Development, scoring, and reliability for the Microscale Audit of Pedestrian Streetscapes for Safe Routes to School (MAPS-SRTS) instrument.

Background: Active commuting to school can be a meaningful contributor to overall physical activity in children. To inform better micro-level urban design near schools that can support active commuting to school, there is a need for measures that capture these elements. This paper describes the adaptation of an observational instrument for use in assessing micro-scale environments around urban elementary schools in the United States.

Air pollution and metabolic disorders: Dynamic versus static measures of exposure among Hispanics/Latinos and non-Hispanics.

Introduction: Exposure to air pollution disproportionately affects racial/ethnic minorities that could contribute to health inequalities including metabolic disorders. However, most existing studies used a static assessment of air pollution exposure (mostly using the residential address) and do not account for activity space when modelling exposure to air pollution. The aim of this study is to understand how exposure to air pollution impacts metabolic disorders biomarkers, how this effect differs according to ethnicity, and for the first time compare these findings with two methods of exposure assessment: dynamic and static measures.

Accounting for space, time, and behavior using GPS derived dynamic measures of environmental exposure.

Time-weighted spatial averaging approaches (TWSA) are an increasingly utilized method for calculating exposure using global positioning system (GPS) mobility data for health-related research. They can provide a time-weighted measure of exposure, or dose, to various environments or health hazards. However, little work has been done to compare existing methodologies, nor to assess how sensitive these methods are to mobility data inputs (e.

Engaging older adults as advocates for age-friendly, walkable communities: The Senior Change Makers Pilot Study.

As the U.S. population ages, communities must adapt to help older adults thrive.

Electronic Devices as Correlates of Sedentary Behavior and Screen Time Among Diverse Low-Income Adolescents During the School Year and Summer Time.

Excessive screen time among adolescents increases risk for overweight and obesity. Having electronic devices in the adolescent's bedroom is associated with more screen time. The present study expanded on previous studies by also examining portable personal electronic devices and social media membership as correlates of screen time use and total sedentary time in the school year and summer among diverse low-income adolescents.

Physical activity and sedentary time in a rural adult population in Malawi compared with an age-matched US urban population.

Objectives: This study was designed to assess patterns of objectively measured physical activity (PA) and sedentary behaviour in a sample of adults in a rural setting from a low-income Sub-Saharan African country (Malawi). The patterns of PA and sedentary behaviour in Malawi were compared with US data collected and analysed using the same methodology.

Methods: The Malawi PA data were collected as part of a survey experiment on the measurement of agricultural labor conducted under the World Bank Living Standards Measurement Study program.

Self-reported sleep disturbances are associated with poorer cognitive performance in older adults with hypertension: a multi-parameter risk factor investigation.

Objectives: Given the evidence of multi-parameter risk factors in shaping cognitive outcomes in aging, including sleep, inflammation, cardiometabolism, and mood disorders, multidimensional investigations of their impact on cognition are warranted. We sought to determine the extent to which self-reported sleep disturbances, metabolic syndrome (MetS) factors, cellular inflammation, depressive symptomatology, and diminished physical mobility were associated with cognitive impairment and poorer cognitive performance.

Design: This is a cross-sectional study.

Race/ethnic variations in school-year versus summer differences in adolescent physical activity.

Children and adolescents gain more weight in the summer than the school year, and there are race/ethnic differences in this pattern. Youth physical activity is lower in the summer, and the main aim of the present study was to examine race/ethnic and sex differences in adolescent physical activity, sedentary behavior, and related variables, comparing the school-year and summer. Adolescents aged 11-17 years were recruited from lower-income areas of five states in 2017-2018, and n = 207 completed surveys in both the school-year and summer: 56 African Americans, 30 American Indians, 21 Asian/Pacific Islanders, 49 Latinos, and 51 White, non-Hispanics.

Sampling Methodology and Reliability of a Representative Walkability Audit.

Background: Physical inactivity is a public health concern in the US Virgin Islands (USVI). A contributing factor may be a lack of pedestrian infrastructure and other environmental supports for walking. In this manuscript, we describe the methods used to conduct a walkability audit of environmental features related to physical activity in the USVI.

Policy and Practice-Relevant Youth Physical Activity Research Center Agenda.

Background: The Physical Activity Research Center developed a research agenda that addresses youth physical activity (PA) and healthy weight, and aligns with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's Culture of Health. This paper summarizes prioritized research studies with a focus on youth at higher risk for inactive lifestyles and childhood obesity in urban and rural communities.

Methods: Systematic literature reviews, a survey, and discussions with practitioners and researchers provided guidance on research questions to build evidence and inform effective strategies to promote healthy weight and PA in youth across race, cultural, and economic groups.

Co-benefits of designing communities for active living: an exploration of literature.

To reverse the global epidemic of physical inactivity that is responsible for more than 5 million deaths per year, many groups recommend creating "activity-friendly environments." Such environments may have other benefits, beyond facilitating physical activity, but these potential co-benefits have not been well described. The purpose of the present paper is to explore a wide range of literature and conduct an initial summary of evidence on co-benefits of activity-friendly environments.

Active living research: creating and using evidence to support childhood obesity prevention.

The second phase of Active Living Research (ALR-2, 2007-2012) focused on advancing the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF)'s goal of reversing the childhood obesity epidemic. The mission was to stimulate and support research to identify environmental factors and policies that influence physical activity for children and families to inform effective childhood obesity prevention strategies, with an emphasis on the lower-income and racial/ethnic communities with highest childhood obesity prevalence. The present report describes ALR activities undertaken to accomplish three goals.

The Active Living Research program: six years of grantmaking.

Changes in policies and built environments are advocated as part of efforts to increase physical activity, but in 2001 the knowledge base to inform these changes was limited. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation addressed this deficit by initiating Active Living Research (ALR). The mission of ALR was to stimulate and support research that could guide the improvement of environments, policies, and practices to promote active living.