Who Benefits? A Mixed Methods Study Assessing Community Use of a Major Metropolitan Park During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

By providing spaces for recreation, physical activity, social gatherings, and time in nature, urban parks offer physical, mental, and social benefits to users. However, many urban residents face barriers to park use. The COVID-19 pandemic introduced new potential barriers to urban park access and use, including changes to daily life and employment, closure of park amenities and restrictions to public movement, and risk from the coronavirus itself.

Sustainability Planning for a Community Network to Increase Participation in Evidence-Based Lifestyle Change Programs: A Mixed-Methods Approach.

Community-based chronic disease prevention programs can have long-term, broad public health benefits. Yet, only 40 to 60% of evidence-based health programs are sustained. Using established frameworks and evidence-based tools to characterize sustainability allows programs to develop structures and processes to leverage resources effectively to sustain effective program activities and systems.

Effectively communicating with local policymakers: a randomized trial of policy brief dissemination to address obesity.

Introduction: Evidence-based policies are a powerful tool for impacting health and addressing obesity. Effectively communicating evidence to policymakers is critical to ensure evidence is incorporated into policies. While all public health is local, limited knowledge exists regarding effective approaches for improving local policymakers' uptake of evidence-based policies.

Running Toward Equity: Socioeconomic Diversity and Parental Perception of a Physical Activity-Based Positive Youth Development Program for Girls.

The Girls on the Run (GOTR) is a national positive youth development program to promote self-confidence, resilience, and self-esteem for girls through physical activity. It also includes an opportunity for parental support through involvement in a 5K event at the end of the program. There is significant evidence on the importance of family support and parent role modeling for children's physical activity, but little is known on how children can encourage adult physical activity.

Perspectives From Public Health Practitioners and Advocates on Community Development for Active Living: What are the Lasting Impacts?

Purpose: Evidence suggests differential impacts of community development, including gentrification and displacement. Public health practitioners and advocates are key stakeholders involved in the community development process related to active living, yet little is known about their perceptions of its impacts. We explored the perspectives of relevant leaders of public health departments and key community and advocacy organizations on community development, gentrification, and displacement.

Understanding Health Equity in Public Health Practice in the United States.

Context: Understanding the extent to which equity-focused work is occurring in public health departments (eg, in chronic disease programs) can identify areas of success and what is needed to move the needle on health equity.

Objective: The study objective was to characterize the patterns and correlates of equity-related practices in US state and territorial public health practice.

Design: The design was a multimethod (quantitative and qualitative), cross-sectional study.

Developing Priorities to Alleviate the Long-Term Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Women Engaged in Diabetes Research, Education, and Care: A Concept Mapping Study.

Objective: The aim of this study was to develop priorities through stakeholder engagement to alleviate the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on the professional careers of women engaged in diabetes research, education, and care.

Research Design And Methods: This study used concept mapping, a mixed-methods, multistep process, to generate a conceptual map of recommendations through the following steps: ) identify stakeholders and develop the focus prompt, ) generate ideas through brainstorming, ) structure ideas through sorting and rating on priority and likelihood, ) analyze the data and create a cluster map, and ) interpret and use results.

Results: Fifty-two participants completed the brainstorming phase, and 24 participated in sorting and rating.

Municipal officials' perspectives on policymaking for addressing obesity and health equity.

Background: Obesity evidence-based policies (EBPs) can make a lasting, positive impact on community health; however, policy development and enactment is complex and dependent on multiple forces.

Aims And Objectives: This study investigated key factors affecting municipal officials' policymaking for obesity and related health disparities.

Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 20 local officials from a selection of municipalities with high obesity or related health disparities across the United States between December 2020 and April 2021.

Exploring Residents' Perceptions of Neighborhood Development and Revitalization for Active Living Opportunities.

Introduction: Community fears of gentrification have created concerns about building active living infrastructure in neighborhoods with low-income populations. However, little empirical research exists related to these concerns. This work describes characteristics of residents who reported 1) concerns about increased cost of living caused by neighborhood development and 2) support for infrastructural improvements even if the changes lead to a higher cost of living.

An Examination of Factors Affecting State Legislators' Support for Parity Laws for Different Mental Illnesses.

Mental health parity legislation can improve mental health outcomes. U.S.

Children's Physical Activity and Screen Time during COVID-19 Pandemic: A Qualitative Exploration of Parent Perceptions.

Objective: In this study, we explore parent perception of children's physical activity and screen time during COVID-19 stay-at-home orders.

Methods: We interviewed 16 parents of children ages 5-12 years in the St. Louis, Missouri region using snowball sampling.

Parent Perceptions of Changes in Child Physical Activity During COVID-19 Stay-At-Home Orders.

The purpose of this study was to explore parent perceptions of changes in child physical activity during COVID-19 stay-at-home orders. A cross-sectional study. The research team used social media, relevant organizations, and neighborhood groups to distribute the survey link in May and June of 2020.

Long-Term Evaluation of a Course on Evidence-Based Public Health in the U.S. and Europe.

The evidence-based public health course equips public health professionals with skills and tools for applying evidence-based frameworks and processes in public health practice. To date, training has included participants from all the 50 U.S.

Disparities in Text Messaging Interventions to Improve Diabetes Management in the United States.

Substantial progress has been made in the development of evidence-based interventions to facilitate the management of type 2 diabetes. The increase in ownership of mobile phones has made short messaging services (SMS, or text messaging) a feasible way to enhance information delivery. The goals of this study were to ) summarize characteristics of diabetes SMS interventions implemented in the United States and ) identify the extent to which disadvantaged populations are represented in SMS-based diabetes management intervention studies.

Diversify the syllabi: Underrepresentation of female authors in college course readings.

Emerging evidence demonstrates that female-authored publications are not well represented in course readings in some fields, resulting in a syllabi gender gap. Lack of representation may decrease student awareness of opportunities in professional fields and disadvantage the career success of female academics. We contribute to the evidence on the syllabi gender gap by: 1) quantifying the extent to which female authors are represented in assigned course readings; 2) examining representation of female authors by gender of instructor and discipline; and 3) comparing female representation in syllabi with the workforce and with representation as authors of peer-reviewed journal articles.

Practitioner perspectives on building capacity for evidence-based public health in state health departments in the United States: a qualitative case study.

Background: Public health agencies are responsible for implementing effective, evidence-based public health programs and policies to reduce the burden of chronic diseases. Evidence-based public health can be facilitated by modifiable administrative evidence-based practices (A-EBPs) (e.g.

Creating Built Environments That Expand Active Transportation and Active Living Across the United States: A Policy Statement From the American Heart Association.

Physical activity is vital for the health and well-being of youth and adults, although the prevalence of physical activity continues to be low. Promoting active transportation or human-powered transportation through policy, systems, and environmental change is one of the leading evidence-based strategies to increase physical activity regardless of age, income, racial/ethnic background, ability, or disability. Initiatives often require coordination across federal, state, and local agencies.

Actual Causes of Death in Relation to Media, Policy, and Funding Attention: Examining Public Health Priorities.

Despite numerous public health advancements over the last century, we continue to under-invest in prevention and public health efforts. As a result, one of the most challenging aspects of public health is prioritizing the use of limited resources. Building on the foundation of previous researchers, the goal of this exploratory study was to provide current estimates for the actual causes of death, media attention, policy focus, and research funding in the United States.

Using mixed methods to understand women's parenting practices related to their child's outdoor play and physical activity among families living in diverse neighborhood environments.

A convergent parallel mixed methods design was used to understand parenting practices for outdoor play, their influence on adolescent's physical activity and outdoor play and the role of the neighborhood and child's sex. Adolescents (n = 263) and their parents completed questionnaires and wore accelerometers. Parents (n = 30) participated in in-depth interviews.

Adherence to Updated Childcare Nutrition Regulations in Colorado, United States.

Preschool years are an important time for shaping healthy eating behaviors. Childcare centers can be a venue for policy change for broad and sustained positive impact on healthy eating environment. The objectives of this study were to assess how self-reported current practices align with updated statewide childcare center licensing regulations in Colorado, US, and to explore correlates of adherence.

Neighborhood Influences on Women's Parenting Practices for Adolescents' Outdoor Play: A Qualitative Study.

Understanding factors that influence parenting decisions for outdoor play is necessary to promote physical activity during critical years for adolescent adjustment. This study explored physical and social environmental influences on parenting decisions and rules for their child's outdoor play using semistructured in-depth interviews with parents ( = 30, 29 of whom were mothers) of adolescents. Mothers from low- ( = 16) and high-disadvantage ( = 13) neighborhood environments were recruited to identify environmental factors that resulted in parenting decisions that either promoted or hindered outdoor play and identify differences across neighborhood types.

Perceptions of the Built Environment and Support for Policies That Promote Physical Activity.

Background: To assess how perceptions of the community built environment influence support for community policies that promote physical activity (PA).

Methods: A national cross-sectional survey assessed perceptions of the local built environment and support of community policies, including school and workplace policies, promoting PA. A random digit-dialed telephone survey was conducted in US counties selected on Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System data for high or low prevalence of obesity and inactivity.

A Qualitative Study Identifying Barriers and Facilitators of Physical Activity in Rural Communities.

Background: Physical activity (PA) rates are lower in rural populations, compared to urban and suburban counterparts. Since PA is shown to decrease the risk of cancers and chronic diseases, increasing PA in rural environments is an important disease-prevention strategy. However, in order to develop effective interventions for rural populations, more research is needed.

Perspectives on High School "Pay to Play" Sports Fee Policies: A Qualitative Study.

Background: Participation in high school athletics is associated with many physical and psychosocial benefits. School budget cuts and increased program costs have resulted in policies requiring student athletes to pay fees for sports participation. The purpose of this study was to explore the implementation and perception of these policies among state and district key informants.

Adjusting the Equity Lens: Gaps in Addressing Health Equity in State Chronic Disease Prevention.

Chronic diseases cause a significant proportion of mortality and morbidity in the United States, although risk factors and prevalence rates vary by population subgroups. State chronic disease prevention practitioners are positioned to address these issues, yet little is known about how health equity is being incorporated into their work. The purpose of this study was to explore perceptions of health equity in a sample of state chronic disease practitioners.