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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Physical activity

Barriers, Facilitators, and Opportunities to Promote Healthy Weight Behaviors among Preschool-Aged Children in Two Rural U.S Communities
Examines barriers, facilitators, and opportunities related to supporting wellness and healthy weight in rural preschool children. Utilizes focus group interviews with parents, caregivers, and community organizations as well as observation of built environment to assess healthy eating and physical activity resources. Discusses wellness barriers and facilitators for preschool children at the family, organization, and community levels.
Author(s): Katherine Jochim Pope, Cason Whitcomb, Maihan Vu, et al.
Citation: BMC Public Health 23, 53
Date: 01/2023
Type: Document
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Rural Libraries Implementing Walking Groups or Walking Groups plus Civic Engagement for Walkability in Rural Communities: A Comparative Effectiveness Trial Study Protocol
Describes a planned study on rural libraries and evidence-based health promotion programming. Will study both the effectiveness of multiple forms of community group-based walking programs as well as the ability of rural libraries to implement and evaluate them.
Author(s): Cynthia K. Perry, Rebecca Seguin-Fowler, Jay E. Maddock, et al.
Citation: BMC Public Health, 23, 1895
Date: 2023
Type: Document
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America's Health Rankings Senior Report 2023
Provides a national and state-by-state overview of population health for older adults across 52 measures using data from 22 unique data sources. Covers social and economic factors, physical environment, clinical care, behaviors, and health outcomes. Highlights health disparities, including rural-urban disparities, across five categories of health. Includes state-by-state summaries and county-level maps for risk of social isolation by state.
Additional links: County-Level Maps for Risk of Social Isolation
Date: 2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: United Health Foundation
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Culturally Adapting an Evidence-Based Intervention to Promote a Healthy Diet and Lifestyle for Yup'ik Alaska Native Communities
Highlights a study on a culturally competent educational program on healthy foods and physical activity for Yup'ik Alaska Native communities. Discusses the structure and efficacy of the project. Details some of its limitations and access-based barriers.
Author(s): Scarlett E. Hopkins, Eliza Orr, Bert B. Boyer, and Beti Thompson
Citation: International Journal of Circumpolar Health, 82(1)
Date: 2023
Type: Document
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Early Effects of COVID-19 on Physical Activity and Screen Time Use among Elementary School Students in Columbus, New Mexico
Presents the results of an online survey among parents of students attending Columbus Elementary School in Columbus, New Mexico, a rural Hispanic colonias on the US-Mexico border, to identify and measure changes in their children's physical activity and screen time use during the initial stages of COVID-19. Discusses the significance of home and community and other considerations supporting physical activity for children in the event of a future public health threat.
Author(s): Juan C Padilla, Jill A McDonald, Christopher Sroka, Cynthia Kratzke, Jagdish Khubchandani
Citation: Dialogues Health, 2022,1
Date: 12/2022
Type: Document
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Changes in Physical Activity Outcomes in the Strong Hearts, Healthy Communities (SHHC-2.0) Community-Based Randomized Trial
Examines the Strong Hearts, Healthy Communities 2.0 (SHHC-2.0) intervention focused on exercise, nutrition, and civic engagement. Analyzes behavior changes of 182 women aged 40 and older living in rural New York and provides discussion about implementing wellness interventions in rural areas.
Author(s): Jay E. Maddock, Margaret Demment, Meredith Graham, et al.
Citation: International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, 19,159
Date: 12/2022
Type: Document
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Multilevel Correlates of Domain-Specific Physical Activity Among Rural Adults – a Cross-Sectional Study
Examines the domains in which rural residents are able to participate in physical activity (PA), such as for transportation-related (e.g. walking, cycling) recreational, or occupational. Analyzes 1,241 participants enrolled in a PA intervention in the rural Midwest from August 2019 to September 2020, with data broken down by individual/demographic factors and perceived environmental factors.
Author(s): Alan M. Beck, Natalicio H. Serrano, Audrey Toler, Ross C. Brownson
Citation: BMC Public Health, 22, 2150
Date: 11/2022
Type: Document
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Improvements and Maintenance of Clinical and Functional Measures Among Rural Women: Strong Hearts, Healthy Communities-2.0 Cluster Randomized Trial
Analyzes the impact of the Strong Hearts, Healthy Communities-2.0 (SHHC-2.0) program for weight loss and improved fitness in rural women. Examines 182 midlife and older women in rural, medically underserved communities in New York. Includes demographic information of participants as well corresponding clinical and functional measures after completing the program.
Author(s): Rebecca A. Seguin-Fowler, Galen D. Eldridge, Chad D. Rethorst, et al.
Citation: Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes, 15(11), e009333
Date: 11/2022
Type: Document
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Physical Activity Among Adults in Rural Western North Carolina During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Examines physical activity among adults in a rural area of North Carolina during the COVID-19 pandemic. Analyzes 297 survey responses from August 3, 2020 through September 15, 2020 and reports on demographic characteristics of respondents, type of and reason for physical activity, and perceived barriers and benefits of physical activity.
Author(s): Wade L. Creech, Brooke C. Towner, Rebecca A. Battista
Citation: Preventing Chronic Disease, 19
Date: 11/2022
Type: Document
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Promoting Health and Behavior Change through Evidence-Based Landscape Interventions in Rural Communities: A Pilot Protocol
Highlights a study on the efficacy of a rural wellness hub model designed to support physical activity in rural areas. Details the design, implementation, and outcomes of the pilot program in Clay County, West Virginia. Breaks down data by demographic information, such as age, gender, and ethnicity, and by physical activity engaged in.
Author(s): Shan Jiang, Udday Datta, Christine Jones
Citation: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(19), 12833
Date: 10/2022
Type: Document
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