Pre-test Data and Lessons Learned from a Group Research Project Examining Changes in Physical Activity Behavior Following Construction of a Rails-to-Trails Facility
Tóm tắt
Built environments in rural settings may provide greater challenges than those in urban settings due to physical characteristics inherent to low-density population areas. Multiuse recreational trails, such as those that repurpose abandoned railroad lines, may provide a physical activity resource that is well suited to rural areas. However, the direct impact of trail availability on physical activity behavior is not generally known because it is unclear whether activity reported in most trail research represents increases in physical activity or displacement of activity in individuals who previously exercised in other locations. This research, initiated by a group of students in a graduate seminar, represents to our knowledge, the first instance in which PA was assessed prior to the availability of an entirely new rails-to-trails facility. The research was implemented using a nonequivalent dependent variable design to counter the lack of a control group; the nonequivalent dependent variable chosen was weekly servings of fruit and vegetables. Participants responding to intercept interviews classified days of activity during the prior week as mild, moderate or vigorous. Baseline results for 244 participants suggested generally low levels of activity prior to trail availability; number of reported days of activity decreased with described intensity. We also discuss several issues encountered in planning and implementing this group project including those related to data collection, variable levels of commitment among student members, and inconsistent project management, and offer potential solutions to these concerns.
Tài liệu tham khảo
Durand, C. P., Andalib, M., Dunton, G. F., Wolch, J., & Pentz, M. A. (2011). A systematic review of built environment factors related to physical activity and obesity risk: Implications for smart growth urban planning. Obesity Review, 12(501), e172–e182. doi:10.1111/j.1467-789X.2010.00826.x.
Saelens, B. E., & Handy, S. L. (2008). Built environment correlates of walking: A review. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 40(7 Suppl), S550–S566. doi:10.1249/MSS.0b013e31817c67a4.
Frost, S. S., Goins, R. T., Hunter, R. H., Hooker, S. P., Bryant, L. L., Kruger, J., et al. (2010). Effects of the build environment on physical activity of adults living in rural settings. American Journal of Health Promotion, 24(4), 267–283.
Rails-to-Trails Conservancy. (2012). Rail-trail statistics. Retrieved from http://www.railstotrails.org/ourWork/trailBasics/trailStats.html.
Chandler, C. (2012). Initial work on Tanglefoot trail entering last stages. Mississippi Business Journal. Retrieved from http://msbusiness.com/magnoliamarketplace/2012/11/26/initial-work-on-tanglefoot-trail-entering-last-stages//.
Ingram, F. (2012). Tanglefoot trail hits Houston. Djournal: Northeast Mississippi News. Retrieved from http://djournal.com/view/full_story/20936225/article-Tanglefoot-Trail-hits-Houston.
Macartney, S., & Mykyta, L. (2012). American community survey briefs: Poverty and shared households by state: 2011. Retrieved from http://www.census.gov/prod/2012pubs/acsbr11-05.pdf.
US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Office of Surveillance, Epidemiology and Laboratory Services. (2012). Behavioral risk factor surveillance system (BRFSS) prevalence and trends data 2011. Retrieved from http://apps.nccd.cdc.gov/BRFSS/.
Librett, J. J., Yore, M. M., & Schmid, T. L. (2006). Characteristics of physical activity levels among trail users in a US national sample. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 31(5), 399–405. doi:10.1016/j.ampre.2006.07.009.
Reed, J. A., Hooker, S. P., Muthukrishnan, S., & Hutto, B. (2011). User demographics and physical activity behaviors on a newly constructed urban rail/trail conversion. Journal of Physical Activity and Health, 8, 534–542.
Brownson, R. C., Housemann, R. A., Brown, D. R., Jackson-Thompson, J., King, A. C., et al. (2000). Promoting physical activity in rural communities: Walking trail access, use, and effects. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 18(3), 235–241.
Abildso, C. G., Zizzi, S., Abildso, L. C., Steele, J. C., & Gordon, P. M. (2007). Built environment and psychosocial factors associated with trail proximity and use. American Journal of Health Behavior, 31(4), 374–383.
Gordon, P. M., Zizzi, S. J., & Pauline, J. (2004). Use of a community trail among new and habitual exercisers: A preliminary assessment. Preventing Chronic Disease, 1(4), 1–11.
Merom, D., Bauman, A., Vita, P., & Close, G. (2003). An environmental intervention to promote walking and cycling—The impact of a newly constructed Rail Trail in Western Sydney. Preventive Medicine, 36, 235–242. doi:10.1016/S0091-7435(02)00025-7.
Evenson, K. R., Herring, A. H., & Huston, S. L. (2005). Evaluating change in physical activity with building of a multi-use trail. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 28(2S2), 177–185. doi:10.1016/j.amepre.2004/10.020.
Starnes, H. A., Troped, P. J., Klenosky, D. B., & Doehring, A. M. (2011). Trails and physical activity: A review. Journal of Physical Activity and Health, 8, 1160–1174.
Troiano, R. P., Berrigan, D., Dodd, K. W., Mâsse, L. C., Tilert, T., & Mcdowell, M. (2008). Physical activity in the United States measured by accelerometer. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 40(1), 181–188.
Yaffee, R., & McGee, M. (2000). Introduction to time series analysis and forecasting with applications of SAS and SPSS. San Diego, CA: Academic.
Campbell, D. T., & Stanley, J. C. (1966). Experimental and quasi-experimental designs for research. Chicago, IL: Rand McNally.
Cook, T. D., & Campbell, D. T. (1979). Quasi-experimentation: Design & analysis issues for field research. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin.
Shadish, W. R., Cook, D. T., & Campbell, D. T. (2002). Experimental and quasi-experimental designs for generalized causal inference. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.
Coryn, C. L. S., & Hobson, K. A. (2011). Using nonequivalent dependent variables to reduce internal validity threats in quasi-experiments: Rationale, history, and examples from practice. New Directions for Evaluation, 131, 31–39.
McKillip, J., & Baldwin, K. (1990). Evaluation of an STD educational media campaign: A control construct design. Evaluation Review, 14(4), 331–346.
Fischer, R. (1995). Control construction design in evaluation campaigns. Public Relations Review, 21(1), 45–58.
Godin, G., & Shephard, R. J. (1985). A simple method to assess exercise behavior in the community. Canadian Journal of Applied Sport Sciences, 10(3), 141–146.
Qualtrics research suite [computer software]. Provo, UT: Qualtrics.
Reed, V. D., Parker, K. G., & Vitriol, H. A. (1948). Selection, training, and supervision of field interviewers in marketing research. Journal of Marketing, 12(3), 365–378.
Simon, S. R., Keohane, C. A., Amato, M., Coffey, M., Cadet, B., Zimlichman, E., et al. (2013). Lessons learned from implementation of computerized provider order entry in 5 community hospitals: A qualitative study. BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making, 13(1), 1–10. doi:10.1186/1472-6947-13-67.
Snead, R. P. (1942). Problems of field interviewers. Journal of Marketing, 7(2), 139–145.
Hartnett, R. T., & Katz, J. (1977). The education of graduate students. Journal of Higher Education, 48(6), 646–664.
Goodyear, R. K., Crego, C. A., & Johnston, M. W. (1992). Issues in the supervision of student research: A study of critical incidents. Professional Psychology, Research, and Practice, 23(3), 203–210.
Winn, S. (1995). Learning by doing: Teaching research methods through student participation in a commissioned research project. Studies in Higher Education, 20(2), 203–214.
Conway, R., & Kember, D. (1993). Peer assessment of an individual’s contribution to a group project. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 18(1), 45–56.
Hicks, M., & Foster, J. S. (2010). SCORE: Agile research group management. Communications of the Association for Computing Machinery, 53(10), 30–31. doi:10.1145/1831407.1831421.