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Update from the NPAP Alliance The NPAP Alliance is excited to report that all eight Sector Expert Panels have submitted their recommendations for revision to the NPAP. Moving forward with the revision of the Plan, the newly convened NPAP Revision Executive Committee will compile the Sector Expert Panel recommendations into a near-final draft of the revised NPAP.
Later this month, the NPAP Revision Executive Committee will meet in Atlanta to finalize revisions and updates to the Plan. During this in-person meeting, recommendations for each of the eight societal sectors and the overarching strategies will be extensively reviewed for content as well as overlap, gaps, and clarity. In addition, the NPAPA Diversity Committee will present comments and concerns regarding issues related to health disparities and equity across all sectors of the Plan. After the near-final draft of the revised NPAP has been finalized, the Alliance will solicit public comment. Based on the feedback received, final revisions to the Plan will be completed and presented to the NPAPA Board of Directors for its review. Release of the revised NPAP is anticipated in late 2015. |
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NPAP in the News:
__________________________________________________________________ PCFNS Lifetime Achievement Awardees Announced The NPAP Alliance invites you to join us in congratulating the 2015 President’s Council on Fitness, Sports & Nutrition (PCFSN) Lifetime Achievement Award Recipients, who were honored at last month’s PCFNS’s annual meeting. During their careers, each recipient has greatly contributed to the advancement and/or promotion of physical activity, fitness, sport, and nutrition-related programs nationwide. This year’s Lifetime Achievement Award recipients included five well-deserving individuals, one of which was NPAPA’s President Dr. Russell Pate. 2015 PCFSN Lifetime Achievement Award Recipients: * Dr. Russell Pate * Dr. Barbara Ainsworth * Hon. Margaret J. Giannini * Billy Mills * Joan Sullivan-Morris Click here for recipient bios and more information. ________________________________________________________________________
RRCA features NPAP Congress As an NPAP Alliance organizational partner, the Road Runners Club of America (RRCA) has been a significant supporter of the NPAP. Be sure to review RRCA’s recent issues of Club Running, which features the details regarding the NPAP Congress in its letter from the editor. |
| New Research:
___________________________________________________________________ ALR Research Brief: Safe Routes to School Programs Effective Today, less than 15% of U.S. children walk or bike to school – a percentage that is much lower compared to previous generations. To address the low rates of active commuting to school, the NPAP calls for the implementation of effective, evidence-based programs such as Safe Routes to School (SRTS). New evidence supporting the effectiveness of SRTS programs is now available! According to a new research synthesis from Active Living Research, SRTS programs can effectively improve safety and increase the number of children actively commuting to and from school. Further, the review found that SRTS programs lower health care cost and transportation cost for school districts and families. Download now! ___________________________________________________________________ Better Bicycle Networks = More Bicycle Trips Communities interested in increasing the rate of people who bike to work should examine the quality of their bicycle networks and infrastructure according to new research from the University of Minnesota. The researchers conducted a network analysis of bicycle infrastructure across 74 medium to large sized U.S. cities to examine gaps in each cities bicycle infrastructure that would result in significant detours through unsafe roadways. The results – bicycle commuter rates were positively associated with bicycle network quality and density. Read the report. |
| New Resources: __________________________________________________________ Report: American Fitness Index
With support from the Anthem Foundation, the American College of Sport Medicine released its 8th annual American Fitness Index (AFI) data report, Actively Moving America to Better Health, last month. The report ranks the 50 largest U.S. metropolitan areas using a composite score of preventive health behaviors, prevalence of chronic disease conditions, and the presences of supportive physical activity community resources and policies. Also included in the report are benchmarks for each indicator used to calculate the rankings. These benchmarks highlight the strengths and areas in need of improvement within each metro area. For the second year in a row, Washington, D.C. received the first place ranking. Several metro areas saw significant ranking improvements compared to the 2014 rankings including Cleveland, Kansas City, and St. Louis. The NPAP Alliance encourages metro areas to use this report as a scientific, objective tool to inform local decision-making aimed at enhancing physical activity and overall quality of life for its residents. See how your community ranks and use the AFI Community Action Guide along with the NPAP as a guide to improve community resources and policies supporting physical activity in your area. _______________________________________________________________ Report: Evaluating the Economic Benefits of Non-Motorized Transportation A new report from the John A Volpe National Transportation Systems Center, the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT), and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) examines various methods for evaluating the economic benefits of investing in non-motorized transportation options. Specifically, the report discusses the commute cost savings for non-motorized transport, direct benefits to bicycle and tourism-related businesses, indirect economic benefits due to changing consumer behavior, and individual and societal cost savings associated with health and environmental benefits. This report aims to help researchers select the most appropriate evaluation methods and scales of analysis for the project or program that they plan to evaluate. Proper evaluation of such projects and programs can better determine their true economic impact. Such evaluations may support development of non-motorized transportation opportunities as outlined in the Transportation, Land Use, and Community Design sector of the NPAP which will ultimately yield health-enhancing benefits through increased in physical activity levels. _______________________________________________________________ Quick Reference Guide: Design Resource Index The Federal Highway Administration and the Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center has created a new quick reference manual for walking and bicycling design guidance. The Design Resource Index allows users to compare guidance on pedestrian and bicycle design with three matrices: On-Street Bicycle Facilities, Shared Use Paths, and Pedestrian Facilities. Each matrix shows where to find design guidance from several national organizations. This manual serves as a great implementation resource for a number of strategies outlined in the Transportation, Land Use, and Community Design sector of the NPAP. _______________________________________________________________ Systematic Observation in School PA Programs – Webinar Materials Available. Last month’s ALR-sponsored ‘Using Systematic Observation to Research School PE and Physical Activity Programs’webinar highlighted the importance of using direct observation to assess school-based physical education and physical activity, and discussed common research topics associated with using this methodology. Experts provided advanced information for using two observation systems, SOFIT and SOPLAY, used widely in schools. If you were unable to attend the webinar – the recording and slides are available for free download. _______________________________________________________________ Physical Activity: Moving Toward Obesity Solutions Workshop Brief
A new brief from last month the ‘ public workshop hosted by the IOM’s Roundtable on Obesity Solutions is now available. This innovative 2-day workshop provided an expert summary of the state of the science regarding the impact of physical activity in the prevention and treatment of overweight and obesity. If you were unable to attend, we encourage you to read this short brief. Speaker presentations and video recordings from the workshop are also available on the IOM website. |
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Every Body Walk! Video Competition What does walking mean to you? The Every Body Walk! Collaborative is still accepting submissions to its video competition. Create your own short video and submit before October 1, 2015. The winner will be highlighted at the 2nd National Walking Summit and will be featured on the Every Body Walk! website.
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Upcoming Conferences & Events EveryBody WALK! 2015 National Walking Summit Washington D.C. October 28 – 30, 2015
American Public Health Association Annual Meeting Chicago, IL October 31 – November 4, 2015
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