Actions taken to reduce sodium intake among adults with self-reported hypertension: HealthStyles survey, 2005 and 2008.

Consuming high amounts of dietary sodium is associated with hypertension. The authors analyzed the HealthStyles 2005 and 2008 survey for behaviors to lower blood pressure related to dietary sodium, including the reduction of sodium intake and reading food labels for sodium content among hypertensives. All estimates were based on self-reported data.

Changing the conversation about prostate cancer among African Americans: results of formative research.

Objectives: To understand obstacles to and opportunities for improving prostate cancer communication to and within African American communities.

Design: Researchers conducted interviews with 19 community leaders and five focus groups with healthy men and survivors. The team also conducted process evaluations of two outreach projects in which survivors spoke to African American men about prostate cancer and screening.

Active neighborhood checklist: a user-friendly and reliable tool for assessing activity friendliness.

Purpose: To test the reliability of the Active Neighborhood Checklist (the Checklist), a user-friendly audit tool for assessing neighborhood environmental supports for physical activity.

Methods: Sixty-four street segments in St. Louis and southeastern Missouri were selected among diverse areas that varied with respect to socioeconomic levels, urbanization, and land use.

How reliably do community members audit the neighborhood environment for its support of physical activity? Implications for participatory research.

Environmental audits are used to assess supports for physical activity in the community. Understanding the suitability of such instruments for use by community members is crucial for advocacy and participatory research. This study examined the reliability of an audit instrument filled out by trained researchers and untrained community members.