Biomedical subjects

Philip Bors

Publications and source records attributed to Philip Bors.

5 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Indicators of activity-friendly communities: an evidence-based consensus process.

BACKGROUND: Regular physical activity, even at modest intensities, is associated with many health benefits. Most Americans, however, do not engage in the recommended levels. As practitioners seek ways to increase population rates of physical activity, interventions and advocacy efforts are being targeted to the community level. Yet, advocates, community leaders, and researchers lack the tools needed to assess local barriers to and opportunities for more active, healthy lifestyles. Investigators used a systematic review process to identify key indicators of activity-friendly communities that can assess and improve opportunities for regular physical activity. METHODS: Investigators conducted a comprehensive literature review of both peer-reviewed literature and fugitive information (e.g., reports and websites) to generate an initial list of indicators for review (n=230). The review included a three-tiered, modified Delphi consensus-development process that incorporated input of international, national, state, and local researchers and practitioners from academic institutions, federal and state government agencies, nonprofit organizations, and funding agencies in public health, transportation, urban planning, parks and recreation, and public policy. RESULTS: Ten promising indicators of activity-friendly communities were identified: land use environment, access to exercise facilities, transportation environment, aesthetics, travel patterns, social environment, land use economics, transportation economics, institutional and organizational policies, and promotion. CONCLUSIONS: Collaborative, multidisciplinary approaches are underway to test, refine, and expand this initial list of indicators and to develop measures that communities, community leaders, and policymakers can use to design more activity-friendly community environments.

Consensus↗

PubMed2003

Statewide prevalence and correlates of walking and bicycling to school.

BACKGROUND: Travel to and from school can be an important and regular source of physical activity for youth. Few US studies have documented the prevalence and correlates of walking and bicycling to school. OBJECTIVE: To examine the prevalence and correlates of walking and bicycling to school among middle and high school youth. DESIGN: Cross-sectional survey. SETTING: Sixty middle schools and 62 high schools selected in North Carolina. PARTICIPANTS: Students in 6th through 8th grades (n = 2151) and in 9th through 12th grades (n = 2297) during the spring of 2001. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Walking or bicycling to school in a usual week. RESULTS: Among middle school students, 9.4% usually walked to school and 4.1% usually bicycled to school at least 1 day per week. Among high school students, 4.9% usually walked to school and 2.8% usually bicycled to school at least 1 day per week. For middle school youth, walking or bicycling to school was more prevalent among boys and among nonwhites. For high school youth, walking or bicycling to school was also more prevalent among nonwhites. For middle school youth (but not high school youth), a higher body mass index (85th to less than 95th percentile) was associated with a reduced odds of walking to school. For high school youth (but not middle school youth), participating in physical education 1 to 4 days per week or never having an adult at home immediately after school was associated with walking or bicycling to school. Higher parental educational level was associated with a reduced odds of walking to school among high school youth. CONCLUSIONS: The descriptive information provided by this study broadens our limited understanding of the prevalence and correlates of walking and bicycling to school in the United States. Further qualitative and quantitative descriptive data are needed to develop successful interventions to increase walking and bicycling to school.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2003

Change in the prevalence of leisure activity with the number of activities recalled.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to examine how the estimated prevalence of leisure activity changed when respondents self-reported up to four activities, compared with using information only from the respondent's one, two, and three most commonly performed leisure activities. METHODS: Information on leisure activities, sociodemographics, and body mass index (BMI) categories was collected in the year 2000 during a telephone interview of 1813 randomly selected adults living in six North Carolina counties. Recommended activity was defined as moderate leisure activity > or =5x wk(-1) for > or =30 min per session or vigorous leisure activity > or =3x wk(-1) for > or =20 min per session. RESULTS: Among respondents, 32.1% reported participation in no leisure activity, 41.7% reported one activity, 21.5% reported two activities, 3.8% reported three activities, and 0.9% reported four activities during the past month. The largest change in prevalence occurred when using two activities compared with one activity for recommended activity, overall and by sociodemographic and BMI categories. The prevalence of recommended activity determined by using 1, 2, 3, or 4 activities was 21.0%, 26.0%, 26.5%, and 26.7%, respectively. CONCLUSION: In this study, collecting information on two leisure activities was the most efficient balance for population specific accuracy of recommended activity.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Reliability and validity of two instruments designed to assess the walking and bicycling suitability of sidewalks and roads.

PURPOSE: Public health professionals hypothesize that when community environments provide suitable walking and bicycling conditions, community members will be more active. Measurement indicators and assessment instruments are needed to evaluate suitability. This study determined the reliability and validity of two instruments to assess the suitability of sidewalks for walking and roads for bicycling. METHODS: Two data collectors used walking and bicycling suitability assessment instruments to collect data on 31 road segments. In addition, three transportation experts used a 7-point Likert response system to subjectively evaluate walking and bicycling conditions for the same segments. Intraclass correlations determined the reliability of each assessment instrument and the reliability of the Likert response system. Pearson correlations (research staff assessments with expert assessments) were calculated to determine the criterion-related validity of the suitability measures. RESULTS: Intercoder reliability (intraclass) correlations for the walking and bicycling assessment instruments were r = .79 and .90, respectively. Intercoder reliability of the experts' Likert response system was r = .73 for the walking form and r = .77 for the bicycling form. Criterion-related validity (Pearson) correlations for the walking and bicycling assessment instruments were r = .58 and .62, respectively. CONCLUSION: Although some variables have lower reliability and validity than is ideal, the walking and bicycling suitability assessment instruments appear promising as instruments for community members and professionals to systematically assess key aspects of the physical environment.

Bicycling↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Neighborhood environment, access to places for activity, and leisure-time physical activity in a diverse North Carolina population.

PURPOSE: To examine associations between perceived neighborhood characteristics, access to places for activity, and leisure-time physical activity. DESIGN: Cross-sectional telephone survey. SETTING: Cabarrus, Henderson, Pitt, Robeson, Surry, and Wake counties in North Carolina. SUBJECTS: Population-based sample of 1796 adults at least 18 years of age residing in the six counties. MEASURES: The 133-item questionnaire assessed self-reported leisure-time physical activity and perceptions of neighborhood characteristics (sidewalks, trails, heavy traffic, streetlights, unattended dogs, and safety from crime) and general access to places for physical activity. RESULTS: Trails, streetlights, and access to places were positively associated with engaging in any leisure activity: unadjusted odds ratio (OR) (95% confidence interval [CI]); 1.62 (1.09-2.41), 1.57 (1.14-2.17), and 2.94 (1.91-4.52), respectively. Trails and access to places were positively associated with engaging in the recommended amount of leisure activity: 1.49 (1.00-2.22), and 2.28 (1.30-4.00), respectively). In multivariable logistic regression modeling including environmental factors and demographics, access to places was associated with any activity (2.23 [1.44-3.44]) and recommended activity (2.15 [1.23-3.77]), and trails were associated with recommended activity (1.51 [1.00-2.28]). CONCLUSION: Certain neighborhood characteristics, particularly trails, and access to places for physical activity may be associated with leisure activity levels. In this study, perceived neighborhood environmental factors and access to places for physical activity were strongly associated with race, education, and income.

Adolescent↗