ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION ON FORT RILEY ARMY INSTALLATION: A FIELD EXPERIENCE REPORT

Master of Public HealthPublic Health Interdepartmental ProgramKatie M. HeinrichThis report was focused on my field experience at the Department of Public Health at Fort Riley Army Installation. The purpose of this report was two-fold. First, I have outlined and described my experiences with various groups within the Department of Public Health. Second, I aimed to evaluate policies and programs focused on promoting environmental change for walking and biking and gave direction to the Army Corp of Engineers on best practices for walking and biking for transportation. The objectives were to identify key agencies responsible for bike and pedestrian infrastructure, understand how those agencies could work together to improve the built environment for walking and biking and develop intervention strategies to improve walking and biking on Fort Riley

The role of social networks in the building of physical activity trails in the state of Kansas

Master of Public HealthDepartment of KinesiologyKatie M. HeinrichBackground and Purpose: Trails can help increase community physical activity levels but little is known about the role that collaborations play in building a trail. Social network analysis may be a useful tool to examine collaborations among various stakeholders, such as municipal public works, parks and recreation, community organizations, hospitals, local businesses, universities, and schools. The purpose of this project is threefold: a) to identify the number and type of organizations involved in trail building, b) to examine the centrality and density of social networks in the trail building process and c) to determine whether collaborations differ between the three phases of trail building (generation, grant funding and construction). Methods: Thirty-four successful trail project builders funded by the Sunflower Foundation of Kansas participated in an online survey designed to explore collaborations throughout the trail building process. Social network analysis adapted from procedures developed by Wickizer and colleagues (1993) was used to identify key organizations in building trails, to estimate the overall density and centrality of connections between the organizations, and to determine differences in collaborations by project phase. Results: Fifteen different groups (e.g. non-profit community organizations, city parks and recreation department, city public works, schools) were identified as part of the trail building process. Non-profit community organizations were most central to trail building during all three phases (generation (.36) grant writing (.38), and construction (.41)). All three phases of trail building were only weakly connected as indicated by density of social network scores measured during the generation (5.7%), grant writing (6.2%) and construction phases (7.5%). Centrality of social networks was high for all three phases of the trail building process, the generation phase (0.32) the grant writing phase (0.27) and the construction phase (0.36). Conclusions: This exploratory analysis suggests Social Network Analysis may be a useful tool to study organizations that collaborate to build trails for physical activity. During the distinct phases of trail-building, the role of collaborations changed. Some organizations were more important in the planning phase, grant writing or construction, while others (e.g. non-profit community organizations) were important throughout the entire process. Additionally, the density of social network increased as the trail projects progressed. The relationships between organizations were often weak but provided a flow of necessary information and skills to successfully build a trail. Future research should attempt to understand these time-dependent collaborations and encourage them in future trail and other built environment projects that support physical activity

The social network of medical case managers, housing providers, and health department staff in the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program: A Midwest case study.

BackgroundBroad networks of providers in the Ryan White system are essential to end the HIV epidemic. Yet, there is little evidence that has assessed social networks of providers within HIV care networks. The purpose of this study is to provide a cross-sectional analysis of the role medical case managers (MCM), housing providers (HP), and health department staff (HDS), play in a Ryan White-funded area.MethodsAll MCMs, HPs, and HDS (N = 57) in a Midwest Transitional Grant Area were invited to participate in a social network survey. Social network composition scores, exponential random graph modeling and ANOVA tests were conducted using SPSS and R Studio.ResultsCommunication in this network was significantly more likely between SW of the same provider type (e.g. MCMs communicating with other MCMs, β = .87, pDiscussionHDS play an important role in communicating across provider types in care delivery for HIV. Our results indicate that health departments represent essential agencies for broad dissemination of resources and knowledge, and may bridge communication barriers for coordination of housing support and HIV care delivery

Physical activity, balance, and bicycling in older adults

Falls are a critical public health issue among older adults. One notable factor contributing to falls in older adults is a deterioration of the structures supporting balance and overall balance control. Preliminary evidence suggests older adults who ride a bicycle have better balance than those who do not. Cycling may be an effective intervention to prevent falls among older adults. This study aims to objectively measure the relationship between bicycling, physical activity, and balance for older adults. Older adult cyclists (n = 19) and non-cyclists (n = 27) were recruited to (1) complete a survey that assessed demographics; (2) wear an accelerometer for 3 weeks to objectively assess physical activity; and (3) complete balance-related tasks on force platforms. Mann-Whitney U-tests were performed to detect differences in balance and physical activity metrics between cyclists and non-cyclists. Cyclists were significantly more physically active than non-cyclists. Cyclists, compared to non-cyclists, exhibited differences in balance-related temporospatial metrics and long-range temporal correlations that suggest a more tightly regulated postural control strategy that may relate to higher stability. Cycling was observed to correlate more strongly with balance outcomes than other physical activity. Taken together, these results demonstrate the possible implications for cycling as an effective intervention to improve balance and reduce fall risk

Physical Activity and Nutrition Intervention for Middle Schoolers (Move More, Get More): Protocol for a Quasi-Experimental Study

Background: Physical activity and nutrition behaviors are important to reducing the prevalence of childhood obesity. Previous research has identified school-based interventions as effective strategies to improve physical activity and nutrition. However, the results are often mixed, and middle schoolers are an under-studied population. Objective: Our study aims to fill this gap by developing an after-school intervention to increase physical activity and fruit and vegetable consumption that is influenced by national guidelines and formative research. Methods: This study was an after-school, quasi-experimental study spanning 9 months. Enrollment began in September 2021 and continued on a rolling basis through February 2022. Weekly, middle schoolers were offered 2-3 physical activity sessions and 1 produce kit. Physical activity was measured using accelerometers and questionnaires. Nutrition behaviors were assessed using questionnaires, and physical literacy was assessed using researcher observations. Follow-up data collection occurred in December 2021 and in April 2022. Difference scores will be calculated and analyzed for each outcome variable. Results: The intervention started in September 2021 and will conclude in May 2022. Published study results are expected in late 2022. Conclusions: An increase in physical literacy, physical activity, and fruit and vegetable consumption is expected. If successful, future studies will focus on reach and sustainability. Lastly, this study may serve as a model for improving health outcomes in middle schools

Associations of internalized and anticipated HIV stigma with returning to work for persons living with HIV.

IntroductionEmployment is particularly beneficial for persons living with HIV (PLWH). However, PLWH experiencing internalized stigma or anticipating that they may experience stigma may be less likely to seek employment due to additional barriers associated with HIV. The purpose of this study was to understand the associations between internalized and anticipated stigma and employment barriers for PLWH.MethodsParticipants (N = 712) from 12 sites across the United States were recruited and interviewed about barriers to employment, HIV stigma, and several other factors related to health. A series of unadjusted and adjusted linear regression models were conducted using cross-sectional data.ResultsAdjusted models suggest that greater anticipated stigma was related to increased employment barriers (β = 0.12, p = 0.04). Mental and physical health functioning also positively predicted employment barriers (β = -0.18, p DiscussionEmployment among PLWH has beneficial impacts on HIV-related health outcomes. This study suggests that anticipated stigma may limit and individual's willingness to seek out employment, or may cause them to leave employment. Internalized stigma may not play as large of a role in employment as anticipated stigma for PLWH. HIV-related stigma reduction interventions focused on community-level and employers are essential to improve employment opportunities for PLWH

Decreased Physical Activity Among Youth Resulting From COVID-19 Pandemic–Related School Closures: Natural Experimental Study

BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in the closure of schools and may have inadvertently resulted in decreased physical activity for youth. Emerging evidence suggests that school closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic could have hastened the inactivity of youth, possibly due to a lack of structure outside of school and increased access to sedentary activities. ObjectiveThe purpose of this study was to assess changes in physical activity from pre–school closure (before the pandemic) to post–school closure (during the pandemic) among youth in spring 2020. MethodsThis study used a natural experimental design; youth were enrolled in a physical activity study prior to the lockdown, which was enforced due to the pandemic. The number of device-assessed steps per day and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity minutes per week were measured by using a Garmin Vivofit 4 (Garmin Ltd) accelerometer over 8 weeks. Mixed effects models were used to compare physical activity variables, which were measured before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. ResultsYouth were primarily Hispanic or Latinx (8/17, 47%) and female (10/17, 59%). The number of daily steps decreased by 45.4% during the school closure, from a pre–school closure mean of 8003 steps per day to a post–school closure mean of 4366 steps per day. Daily moderate-to-vigorous physical activity decreased by 42.5%, from a pre–school closure mean of 80.18 minutes per week to a post–school closure mean of 46.13 minutes per week. ConclusionsYouth are engaging in roughly half as much physical activity during the school closure as they were prior to the school closure. If additional evidence supports these claims, interventions are needed to support youths’ engagement in physical activity in the Midwest

Statistical results of balance assessment comparing cyclists and non-cyclists.

Statistical results of balance assessment comparing cyclists and non-cyclists.</p

Survey, Garmin, balance data.

(XLSX)</p

Correlates of balance by physical activity type.

Correlates of balance by physical activity type.</p