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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Physical activity

QuickStats: Percentage of Adults Aged ≥18 Years Who Walked for Transportation and Walked for Leisure in the Past 7 Days, by Urban-Rural Status — United States, 2022
Bar chart showing the percent of the adult population that walks for transportation and for leisure in rural and urban areas.
Citation: MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report), 73(28), 631
Date: 07/2024
Type: Chart/Graph
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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Evaluating the Feasibility and Acceptability of a Co-Designed Physical Activity Intervention for Rural Middle Schoolers: A Pilot Study
Examines a physical activity pilot study in a low-socioeconomic, rural, Midwestern setting with 6th and 7th grade students. Provides the study's conceptual framework, timeline of data collection, intervention-related feasibility indicators, physical activity and health measures, physiological measures, and more.
Author(s): Janette M. Watkins, Julia E. Brunnemer, Kathleen N. Heeter, et al.
Citation: BMC Public Health, 24, 1830
Date: 07/2024
Type: Document
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Listening to the Community: Identifying Obesity Prevention Strategies for Rural Preschool-Aged Children
Reports results from 4 workshops on obesity prevention initiatives for preschool-aged children in 2 rural North Carolina and Indiana counties. Provides data and discussion on participants' preferred intervention strategies and community settings, with additional discussion of implementation challenges and options for immediate interventions which could be implemented with limited funding.
Author(s): Katherine Jochim Pope, Alexandra F. Lightfoot, Lisa Macon Harrison, et al.
Citation: Frontiers in Public Health, 12
Date: 05/2024
Type: Document
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Implementation Characteristics That May Promote Sustainability of a Rural Physical Activity Initiative: Examination of Play Streets Through the Lens of Community Implementers
Discusses implementation of Play Streets, a community-based initiative to create safe physical activity areas for children and families, from interviews with program team members in rural Maryland, North Carolina, Oklahoma, and Texas. Highlights factors influencing program effectiveness and sustainability, including community engagement, partnerships, and more.
Author(s): Marilyn E. Wende, M. Renée Umstattd Meyer, Cynthia Perry, et al.
Citation: Implementation Science Communications, 5, 48
Date: 05/2024
Type: Document
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An Evaluation of ¡Haz Espacio Para Papi!, a Culturally Tailored Nutrition and Physical Activity Pilot Program for Mexican-Heritage Fathers
Describes outcomes of ¡Haz Espacio Para Papi! (HEPP), a nutrition and physical activity intervention for Latino fathers in colonias near the Texas-Mexico border. Provides data on changes in participants' fruit and vegetable intake, skin carotenoids, and healthy dietary behaviors. Discusses approaches to cultural appropriateness and collaboration with promotoras.
Author(s): Annika Vahk, Pablo Monsivais, Cassandra M. Johnson, Joseph R. Sharkey
Citation: Nutrients, 16(8), 1153
Date: 04/2024
Type: Document
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Effectiveness of Implementing Evidence-Based Approaches to Promote Physical Activity in a Midwestern Micropolitan Area Using a Quasi-Experimental Hybrid Type I Study Design
Evaluates the effectiveness of a physical activity intervention implemented in a micropolitan Iowa community over 24 months in 142 residents. Describes the community-based participatory research intervention design. Includes discussion of implementing urban-tested approaches in rural settings.
Author(s): Barbara Baquero, Nicole Novak, Daniel K. Sewell, et al.
Citation: BMC Public Health, 24, 1082
Date: 04/2024
Type: Document
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Human-Centered Participatory Co-Design with Children and Adults for a Prototype Lifestyle Intervention and Implementation Strategy in a Rural Middle School
Describes the co-design of a physical activity intervention by children, parents, and teachers in Indiana middle schools. Analyzes participant priorities including autonomy, relationship-building, activity choice, and more. Identifies strategies for effective intervention design, and discusses the significance of physical activity interventions for rural areas.
Author(s): Janette M. Watkins, Sarah J. Greeven, Kathleen N. Heeter, et al.
Citation: BMC Public Health, 24, 845
Date: 03/2024
Type: Document
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Urban–Rural Differences in School Districts' Local Wellness Policies and Policy Implementation Environments
Compares urban and rural local wellness policies (LWPs) and implementation environments of 117 Texas school districts. Provides data on LWP goals, including nutrition and physical activity goals, as well as availability of district wellness plans, LWP assessments, and school health advisory councils. Highlights implications for rural school policy and student health.
Author(s): Swati Iyer, Timothy J. Walker, Alexandra L. MacMillan Uribe, et al.
Citation: Nutrients, 16(6), 801
Date: 03/2024
Type: Document
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Nutritional Guidance on Fitness Centers' Websites in Illinois: An Automated Content Analysis
Examines the nutritional content on fitness websites in Illinois as well as metro versus nonmetro statistics related to body mass index (BMI), diet, physical activity, and more.
Author(s): Adee Athiyaman
Date: 03/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Illinois Institute for Rural Affairs
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Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Physical Activity among Mostly Older, Overweight Black Women Living in the Rural Alabama Black Belt
Examines the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on physical activity in 4 rural, predominantly Black Alabama communities from March 2020 to Aug 2021. Study participants were predominantly Black, overweight, older women with low levels of physical activity. Provides data on changes in physical activity levels during the pandemic, concerns influencing physical activity, leisure time physical activity habits, and demographic characteristics.
Author(s): Whitney N. Neal, Erica A. Schleicher, Kerri Baron, et al.
Citation: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 20(24), 7180
Date: 12/2023
Type: Document
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