference addressing critical research and policy issues in childhood obesity has also been included.
For more information, visit the website(From CDC’s and NSPAPPH Physical Activity One-Way Listserv, September 6th, 2007).

2007 Annual Meeting & Exposition of the American Public Health Association (APHA)

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

This premier Public Health Educational Forum brings together experts in the field to talk about cutting edge research and exceptional best practices and discover the latest public health products and services. It attracts 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.

For more information, go to www.apha.org/meetings/ or call 202-777-APHA (From September 2007 NCPAD Monthly Newsletter).

1st Safe Routes to School National Conference

November 5-7, 2007
Dearborn, MI

The National Center for Safe Routes to School and the Safe Routes to School National Partnership are proud to announce a slate full of diverse and meaningful workshops at this fall’s 1st Safe Routes to School National Conference. Don’t miss this inaugural event!

Attendees will be able to choose from more than 25 workshops with topics that will appeal to anyone with an interest in Safe Routes to School. Several in-depth sessions and workshops will take place throughout the conference covering a variety of issues including but not limited to:

Effective media relations
Creative approaches for increasing program funding
Addressing the needs of diverse populations
Strategies for engaging and involving youth
School siting policies
Equity issues
Leadership skills building
Integration with public health

Keynote speakers include Coach Herman Boone, whose inspirational story was captured in the Disney film “Remember the Titans”; Dr. Catherine O’Brien, Canada’s leading expert on child and youth friendly planning; and Mark Fenton, who will explain how Safe Routes to School could really change America. His answer may surprise you!

On Wednesday, November 7, conference attendees will have an opportunity to attend mobile workshops. Affiliates of the Safe Routes to School National Partnership are encouraged to sign-up for our Annual Meeting when you register for the Conference.

It is taking place on November 7 from 8am-12pm, and will include brainstorming sessions on obstacles and issues that need solutions for the implementation of Safe Routes to School programs, as well as the start of a process to set Safe Routes to School goals at the local, state and federal levels.

To register and to view the conference program, please visit this site. We encourage you to sign-up soon, and to spread the word to others.

2007 National Prevention and Health Promotion Summit

Hyatt Regency Capitol Hill
Washington, D.C.
November 27-29, 2007

The summit will feature prominent national speakers, the Secretary’s Innovation in Prevention Awards, and an opportunity to showcase new approaches to prevention and health promotion – including innovations that promote regular physical activity, eating a healthful diet, taking advantage of medical screenings, and making healthy choices to avoid risky behaviors. This groundbreaking event will unite more than 800 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 or contact Jayme Washam, CMP at 703.615.0312 or 239.985.9282 or email: JWasham@MeetingsManagementGroup.com (From September 2007 NCPAD Monthly Newsletter).