Healthfinder.gov
A newly designed Healthfinder.gov, the health information website of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, was launched at the end of September.  Visit http://www.healthfinder.gov

Healthy People 2020
Join the Healthy People Consortium and help in the quest for a healthier US.  Originally established in 1988 by the Public Health Service, the Consortium is a diverse, motivated and dedicated group of agencies and organizations committed to working together to help achieve Healthy People goals and objectives. The Consortium also serves to help expand the reach of the Healthy People initiative as widely and broadly as possible.

Consortium members actively participated in the development of the health objectives, integrated Healthy People objectives into programs and initiatives, and used Healthy People as the basis for program planning. A vital networking and communication tool, the Consortium helps members to continually stay informed about various Healthy People activities at the federal, state, local and tribal levels.
To sign up, visit www.healthypeople.gov.

Healthy People 2010
The Physical Activity and Fitness progress review (round 2) summary is available on-line.  Read the summary to learn more about efforts to meet the Healthy People 2010 targets for measures of physical activity and fitness. Visit http://www.healthypeople.gov/data/2010prog/focus22/ 

Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans
Visit http://www.health.gov/paguidelines or http://wwwhealthfinder.gov for Physical Activity Guidelines professional and consumer materials including the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans and Be Active Your Way:  A Guide for Adults.  In addition sign-up to be a Physical Activity Guidelines Supporter and receive a copy of the Guidelines toolkit as well as access to an on-line supporter community, which will launch in January.  More than 1,000 organizations and individuals have signed on as supporters thus far.     

Administration for Children and Families (ACF)
The American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (AAHPERD) is the recipient of a $12 million, four-year grant to establish a National Center for Physical Development and Outdoor Play.  The National Center will help Head Start programs evaluate their playgrounds and educate children and their families about the value of healthy food and structured physical activity.  The center will assist the Head Start program in creating healthy learning environments, both in and outside the classroom, through structured and unstructured physical activity that leads to the physical, cognitive, social and emotional development of young children.

The National Center for Physical Development and Outdoor Play, to be operated by AAHPERD, will provide direct support Head Start programs with training and technical assistance and grants of up to $5,000 to Head Start grantees for improvements and construction of playgrounds and outdoor play spaces.  It will also provide information and support to ACF’s Office of Head Start in setting national priorities and developing policies.

Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
Obese school-age kids and teens can lose weight or prevent further weight gain if they participate in medium- to high-intensity behavioral management programs. Medium- to high-intensity programs entailed more than 25 hours of interaction, usually once or twice a week for 6 to 12 months.  Effective programs included techniques to improve dietary and physical activity habits, with some featuring strategies such as goal setting, problem solving and relapse prevention.

The report, Effectiveness of Weight Management Programs in Children and Adolescents, is available at http://www.ahrq.gov/clinic/tp/chwghttp.htm.   Copies of the report may be ordered free of charge by calling the AHRQ Publications Clearinghouse at 1-800-358-9295 or sending an E-mail to AHRQPubs@ahrq.hhs.gov.

Also available from AHRQ: a free DVD for families and children age
5 to 9 called Max's Magical Delivery: Fit for Kids. The 30-minute DVD teaches children and their parents about smart eating and physical activity. Copies are available by calling 1-800-358-9295 or E-mailing AHRQPubs@ahrq.hhs.gov.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Study Finds Community Physical Activity Programs are Money Well Spent
Community-based physical activity interventions designed to promote more active lifestyles among adults are cost-effective in reducing heart disease, stroke, colorectal and breast cancers, and type 2 diabetes, according to a study by the CDC, with support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

Using a rigorous economic model developed to assess the cost-effectiveness of community-based physical activity interventions, the study found these interventions to be cost-effective; reducing new cases of many chronic diseases and improving quality of life.
View the full press release at: http://www.cdc.gov/media/pressrel/2008/r081114.htm

Social Marketing Course Available
The Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity at CDC has a new online training course: Social Marketing for Nutrition and Physical Activity.
The course is available free of charge at http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/
socialmarketing/index.htm
Continuing education credits (CHES and CEU’s) are available for those who register, complete the course, and fill out an evaluation through the CDC/ATSDR Training and Continuing Education Online system (http://www2a.cdc.gov/tceonline).

Communities Selected to Address Chronic Disease
CDC selected 12 communities to be supported as Strategic Alliances for Health. These communities will develop models and strategies for how local communities can take action to address chronic disease, with a focus on physical activity, nutrition, tobacco use, obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.

The communities will create Action Guides to guide other communities in replicating the effective strategies. These as well as other tools for community action will be available via the internet.

The 12 Communities are:

• The State Department of Health Alabama, which will support Dallas County, Perry County, and Sumter County.
• The State Department of Health of New York, which will support Albany County, Broome County, Orange County, and Schenectady County.
• DeKalb County, GA
• Hamilton County, OH
• New York City, NY
• Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians, MI
• Cherokee Nation, OK

Effective approaches will be spread further across the nation through ACHIEVE (Action Communities for Health, Innovation, and EnVironmental ChangE). Four national organizations have been selected to collaborate with CDC in conducting ACHIEVE. These national organizations will select 40 new communities per year (10 per organization) to participate in ACHIEVE, and will support community action teams in those communities through their local affiliates. Communities will receive technical support from national organizations as well as national experts in community-level change for chronic disease prevention.

National organizations selected to participate in ACHlEVE include:

• The National Association of Chronic Disease Directors (NACDD)
• The National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO)
• The National Recreation and Parks Association
• The YMCA of the USA

Promoting Health Equity: A Resource to Help Communities Address Social Determinants of Health 
This workbook was created to support new and existing partnerships to address the social determinants of health inequities. It highlights lessons learned by communities and provides information and tools to develop, implement and evaluate interventions that address social determinants of health inequities.  It was designed for a wide range of users interested in achieving health equity. 
The workbook (PDF) can be downloaded at:  http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dach/chaps/
To order a free copy (maximum of 10), visit:  http://wwwn.cdc.gov/pubs/CHAPS.aspx

Morbidity Mortality Weekly Report
Prevalence of self-reported physically active adults—United States, 2007.  Vo.57(48) 1297-1300
“Under the 2008 (Physical Activity) Guidelines (for Americans), the minimum recommended aerobic physical activity required to produce substantial health benefits in adults is 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity per week, or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity activity per week, or an equivalent combination of moderate- and vigorous-intensity physical activity. Recommendations for aerobic physical activity in the 2008 Guidelines differ from those used in Healthy People 2010 (HP2010) objectives, which call for adults to engage in at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity activity, 5 days per week, or 20 minutes of vigorous-intensity activity, 3 days per week (2). To establish baseline data for the 2008 Guidelines and compare the percentage of respondents who reported meeting these guidelines with the percentage who reported meeting HP2010 objectives, CDC analyzed data from the 2007 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) survey. This report summarizes the results of that analysis, which indicated that, overall, 64.5% of respondents in 2007 reported meeting the 2008 Guidelines, and 48.8% of the same respondents reported meeting HP2010 objectives. Public health officials should be aware that, when applied to BRFSS data, the two sets of recommendations yield different results. Additional efforts are needed to further increase physical activity.”
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/
mm5748a1.htm?s_cid=mm5748a1_e

Self-reported prediabetes and risk-reduction activities—United States, 2006. Vo. 57(44)1203-1205
“This report summarizes the results of that analysis, which determined that, although at least one fourth of U.S. adults are known to have prediabetes through surveys that included laboratory testing, in 2006, only an estimated 4% of U.S. adults had been told they had prediabetes. Among those who had been told they had prediabetes, 68% had tried to lose or control weight, 55% had increased physical activity or exercise, 60% had reduced dietary fat or calories, and 42% had engaged in all three activities.”
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/
mm5744a3.htm?s_cid=mm5744a3_e

Prevalence of selected risk behaviors and chronic diseases. Vol. 57/ No. SS-11
“Overall, the estimated prevalence among respondents aged >18 years who reported engaging in moderate physical activity for >30 minutes at least five times a week or who reported engaging in vigorous physical activity for >20 minutes at least three times a week ranged from 42.0% (95% CI = 38.7--45.3) in New Orleans, Louisiana, to 62.2% (95% CI = 59.0--65.3) in Jefferson County, New York (median: 51.1%) (Table 11). The nationwide 2005 BRFSS median was 49.1%; this median was exceeded by 22 Steps communities.” http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/
ss5711a1.htm?s_cid=ss5711a1_e  

Preventing Chronic Disease—October articles of interest
1.  Swift Worksite Assessment and Translation (SWAT) evaluation method
Dunet DO, Sparling PB, Hersey J, Williams-Piehota P, Hill MD, Hanssen C, et al. A new evaluation tool to obtain practice-based evidence of worksite health promotion programs. Prev Chronic Dis 2008;5(4). http://www.cdc.gov/pcd/issues/2008/oct/07_0173.htm.

2.  Use of SWAT to identify promising practices in the promotion of a healthy weight at small to medium-sized worksites
Hersey J, Williams-Piehota P, Sparling PB, Alexander J, Hill MD, Isenberg KB, et al. Promising practices in promotion of healthy weight at small and medium-sized US worksites. Prev Chronic Dis 2008;5(4). http://www.cdc.gov/pcd/issues/2008/oct/07_0172.htm.

3.  Relationship between bouts (session of 10 minutes or more) and non-bouts (less than 10 minutes) of moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activity and waist circumference and BMI
Strath SJ, Holleman RG, Ronis DL, Swartz AM, Richardson CR. Objective physical activity accumulation in bouts and nonbouts and relation to markers of obesity in US adults. Prev Chronic Dis 2008;5(4). http://www.cdc.gov/pcd/issues/2008/oct/07_0158.htm.

4.  Utah’s Gold Medal Schools program, which targets policy and environmental changes that promote healthy lifestyles
Neiger BL, Thackeray R, Hanson CL, Rigby S, Hussey C, Anderson JW. A policy and environmental response to overweight in childhood: the impact of Gold Medal Schools. Prev Chronic Dis 2008;5(4). http://www.cdc.gov/pcd/issues/2008/oct/07_0163.htm.

Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)
The HRSA Office of Women's Health has new consumer tools that are a part of the Bright Futures for Women's Health and Wellness (BFWHW) Physical Activity and Healthy Eating domain for young and adult women living in rural areas.  The tools include an Adult Women's Guide, a set of ten Tip Sheets, a Young Women's Guide, and a bookmark. 

The HRSA Information Center has limited FREE copies available of the 2 Guides and the bookmark.  To order, please contact http://ask.hrsa.gov/ or 1-888-ASK-HRSA.
The HRSA Office of Women's Health is currently working with a contractor to make the tools available in Section 508 compliant (HTML) and PDF formats in the near future.

For more information about BFWHW, please see http://mchb.hrsa.gov/about/owhbf.htm

Women’s Health USA Data Book
HRSA released Women’s Health USA 2008, the seventh edition of the Women’s Health USA data book. To reflect the ever-changing, increasingly diverse population and its characteristics, Women’s Health USA selectively highlights emerging issues and trends in women’s health, including physical activity.  To access the data book, please visit: http://mchb.hrsa.gov/   

National Institutes of Health
NIDA to Research How Exercise Helps to Prevent Addiction
It is well known that exercise is an important part of a healthy lifestyle, but can it also prevent substance abuse and addiction? The National Institute on Drug Abuse, part of the National Institutes of Health, held a conference in June to explore the possible role for physical activity in substance abuse prevention. As part of this effort, NIDA announced a $4 million grant initiative to spur further research on this emerging area. More than 100 scientists from around the country gathered for the two-day conference to discuss how physical activity may affect mood, motivation, attention, and impulse control, among other factors that may play a role in substance abuse.

For more information about NIDA, including research opportunities and other initiatives, please visit: http://www.drugabuse.gov/NIDAHome.html.

And elsewhere…

Department of Agriculture (USDA)
The USDA now offers MyPyramid for Preschoolers.  The on-line resource targets parents and caregivers of children aged 2-5.  A customized MyPyramid can be created by entering some simple information about a child, such as age and sex.  Kitchen activity ideas and sample meal plans are also available.  http://www.mypyramid.gov/preschoolers/index.html

Department of the Interior (DOI)
DOI, the US Department of Agriculture and the Army Corps of Engineers announced the “Get Outdoors, It’s Yours” initiative.  Get Outdoors, It’s Yours encourages children and adults to experience nature firsthand in an effort to reconnect children with nature, increase awareness about opportunities and places to be active outdoors, and foster the next generation of conservationists. Visit http://www.getoutdoorsitsyours.gov

Department of Transportation
The Federal Highway Administration released Guide to Promoting Bicycling on Public Lands.  The guide explores ways to address some of the environmental impacts of increasing automobile use on some Federal lands and safe and viable options for promoting bicycling in these public spaces.  To download a copy of the guide, please visit http://www.bicyclinginfo.org/library/details.cfm?id=4358.

American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM)
ACSM and the National Society of Physical Activity Practitioners in Public Health (NSPAPPH) announced their plans to offer a specialty certification for professionals promoting physical activity in a public health setting.  To learn more, please visit the NSPAPPH website at http://www.nspapph.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=51&Itemid=1 

Bikes Belong
Bikes Belong released figures on its Freehweelin initiative, a partnership with Humana to supply 1,000 bikes to the Democratic and Republican national conventions.  The two goals of this effort were: 1.) To demonstrate the convenience of bicycling for short trips and 2.) To focus attention on bicycling on a national stage and generate positive media with the hope of inspiring more people to ride a bicycle.  Bikes Belong reported that during the two conventions, people representing 50 states and 37 countries took 7,523 rides, pedaled 41,724 miles, burned 1,293,429 calories, reduced their carbon footprint by 14.6 metric tons, and reported no accidents or injuries.  Source article available at http://www.bikesbelong.org/node/1235673

National Athletic Trainers’ Association (NATA)
NATA issued recommendations on how to avoid cold-weather related injuries and illnesses.  The recommendations and actions to take if such injuries or illnesses occur are featured in the November/December issue of the Journal of Athletic Training.  The position statement is available at: http://www.nata.org/statements/position/
environmentalcoldinjuries.pdf

Partnership for Prevention
Real Health Reform Starts with Prevention is a series of recommendations to Congress and the Executive Branch for strengthening the role of disease prevention and health promotion in the America.  The report is a series of policy papers written by topic area experts.  The executive summary, policy papers and full report can be found at: http://www.prevent.org/content/view/197/ 

Rails-to-Trails Conservancy
The report, Active Transportation for America: A case for increased federal investment in bicycling and walking quantifies the benefits of enhancing the nation’s bicycling and walking infrastructure.  The report suggests that among the benefits to be gained are reductions in automobile emissions and increased physical activity.  To access the PDF, please visit:
http://www.railstotrails.org/resources/documents/
whatwedo/atfa/ATFA_20081020.pdf

University of Illinois Chicago- Request for Research Participants
The University of Illinois at Chicago is looking for Children with disabilities aged 12-18 and their parents/caregivers to complete an internet-based survey on the lifestyle and environment of adolescents with disabilities. This survey can be found by visiting the following link: www.healthforyouth.org and entering the access code: PCPFS. For more information, or if you have difficulty accessing the survey, please contact Brienne Davis in the Department of Disability and Human Development at bdavis7@uic.edu or 312-355-4054.