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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Physical activity

Needs Assessment of School and Community Physical Activity Opportunities in Rural West Virginia: The McDowell CHOICES Planning Effort
Describes the McDowell Coordinated Health Opportunities Involving Communities, Environments, and Schools (CHOICES) program. McDowell CHOICES is a comprehensive needs-assessment of McDowell County, West Virginia, intended to increase opportunities for physical activity in rural schools and communities throughout the county.
Author(s): Alfgeir L. Kristjansson, Eloise Elliott, Sean Bulger, et al.
Citation: BMC Public Health, 15, 327
Date: 2015
Type: Document
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Rural Healthy People 2020: A Companion Document to Healthy People 2020, Volume 1
Provides a rural focus for the Healthy People 2020 priorities. Includes overviews of the top 10 rural health priority areas identified by rural stakeholders. (Volume 2 discusses priorities 11-20.) Topics addressed include: health insurance, primary care, emergency services, nutrition and weight status, diabetes, mental health, substance abuse, heart disease and stroke, physical activity, older adults, maternal and child health, and tobacco use. Each overview includes reviews of the relevant literature and models that rural communities can use to address the issues. Document is available for free download, after providing brief information about intended use.
Author(s): Jane N. Bolin, Gail Bellamy, Alva O. Ferdinand, Bita Kash, Janet W. Helduser
Date: 2015
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Southwest Rural Health Research Center
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A Community-Based, Culturally Relevant Intervention to Promote Healthy Eating and Physical Activity among Middle-Aged African American Women in Rural Alabama: Findings from a Group Randomized Controlled Trial
Examines a community-based, culturally relevant intervention to promote healthy eating and physical activity among African American women between the ages of 45-65 living in rural Alabama. Includes study participant demographic data at the starting baseline and a 24 month follow up. Covers healthy lifestyle data at the starting baseline, 12 month, and 24 month follow up for dietary and physical activity measures.
Author(s): Isabel C. Scarinci, Artisha Moore, Theresa Wynn, et al.
Citation: Preventive Medicine, 69, 13-20
Date: 12/2014
Type: Document
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The Built Environment and Utilitarian Walking in Small U.S. Towns
Examines associations in self-reported and objective built environment walking measures among rural adults. Includes walking data by demographics, lifestyle characteristics, and environmental measures.
Author(s): Mark P. Doescher, Chanam Lee, Ethan M. Berke, et al.
Citation: Preventive Medicine, 69, 80-86
Date: 12/2014
Type: Document
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Assessment of Mobile Device and SMS Use for Diet and Exercise Information among Rural Mexican-American Adolescents
Study examining how rural Mexican-American youth use the Internet or short message service (SMS) on mobile devices to access health related information to learn about diet and exercise. Evaluates the use of mobile devices for diet and exercise knowledge and its utility in planning interventions to address obesity among the study population.
Author(s): Jennifer L. Collins, Jane Dimmitt Champion
Citation: Journal of Pediatric Nursing, 29(6), 493-502
Date: 11/2014
Type: Document
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Disparities in Obesity Among Rural and Urban Residents in a Health Disparate Region
Reports on a community-based study to measure and compare the current levels of obesity and associated lifestyle behaviors of physical activity and diets of fruits and vegetables among rural and urban residents in south central Virginia and north central North Carolina.
Author(s): Jennie L Hill, Wen You, Jamie M Zoellner
Citation: BMC Public Health, 2014(14), 1051
Date: 10/2014
Type: Document
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Rural-Urban Disparities in Heart Disease
Policy brief reporting on rural disparities in heart disease and the associated risk factors of obesity and physical inactivity. Includes heart disease-related death rates and information on obesity prevalence by sex, region, and rural/urban status from 2008-2010. Based on data from the 2014 Update of the Rural-Urban Chartbook.
Author(s): Alana Knudson, Michael Meit, Shena Popat
Date: 10/2014
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Reform Policy Research Center
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Assessing Environmental Support for Better Health: Active Living Opportunity Audits in Rural Communities in the Southern United States
Describes the built environment, policies, and availability of facilities for physical activity in eight rural communities, four in Alabama and four in the Mississippi Delta, to inform diet and physical activity interventions. Acts as part of a partnership to eliminate cancer health disparities in the Deep South. Includes community data by Rural Active Living Assessment (RALA) measures, such as sidewalks, destinations, and walk-ability.
Author(s): Jennifer C. Robinson, Tiffany L. Carson, Erica R. Johnson, et al.
Citation: Preventive Medicine, 66, 28-33
Date: 09/2014
Type: Document
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Perceived Correlates of Domain-Specific Physical Activity in Rural Adults in the Midwest
Examines the levels of physical activity of rural adults in southeastern Iowa in various environments and the barriers to being active. The study uses the Kaiser Physical Activity Survey to record the rates of exercise in the domains of home care, work, active living, and sport.
Author(s): Matthew Chrisman, Faryle Nothwehr, Jingzen Yang, Jacob Oleson
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 30(4), 352-358
Date: 09/2014
Type: Document
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Using Community Advisory Boards to Reduce Environmental Barriers to Health in American Indian Communities, Wisconsin, 2007-2012
Describes a project in which community advisory boards (CABs) were established by residents of the Menominee, Lac du Flambeau, and Bad River rural tribal communities and university partners, for the purpose of eliminating barriers to healthy nutrition and physical activity and fostering improvement in overall community health.
Author(s): Alexandra K. Adams, Jamie R. Scott, Ron Prince, Amy Williamson
Citation: Preventing Chronic Disease, 11
Date: 09/2014
Type: Document
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