Preventive medicine
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Preventive medicine · Oct 2009
Randomized Controlled TrialPhysical Activity Across the Curriculum (PAAC): a randomized controlled trial to promote physical activity and diminish overweight and obesity in elementary school children.
Physical Activity Across the Curriculum (PAAC) was a three-year cluster randomized controlled trial to promote physical activity and diminish increases in overweight and obesity in elementary school children. ⋯ The Physical Activity Across the Curriculum approach may promote daily Physical activity and academic achievement in elementary school children. Additionally, 75 min of Physical Activity Across the Curriculum activities may attenuate increases in Body Mass Index.
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There has been an increasing realization of the need for environmental interventions to increase physical activity levels in the population. Although promising, the impact of these strategies in reducing obesity-related disparities will be limited by the presence of inequities in the distribution of activity-related resources in the community. Advocacy efforts are critically needed to ensure that all communities benefit from environmental strategies being implemented. ⋯ Principles for equitable development of public land are also presented as well as lessons learned that can inform future advocacy efforts.
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Preventive medicine · Oct 2009
Recommendations for advancing opportunities to increase physical activity in racial/ethnic minority communities.
We provide suggestions for advancing opportunities for effective and sustainable strategies for increasing physical activity in racial/ethnic minority populations.
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Preventive medicine · Oct 2009
ReviewBridging the gap: translating research into policy and practice.
Effective physical activity interventions do not achieve their full potential if they are not applied beyond their original testing in research studies. Potentially effective interventions can be adopted in community settings through the efforts of numerous agencies, organizations, and individuals. ⋯ To enhance the uptake of evidence-based interventions, several steps are needed to: build the science by moving upstream, increase the understanding of practice-based evidence, move beyond the "what" to the "how," re-frame the dissemination challenges, place greater emphasis on workforce development, and make research more accessible for policy audiences. The most effective strategies to bridge the gap between research and practice, will have at their heart, effective academic-practice-policy maker partnerships.
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Preventive medicine · Oct 2009
ReviewPhysical activity: health outcomes and importance for public health policy.
This manuscript presents a brief summary of the substantial data supporting an inverse relationship between the amount of habitual physical activity performed and a variety of negative health outcomes throughout the lifespan. It points out that despite these data a large segment of the US population remain insufficiently active resulting in a high population attributable risk for chronic disease due to inactivity. The accumulated data support the need for more comprehensive health promoting physical activity policies and programs, especially for the economically and socially disadvantaged and medically underserved.