Development of the Rural Active Living Perceived Environmental Support Scale (RALPESS)

Background: Evidence supports the role of physical and social environments in active living, including perception of environment. However, measurement of perceived environments in rural settings is lacking. This study describes the development of the Rural Active Living Perceived Environmental Support Scale (RALPESS). Methods: Premised on social ecological and cognitive perspectives, 85 initial items were generated through a literature review and a mixed-methods investigation of activity-friendly environments. Items were organized by resource areas town center, indoor and outdoor physical activity areas, schools, churches, and areas around the home/neighborhood-and submitted for expert panel review. In 2009, a revised questionnaire was disseminated to adolescents, parents, public school staff, and older adults in 2 rural southeastern United States counties. Principal component analysis with varimax rotation was used to explore factor structure (n = 542). Results: The final analysis yielded 33 items with 7 factors: 1) church facilities, 2) town center connectivity, 3) indoor areas, 4) around the home/neighborhood, 5) town center physical activity resources, 6) school grounds, and 7) outdoor areas. Conclusions: The RALPESS is a valid, internally consistent, and practically useful instrument to measure perceptions of rural environments in the context of physical activity across the lifespan. Confirmatory factor analysis is recommended to validate factor structure

Association of temporal factors and suicides in the United States, 2000–2004

The purpose of the study was to examine the association of temporal factors, in particular days of the week and seasons of the year and death from suicide in the United States. Data were pooled from the Multiple Cause of Death Files. Hierarchical logistic regression models were fitted to all deaths occurring in 2000 through 2004 by suicide. The incidence of suicide was significantly higher on Wednesdays, compared to Sunday. Specifically, individuals were 99% more likely to kill themselves on Wednesday than on Sunday. Suicides were more prevalent in the summer months, and they were less likely to occur in winter. The state suicide rate significantly elevated individual suicide risk. The results held even after controlling for the potentially confounding effects of socio-economic and demographic variables at both the individual and state levels. It was concluded that the observed association between seasonality and suicide cannot be discounted as a mere coincidence. Future research ought to focus on integrating individual level data and contextual variables when testing for seasonality effects

An investigation of materialistic values and physical activity participation, location, and experience

In spite of clear and much publicized health benefits, the majority of American adults do not participate in enough physical activity to satisfy established public health recommendations. In recent years, attention has been paid to social position and consumption as they are related to health and well-being. In light of increases in chronic disease and health risks associated with insufficient activity, as well as increased consumptive patterns associated with decreased well-being, studies aimed at understanding the confluence of these trends are essential. The purpose of this study was to gain a better understanding of how materialistic values interact with the social and physical environments to influence physical activity participation, location, and the experience of being active. The present study utilized a mixed method, cross sectional design (n = 487). Increased materialism was associated with greater physical activity and appears to influence the selection of activity location, experience, and norms. The findings of this study suggest that this line of inquiry is timely, culturally relevant, and worthy of further investigation. (Published By University of Alabama Libraries