A county extension-delivered, email-mediated walking intervention: A programme evaluation

2018 ◽  
Vol 77 (5) ◽  
pp. 615-624 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth A Richards ◽  
Stephanie Woodcox
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Leisure Time Physical Activity ◽  
Extension Service ◽  
Post Intervention ◽  
Research Education ◽  
Extension Educators ◽  
State Research ◽  
The Usa ◽  
County Extension ◽  
County Extension Educators

Objective: The promotion of walking could be a feasible population-level physical activity strategy because it requires little planning, is low cost and can be done year-round across settings. Community, nonprofit organisations offer one means by which to help increase walking through community programmes. The US Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service has a history that spans more than a century and is known for quality in the delivery of educational programmes to help improve the lives of people in communities across the USA. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness, feasibility and acceptability of the Get WalkIN’ intervention – an initiative supported by this programme – from the perspectives of both programme participants and county extension educators. Methods: Participants were recruited from 15 county extension sites in the Midwest region of the USA. Intervention emails targeted self-efficacy, social support, goal-setting and benefits/barriers to walking. To assess the perceptions of feasibility and acceptability of the intervention, participants and extension educators were asked to respond to a series of Likert-type scale and open-ended questions. Self-reported physical activity was assessed using the Godin Leisure-Time Physical Activity Questionnaire. Results: On average, participants and extension educators agreed that the programme was easy to use and would consider either recommending the programme to a friend or implementing the programme again within the community. Post-intervention, 69.1% of respondents were classified as sufficiently active compared to 60.5% pre-intervention. Conclusion: The use of the county-based US Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service is an effective option for health promotion programming. Furthermore, a theory-based, email-mediated intervention is a valuable strategy as an independent and convenient way to facilitate increase in physical activity.

Testing the feasibility and acceptability of a culturally adapted physical activity intervention for adult Somali women

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kate E Murray ◽  
Veronica Anne Hellier Villafana ◽  
Amina Sheik Mohamed ◽  
Sarah Linke ◽  
Deborah J Bowen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Physical Activity Intervention ◽  
Preliminary Evidence ◽  
Outcome Evaluation ◽  
Community Research ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Post Intervention ◽  
Culturally Adapted ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Somali Women

Abstract Despite growing numbers in the USA, immigrant populations are underrepresented in existing physical activity (PA) research, in particular Muslim immigrant women. The current study is a pilot evaluation of a culturally adapted evidence-based PA intervention for adult Somali women. Stratified randomization was used to assign participants from a sample of 27 Somali women, aged 18 to 65, to a PA group or a waitlist control group. Bicultural Somali community research team members delivered a 12-week culturally adapted intervention available in English and Somali in a community-based setting. Process and outcome evaluation assessed changes in PA, self-efficacy for PA, access to PA resources, and wellbeing as well as feasibility and satisfaction with the program. Participants in the PA group increased their moderate to vigorous PA significantly more than those from the waitlist group from baseline to post-intervention (2 (SD = 15) to 100 (SD = 53) vs 12 (SD = 21) to 32 (SD = 44) minutes per week). Participants in the PA group had significantly greater scores in wellbeing at post-intervention compared to the waitlist group though there was no significant change from pre- to post-intervention for either group. Participants reported a high level of satisfaction with the program and preliminary evidence supports the general feasibility and acceptability of the program. Findings show that a culturally adapted intervention increased engagement in PA and was feasible and acceptable within a pilot sample of Somali women.

scholarly journals Using Physical Education to Promote Leisure-Time Physical Activity in Lower Secondary School Students: The PETALS Trial

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jekaterina Schneider ◽  
Juho Polet ◽  
Mary Hassandra ◽  
Taru Lintunen ◽  
Arto Laukkanen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Autonomy Support ◽  
Leisure Time ◽  
Leisure Time Physical Activity ◽  
Physical Activity Behavior ◽  
Autonomous Motivation ◽  
School Students ◽  
Post Intervention ◽  
Activity Behavior ◽  
Perceived Autonomy Support

Abstract Background Inadequate physical activity in young people is associated with several physical and mental health concerns. Physical education (PE) is a potentially viable existing network for promoting physical activity in this population. However, little research has been conducted on whether PE teachers can influence students’ engagement in leisure-time physical activity. The present study therefore examined the efficacy of an intervention aimed at increasing PE teachers’ autonomy support on students’ leisure-time physical activity (the PETALS trial). The intervention was guided by the trans-contextual model (TCM) explaining the processes by which PE teachers’ provision of autonomy support during PE promotes students’ motivation and engagement in physical activity in their leisure time. Methods The study adopted a cluster-randomized, waitlist control intervention design with randomization by school. Participants were PE teachers (N = 29, 44.83%female; M age = 42.83, SD = 9.53yrs) and their lower secondary school students (N = 502, 43.82%female; M age = 14.52, SD = 0.71yrs). We measured TCM constructs, including perceived autonomy support, autonomous motivation in PE and leisure time, beliefs and intentions towards leisure-time physical activity, and physical activity behavior at baseline, post-intervention, and at one-, three-, and six-months. Study hypotheses were tested through a series of ANOVAs and structural equation models using post-intervention and one-month follow-up data. Results We found no changes in TCM constructs or physical activity behavior in either group at post-intervention or at one month. Path analyses supported two propositions of the TCM as change variables: perceived autonomy support had a significant effect on autonomous motivation in PE and autonomous motivation in PE had a significant effect on autonomous motivation in leisure time. Although we found a direct effect of autonomous motivation in leisure time on physical activity, we did not find support for the third premise of the TCM that autonomous motivation in leisure time indirectly affects physical activity through beliefs and intentions. Conclusions Current findings did not support the efficacy of the PETALS intervention at changing physical activity behavior and TCM constructs. More research is required to determine whether the TCM predictive validity is supported when other model variables are manipulated through experimental and intervention studies. Trial registration: ISRCTN, ISRCTN39374060. Registered 19 July 2018, https://doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN39374060

Oklahoma Gardening—Extension Horticulture Education Through Television

HortScience ◽  
1998 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
pp. 507f-508
Author(s):  
David A. Hillock ◽  
Brenda R. Simons
Keyword(s):  
Youth Development ◽  
Landscape Architecture ◽  
Cooperative Extension Service ◽  
Extension Service ◽  
Bulletin Board ◽  
Environmental Sciences ◽  
Support Materials ◽  
Extension Educators ◽  
Lawn Care ◽  
County Extension Educators

In an era of shrinking Extension resources the question of how to reach large audiences with horticulture information is a pressing concern. Now in its 23rd year, Oklahoma Gardening is an example of spreading Extension information to large audiences through television. Oklahoma Gardening is produced cooperatively by the Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service, the Dept. of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, and the Dept. of Ag. Education, Communication, 4-H and Youth Development. The show offers traditional how-to information about gardening, lawn care, and landscaping, as well as up-to-date university research on horticulture. Extension specialists from other disciplines such as entomology, plant pathology, human environmental sciences, and soils frequently contribute to the show fostering cooperation between these programs. Weekly, Oklahoma Gardening reaches more than 175,000 viewers in Oklahoma and surrounding states. County Extension Educators are kept informed of programming and provided with support materials for each weekly show. They are also encouraged to provide input as to content and needs in their particular area of the state. In addition, consumer horticulture programming and show content are closely tied and the show serves as a bulletin board for horticulture related events coordinated by the extension service.

scholarly journals New Roles for Rangelands and Grasslands

Rangelands ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 29 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kinda Gordon ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Extension Service ◽  
Research Education ◽  
State Research

The Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service (CSREES) is retooling its efforts to build awareness for rangeland and grassland attributes.

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