Posts tagged active living research

Video: Is the ‘Modern Neighborhood’ a Root Cause of American Obesity?

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8 months ago
by admin in

Is the “modern neighborhood” a root cause of the U.S. obesity epidemic?

Check out this new video featuring Dr. James Sallis, a psychology professor at San Diego State University, who works to change how U.S. residential areas are designed and constructed by emphasizing pedestrian access and public parks and de-emphasizing the need for cars for everyday life.

Sallis also directs Active Living Research, a granting program for The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation that supports studies to prevent childhood obesity and promote active communities.

Infographic: The Role of Parks & Rec in Promoting Physical Activity

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8 months ago
by admin in ,

Parks, trails, and recreational facilities provide a wide variety of opportunities for physical activity and can help many Americans lead a more active lifestyle.

A new infographic from Active Living Research, a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation national program, highlights evidence that parks and recreation areas can increase physical activity levels while also providing economic benefits to families and communities.

The infographic also shows that 81% of Hispanic communities lack access to recreational facilities.

Infographic: The Role of Communities in Promoting Physical Activity

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11 months ago
by admin in

Check out this new infographic from Active Living Research.

VIDEO: Why Is P.E. Important?

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11 months ago
by admin in ,

Check out this cool new video from Active Living Research, a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation national program, about characteristics of quality physical education and barriers to its delivery and the relationship between physical education and academic achievement.

The video is in English or Spanish or below:

Active Living Research Re-Tools Website

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1 year ago
by admin in ,

Active Living Research, a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation national program, has launched an enhanced website to make it easier for practitioners, advocates and policy-makers working on health equity to find needed, helpful information.

New features include:

  • MOVE! blog – The latest information on our work and a way for you to stay updated with what’s going on in the field. You can share your stories by commenting on posts.
  • Search – A new search function allows you to search all of our resources by keywords or topic areas, including park access, inequality, minorities, and lower-income.
  • Audience-specific – We’ve added special pages for advocates, practitioners and policy-makers to help you locate information specific to your work depending on your role in the field.
  • Disparities-focused resources – Several resources focus on racial and ethnic minorities and lower-income groups who are at highest risk for obesity and physical inactivity. For example, a research synthesis called “Do All Children Have Places to Be Active? Disparities in Access to Physical Activity Environments in Racial and Ethnic Minority and Lower-Income Communities” pulls together research showing that people of color and lower-income people often live in neighborhoods that do not support walking and biking.

You can also follow Active Living Research on Twitter and Facebook.

Research Synthesis: Minorities Reside in Communities that Lack Physical Activity Options

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1 year ago
by admin in ,

Research Synthesis

A new research synthesis by Active Living Research examines studies indicating that racial/ethnic minorities and lower-income people live in communities that are not as supportive of physical activity.

The synthesis summarizes research on racial/ethnic and economic disparities in obesity and physical activity rates among children, and highlights policy recommendations for decision-makers who can support physical activity among people in lower-income communities and communities of color.

Key research results suggest that racial/ethnic minorities and lower-income people:

  • are more likely to live in neighborhoods with fewer and lower-quality sidewalks, and fewer aesthetic amenities like scenery that make walking safer, easier and more appealing;
  • tend to live in neighborhoods with fewer parks and other recreation resources; and
  • experience more danger from crime and traffic than others do, and face more barriers from neighborhood physical and social disorder.

View the synthesis here.

Obesity Rate Stabilizes Among Latino Youth, Rises or Drops for Others

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2 years ago
by admin in

Obesity rates among Latino youth leveled off at 26 percent from 2001-2008, according to a new study released today in Pediatrics that reveals the very mixed trends in racial disparities that underlie a plateau in childhood obesity rates nationally.

The study, which examined data from more than 8 million California students (about half Latinos), is the first to find significant differences in racial and ethnic trends over time for obesity prevalence among youth.

From 2001 to 2008 in California, obesity rates increased steadily among Black and American Indian girls to 22 percent and 23 percent, resectively, compared with fluctuating rates for Black and American Indian boys. And among White and Asian children, rates fell starting in 2005 to 12 percent and 13 percent, respectively. The overall obesity rate for the groups was 20 percent.

The study also found the greatest racial disparities among California’s most obese children. American Indian and Black girls were more than three times as likely as White girls to be in the highest obesity percentile.

“The stabilization of obesity among Latinos is encouraging, but Latino youth still have the highest rates of overweight and obesity in the state,” said lead author Kristine Madsen, M.D., MPH, of the University of California, San Francisco. “As our country becomes increasingly diverse, it’s critical that we act quickly to address these disparities.”

Researchers analyzed data from more than 8 million fifth-, seventh- and ninth-grade students, collected between 2001 and 2008 as part of California’s mandatory school-based body mass index (BMI) screening program. About one in eight U.S. children lives in California, and the study’s authors suggest these results show population-level trends that are applicable to other states.

The study, “Disparities in Peaks, Plateaus, and Declines in Prevalence of High BMI Among Adolescents,” was supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation through its national program, Active Living Research.

Funding Opportunity: Preventing Childhood Obesity

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3 years ago
by admin in

Active Living Research, a national program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, is seeking grant applications to support research to inform policy and environmental strategies for increasing physical activity among children and adolescents, decreasing their sedentary behaviors and preventing obesity.

About $2.6 million will be awarded through this initiative for specified research topics, dissertation awards, and New Connections awards. New Connections grants through the Active Living Research program are for new investigators who have been historically disadvantaged or underrepresented in research activities.

Full applications are due April 14, 2010.

To find out more, go here.

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