SNEB Journal Club 7: Assessing the environment for support of youth physical activity in rural communities

Perception of PA in rural communities may not match objective measures. Future research should work toward refining and improving existing environmental audit tools and developing new, comprehensive, location-specific tools.

Objectives:
1) To describe the tools used to assess rural environmental support for physical activity.
2) To report the environmental support of physical activity in rural areas.
3) To discuss the relationship between the measured environment for physical activity and the perceptions of physical activity support in sixth- to eighth-grade youth in rural communities.

Kendra Kattelmann, PhD, RDN, LN, FAND, is a Distinguished Professor and Director, Didactic Program of Dietetics in the Health and Nutritional Sciences Department, South Dakota State University. Her research focuses on obesity prevention through behavioral and environmental programs.

Christopher Comstock, MS, RDN, is lecturer in the Health and Nutritional Sciences Department, South Dakota State University and was a graduate student at the time the research was collected.

Lacey McCormack, PhD, MPH, RD, EP-C is an Assistant Professor in the Health and Nutritional Sciences Department, South Dakota State University. Her research focuses on how the environment shapes diet and physical activity behaviors in rural populations.

Tandalayo Kidd, PhD, RDN, is Associate Professor and Extension Specialist, Kansas State Research & Extension, Kansas State University. She is the principal investigator of the USDA/NIFA/AFRI grant that funded this research.