Childhood obesity has more than tripled in children and adolescents in the past 30 years. 

The independent and joint effects of family and neighborhood poverty and ethnicity upon weight trajectories from age two to six-and-a-half were examined using data from the Infant Health and Development Program (N = 985), an early intervention program for low birth weight children and families.

Uso Compartido: Aumentar el Acceso a la Actividad Fisica

Innovative school districts, such as the one in this case study, have opened their facilities to the community to address both students’ and the communities’ need for recreational activity spaces through shared use agreements. 

Communities across the country are addressing chronic disease through a variety of innovative healthy eating and active living strategies. 

KEY TAKEAWAY:

Walkable built environment characteristics were associated with lower BMI z-scores (i.e., BMI compared to normal growth curves) among children.

Ohio’s obesity rates, especially for children, are unacceptable. 

Partnerships between school districts and community-based organizations to share school facilities during after-school hours can be an effective strategy for increasing physical activity. 

Despite the growing interest in expanding the joint use of K–12 public schools by public health and planning practitioners to promote healthy, sustainable communities, the topic has received little attention in the urban planning and public health scholarship. 

Despite related physical/mental health benefits, children's independent mobility for school travel (i.e. walking/cycling without adult accompaniment) has declined in recent decades. The study examined cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between social/physical environmental variables and independent mobility on the school journey.

The primary aim of the present study was to evaluate the short- and longer-term effects of a cycle training on children's cycling skills. A second aim of the study was to examine the effects of a cycle training, with and without parental involvement, on levels of cycling to school and on parental attitudes towards cycling.

Key takeaway: Biking and pedestrian injuries generate high economic costs.

Background:  California was the first state to legislate a Safe Routes to School (SR2S) program under Assembly Bill AB 1475 (1999). SR2S funds construction projects that make it safer for children to walk/bicycle to school and encourage a greater number of children to choose these modes of travel for the school commute.

This study investigated the impact that state traffic safety regulations have on non-motorist fatality rates.

Efforts have intensified to apply a more evidence-based approach to traffic safety. One such effort is the Highway Safety Manual, which provides typical safety performance functions (SPFs) for common road types.

Key takeaway: Parental safety concerns and perceptions of crime in recreational areas may limit child physical activity.

Purpose: The purpose of the study is to present a literature review on quality-of-life (QOL) assessment in overweight or obese children and adolescents in order to identify the most affected dimensions and better understand associated factors.

KEY TAKEAWAY:

Child dietary patterns may vary by commute mode, with passive commuters consuming more calories from sweets and snacks.

This web-based resource offers law enforcement officers tips, tools, and resources for supporting Safe Routes to School efforts and overall pedestrian bicycle safety efforts geared for use at the community level.

The Child Pedestrian Safety Curriculum teaches and encourages pedestrian safety for students grades Kindergarten through 5th Grade. It is organized into five lessons: walking near traffic, crossing streets, crossing intersections, parking lot safety, and school bus safety. Each lesson builds upon previous set of skills learned.