Making strides toward active living: the policy research perspective.

Abstract

Physical activity has been promoted to improve health for decades. A summary of the health benefits and physical activity recommendations gained national support in the 1996 landmark publication of the Surgeon General’s Report on Physical Activity and Health. Specific physical activity recommendations have evolved from vigorous exercise for cardiovascular fitness to an accumulation of moderately intense activities (eg, brisk walking) for general health benefits. The current recommendations make it easier and more appropriate for the general population to achieve them, but less than half of the adults in the United States meet these criteria. Despite public health efforts, about 25% of adults report no leisure-time physical activity at all. There is also growing concern over the amount of daily sedentary time, as evidence points to detrimental health effects independent of physical activity. Many strategies have been attempted to improve population physical activity prevalence. However, there is evidence indicating that interventions targeting individuals to change physical activity behavior are not significantly effective or sustainable. Motivating people to be physically active can be difficult and made even more challenging by environments where few opportunities to be physically active exist. Because physical activity is a behavior influenced by factors ranging from individual motivation to community policies, a socioecological approach to interventions is recommended. Specifically, more effective intervention strategies include policy and environmental changes that are designed to provide opportunities, support, and cues to help people be more physically active. Given the potential to improve behavior at the population level, there are national efforts to understand and promote these types of interventions. In 2004, the