Physical Activity for Healthy People 2020

Erin ThorntonJacksonville University

Physical Activity guidelines for Americans (PAG)

The Physical Activity guidelines for Americans, also known as PAG, was first released in 2008 and is implemented into Healthy People 2020.

The PAG provides science based guidelines helping Americans age 6 and older improve their health through appropriate physical activity.

( health.gov )

Guidelines for Healthy People 2020

* Children & adolescents should do at least 60 minutes or more of moderate aerobic physical activity a week.

* Adults should take part in 150 minutes of moderate exercise, 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic exercise, or a combination of both moderate and vigorous aerobic activity per week.

* Older adults should stay active, and if they are unable to complete 150 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise a week, they should work out as their health conditions allow.

( health.gov )

Benefits of Program Guidelines

•Understand the health benefits of physical activity •Learn about the types and amounts of physical

activity you need to maintain your health •Choose appropriate physical activities that fit into

any lifestyle or routine •Help others be more physically active •Learn ways to reduce the risks of activity-related

injury( health.gov )

Why is Physical Activity Important?

Regardless of health status, regular physical activity can improve health and quality of life.

For adults specifically, physical activity can lower the risk of early death, coronary artery disease, stroke, high blood pressure, cancers, type 2 diabetes, falls and depression.

For children and adolescents, they can have improvement with bone health and cardiorespiratory and muscular fitness, reduce depression and body fat percentages.

( healthypeople.gov )

GOALImprove health, fitness, and quality

of life through daily physical activity.

( healthypeople.gov )

Severity of Problem

More than 80% of adults & adolescents do not meet the guidelines for both aerobic & muscle-strengthening activities.

Across the globe, 1 in 4 adults are not active enough.

Insufficient physical activity is 1 of the 10 leading risk factors for death.

( healthypeople.gov )( who.int )

Sample Study on Physical Activity Levels

A study was conducted in 2010, observing high school students, and whether they met the heathy people 2020 standards for physical activity.

Analyzed data from the 2010 National Youth Physical Activity and Nutrition Study (NYPANS), which looked at different measurements, including height, weight, physical activity, and dietary behaviors among students grades 9-12 was considered for this study.

It was found among students nationwide in grades 9–12, 15.3% met the aerobic objective, 51.0% met the muscle-strengthening objective, and 12.2% met the objective for both aerobic and muscle-strengthening activities.

(MMWR)

Program Objectives

1) aerobic physical activity (participation in ≥60 minutes of aerobic activity per day, 7 days per week)

2) muscle-strengthening activity (muscle-strengthening activities on ≥3 days per week)

3) aerobic physical activity and muscle-strengthening activity combined

(MMWR)

Desired Change Findings from the 2010 study showed that approximately 1 out of 10 high school students in the United States met the Healthy People 2020 objectives for physical activity.

Both aerobic and muscle-strengthening activities were lower for female students, students in higher grade levels, and students with obesity.

Since this was the first study of its kind, these results indicate the need to improve and increase efforts in promoting how important physical activity in young adults is.

According to Healthy People 2020, 28.7 % of adolescents met current physical activity guidelines for aerobic physical activity in 2011.

(MMWR)( healthypeople.gov )

Accountability in Program Evaluation & Sustainability

* An emerging issue within Healthy People 2020 is the multidisciplinary approach of traditional (education & healthcare) and nontraditional (transportation, recreation, and environmental health) partnerships.

* Data sources are needed to monitor key characteristics of the environment, such as the availability and use of parks and trails and policies that promote physical activity at work, within the community, and in schools.

* The National Physical Activity Plan (NPAP) is a part of a private-public sector that developed policies, programs, and initiatives to help make Americans more physically active.

* Peer-reviewed publications, report, and briefs were produced in order to evaluate the NPAP in 2011, which is an active part of the Healthy People 2020 Physical Activity initiative.

(The U.S. National Physical Activity Plan)( health.gov )

Funding

Preventive Health and Health Services Block Grant (PHHS Block Grant)

Georgia, Wisconsin, Kansas, Puerto Rico, and Pennsylvania have funding for Healthy People 2020 from PHHS Block Grant to help promote physical activity.

( PHHS )

Providing Information

( health.gov )

The CDC’s Guide to Community Preventive Services recommends the need for evidence-based strategies to increase physical activity.

Idea: enhancing school physical education programs by increasing the time of classes or activity levels.

The National Physical Activity Plan suggests involvement of schools, community members, families, and the private sector to best approach the need to increase activity levels for the public.

Public health departments can monitor community progress in providing places and opportunities to be physically active and can track changes in the proportion of the population meeting the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans. (PAG)

(MMWR)

Unintended OutcomesThe benefits of physical activity far outweigh the possibility of adverse outcomes.

The main unintended outcome from increasing the amount of physical activity a person does, is injuries.

Having a healthcare provider involved with the development of a physical activity plan can help decrease in the occurrence of injuries for adults and adolescents.

( health.gov )

ReferencesPHHS Block Grant Supports Healthy People Priorities. (2014, December 29). Retrieved August 2, 2015, from http://www.cdc.gov/phhsblockgrant/statehpprior.htm

Physical Activity Guidelines. (2008, October 1). Retrieved August 2, 2015, from http://www.health.gov/PAGuidelines/

Physical activity levels of high school students --- United States, 2010. (2011). MMWR: Morbidity & Mortality Weekly Report, 60(23), 773-777.

The U.S. National Physical Activity Plan. (n.d.). Retrieved August 1, 2015, from http://www.physicalactivityplan.org/theplan.php

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, (2015). Healthy People 2020: Physical Activity. Retrieved July 31, 2015 from http://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/topics-objectives/topic/physical-activity

World Health Organization (2015). Physical Activity. Retrieved July 30,2015 from http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs385/en/