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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Physical activity

Do State Comprehensive Planning Statutes Address Physical Activity?: Implications for Rural Communities
Study examining state comprehensive plans related to physical activity with a focus on predominantly rural states and jurisdictions based on state statutory laws. Analyzes the rates at which physical activity, land use, parks and recreation, and other planning items were addressed in state statutes, offering a map of state-level rurality, population-conditional rules for planning, and physical activity-related plan elements.
Author(s): Lisa M. Charron, Chloe Milstein, Samantha I. Moyers, Christiaan G. Abildso, Jamie F. Chriqui
Citation: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(22), 12190
Date: 11/2021
Type: Document
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Needs Assessment for Physical Activity Information During COVID-19 Among a Nationally Representative Sample of Parents and Children Ages 6–17 in the United States: A Cross-Sectional Study
Shares the results of a study examining the information needs of parents of children aged 6 to 10 and parent-child dyads of children aged 11 to 17 during the COVID-19 pandemic. Table 2 describes physical activity information needs by parent and child demographic data such as school status, work status, rurality, gender, and more.
Author(s): Ashleigh M. Johnson, Emily Kroshus, Pooja S. Tandon
Citation: BMC Public Health, 21, 1953
Date: 10/2021
Type: Document
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What Sets Physically Active Rural Communities Apart from Less Active Ones? A Comparative Case Study of Three US Counties
Examines factors that influence physical activity in 2 rural counties with high levels of physical activity and 1 rural county with low levels of physical activity, within the same Southern state, to identify best practices for the development and promotion of physical activity in rural areas. Table 1 provides county characteristic data such as race and ethnicity, population living in a rural area, income, economy type, and more.
Author(s): Christiaan G. Abildso, Cynthia K. Perry, Lauren Jacobs, et al.
Citation: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(20), 10574
Date: 10/2021
Type: Document
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Self-Management Education Class Attendance and Health Care Provider Counseling for Physical Activity Among Adults with Arthritis — United States, 2019
Examines self-reported self-management class attendance and healthcare provider physical activity counseling for adults with doctor-diagnosed arthritis. Includes data for metropolitan, micropolitan, and rural (non-core) areas, as well as overall state-by-state data.
Author(s): Lindsey M. Duca, Charles G. Helmick, Kamil E. Barbour, et al.
Citation: MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report), 70(42), 1466-1471
Date: 10/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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Walking and Other Common Physical Activities Among Adults with Arthritis — United States, 2019
Examines nonwork-related physical activity among adults with arthritis. Includes data by rurality for adults who reported walking, gardening, or weightlifting in the last month.
Author(s): Dana Guglielmo, Louise B. Murphy, Kristina A. Theis, et al.
Citation: MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report), 70(40), 1408-1414
Date: 10/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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The Effects of Play Streets on Social and Community Connectedness in Rural Communities
Reports the results of a study looking at the impacts of the Play Streets program that seeks to increase physical activity among children in rural communities located in North Carolina, Maryland, Oklahoma, and Texas. Shares information from focus groups and interviews to further understand the added social and community benefits from the program.
Author(s): M. Renée Umstattd Meyer, Tyler Prochnow, Andrew C. Pickett, et al.
Citation: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(19), 9976
Date: 09/2021
Type: Document
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Determining Patient Needs to Enhance Exercise Program Implementation and Uptake in Rural Settings for Women after a Cancer Diagnosis
Identifies barriers and facilitators of physical activity programs for rural female cancer survivors, utilizing data from focus group discussions among 19 cancer survivors and 11 interventionists. Includes discussion of participant and facilitator knowledge, program cost, support, cancer-specific exercise and physical outcome concerns, and more. Identifies differences in perspective between participant and facilitator groups.
Author(s): Jessica L. Adams, Michelle Y. Martin, Maria Pisu, et al.
Citation: Supportive Care in Cancer, 29(8), 4641-4649
Date: 08/2021
Type: Document
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Low Health Literacy Is Associated With Energy-Balance-Related Behaviors, Quality of Life, and BMI Among Rural Appalachian Middle School Students: A Cross-Sectional Study
Results of a study of 854 7th-grade students in rural Appalachian Virginia, exploring relationships between health literacy and energy-balance-related health behaviors, body mass index (BMI), and quality of life. Features demographics and statistics on health-promoting and risky health behaviors, and self-rated health status.
Author(s): Annie L. Reid, Kathleen J. Porter, Wen You, et al.
Citation: Journal of School Health, 91(8), 608-616
Date: 08/2021
Type: Document
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¿Qué Pasa Con Papá? Exploring Paternal Responsibilities and Physical Activity in Mexican-Heritage Families
Study examining physical activity and parental responsibility among Mexican-heritage fathers in colonias along the Texas-Mexico border, analyzing data from 300 surveys. Discusses reported activities with children, sense of financial responsibility, and strategies for increasing shared activities among Mexican-heritage fathers and children.
Author(s): Megan E. McClendon, M. Renée Umstattd Meyer, Tyler Prochnow, et al.
Citation: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(16), 8618
Date: 08/2021
Type: Document
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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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