Journal of healthy eating and active living最新文献

Concerns about stray dogs may lead to lower physical activity levels, especially in rural areas. Gender may play a moderating role in this relationship. Linear regression was used to assess relationships between physical activity days per week, stray dogs, and gender using the Rural Eastern Louisiana Food Accessibility and Active Transportation survey (N = 677). Potentially confounding covariates were controlled in analyses, including race, education, age, self-rated health, and poverty. Findings revealed that gender but not stray dogs was related to physical activity, with men averaging one more physical activity day per week than women. However, men with concerns about stray dogs reported significantly fewer physical activity days per week compared to men without such concerns. Reported physical activity days per week for women did not differ according to stray dog concerns. Rural men may be more impacted by concerns about stray dogs because they may be more likely to engage in solitary neighborhood-based physical activity. Policy implications include enforcement of leash laws and mobile spay/neuter clinic access in rural communities. Mitigating the threat of loose dogs would remove a barrier associated with physical activity in rural communities and help to ameliorate rural health disparities, especially among men.

The quality of housing and the surrounding environment have been shown to have a significant impact on the health and well-being of older adults. This is especially relevant for immigrant populations, where poor housing conditions can lead to mobility limitations, social isolation, and stress, which contribute to unhealthy lifestyle choices and declining health. While active aging has been proposed as a promising approach to enhance health outcomes among the general population, its relevance for immigrants who often reside in suboptimal urban housing environments remains largely unexplored. This study aims to investigate the factors in urban housing environments that contribute to inactiveness among African immigrant older adults in the United States, with the goal of identifying potential areas for promoting active aging through targeted interventions in the built environment. Employing grounded theory qualitative methodology, this study collected interview data from 30 older adult African immigrants (55+) in diverse housing environments in Chicago's south side. Photographs of the environment were included solely as a visual method, serving as a valuable and context-rich form of qualitative data. Given that most interviews were conducted outside participants' residences, these images provided important contextual insight into the environments being described. Interview recordings were transcribed using NVivo software, cross-checked, and manually corrected for linguistic nuances or occasional native language use before coding. The photographs were analyzed thematically, with attention to environmental cues that supported and enriched the interview data. Four main themes were identified: participants' cultural perceptions, housing barriers to indoor physical activity, neighborhood factors, and social dimension of active aging. Understanding the relationship between housing environments and active aging is crucial for designing effective interventions to enhance lifestyle of aging African diaspora immigrants in the United States. However, obtaining population-specific data is essential to tailor these interventions to the unique needs of individuals within their specific housing environments.

Quick-build projects aim to improve the safety and accessibility of streets, parks, and other public spaces using temporary, lower-cost materials. Community engagement (CE) is critical to ensuring quick-builds address community needs and fit community context. Between 2019-2021, 13 quick-build projects were implemented in Hawai'i communities to support walking, rolling, bicycling, skateboarding, and park activation. The quick-build changes included creating curb extensions painted with street artwork and adding park features. This process evaluation study sought to understand how multisector partners engaged community members in quick-build projects and what they learned. The evaluation team conducted semi-structured interviews in 2021 with a purposive sample of 14 participants who had experience leading or coordinating quick-builds in Hawai'i. Interviews were recorded and transcribed, then iteratively coded by two evaluators. Preliminary findings underwent a member-checking process with interviewees. Interviewees reported implementing a variety of CE activities tailored to the quick-build project's goal, features, timeline, resources, and partners. Overall, CE efforts focused on the early planning and design phases of quick-build projects. Lessons learned about CE centered on the amount of time to build relationships, the importance of partnerships, ensuring any art component resonated with communities, involving youth, framing the quick-build as temporary and reversible, budgeting for CE resources, connecting through existing community structures, and keeping community volunteers safe. Community members need to be more meaningfully engaged in post-implementation efforts such as maintenance, evaluation, and deciding next steps.

The Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity (DNPAO) at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) funded the Physical Activity Policy Research and Evaluation Network (PAPREN) from 2019-2024 to address critical knowledge and translation gaps related to physical activity policy research, with an emphasis on supporting and advancing research and practice on the Guide to Community Preventive Services Task Force's recommendations to advance physical activity related to community design and parks and green spaces. During the 2019-2024 period, PAPREN grew to include over 1,000 members from sectors such as public health, social and behavioral sciences, transportation, planning, and parks and recreation. PAPREN also included academics, practitioners, and government employees. Using an adapted version of CDC's Science Impact Framework (SIF), we evaluated PAPREN's influence on five domains: creating awareness, catalyzing action, disseminating science, effecting change and shaping the future using network tracking activities and a member survey (n=95). Results indicated that PAPREN is having an impact in creating awareness through its communications and presentations infrastructure, catalyzing action through projects and other initiatives led by its topic-focused Work Groups, disseminating science by helping members stay informed about the field and disseminating resources and shaping the future by informing members' work and shaping the next generation of researchers. An area for growth relates to affecting change by fostering more opportunities for networking and promoting professional development. PAPREN can serve as a model for other collaborative, multi-sectoral networks designed to increase applied research and to use research findings to inform practice.

This study investigates perceived transit-induced gentrification in anticipation of the Maryland Purple Line light rail transit among residents of Prince George's County, Maryland, and its associations with walkability and crime. In spring 2021, Wave I of the Gauging Effects of Neighborhood Trends and Sickness Study collected data from 465 residents (61% Black/African American, 28% White) through an online questionnaire. Exploratory factor analysis and multiple linear regression revealed that greater accessibility (β = 0.160, p < 0.01) and a pedestrian-friendly environment (β = 0.212, p < 0.01) were significantly associated with higher neighborhood gentrification perceptions. In contrast, concerns about house break-ins (β = 0.134, p < 0.01), purchasing a gun (β = 0.101, p < 0.05), and walking barriers (β = 0.380, p < 0.01) were linked to heightened perceptions of neighborhood disruption. These findings underscore the need for transit-oriented development strategies that not only enhance walkability but also address residents' safety concerns and risk of displacement, ensuring more equitable and inclusive urban planning outcomes.

Adults with serious mental illness (SMI) die decades early, mostly from heart disease. Few park-based exercise interventions have been tested, none focused on SMI. The study (NCT05293587) tested a 6-week exercise intervention (INT; 45 min park-based exercise led by a certified peer specialist (CPS) 3 days/week) vs. waitlist control (WAIT), as part of an existing peer support program for adults with SMI in Georgia. Eighteen peers (44±15 yrs, 28% female, 72% Black, 17% Hispanic, 33% with diabetes) were randomized (6 INT, 12 WAIT). One CPS was trained to lead exercise sessions, supported by a certified fitness instructor at each session. 10 sessions were conducted in each cohort, up to 2 per week. Transportation was provided as part of peer services. INT peers attended 69±22% of sessions. INT peers attended 100% of sessions when they were present at the peer support program, except for one peer on 2 occasions (improper footwear, medication side effect). Peers were highly satisfied with the park sessions and highly motivated to participate. The CPS who led the sessions expressed satisfaction. While not significant, compared to baseline, INT peers had slightly improved fitness, hemodynamics, and depression symptoms, and social support for exercise at post. The park-based CPS-led exercise program for peers with SMI seems acceptable and relatively feasible. Further work will replicate these pilot findings, assess health outcomes and optimize feasibility and scalability to existing mental health services.

New Jersey Safe Schools Program (NJSS) provides work-based learning (WBL) trainings to certified teachers who supervise students in school-sponsored work placements. Some newer teachers shared existing and adopted new physical health habits during the COVID-19 pandemic. Surveys were provided to teachers who completed NJSS WBL supervisory trainings between October 2021-June 2022, with a follow-up survey Fall 2022. This cross-sectional study focused on a subset of questions on their self-reported behavioral habits regarding processed food/snack consumption, aerobic exercise, and sleep health. Of 114 teachers, approximately 3-in-5 (62.1%) woke up during the night and 1-in-3 (36.8%) found difficulty waking up in the morning on a school/workday; 1-in-10 (10.5%) sleep less than five hours per night. Regarding personal nutrition, 1-in-3 participants (37%) consumed processed snacks/foods daily. Concerning physical health, 2-in-5 participants (43.8%) decreased aerobic exercise habits during the initial survey but increased at follow-up. Data suggest NJ teachers adapted personal nutrition, sleep, and aerobic exercise habits during the COVID-19 pandemic. Data offer guidance to help schools better address teacher needs, including healthy eating, wellness, and physical activity.

College students often face high stress and mental health challenges that impact their academic performance and well-being. Time spent in green space (TSIGS) may reduce depressive symptoms, alleviate anxiety, and enhance cognitive function. However, few studies investigate how nature directly impacts these factors among undergraduates. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the associations between TSIGS and anxiety, depression, and academic achievement among undergraduates at a Southeastern US university. This study surveyed undergraduate students (n=291), about anxiety, depression, academic performance, and TSIGS. Adjusted binary logistic regressions analyzed relationships between annual level of TSIGS (low, moderate, or high usage) or weekly TSIGS (low, moderate, or high usage) and three separate outcomes: levels of anxiety, levels of depression, and academic achievement level. Most participants held majors in public health (49.8%) or arts and sciences (15.8%), and were predominantly female (83.8%), sophomores (29.6%), and White (82.8%). Most respondents did not exhibit reported minimal/mild levels of anxiety (69.4%) or depression (63.2%), and most achieved high academic performance (71.5%). Regarding TSIGS, 26.8% of respondents reported low annual usage, while 54.6% reported high annual usage. Per week, 62.9%, 32.0%, and 5.2% of respondents had low, moderate, and high usage of green spaces, respectively. TSIGS was not significantly related to measurable levels of anxiety, depression, or academic achievement. This study found no significant relationships between students' TSIGS and their anxiety, depression, or academic achievement levels. Possible influences include seasonal factors and survey timing. Future research should explore longitudinal impacts of TSIGS on mental health and academic outcomes.

Neighborhood structural factors are associated with greater feasibility of youth active travel and thus, greater levels of physical activity. However, limited prior work has addressed walkability factors specific to the school neighborhood related to adolescent physical activity during the school day. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between two school neighborhood walkability factors (neighborhood density and neighborhood age) and school-related adolescent moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA). We analyzed cross-sectional data from the Family Life, Activity, Sun, Health, and Eating (FLASHE) study for 1,183 adolescents ages 12-17 years. Separate linear regression models assessed the association between both school-neighborhood density and school-neighborhood age (i.e., population/housing unit density and age of buildings/units, respectively, within a 400m buffer around school address) and adolescent school-related MVPA, adjusting for age, sex, race/ethnicity, weight status, urban/rural environment and parent MVPA. School-neighborhood density (8.62, 95% CI: 0.70, 16.53) and school-neighborhood age (6.38, 95% CI: -0.29, 13.05) were both positively associated with school-related MVPA, although the neighborhood age-MVPA association observed was not statistically significant. When seeking to improve physical activity among adolescents, school neighborhood structural factors that support physical activity throughout a school day should be considered. Unfortunately, macro-scale environmental features such as these are not easily modified. Thus, these findings should be used to inform additional research related to school-neighborhood walkability and adolescent participation in physical activity.

The purpose of this scoping review was to identify subjectively-measured environmental initiatives or factors that influence PA, HE, and/or breastfeeding practices within rural U.S. communities. Guided by a scientific research librarian, searches occurred February through July 2020. Grey literature searches spanned Google, Google Scholar, government pages, and public health, federal nutrition assistance program, Cooperative Extension Services, and related webpages. Four academic databases (Medline, PubMed, Web of Science, Agricola) were selected to identify peer-reviewed research and ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global were used to identify dissertation research. Inclusion criteria included: (1) breastfeeding, HE, and/or PA focus; (2) environmental factors assessed using subjective measures; (3) specific to U.S. rural populations/contexts; and (4) English language. PA environment results focused on initiatives or factors in recreation (parks, playgrounds, facilities; n=54), street/sidewalk (n=44), or school (n=33) settings. PA environmental initiatives/factors included increasing transport/accessibility or addressing geographic disparities for recreation settings, improving/installing walkability features for streets/sidewalks, integrating PA into lessons, or improving PA equipment/spaces for school settings. HE environment results focused on initiatives in retail (n=65) and schools/childcare (n=33) settings. HE environment change initiatives/factors in retail settings included increasing the availability of fruits/vegetables in existing establishments or the prevalence of healthy food outlets. In schools, HE environmental initiatives/factors increased fruits/vegetables served and/or reduced unhealthy foods. Breastfeeding environment results focused on workplace settings (n=3). Breastfeeding environment initiatives/recommendations in workplaces included increasing compatibility for breastfeeding by addressing environmental and cultural barriers. Results from this scoping review were used to create recommendations to improve PA, HE, or breastfeeding environments in rural U.S. settings.