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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Physical activity

Trail Conditions and Community Use: Utilizing Geospatial Video to Guide the Adoption of a Spatial-Temporal Trail Audit Tool (STAT)
Study examining trail audit methods and the potential benefits of the Spatial-temporal Trail Audit Tool (STAT) for rural communities looking to assess and improve trail systems to motivate outdoor physical activity. Describes the process of creating geospatial videos of 2 trails in Ohio by attaching a camera to a bicycle. Discusses the importance of physical activity and trails to rural population health.
Author(s): Carissa Smock, Naomi Carlson, Chelsey Kirkland
Citation: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(16), 8741
Date: 08/2021
Type: Document
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"You're Going to Have to Think a Little Bit Different" Barriers and Facilitators to Using mHealth to Increase Physical Activity among Older, Rural Cancer Survivors
Study examining the potential of mobile health (mHealth) technology, specifically wearable activity trackers (WATs), to increase physical activity among rural older cancer survivors based on focus group interviews with 21 cancer survivors in New Mexico. Discusses motivation and barriers to using WATs related to peer emotional and informational support, social support, and engaging marginalized individuals.
Author(s): Tamar Ginossar, Heidi Rishel Brakey, Andrew L. Sussman, et al.
Citation: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(17), 8929
Date: 08/2021
Type: Document
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Get Outside! Promoting Adolescent Health through Outdoor After-School Activity
Describes the Get Outside: After School Activity Program (GO-ASAP), which promotes adolescent health through outdoor activity in rural eastern Oregon, covering the program's design and goals. Analyzes data from 2 student cohorts and a parent cohort to evaluate the program and measure its impacts on health and social relationships.
Author(s): Patricia Ann Barfield, Katelyn Ridder, Justin Hughes, Kelly Rice-McNeil
Citation: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(14), 7223
Date: 07/2021
Type: Document
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Physical Activity Barriers and Assets in Rural Appalachian Kentucky: A Mixed-Methods Study
Study examining barriers, resources, and community support for physical activity to address obesity in rural Appalachia, focusing on Martin County, Kentucky. Describes data related to physical activity, social determinants of health, and physical environment for a cohort of 152 people and 34 focus group participants.
Author(s): Natalie Jones, Dierdre Dlugonski, Rachel Gillespie, et al.
Citation: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(14), 7646
Date: 07/2021
Type: Document
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Environmental Factors Associated with Physical Activity in Rural U.S. Counties
Examines rural-urban differences in environmental factors that impact whether or not adults meet physical activity guidelines based on several federal data sources for 3,140 counties. Discusses variations in natural, social, recreational, and transportation environments by level of rurality.
Author(s): Christiaan G. Abildso, Shay M. Daily, M. Renée Umstattd Meyer, et al.
Citation: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(14), 7688
Date: 07/2021
Type: Document
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Association of the Neighborhood Built Environment with Incident and Prevalent Depression in the Rural South
Shares the results of a study examining if the built environment is associated with depression for residents living in Washington Parish, Louisiana in the rural South. Examines if observed associations between rural built environments and depression can be mitigated by physical activity. Table 1 details the demographic characteristics of the rural study population.
Author(s): Christopher E. Anderson, Stephanie T. Broyles, Maeve E. Wallace, Lydia A. Bazzano, Jeanette Gustat
Citation: Preventing Chronic Disease, 18, 200605
Date: 07/2021
Type: Document
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A Cross-Sectional Comparison of Physical Activity During COVID-19 in a Sample of Rural and Non-Rural Participants in the US
Examines the impacts of COVID-19 on physical activity in 25 states, comparing rural and urban responses from 278 survey participants. Discusses disparities in obesity and physical activity rates, and describes barriers to physical activity.
Author(s): Alan M. Beck, Amanda S. Gilbert, Dixie D. Duncan, Eric M. Wiedenman
Citation: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(9), 4991
Date: 05/2021
Type: Document
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Rural Initiatives Addressing Community Social Needs
Describes the role of Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) in improving population health and addressing social needs in their communities. Profiles two Critical Access Hospital social needs programs: Lakewood Health System's food access initiatives in Minnesota, and Northeastern Vermont Regional Hospital's NEK Prosper. Provides an overview of both programs and highlights best practices of each.
Author(s): Madeleine Pick, Megan Lahr, Ira Moscovice
Date: 03/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Flex Monitoring Team
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Relationships between Physical and Mental Health in Adolescents from Low-Income, Rural Communities: Univariate and Multivariate Analyses
Highlights a study on the relationship between physical and mental health among 10th and 11th graders in rural Alabama. Explores the role socioeconomic status and rural versus urban location play in the mental and physical health of teenagers. Breaks down data by sex, age, ethnicity, and household income, among other factors.
Author(s): Robyn Feiss, Melissa M. Pangelinan
Citation: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(4), 1372
Date: 02/2021
Type: Document
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Program Implementation and Church Members' Health Behaviors in a Countywide Study of the Faith, Activity, and Nutrition Program
Analyzes relationships between Faith, Activity, and Nutrition (FAN) program implementation and physical activity, fruit and vegetable consumption, and self-efficacy for improving these behaviors among church members in a southeastern, medically underserved county in a rural area. Features data and statistics on participants' health behaviors and self-efficacy at baseline and at a 12-month follow-up.
Author(s): John A. Bernhart, Sara Wilcox, Ruth P. Saunders, Brent Hutto, Jessica Stucker
Citation: Preventing Chronic Disease, 18
Date: 01/2021
Type: Document
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