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Hearts N' Parks Program Brings Science, Skills to 50 Communities
Children, adolescents, and adults reported adopting
healthier behaviors -- such as choosing heart-healthy foods
more often -- after participating in a Hearts N' Parks
program, according to a new report on the community-based
lifestyle initiative. In addition, adults said they boosted
their level of regular physical activity after the program.
Hearts N' Parks was developed in 1999 by the National
Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) and the National
Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) to reduce the
growing trend of obesity and the risk of coronary heart
disease in the United States.
The new report, available on the NRPA
Web site, summarizes the results of written questionnaires administered
by Hearts N' Parks program staff to more than 1200 children, adolescents, and
adults on their knowledge, behavior, and attitudes regarding heart-healthy eating
and physical activity before and after participating in a program in 2002. Overall,
participants improved in nearly every indicator.
"High blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, diabetes,
heart disease, and stroke -- these are just a few of the
health problems that obesity and overweight contribute to,"
said Dr. Claude Lenfant, director of NHLBI, a component of
the National Institutes of Health. "Hearts N' Parks is all
about bringing what research has shown about the health
risks associated with overweight and obesity to the
community -- and empowering people to make better lifestyle
choices in order to improve their overall health."
Hearts N' Parks incorporates science-based information
about lifestyle choices that can reduce the risk of
coronary heart disease and skills for adopting heart-
healthy behaviors into regular activities offered by park
and recreation departments and other community-based
agencies. The program focuses on encouraging Americans of
all ages to aim for a healthy weight, follow a heart-
healthy eating plan, and engage in regular physical
activity. Training for recreational staff and tools for
measuring the impact of their activities is provided.
More than 50 Hearts N' Parks sites ("magnet centers") are
now active in 11 states: Arizona, Florida, Georgia,
Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, Nevada,
New Mexico, and Ohio. Many magnet centers are holding
special "FunFit" events in July -- including several that
are tied to local Fourth of July celebrations. For example,
40,000 people are expected at a July 4 event in Athens, GA,
where there will be a special Hearts N' Parks tent with
games, prizes, and health and wellness information. On July
5, residents of Roswell, NM, can measure their body fat and
learn how to grill low-fat foods in conjunction with the
city's annual Alien Chase. Over 100,000 people are expected
at a July 6 concert and fireworks event in South Bend, IN
that will feature Hearts N' Parks displays, nutrition and
fitness quizzes. A July 11 Fun Fit Festival Field Day in
Las Vegas, NV will be held for children in summer day camps
who will participate in field games, swimming, and a
healthy lunch contest.
"We want to reinforce the idea that celebrating good health
is as important as celebrating democracy -- and that
individuals and families can have fun doing both,"
commented John Thorner, CAE, executive director of NRPA.
July events also commemorate Recreation and Parks Month, an
annual public awareness initiative of NRPA. "This year's
theme, 'Community Sports and Health,' ties in nicely with
the goals of Hearts N' Parks programs," added Thorner.
The Hearts N' Parks model supports the Department of Health
and Human Services' "Steps to a Healthier US" initiative,
based on the President's Healthier US Initiative. These
initiatives highlight the influence that healthy lifestyles
and behaviors have in achieving and maintaining good health
for individuals of all ages. They also encourage public-
private partnerships to support community-driven programs
on healthy lifestyles that contribute directly to the
prevention or treatment of one of three key health
problems: obesity, diabetes, or asthma.
The new report, "Hearts N' Parks - Phase II: Report of 2002
Magnet Center Performance Data," includes information on 68
programs which varied in size and duration. Data was
collected by 36 Hearts N' Parks sites during their first
year as a magnet center. Programs for children or
adolescents were typically provided during summer camps or
as after-school activities for 7 to 11 weeks. Adult
programs, which lasted an average of 12 weeks, attracted
largely seniors and women.
"Combining proven health interventions and skills training
with local recreational facilities seemed like a natural,"
added Karen Donato, S.M., R.D., coordinator of the NHLBI
Obesity Education Initiative. "Now we have the information
to show that it really works."
Highlights of the performance report include:
-- Children's scores improved significantly in all areas:
heart-healthy eating knowledge (8 percent increase in
correct answers), behavior (14 percent increase), and
intention (19 percent increase).
-- Children's scores in physical activity attitude
increased; they reported that they "learned" or "would like
to play again" an average of five activities while they
"got better at "approximately seven activities.
-- Adolescents' scores improved significantly in heart-
healthy eating behavior (20 percent increase), intention
(15 percent increase), and in overweight/obesity knowledge
(7 percent increase).
-- Adult participants significantly improved their scores
in all areas of knowledge, attitude, and behavior studied.
They increased their knowledge of heart-healthy nutrition
with a 9 percent increase in correct answers. Scores
increased by 6 percent to 7 percent in knowledge of
overweight/obesity risks, physical activity, causes of high
blood pressure, and ways to control cholesterol levels.
Post-test scores also suggest healthier attitudes toward
overweight/obesity, heart-healthy eating habits, and
physical activity, and improvements in how frequently
participants chose healthy foods, based on self-reports.
-- Adult participants reported adding, on average, 2 hours
of moderate physical activity per week (from 8 hours to 10
hours), such as bicycling, walking and golfing, after
participating in Hearts N' Parks. In addition, they reduced
the time spent in sedentary activities by an average of 8
hours per week, down to 33 hours.
-- Post-test scores of participants over 60 years old
showed greater improvement overall than younger adults.
Seniors' pretest knowledge scores were lower than younger
adults' scores, but post-test knowledge scores were
comparable. Seniors also significantly increased time spent
weekly in physical activity on average from slightly fewer
than 6 hours to more than 8.5 hours, and significantly
lowered the amount of time each week in sedentary tasks by
10 hours, down to 20 hours.
The performance report is available (as a PDF file) at www.nrpa.org/pdf/HNPReport6-25-03.pdf.
For more information about obesity, heart disease, or Hearts N' Parks - including
a map of magnet center sites and a video about the program - visit the NHLBI
Web site or go directly to the Hearts
N' Parks pages . Community organizations interested in becoming a Hearts N' Parks
site should contact the NRPA at programs@nrpa.org or 1-800-649-3042.
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