Rachel Cole

Walk Score and Australian adults' home-based walking for transport

The relationships of Walk Score, a publicly-accessible walkability assessment tool, with walking for transport to and from home were examined among a large representative sample of Australian adults aged 18-64 years (N=16,944). Residents in highly and somewhat walkable areas were twice and 1.4 times more likely to accumulate 30 min of walking per day compared to those in very car-dependent neighborhoods, respectively. Mean duration of walking was also longer for participants living in highly and somewhat walkable areas compared to those in very car-dependent areas. Walk Score has potential as a widely-applicable tool for identifying the walkability of local neighborhoods.

A systematic review on research into the effectiveness of group-based sport and exercise programs designed for Indigenous adults

OBJECTIVES To evaluate research into the effectiveness of group-based sport and exercise programs targeting Indigenous adults on anthropometric, physiological and quality of life outcomes. DESIGN A systematic review with quality assessment of study design. METHODS A computer-based literature search of EBSCO, SPORTDiscus, CINAHL, Informit, Scopus, Web of Science, Medline, PubMed, Global Health, ProQuest and Discover databases was conducted. Methodological quality of individual articles was assessed using McMasters University Guidelines and Appraisal Forms for Critical Review for Quantitative Research. Results of the effectiveness of programs are then summarised. RESULTS Six articles were identified with critical appraisal scores ranging from 6 to 12 (from a possible 15 points), with a mean score of 9.6. Five articles were of moderate to good quality. Significant improvements were observed in anthropometric, physiological and quality of life outcomes across all studies. Elements of successful group-based exercise and sport programs corresponded to global recommendations on physical activity for health for 18 to 64 year olds, and were implemented over a period of time ranging from 12 to 24 weeks to exhibit results, plus community consultation in developing programs and nutrition education. CONCLUSIONS Group-based programs that include nutrition, exercise and/or sport components are effective in producing short to intermediate term health outcomes among Indigenous adults. Further high quality research, specifically on group-based modified sport programs for Indigenous adults that are culturally appropriate and aim to improve quality of life are needed.

Are Neighborhood Environmental Attributes More Important for Older than for Younger Adults’ Walking? Testing Effect Modification by Age

Older adults are often considered more vulnerable to environmental factors than are younger adults. We examined whether the associations of objectively measured environmental attributes (Walk Score; street connectivity) with walking for transport differed between younger- (25-44 years), middle- (45-64 years), and older-aged (65-84 years) adults, using a large Australian sample of 14,656 people. Walk Score and street connectivity were similarly associated with walking (any; 30+ min/day) in all age groups. Contrary to commonly held views, the study did not find any evidence suggesting that older adults may be more sensitive to their environment to get out and walk than are younger adults, at least for the environmental attributes examined in this study. Further research is needed to investigate if there are particular environmental factors that hinder older adults from being active.

Using a Virtual Population to Authentically Teach Epidemiology and Biostatistics.

ABSTRACT Epidemiology is the study of the distribution of disease in human populations. This means that authentically teaching primary data collection in epidemiology is difficult as students cannot easily access suitable human populations. Using an action research methodology, this paper studied the use of a virtual human population (called The Island) to enable students to experience many features of authentic primary data collection in epidemiological research. The Island was used in a course introducing epidemiology and biostatistics for students in non-quantitative disciplines. This paper discusses how The Island was introduced into the course, and then evaluates the change. Students were highly engaged, and students and teaching staff responded favourably to the use of The Island, with 70% of students agreeing or strongly agreeing that The Island was easy to use, and 64% agreeing or strongly agreeing that the use of a virtual population was beneficial to their understanding of epidemiology.