Category: Physical Activity

PRC Faculty Beth Dodson is one of 16 members on the Report Card Research Advisory Committee: US earns D- on latest youth physical activity report card — again (Links to an external site)

Beth Dodson, PRC faculty, emphasizes the urgent need to improve physical activity among children. As a member of the 2024 Report Card Research Advisory Committee, she advocates for evidence-based policies, such as safe biking routes and increased physical education, to combat declining activity levels nationwide.

Southeast Missouri is Still “Moving” After PRC Intervention Ends

Written by Tim Poor Heartland Moves, an intervention to promote physical activity in Southeast Missouri, has ended, but the project’s local manager, Dixie Duncan, is still “Moving.”  She’s working with communities to expand and develop walking trails, and she’s continuing to promote groups of walkers in conjunction with the wellness council in Poplar Bluff and […]

PRC Faculty, Peg Allen and Maura Kepper receive new grants

Peg Allen recently received a new grant funded through the Public Health Accreditation Board, titled “Small Health Department Accreditation Success Stories.” The purpose of this short-term project (October 2023 through May 2024) is to develop public health department success stories for the Public Health Accreditation Board that describe facilitators of successful preparations for national accreditation […]

Maura Kepper’s Project Adapts a new Digital Health Tool called PREVENT to Help Patients Overcome Barriers to Healthy Behaviors

Because low-income residents in rural areas often face greater barriers to achieving healthy behaviors and reduced cancer risk, it is critical that we provide care tailored to their needs. Digital tools have the ability to support health care teams in delivering targeted behavior counseling and other necessary resources for sustaining good health. Maura Kepper, PHD, […]

PRC Researchers Explored Parent Perception of Children’s Physical Activity and Screen Time During COVID-19 Stay-at-home Orders in Featured Study. (Links to an external site)

Objective: In this study, we explore parent perception of children’s physical activity and screen time during COVID-19 stay-at-home orders. Methods: We interviewed 16 parents of children ages 5-12 years in the St. Louis, Missouri region using snowball sampling. We sampled from rural, urban, and suburban areas. The interviews were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using a priori and emergent codes. […]

Associations of Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviors with Child Mental Well-being During the COVID-19 Pandemic (Links to an external site)

Abstract Background: The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in public health and policy measures to reduce in-person contact and the transmission of the virus. These measures impacted daily life and mental well-being (MWB). The aims of this study were to explore the MWB impacts of COVID-19 on children and assess the associations among perceived changes in physical activity […]

PRC Researchers, Rodrigo Reis and Deborah Salvo, Examine in Recent Publication What the Physical Activity Community Can Do for Climate Action and Planetary Health (Links to an external site)

This study found that physical activity promotion strategies need to be aligned with climate action commitments, incorporating the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change scenarios in physical activity action plans. The promotion strategies must consider equity a core value and promote physical activity to the most vulnerable populations so that they are protected from the ill-health […]

Significant proportion of mothers are unaware of their children’s height and weight

A significant proportion of mothers are unaware of their children’s height and weight—which has implications for early detection of childhood obesity. Researchers utilized data from 230 mothers in the St. Louis area of containing baseline self-reported and measured heights and weights of mothers and children who were enrolled in ‘Healthy Eating and Active Living Taught […]

Pilot test of a workplace obesity intervention shows potential for dissemination and sustainability

Healthy eating and activity are important to prevent obesity and chronic diseases, yet those who are most likely to bear a disproportionate burden have limited access to resources that promote healthy eating and activity, especially in the workplace. Thus, there is a need for workplace programs that promote healthy eating and activity that reach low-wage […]

Parents in highly disadvantaged neighborhoods more likely to restrict children’s play

Today’s parents are restricting their children’s outdoor play, but children in highly disadvantaged neighborhoods face more restrictions, our new research finds. “Being physically active and playing outdoors is essential for adolescent development,” writes the study’s lead author, Dr. Maura Kepper, research assistant professor at the PRC. “Policy and environment change that improves neighborhood conditions may […]

Public and private places contribute to PA among Mexican adults

Understanding the contribution of public- and restricted-access places to overall and domain-specific physical activity among Mexican adults: A cross-sectional study. Understanding the contribution of public- and restricted-access places to overall and domain-specific physical activity among Mexican adults: A cross-sectional study.Jáuregui A, Salvo D, Medina C, Barquera S, Hammond D.PLoS One. 2020 Feb 7;15(2):e0228491. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0228491. […]

PRC faculty wins 3rd place in “Shark tank” style competition

The Healthcare Innovation Lab and the Institute for Informatics hosted a “Shark Tank-style” pitch session on February 28, 2020. Ten project teams requesting up to $50,000 in funds at BJC HealthCare (BJC) and Washington University School of Medicine’s (WUSM) competed in the second Big Ideas Competition. Our own PRC faculty, Maura Kepper, presented with her […]

The application of mHealth to monitor implementation of best practices to support healthy eating and physical activity in afterschool programs.

Brazendale K, Beets MW, Weaver RG, Turner-McGrievy B, Brazendale AB, Chandler JL, Moore JB, Huberty JL, Lemley J, Brownson RC. The application of mHealth to monitor implementation of best practices to support healthy eating and physical activity in afterschool programs. Glob Health Promot. 2018 May 1:1757975918768442. doi: 10.1177/1757975918768442. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed [citation] PMID: […]

The role of physical activity enjoyment in the pathways from the social and physical environments to physical activity of early adolescent girls.

Budd EL, McQueen A, Eyler AA, Haire-Joshu D, Auslander WF, Brownson RC. The role of physical activity enjoyment in the pathways from the social and physical environments to physical activity of early adolescent girls. Prev Med. 2018 Jun;111:6-13. doi: 10.1016/j.ypmed.2018.02.015. Epub 2018 Feb 12. PubMed [citation] PMID: 29447926, PMCID: PMC5985153

Mapping the historical development of physical activity and health research: A structured literature review and citation network analysis

Varela AR, Pratt M, Harris J, Lecy J, Salvo D, Brownson RC, Hallal PC. Mapping the historical development of physical activity and health research: A structured literature review and citation network analysis. Prev Med. 2018 Jun;111:466-472. doi: 10.1016/j.ypmed.2017.10.020. Review. PubMed [citation] PMID: 29709233