Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #113378

Judy A. Johnston, MS, RD, LD, Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, University of Kansas School of Medicine - Wichita, 1010 North Kansas, Wichita, KS 67214, 316-293-1861, jjohnsto@kumc.edu, Elizabeth Ablah, MA, MPH, Preventive Medicine & Public Health, University of Kansas School Of Medicine-Wichita, 1010 N. Kansas Avenue, Wichita, KS 67214, Tim Scanlan, MD, Preventive Medicine and Public Health, University of Kansas School of Medicine, 1010 N. Kansas Avenue, Wichita, KS 67214, and Craig A. Molgaard, PhD, MPH, Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, University of Kansas School of Medicine-Wichita, 1010 N. Kansas Avenue, Wichita, KS 67214.

Purpose: Walkin' Wichita increases walking opportunities in Wichita, Kansas, through youth-organization-driven environmental change initiatives that address both the issues of sedentary lifestyle and modifications of built environment.

Methods: Walkin' Wichita partners a medical school with youth development organizations to increase capacity of youth to assess the built environment and to advocate for change through experiential learning. With training and technical assistance, youth groups will systematically assess neighborhood walkability, select a target environmental defect to modify, develop a plan, and advocate for implementation resources.

Results: Project staff collect self-report pre- and post-data from organization leaders, members and parents relative to walking behaviors, efficacy, and perceptions of neighborhoods. Physical activity recalls and walking logs are collected from youth and leaders. Process data using the RE-AIM framework is also collected. Preliminary data from these sources will be reported.

Conclusions: Individual's attitudes and skills, social groups, and the built environment influence physical activity behaviors. Utilization of the social environment of youth-groups to provide experience in walkability assessment, plan development and advocacy has the potential to increase walking behaviors and awareness of the built environment.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, participants will be able to

• Discuss the relationship of the built environment to walking behaviors
• Describe the experiential learning process and how it is implemented in Walkin’ Wichita
• Identify at least one data collection method used and discuss its relative merits

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.