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Active transportation (AT) is widely viewed as an important target for increasing participation in aerobic physical activity and improving health, while simultaneously addressing pollution and climate change through reductions in motor vehicular emissions. In recent years, progress in increasing AT has stalled in some countries and, furthermore, the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has created new AT opportunities while also exposing the barriers and health inequities related to AT for some populations. This paper describes the results of the December 2019 Conference on Health and Active Transportation (CHAT) which brought together leaders from the transportation and health disciplines. Attendees charted a course for the future around three themes: Reflecting on Innovative Practices, Building Strategic Institutional Relationships, and Identifying Research Needs and Opportunities. This paper focuses on conclusions of the Research Needs and Opportunities theme. We present a conceptual model derived from the conference sessions that considers how economic and systems analysis, evaluation of emerging technologies and policies, efforts to address inclusivity, disparities and equity along with renewed attention to messaging and communication could contribute to overcoming barriers to development and use of AT infrastructure. Specific research gaps concerning these themes are presented. We further discuss the relevance of these themes considering the pandemic. Renewed efforts at research, dissemination and implementation are needed to achieve the potential health and environmental benefits of AT and to preserve positive changes associated with the pandemic while mitigating negative ones.

Background: School is an important place for physical activity (PA); however, little is known about how homeschool students' PA levels compare with public and private school students. This study estimated the national prevalence of PA levels of homeschool students compared to public and private school students. Methods: We used the 2017 National Household Travel Survey for school-aged participants (N = 31,486) to compare weekly PA (not active, light or moderate activity, or vigorous activity) by school type (public/private or homeschool) and school level (elementary, middle, and high school). Results: Unadjusted analyses found higher prevalence of physical inactivity for homeschool students, 14.2% (95% CI, 9.7-18.7%), compared to public/private school students, 8.0% (95% CI, 7.1-9.0%). For students who reported any PA, there was no difference in mean number of episodes for light or moderate PA [public/private: 4.2 (95%, CI, 4.1-4.3), homeschool: 4.3 (95% CI, 3.9-4.6)], or vigorous PA [public/private: 5.6 (95% CI, 5.5-5.7); homeschool: 5.5 (95% CI, 4.9-6.0)]. Results were comparable for covariate-adjusted analyses. Conclusions: A higher percentage of homeschool students report being physically inactive compared to public/private school students. However, data with more specific measures of PA intensity and duration are required to determine the potential magnitude of reported differences in behavior.

Background: Consumers routinely underapply sunscreen, and this may be because they misinterpret application quantity directions on sunscreen labels. U.S. labels use ambiguous terms such as "apply generously" to communicate application quantity. Visual aids may be helpful to consumers to determine proper application quantity. Purpose: To examine sunscreen application practices and sunscreen quantity visual aid preferences. Methods: Sets of five GIFs and five static images were created corresponding to five quantities of sunscreen. Participants extracted their typical‐use sunscreen quantity from a pre‐measured tube and answered questions about their estimation process and use of labeled instructions. Participants then identified their typical‐use sunscreen quantity in response to three stimuli: teaspoons, images, and GIFs and reported their preferred format. Results: No participants reported using the label directions for application quantity to inform their sunscreen use. The GIF‐based visual aid for sunscreen application quantity (44%) was preferred over image‐based (40%) or teaspoon‐based (16%) versions (p =.0249). Addition of a GIF demonstration to clarify application quantity was reported as highly helpful. Conclusion: Consumers have difficulty determining the appropriate quantity of sunscreen to use and labeling does not influence their application quantity. A QR code incorporating an image or GIF demonstration of proper sunscreen quantity could be useful to sunscreen consumers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Complete streets require evaluation to determine if they encourage active transportation. Methods: Data were collected before and after a street intervention provided new light rail, bike lanes, and better sidewalks in Salt Lake City, Utah. Residents living near (<800 m) and far (≥801 to 2000 m) from the street were compared, with sensitivity tests for alternative definitions of near (<600 and <1000 m). Dependent variables were accelerometer/global positioning system (GPS) measures of transit trips, nontransit walking trips, and biking trips that included the complete street corridor. Results: Active travel trips for Near-Time 2 residents, the group hypothesized to be the most active, were compared with the other 3 groups (Near-Time 1, Far-Time 1, and Far-Time 2), net of control variables. Near-Time 2 residents were more likely to engage in complete street transit walking trips (35%, adjusted) and nontransit walking trips (50%) than the other 3 groups (24% to 25% and 13% to 36%, respectively). Bicycling was less prevalent, with only 1 of 3 contrasts significant (10% of Near-Time 2 residents had complete street bicycle trips compared with 5% of Far-Time 1 residents). Conclusions: Living near the complete street intervention supported more pedestrian use and possibly bicycling, suggesting complete streets are also public health interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The positive association between physical activity and sunburn is a health behavior trade-off between the health benefits of physical activity and increased risk of skin cancer.Purpose: We assessed walking, which is a common source of physical activity, and the prevalence of sunburn.Methods: This research used the 2015 National Health Interview Survey of adults (N = 26,632), age ≥ 18 years. We defined four exclusive categories of walking: (a) those who reported not walking; (b) only transportation (to get some place, such as work, a store, or public transit stop); (c) only leisure (such as for fun, relaxation, or exercise); and (d) both categories. We estimated the adjusted prevalence of sunburn by walking category and separately for walking duration; we stratified by gender and sun sensitivity.Results: The adjusted sunburn prevalence was not different between walking categories for women, but it was for men. Specifically, prevalence was lower for men who reported not walking, 34.1% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 32.2%-36.1%) compared to 38.8% (95% CI: 36.5%-41.2%) who walked for both purposes (p = .003). Walking duration was not associated with sunburn prevalence.Conclusion: We could not determine whether sunburn occurred during walking trips because the questions were not asked as such. However, the results suggest that walking, unlike leisure-time physical activity (such as exercise, sports, or physically active hobbies), may not generally be associated with sunburn, except for the higher sunburn prevalence for men who walked for both leisure and transportation purposes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The recent growth in the U.S. brewing industry is remarkable, and the prevailing number of breweries has not been seen since the late nineteenth century. Several studies have shown that beer-producing facilities are spatially uneven across the United States. These previous studies used spatial units, however, such as metropolitan statistical areas, that might bias conclusions. Using a multiscale core-cluster approach, we explicitly identify where significant agglomerations of brewers are located. Our approach offers two refinements to standard cluster detection methods. First, instead of using fixed spatial boundaries, our method allows us to measure the concentration of brewery point locations across a spectrum of spatial scales. Additionally, our approach enables us to account for important underlying factors that influence the location of beer production. We use point data for all U.S. breweries in 2014. Our results show that the localization of beer production is significant and strongest at small spatial scales and diminishes rapidly with increasing distance, after controlling for population. We map the results to show the spatial variation in brewery agglomeration across the United States. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]