Midterm 2 Flashcards
Active transportation - 1950s
one of the first studies that alerted us to the importance of physical activity on health → focus on comparing individuals in sedentary jobs w those in more active roles. It was this work that really focused attention on incidental PA and active transport. Ex: mail carriers had better health than office workers.
What was the US dept of health and human services
“step it up!”?
The surgeon general’s call to action to promote walking and walkable communities
Which model is the best fir for understanding AT related behaviors and why?
Social ecological model - identifies what factors are important for making AT feasible
Sectors involved in AT and how
Health: creates opportunities to promote PA on a regular basis
Social services: increases social interactions
Environmental: reduce greenhouse gas emissions, promotes lower carbon option
Economic: saves money on gas and parking, ways to boost the economy.
Health sector and AT: benefits, risks
Benefits:
- Overwhelmingly the literature indicates that AT positively impacts individual health outcomes. 30 min low intensity (walking) 5x per week incr life expectancy by 1.3-1.5 years. Cycling improves CV fitness more than walking and more cycling to work is sufficient in duration and intensity.
Individuals who use public transit walk more than those who drive, on average. People who commute by active models have significantly better indicators of fitness (particularly cardiovasc health). Data from national surveys show that countries with the highest levels of active transportation tend to have lower rates of obesity.
Ex: countries/places where biking is part of the culture - Amsterdam.
AT also reported to enhance social connectedness and sense of belonging. Encourages use of local infrastructure, community services, businesses - ex passing a coffee shop on daily commute. Also, kids who are out in their neighborhood interacting w neighbors build a sense of community in environment.
Risks:
- 3 main concerns: crashes and collisions (bike and pedestrian), exposure to air pollution (summer fires), personal safety and security (feeling safe during active travel). Can mitigate risks through public policies on consequences for running over pedestrians, speed limits etc
Environment and AT - benefits
Small form factors - requires a lot less space, consumes less land. Ex: how much space a car takes compared to a bike.
Clean transportation - walking/biking generates no emissions/pollutants, old diesel transit fleets being retrofitted with cleaner vehicles.
Air pollution - more people taking transit or walking → less congestion and less idling.
Economic sector and AT - 3 ideas for charging car use, and the main issue
1 Downtown core - high density areas: reducing nr of cars coming in - tax for every time a car enters DT area.
2 Focuses on bridges and bottleneck areas where congestion happens - potentially taxing those crossing the bridges.
3 Multiple congestion points - cheaper further out, costs more to drive in areas w more congestion
- issue: taxes people who already cannot afford to live in DT area - inequalities.
Increase in cycling in vancouver between2006/2016 - 21% increase in AT → why?
2010 olympics - more tourism, city built more infrastructure.
People started choosing AT due to congestion/parking cost since Vancouver became such a dense and expensive city → biking is more affordable.
People becoming more aware of climate change + environmental taxes for driving into DT core.
How can the city of Vancouver make cycling safe, convenient, and comfortable for residents of all ages and abilities (AAA)?
Creating bike lanes, and bike only infrastructure (AAA)
Bike to Work Week (11000 participated in 2017)
Green Transport Initiatives
Creation of Open Streets
Mobilizing bikes in workplaces (BCAS paramedics)
School active planning
Barriers to skateboarding
Safety - skaters themselves (perceptions of danger), fears of pedestrians and public
Negative attitudes - stigmatized
Still illegal in many communities
Lack of edu/awareness (where you can and cannot skate)
Topography and environment (climate)
3 health promotion strategies
1) enable - equal opportunities + access to resources. 2) mediate - coordinated action by multiple sectors. 3) advocate - favorable conditions.
Structure of HP research
gap in the research → research → knowledge mobilization → evaluation
Knowledge translation (KT) =
dynamic and iterative process that incl synthesis, dissemination, exchange and ethically sound application of knowledge to improve the health of canadians, provide more effective health services and products and strengthen the health care system
Knowledge mobilization (KMb) =
ensuring the right info is available to the right people at the right time and in the right format, so as to influence decision making
Knowledge creators vs users
Knowledge creators - individuals who create new knowledge (researchers). Knowledge users - individuals who use created knowledge (researchers, decision/policy makers, audience). New term is next user
