Hearts N' Parks, year 2: magnet centers moving from discovering the benefits to delivering the benefits.NRPA NRPA National Recreation and Park Association NRPA Natural Resources Protective Association (Staten Island, NY) NRPA Niagara Regional Police Association (Canada) NRPA National Rifle and Pistol Association joins its partner, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, n.pr established in 1948, this division of the National Institutes of Health is responsible for research and education on cardiovascular, pulmonary, systemic diseases, and sleep disorders. of the National Institutes of Health, in commending the 50 Hearts N' Parks magnet centers as they complete the first of a three-year agreement to implement the Hearts N' Parks Community Mobilization mobilization Organization of a nation's armed forces for active military service in time of war or other national emergency. It includes recruiting and training, building military bases and training camps, and procuring and distributing weapons, ammunition, uniforms, initiative. As the tables on pp. 48-49 show, during its first year, the program produced statistically significant improvements in heart-healthy eating knowledge and physical activity. Hearts N' Parks addresses factors related to cardiovascular disease Cardiovascular disease Disease that affects the heart and blood vessels. Mentioned in: Lipoproteins Test cardiovascular disease , including physical activity and balanced nutrition. The initiative incorporates heart-healthy information, activities and behaviors into existing programs rather than create new resources. This added-value approach assists park and recreation departments infuse in·fuse v. 1. To steep or soak without boiling in order to extract soluble elements or active principles. 2. To introduce a solution into the body through a vein for therapeutic purposes. heart-healthy information, programs and approaches into after-school programs, summer camps, senior programming and other offerings. An additional goal of Hearts N' Parks is to demonstrate the ability of the park and recreation profession to deliver health-promotion information and promote heart-healthy behaviors in a way that makes a genuine difference. That's where the outcomes assessment supports an improved professional standard and expanded credibility for parks and recreation. Each magnet center is being provided scientifically developed surveys sanctioned by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute to administer before and after the program. The results show that people of all ages taking part in Hearts N' Parks become healthier. Let's look at some of those results. Delivering the Benefits Children's scores increased significantly from pre-test to post-test in heart-healthy eating knowledge, behavior and intention. Although there was no significant pre- to post-test change in their physical activity attitude, both scores are close to 9 on a 0-12 scale, suggesting that most children already had a positive attitude about physical activity before they began their programs, and that did not change. Although the post-test score for heart-healthy eating knowledge is high, children's scores on sections regarding eating behavior and intention have much room for improvement. When given a choice between eating an unhealthful food and a similar but healthier substitute, children say they tend to make the healthier choice only 56.5 percent of the time on average. Likewise, their intention to make a healthful health·ful adj. 1. Conducive to good health; salutary. 2. Healthy. health  ful·ness n. eating choice when provided specific circumstances is indicated in only
55 percent of questions, on average.
At the beginning of the program, children checked off from a list of 14 activities things that they like to do, that they've done in the past week and that they'd like to learn how to do. On average, they checked off nine activities that they like to do; the activities most frequently chosen were swimming, games (e.g., tag, hopscotch) and bicycling. They averaged four activities done in the past week, with exercises (e.g., jumping jacks), games and swimming the most common. Activities that they would like to learn garnered the fewest checks, an average of 2.6 per child, led by football, tennis and volleyball. At the end of the program, children checked off activities from the same list, but with an additional category, "things I learned and did this summer." The questionnaire instructed them to check off activities wherever they applied to these headings: * "Something new I learned." * "I got better at this." * "I would like to play this again." They checked off an average of five activities learned by the end of the program. The distribution of activities learned was wide--each was checked off between 32 percent and 39 percent of the time. Under activities that children got better at, the average was just over five per person. Exercises, games and jumping rope were the most common activities cited in that column. Finally, children listed 5.5 activities on average that they would like to play again, the most common of which were games and basketball. Adults Discover the Benefits Adult Hearts N' Parks participants demonstrated significant improvement in every attribute tested. The results on page 49 show that, while further improvement is possible in most areas, adult participants in general finished their programs with more knowledge about proper nutrition proper nutrition, n in Tibetan medicine, a therapeutic concept that begins with a digestive formulation because it is believed that a medical condition is primarily the result of a nutritional dysfunction or disturbance in the process of delivering nutrients. , overweight/ obesity risks, how to engage in proper physical activity, causes of high blood pressure and how to control high cholesterol Cholesterol, High Definition Cholesterol is a fatty substance found in animal tissue and is an important component to the human body. It is manufactured in the liver and carried throughout the body in the bloodstream. . By the end of the program, participants on average considered healthy eating habits to be between "somewhat important" and "very important" to them. When tested after their programs, they were significantly less likely to make excuses for not engaging in physical activity. Self-reported physical activity scores suggest that adults were significantly more active and engaged in physical activity after their programs. Post-test figures for bicycling, walking and golf show significant increases. In addition, post-program tests indicated an average of eight fewer hours spent each week doing inactive things such as watching TV. Hearts N' Parks Magnet Center Departments ARIZONA Glendale Maricopa County Phoenix Sierra Vista FLORIDA Largo Largo, town (1990 pop. 65,674), Pinellas co., W Fla., on the Pinellas peninsula and the Gulf Coast, across the bay from Tampa; settled 1853, inc. 1905. It is a packing, canning, and shipping center in a citrus fruit and fishing area. Lee County Oldsmar Tallahassee Tamarac GEORGIA Athens Roswell Savannah Savannah, city, United States Savannah, city (1990 pop. 137,560), seat of Chatham co., SE Ga., a port of entry on the Savannah River near its mouth; inc. 1789. Valdosta ILLINOIS Decatur Homewood Rockford Urbana INDIANA Bloomington Fort Wayne Fort Wayne, city (1990 pop. 173,072), seat of Allen co., NE Ind., where the St. Joseph and St. Marys rivers join to form the Maumee River; inc. 1840. It is the second largest city in the state, a major railroad and shipping point, a wholesale and distribution hub, Gary Indianapolis Lafayette South Bend South Bend, city (1990 pop. 105,511), seat of St. Joseph co., N Ind., on the great south bend of the St. Joseph River, in a farming and mint-growing region; inc. as a city 1865. MARYLAND Baltimore County Howard County Howard County is the name of seven counties in the United States of America:
Montgomery County Montgomery County may refer to:
Prince George's County Queen Anne Queen Anne n. The style in English architecture and furniture typical of the reign of Queen Anne (1702-1714). Queen Anne Adjective 1. County MICHIGAN Adrian Meridian Meridian (mərĭd`ēən), city (1990 pop. 41,036), seat of Lauderdale co., E Miss., near the Ala. line; settled 1831, inc. 1860. Township Monroe Mount Pleasant Muskegon MISSOURI Des Peres This article is about Australian band. For the city in the United States, see Des Peres, Missouri. Des Peres is an Australian electronic indie/dance band, formed in 2000 and originally known as Old Des Peres. Jefferson City Jefferson City, city (1990 pop. 35,481), state capital and seat of Cole co., central Mo., on the south bank of the Missouri River, near the mouth of the Osage; inc. 1825. Kansas City Kansas City, two adjacent cities of the same name, one (1990 pop. 149,767), seat of Wyandotte co., NE Kansas (inc. 1859), the other (1990 pop. 435,146), Clay, Jackson, and Platte counties, NW Mo. (inc. 1850). Poplar Bluffs Poplar Bluff, city (1990 pop. 16,996), seat of Butler co., SE Mo., in the Ozark foothills, on the low bluffs of the Black River near the Ark. line; inc. 1870. It is a trade, shipping, and medical center in a fertile farming area. Rolla Springfield NEVADA Clarke County Clarke County is the name of five counties in the United States:
Henderson Las Vegas Las Vegas (läs vā`gəs), city (1990 pop. 258,295), seat of Clark co., S Nev.; inc. 1911. It is the largest city in Nevada and the center of one of the fastest-growing urban areas in the United States. Reno NEW MEXICO New Mexico, state in the SW United States. At its northwestern corner are the so-called Four Corners, where Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, and Utah meet at right angles; New Mexico is also bordered by Oklahoma (NE), Texas (E, S), and Mexico (S). Albuquerque La Cruces cru·ces n. A plural of crux. Rio Rancho ran·cho n. pl. ran·chos Southwestern U.S. 1. A hut or group of huts for housing ranch workers. 2. A ranch. Roswell OHIO Ohio, state, United States Ohio, midwestern state in the Great Lakes region of the United States. It is bordered by Pennsylvania (NE) West Virginia (SE), Kentucky (S), Indiana (W), and Michigan and Lake Erie (N). Bowling Green Bowling Green. 1 City (1990 pop. 40,641), seat of Warren co., S Ky., on the Barren River; inc. 1812. It is a shipping and marketing center for an area producing tobacco, corn, livestock, and dairy items. Elyria Greene County Greene County is the name of fourteen counties in the United States of America, each named in honor of American Revolutionary War general Nathanael Greene:
What is Hearts N' Parks? Hearts N' Parks is a national, community-based initiative supported by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health and NRPA. This innovative community-mobilization effort aims to reduce the growing trend of obesity and the risk of coronary heart disease coronary heart disease: see coronary artery disease. coronary heart disease or ischemic heart disease Progressive reduction of blood supply to the heart muscle due to narrowing or blocking of a coronary artery (see atherosclerosis). in the U.S. by encouraging Americans of all ages to aim for a healthy weight, follow a heart-healthy eating plan and engage in regular physical activity. Why is Hearts N' Parks Important? Promoting lifelong health through Hearts N' Parks matters on many levels: * For People: Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the U.S. * For Prevention: Lifestyle changes such as increased physical activity and heart-healthy eating can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. * For Parks and Recreation: Hearts N' Parks provides a platform to demonstrate the values and benefits of parks and recreation. What's a Magnet Center? The Hearts N' Parks magnet center model is an innovative strategy empowering recreation and park departments to deliver benefits that are important for individuals, communities and society. Each magnet center consists of four to six geographically concentrated park and recreation departments eager to improve their standard of practice and support advancing the profession. Working in tandem Adv. 1. in tandem - one behind the other; "ride tandem on a bicycle built for two"; "riding horses down the path in tandem" tandem , agencies of various scope and scale receive specialized training in a central location, and then proceed to implement new strategies and approaches for delivering important benefits to people. Each department has committed to document outcomes that result from demonstrating these new approaches to improve the quality of life within their community. Departments involved in the magnet centers initiative agree to a three-year implementation effort as well as serving as magnets for attracting nearby departments interested in incorporating new methods of community outreach or program delivery.
Children: All Programs
Section Scale Pre-Test Post-Test Improvement?
Heart-Healthy Eating % correct 75.4% 80.7% Yes
Knowledge
Heart-Healthy Eating % healthy 49.1% 56.5% Yes
Behavior
Heart-Healthy Eating % healthy 45.2% 54.9% Yes
Intention
Physical Activity 0-12 8.91 8.98 No
Attitude
Things I Like and Things I Do
I've Done I Would Like
I Like To This in the to Learn How
Pre-Test Do This Past Week to Do This
Softball/Baseball 62.8% 26.2% 22.0%
Basketball 67.2% 35.2% 18.9%
Biking 74.9% 32.0% 11.5%
Bowling 70.2% 22.3% 15.9%
Dancing 48.3% 29.0% 21.2%
Exercises 65.7% 49.2% 9.4%
Football 53.4% 25.1% 26.9%
Games 76.4% 44.9% 11.9%
Jump rope 61.8% 33.9% 16.8%
Rollerskating 66.6% 24.8% 18.9%
Soccer 65.4% 29.6% 18.2%
Swimming 77.2% 40.7% 13.0%
Tennis 49.9% 21.5% 29.6%
Volleyball 52.7% 23.4% 28.5%
Average Number 8.93 4.38 2.63
of Activities
Things I Learned and Did This Summer
Somethiog New I Got Better I Would Like to
Post-Test I Learned at This Play This Again
Softball/Baseball 38.1% 35.1% 38.1%
Basketball 35.1% 40.2% 45.5%
Biking 32.3% 34.9% 41.9%
Bowling 35.5% 33.9% 39.1%
Dancing 33.1% 36.6% 30.0%
Exercises 34.1% 54.4% 38.2%
Football 31.8% 30.9% 41.7%
Games 39.7% 44.1% 48.9%
Jump rope 34.6% 43.9% 38.4%
Rollerskating 33.1% 34.9% 39.1%
Soccer 36.6% 37.2% 41.6%
Swimming 39.1% 39.9% 40.8%
Tennis 37.8% 30.9% 33.3%
Volleyball 38.5% 31.4% 33.7%
Average Number 4.99 5.28 5.50
of Activities
Adults: All Programs
Pre- Post-
Section Scale Test Test Improvement?
Heart-Healthy Eating % correct 61.9% 70.8% Yes
Knowledge
Overweight/Obesity % correct 66.0% 72.1% Yes
Knowledge
Heart-Healthy Eating 1-4 3.26 3.40 Yes
Attitude
Overweight/Obesity 1-4 2.76 2.90 Yes
Attitude
Heart-Healthy Eating 0-4 2.14 2.36 Yes
Behavior
Physical Activity Level 0-12 5.74 6.96 Yes
Physical Activity 1-4 2.94 3.16 Yes
Attitude
Physical Activity % correct 83.9% 90.6% Yes
Knowledge
High Blood Pressure % correct 57.4% 64.0% Yes
Knowledge
Cholesterol Knowledge % correct 71.5% 78.0% Yes
Active Time hours/week 7.62 9.56 Yes
Sedentary Time hours/week 39.87 31.40 Yes
Pre-Test Post-
Physical Activity Scale Mean Test Improvement?
Bicycle hours/week 0.12 0.27 Yes
Bowling hours/week 0.11 0.18 Yes
Chores hours/week 1.73 2.41 Yes
Dancing hours/week 0.48 0.55 Yes
Golf hours/week 0.03 0.17 Yes
Jogging hours/week 0.36 0.44 Yes
Other hours/week 0.94 0.55 No
Pushups hours/week 0.20 0.24 Yes
Rollerblading, Skating hours/week 0.02 0.03 Yes
Team Sports hours/week 0.29 0.26 No
Walking hours/week 2.89 3.88 Yes
Water Sports hours/week 0.24 0.24 No
Weights hours/week 0.22 0.32 Yes
Winter Sports hours/week 0.00 0.03 Yes
For more information on implementing Hearts N' Parks in your community, contact NRPA at programs@nrpa.org. |
|
||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion