Physical Exercise

Contents:

Research conducted by: RAND Health; RAND Europe

All Items (38)

REPORT

Planning for an Aging Nation: New Estimates to Inform Policy Analysis for Senior Health — Apr 12, 2012

Provides insights into the costs and challenges of providing health care to the elderly population.

JOURNAL ARTICLE

Impact and Cost-Effectiveness of Family Fitness Zones: A Natural Experiment in Urban Public Parks — Jan 1, 2012

Outdoor exercise equipment in parks seems to attract more new park users and result in a higher expenditure of energy.

JOURNAL ARTICLE

How Much Observation Is Enough? Refining the Administration of SOPARC — Oct 31, 2011

Monitoring parts 4 days/week, 4 times/day is sufficient to estimate park use, park user characteristics, and physical activity. Applying these observation methods can augment physical activity surveillance.

RESEARCH BRIEF

Preventing Obesity and Its Consequences: Highlights of RAND Health Research — Aug 3, 2011

Summarizes key RAND studies on the causes of obesity, its economic and health consequences, and potential strategies for prevention, including work on health care costs, junk food, food deserts, school meals, and proximity of parks.

JOURNAL ARTICLE

Economic Analysis of Physical Activity Interventions — Jan 31, 2011

This study compared the cost-effectiveness of different public interventions for promoting exercise and found that community-based campaigns and school-based interventions have the greatest potential to be scaled up at the lowest costs.

JOURNAL ARTICLE

How Physical Activity Shapes, and Is Shaped By, Adolescent Friendships — Dec 31, 2010

Adolescents tend to choose friends who do similar amounts of physical activity and emulate their behavior; such networks could help promote physical activity among adolescents.

JOURNAL ARTICLE

Discretionary Calorie Intake a Priority for Obesity Prevention: Results of Rapid Participatory Approaches in Low-Income US Communities — Aug 31, 2010

Reducing consumption of salty snacks, candy, cookies may be more effective than exercise in combating obesity

JOURNAL ARTICLE

Cost Profiles: Should the Focus Be on Individual Physicians or Physician Groups? — Jul 31, 2010

Cost profiles of physician groups are statistically more reliable than profiles of individual physicians but they don't predict individual physician performance within the group.

JOURNAL ARTICLE

Examination of Perceived Neighborhood Characteristics and Transportation on Changes in Physical Activity and Sedentary Behavior: The Trial of Activity in Adolescent Girls — Dec 31, 2009

Physical activity is declining and sedentary behavior is increasing among adolescent girls but neighborhood and transportation characteristics do not seem to be the reason.

JOURNAL ARTICLE

The Effect of Light Rail Transit on Body Mass Index and Physical Activity — Dec 31, 2009

The results of this study suggest that improving neighborhood environments and increasing the public's use of light rail transit systems could provide improvements in health outcomes for millions of individuals.

JOURNAL ARTICLE

Parks and Physical Activity: Why Are Some Parks Used More Than Others? — Dec 31, 2009

Assesses how park characteristics and demographic factors are associated with park use.

JOURNAL ARTICLE

Using Community-Based Participatory Research to Identify Potential Interventions to Overcome Barriers to Adolescents' Healthy Eating and Physical Activity — Sep 30, 2009

Using a community-based participatory research approach, we explored adolescent, parent, and community stakeholder perspectives on barriers to healthy eating and physical activity, and intervention ideas to address adolescent obesity.

JOURNAL ARTICLE

Influences of Physical and Social Neighborhood Environments on Children's Physical Activity and Obesity — Dec 31, 2008

The authors investigated the association between physical and social neighborhood environments and fifth-grade students' physical activity and obesity.

JOURNAL ARTICLE

Stability of Physical Activity Across the Lifespan — Dec 31, 2007

Examines physical activity stability across extended time periods. Results showed that activity levels are somewhat stable from childhood through middle and late adulthood.

RESEARCH BRIEF

How Neighborhoods Can Reduce the Risk of Obesity — Jun 14, 2007

As the obesity epidemic worsens, researchers are zeroing in on environmental factors that may contribute to the problem or, conversely, help to prevent it. It is increasingly clear that neighborhoods play an important role in stimulating exercise and reducing the risk of obesity.

JOURNAL ARTICLE

Exercise Programs for Older Adults Help Reduce Falls — May 23, 2007

The strongest beneficial effect of exercise for the elderly is in fall reduction. Physical activity also modestly to moderately improved strength and cardiovascular performance among previously sedentary older people.

NEWS RELEASE

RAND Study Finds School Playgrounds and Athletic Facilities Are an Untapped Resource in Fight Against Childhood Obesity — Apr 19, 2007

April 19, 2007 news release: RAND Study Finds School Playgrounds and Athletic Facilities Are an Untapped Resource in Fight Against Childhood Obesity.

JOURNAL ARTICLE

A Randomized Controlled Trial of Tai Chi for Tension Headaches — Dec 31, 2006

This study examined whether a traditional low-impact mind-body exercise, Tai Chi, affects health-related quality-of-life (HRQOL) and headache impact in an adult population suffering from tension-type headaches. A 15 week intervention of Tai Chi practice was effective in reducing headache impact and also effective in improving perceptions of some aspects of physical and mental health.

JOURNAL ARTICLE

Social Context of Physical Activity and Weight Status in Working-Class Populations — Dec 31, 2006

Persistent disparities suggest that multiple aspects of social context may influence leisure-time physical activity levels and weight status in multiethnic, working-class populations

JOURNAL ARTICLE

Neighborhood Design and Walking Trips in Ten U.S. Metropolitan Areas — Dec 31, 2006

Despite substantial evidence for neighborhood characteristics correlating with walking, so far there has been limited attention to possible practical implications for neighborhood design. This study investigates to what extent design guidelines are likely to stimulate walking.

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Researcher Spotlight

Nancy Nicosia

Economist

Nancy Nicosia

Nancy Nicosia, Ph.D., is an economist at the RAND Corporation. Dr. Nicosia's recent research has focused on the intersection between substance use, health, and crime. Her research includes an examination of the extent to which methamphetamine use can be linked to adverse health and social…

Terry Marsh

Project Associate

Terry Marsh is a project associate at the RAND Corporation. His work has focused primarily on physical activity and community based participatory research. Terry received his MPH in Health Policy and Management from the University of Arizona.

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