Self-reported Vs. Objective Physical Activity/inactivity In Hispanic Elders In Community-based Programs In Puerto Rico

There is a need for efficacious interventions to reduce the prevalence of childhood obesity, and a limited body of research suggests that collaborative community-based programs designed for children and their caregivers may be effective in reducing obesity rates. This paper reports the results of a community-based obesity intervention, South County Food, Fitness and Fun (SCFFF), designed for preadolescent children who are overweight or obese and their caregivers. SCFFF was developed in response to community concerns. Families were referred to the program by their physician and participated in the program at no cost. The 16-week intervention includes weekly group nutrition and physical activity sessions. Analyses determined that 65 out of the 97 children who completed SCFFF provided 2-year follow-up data and had reduced BMIz-scores over 2 years following the intervention. These participants decreased their energy, fat, carbohydrate, saturated fat, and sodium intake and increased core body strength and endurance from baseline to the end of the intervention. SCFFF was effective in reducing relative weight and improving diet and core muscle strength and endurance in children who are overweight or obese.

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Evaluation Tools for Physical Activity Programs for Childhood Cancer: A Scoping Review

Journal of Pediatric Oncology Nursing ◽

10.1177/1043454219891987 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 37 (3) ◽

pp. 163-179

Author(s):

Jena Shank ◽

Carolina Chamorro-Viña ◽

Gregory M. T. Guilcher ◽

David Michael Langelier ◽

Fiona Schulte ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Childhood Cancer ◽

Patient Outcomes ◽

Scoping Review ◽

Well Being ◽

Functional Mobility ◽

Evaluation Tools ◽

Exercise Programs ◽

Community Based ◽

Community Based Programs

Research on the benefits of physical activity (PA) in childhood cancer has been translated into a handful of community-based programs. However, to foster further translation, an understanding of how to evaluate participant outcomes would be beneficial to provide feedback to participants and stimulate future research. Such a review would provide a summary of acceptable tools for work in this area. The purpose of this scoping review was to identify the evaluation tools that have been used in PA/exercise studies or programs for childhood cancer. This review was conducted using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. Studies included in the review used physical and psychosocial evaluation tools within PA and exercise programs or research for childhood cancer. In addition, studies with measures of health behavior such as PA levels and activities of daily living were included. Tools that assessed physical fitness and physical performance were excluded. Information on the types of evaluation tools used, mean age of participants, and type of cancer was extracted. Psychometric properties of each evaluation tool are reported. The most commonly assessed patient outcomes were motor performance, fatigue, well-being, functional mobility, and quality of life. Less commonly reported patient outcomes were hope, self-efficacy, and self-perception. None of the evaluation tools reported in the PA/exercise and pediatric oncology literature assess physical literacy. This review was the first step in a knowledge translation process, identifying evaluation tools that have been used in PA/exercise programs in childhood cancer survivors, that will guide the development and evaluation of current and future community-based programs.

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Preschool children's physical activity in community-based programs: The 'whole child' revisited

PsycEXTRA Dataset ◽

10.1037/e584752012-161 ◽

2010 ◽

Author(s):

Kerry McIver ◽

Samuel L. Odom ◽

Kerry McIver ◽

William Brown ◽

Christina McWilliams

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Whole Child ◽

Community Based ◽

Community Based Programs ◽

Children’S Physical Activity

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Physical and Psychosocial Characteristics of Older Adults Who Participate in a Community-Based Exercise Program

Journal of Aging and Physical Activity ◽

10.1123/japa.11.4.516 ◽

2003 ◽

Vol 11 (4) ◽

pp. 516-531 ◽

Cited By ~ 23

Author(s):

Elizabeth Orsega-Smith ◽

Laura L. Payne ◽

Geoffry Godbey

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

High Frequency ◽

Exercise Program ◽

Program Participation ◽

Psychosocial Characteristics ◽

Community Based ◽

Parks And Recreation ◽

Community Based Programs ◽

High Participation

The purpose of this study was to evaluate a community-based exercise program for adults 60 years and older. Specifically, the authors sought to examine selected physical and psychosocial indicators of health among low-, moderate-, and high-frequency participants. Data on selected physical-fitness variables from baseline and 6-month follow-up assessments were available for 196 members. In addition, 265 current members completed a mailed questionnaire regarding frequency of program participation, health, demographics, and psychosocial outcomes. Significant improvements in endurance and flexibility were documented for the group at large over 6 months, and the low-participation group showed a significant increase in flexibility. Self-efficacy was higher for those in both the low- and high-frequency groups than for those in the moderate-participation group. Exercise-based social support was reported to be higher among the low- and high-participation groups than among the moderate-participation group. Results suggest that community-based programs and community parks and recreation agencies are a viable context for senior exercise/physical activity programs.

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Atlanta Streets Alive: A Movement Building a Culture of Health in an Urban Environment

Journal of Physical Activity and Health ◽

10.1123/jpah.2015-0064 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 13 (2) ◽

pp. 239-246 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Andrea Torres ◽

John Steward ◽

Sheryl Strasser ◽

Rodney Lyn ◽

Rebecca Serna ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Public Space ◽

Urban Culture ◽

Community Based ◽

Neighborhood Social Capital ◽

Community Based Programs ◽

Perceptions Of Safety ◽

Movement Building ◽

Motorized Vehicles ◽

The City

Background:Open Streets are community-based programs that promote the use of public space for physical activity (PA), recreation and socialization by closing streets temporarily to motorized vehicles, allowing access to pedestrians. The city of Atlanta hosted its first Open Streets event, Atlanta Streets Alive (ASA), in May 2010. An evaluation of the first 5 ASA events from May 2010 to May 2012 was conducted. The purpose was to learn about the characteristics of ASA participants, the influence of the event on their PA, and perceptions of safety and neighborhood social capital.Methods:ASA’s evaluation had 2 components: participant counts and a participant survey. Characteristics of participation were compared among the 3 different events in which surveys were conducted using the Pearson χ2 test and F test as appropriate.Results:The estimated participation at ASA increased from nearly 3,500 (ASA 1 to 4) to 12,520 (ASA 5). The number of events increased to 3 per year for a total of 10 events until 2014. Overall, 19.4% of participants met the weekly PA recommendation during 1 event.Conclusions:The expanding diversity of routes, participants, and sponsorships highlights the potential promise such programming offers in terms of establishing an urban culture of health.

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Predictors of willingness to pay for physical activity of socially vulnerable groups in community-based programs

SpringerPlus ◽

10.1186/s40064-015-1336-5 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 4 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Marion C. Herens ◽

Johan A. C. van Ophem ◽

Annemarie M. A. E. Wagemakers ◽

Maria A. Koelen

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Willingness To Pay ◽

Vulnerable Groups ◽

Community Based ◽

Community Based Programs ◽

Socially Vulnerable Groups

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Active Aging: Exploration into Self-Ratings of “Being Active,” Out-of-Home Physical Activity, and Participation among Older Australian Adults Living in Four Different Settings

Journal of Aging Research ◽

10.1155/2015/501823 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 2015 ◽

pp. 1-12 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

Rosemary L. Aird ◽

Laurie Buys

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Older People ◽

Gps Tracking ◽

Built Environments ◽

Active Aging ◽

Community Based ◽

Community Based Programs ◽

Promotion Campaigns ◽

Time Away

We examined whether self-ratings of “being active” among older people living in four different settings (major city high and lower density suburbs, a regional city, and a rural area) were associated with out-of-home participation and outdoor physical activity. A mixed-methods approach (survey, travel diary, and GPS tracking over a one-week period) was used to gather data from 48 individuals aged over 55 years. Self-ratings of “being active” were found to be positively correlated with the number of days older people spent time away from home but unrelated to time traveled by active means (walking and biking). No significant differences in active travel were found between the four study locations, despite differences in their respective built environments. The findings suggest that additional strategies to the creation of “age-friendly” environments are needed if older people are to increase their levels of outdoor physical activity. “Active aging” promotion campaigns may need to explicitly identify the benefits of walking outdoors to ambulatory older people as a means of maintaining their overall health, functional ability, and participation within society in the long-term and also encourage the development of community-based programs in order to facilitate regular walking for this group.

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Barriers and Motivators to Physical Activity Prior to Starting a Community-Based Walking Program

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph182010659 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (20) ◽

pp. 10659

Author(s):

Elizabeth A. Richards ◽

Stephanie Woodcox

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Population Level ◽

Program Completion ◽

Future Research ◽

Community Based ◽

Chi Square ◽

Walking Program ◽

Social Time ◽

Community Based Programs ◽

Barriers And Motivators

Despite the clear benefits of an active lifestyle, most American adults fail to meet physical activity (PA) guidelines. Because of its safety and ease, walking is a promising population-level strategy to increase PA. There is a need to further understand why adults do and do not participate in walking. This study provides a broader understanding of barriers and motivators of walking prior to starting a walking program. Four years of baseline data from a community-based walking program were analyzed (n = 1491). Descriptive statistics summarized participant characteristics, barriers, reinforcements, and current PA. Chi-square tests were used to assess differences in the barrier and reinforcement responses between participant’s PA level and age categories. Open-ended responses were analyzed using thematic analysis. On average, participants were white (96%), middle-aged (52 ± 13 years old) females (92%). Poor weather and time were frequently reported barriers to walking. Open-ended responses (n = 141) identified additional barriers of lack of motivation (n = 37), joint issues (n = 29), fatigue (n = 24), safety or lack of environmental supports (n = 17), family or work demands (n = 15), and lacking a walking partner (n = 9). Good weather, health, and weight loss were frequently reported motivators. Additional motivators (n = 282) identified included stress relief and mental health (n = 82), social time (n = 70), dog care (n = 41), other health benefits (n = 38), connect with nature (n = 19), enjoyment (14), occupation (n = 11), and environmental and community supports (n = 6). Findings highlight the importance of understanding participant barriers and motivators for PA before starting a program. Future research should examine how reported barriers and motivators are related to program completion and adherence. Tailoring community-based programs to address specific barriers and motivators may enable more participants to effectively change and maintain PA.

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