James Sallis, Ph.D., San Diego State University
Intervention Overview
• Train PE instructors
• Supervise PA out of PE
• Work with food service staff to reduce
fat in all food sources
• Health policy committees
• Promote PA opportunities & healthful
food choices
Measurement Overview
• Observe PA & environmental factors at
school & throughout school day
• Record food sales from all sources
• Observe contents of bag lunches
• Supplemental survey of parents &
students
• Assess promotional activities
Conclusions
• Overall PA significantly increased at school
– Stronger effects for boys
• Promising effect on boys’ BMI from
environmental change only
• No notable changes in fat content of foods
offered
• No changes in food purchased at, or brought
to, school
• Major financial barriers to nutrition change
• More studies on school environment change
needed
Active Living Research
James F. Sallis, PhD, Director
San Diego State University
A National Program Office supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
Active Living Research Purpose
To manage a $12.4
million research
fund over 4 years
to build a new
research field that
will influence
advocacy and
policy
Active Living Research Goals
1. Build the
evidence base
2. Build capacity
of the field to
do active living
research
3. Inform policy
makers
Building the Evidence Base
•
•
Identify specific research priorities
Obtain input from
– Scientists from diverse disciplines
– Policy makers
– Advocacy groups
•
•
•
The input continues
Commissioned papers to conceptualize
new research areas
Issue 1-2 Calls for Proposals per year
An Evolving
Research Agenda
•Measurement of environments
•Environmental correlates of active living
•Policy correlates & incentives
•PA correlates in special populations
•Evaluating opportunistic interventions
•Case studies of successful policy change
•Economic analyses
•Legal analyses
•Policy change process
•Perception of environments
•Public opinion about policy change
Call for Proposals I
Began January 2003
• Develop and evaluate objective measures of
land use variables believed to be related to
PA (3 studies)
• Objective measures of physical
characteristics of public recreational areas
(3 studies)
• Automated assessment of PA in specific
environments (trails, stairways). (1 study)
• Combined measures of travel behavior and
PA (1 study)
• $750,000
Call for Proposals II
Studies began late 2003
• Correlational studies of community
design with PA (5 studies)
• Correlates of the use of parks and
recreational facilities (3 studies)
• Evaluate opportunistic interventions
(1 study)
• New investigator awards (6+ funded)
• Dissertation grants (7 funded)
$3.5 million
Interest in ALR
• 44 full proposals submitted Round 1
• 8 funded
• 204 brief proposals +13 dissertations
submitted Round 2
• About 35 funded
• 146 brief proposals + 9 dissertations
submitted for first cycle of Round 3
Field Building – Cultivating
New Relationships
• Architecture
• Environment &
Behavior
• Geography
• Landscape
Architecture
• Parks &
Recreation
• Planning
• Transportation
•Advocates
•Policy Makers
Inform Policy
• Each proposal must discuss policy relevance
& dissemination plan
• Lay research summaries
• Coordinate with Active Living Leadership
(government officials)
• Policy makers at ALR Conference
• Communications training for grantees
RWJF & Childhood Obesity
• One of three top priorities at RWJF
• Goal is to halt the increase in prevalence of
childhood obesity by 2015
• Focus is on environmental & policy
approaches for 3-12 year olds, primarily
disadvantaged
• The initiative is being developed on
principle of “act while we learn”
• Will include research and community
demonstration components
Contacts
Active Living Research
Telephone 619-260-5534
www.activelivingresearch.org
www.drjamessallis.sdsu.edu