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

Abstract #117130

James Kissee, BS Health/PE, Washington State Department of Health, PO Box 47833, Olympia, WA 98512, 360 236 3623, James.Kissee@doh.wa.gov

Recently, the Washington State Department of Health (DOH) released the Washington State Nutrition and Physical Activity Plan to address policy and environmental strategies that could be used to increase healthy eating and physical activity. One of the strategies in the plan identified increasing the number of Active Community Environments (ACE). An ACE is a setting where people of all ages and abilities can be physically active on a routine, daily basis. This means being able to easily walk or bike to stores, banks, movie theaters, schools, etc., as well as enjoy walking, hiking, bicycling, and other forms of recreation within one's own community. To be able to create ACE we needed to partner with agencies and organizations public health was unfamiliar with. DOH created MOUs with the Office of Community, Trade, and Economic Development, the state Department of Transportation, and other partners to create Active Living Task Forces (ALTF). The main functions of the Active Living Task Forces (also called Non-Motorized Committees) are: 1) To advise Regional Transportation & Planning Organizations (RTPOs) and Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) on relevant changes that need to be made to community environments to support residents in being physically active, and 2) Provide guidance to other local/regional policy makers, parks and recreation departments, employers, and school districts on ways to increase opportunities for physical activity. Participation in the ALTF varies depending on each community's needs and who is available. It is strongly recommended that the task force include the following: 1)Older adults (age 50 and over); this is especially important for the Community Assessment, and 2)People familiar with finding information on local transportation policies and plans. A mix of community members, elected officials, and transportation and health professionals can bring a spectrum of important perspectives and skills to the team. Currently, there are eight ALTF across the state that are in the process of creating and supporting ACE. Several of the ALTF regions have already created success stories and impacted physical inactivity.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, the participant in this session will be able to

• Indentify how taskforces can be developed to create active community emvironments
• Articulate the process to develop active living taskforces.
• Understand how active community environments can be promoted by public health staff.

Keywords: Physical Activity, Community Health

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.

Recorded presentation