[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 62 (Monday, April 1, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19491-19492]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-07204]
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
[Docket No. CDC-2013-0003]
Walking as a Way for Americans To Get the Recommended Amount of
Physical Activity for Health
AGENCY: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Department of
Health and Human Services (HHS).
ACTION: Request for information.
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SUMMARY: To address the public health problem of physical inactivity,
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), within the
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announces the opening of
a docket to obtain information from the public on walking as an
effective way to be sufficiently active for health. The information
obtained will be used to frame an anticpated Surgeon General's call to
action on this issue.
DATES: Individuals and organizations interested in providing
information must submit their written comments on or before May 1,
2013.
ADDRESSES: Comments may be submitted by any of the two following
methods:
Internet: Electronic comments may be sent via: http://www.regulations.gov, docket number CDC-2013-0003. Please follow the
instructions on the site to submit comments; or
Mail: Comments may also be sent by mail to the attention
of Joan Dorn, Ph.D., Chief, Physical Activity and Health Branch,
Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity, Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention, 4770 Buford Highway NE., MS-K46,
Atlanta, Georgia, 30341-3717.
Instructions: All information received in response to this notice
must include the agency name and docket number (CDC-2013-0003).
All relevant comments received will be posted without change to
http://www.regulations.gov, including any personal information
provided.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Joan Dorn, Ph.D., Chief, Physical
Activity and Health Branch, Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity,
and Obesity, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 4770 Buford
Highway NE., MS-K46, Atlanta, Georgia, 30341-3717 by telephone (770-
488-5692) or email ([email protected]).
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Scope of the problem: Less than half (48%) of all U.S. adults (1)
meet the 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines, which will be included in
the docket as a supporting document, and less than 3 in 10 high school
students get at least 60 minutes of physical activity every day (2).
Only 13 percent of children walk or bike to school, compared with 44
percent a generation ago (3). More than a quarter of trips made by car
are within one mile of home (4). Observed differences in physical
activity levels among some population groups include: physical activity
levels decline with age (5); activity levels are lower in low-income
communities and among racial/ethnic miniorities (6); and, in general,
persons with disabilities are less active than those without
disabilities (7). Causes for lower physical activity levels vary but
may in part be due to a lack of available and/or accessible places for
safe and enjoyable physical activity. Walking can be an enjoyable
recreational, occupational or purposeful (e.g., for transportation)
physical activity in which many Americans can engage. It can enhance
health and quality of life and can also serve as a gateway to other
enjoyable types of physical activity.
Approach: HHS/CDC works to increase health-related physical
activity through population-based approaches. The agency also conducts
physical activity related surveillance, applied research and
evaluation, and translates and disseminates associated best practices
to inform efforts to improve opportunities and support for physical
activity. Consistent with these activities, HHS/CDC is assisting the
Office of the Surgeon General in the Department of Health and Human
Services to issue a call to action to increase attention to the
promotion of walking and walkability to help Americans become more
physically active. The intent of the Surgeon General's call to action
is to identify opportunities and actions that can be taken by all
levels of government, civic organizations, health care providers,
educational institutions, worksites, industry, service providers,
individuals and others to increase walking and walkability throughout
the nation by providing access to safe, attractive and convenient
places to walk (and wheelchair roll) and creating a culture that
supports walking for Americans of all ages and abilities.
We invite comments and information on environmental or systems
strategies; interventions that increase walkability of communities and
walking for individuals; and national-, state-, tribal-, territorial-,
community-, organizational-, and individual-level actions. We are
particularly interested in strategies that consider individuals with
developmental and chronic disease-related disabilities, and groups
having health and physical activity disparities or lack resources and
opportunities to be physically active.
Areas of Focus: Many factors can contribute to low levels of
walking and physical inactivity, including lack of access to safe and
convenient places to walk, lack of signage and directional information,
long distances to destinations, lack of public transportation, and lack
of the inclusion of persons with mobility limitations in walking
campaigns and programs. HHS/CDC and the Office of the Surgeon General
are interested in receiving information on the following topics:
(1) Barriers to walking for youth; adults; seniors; persons with
developmental, injury, and chronic disease-related disabilities; racial
and ethnic minorities; and low-income individuals.
(2) Evidence-based strategies for overcoming those barriers and
their reach and impact to increase physical activity at the population
level and among the above mentioned subpopulations.
References
(1) Schiller JD, Jucas JW, Ward BW, Peregoy JA. Summary health
statistics for U.S. adults: National Health Interview Survey, 2010.
Vital Health Stat 2012;10(252).
(2) CDC. Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance--United States, 2011. MMWR
2012;61(SS-4).
(3) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The association
between school based physical activity, including physical
education, and academic performance. Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of
Health and Human Services; 2010. Available at http://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/health_and_ academics/pdf/pa-pe_paper.pdf. Accessed
May 17, 2011.
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(4) Nationwide Personal Transportation Survey. U.S. Department of
Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, Research and
Technical Support Center. Lanham, MD: Federal Highway
Administration, 1997.
(5) Trost SG, Owen N, Bauman AE, et al. Correlates of adults'
participation in physical activity: Review and update, 1996-2001.
Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2002 Dec;34(12). Available at http://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/topicsobjectives2020/overview.aspx?topicid=33. Accessed May 16, 2011.; U.S. Department of
Health and Human Services 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for
Americans. Available from http://www.health.gov/paguidelines.
Accessed May 16, 2011.
(6) Sallis JF, Prochaska JJ, Taylor WC. A review of correlates of
physical activity of children and adolescents. Med Sci Sports Exerc.
2000; 32: 963-75.
(7) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Physical activity
among adults with a disability--United States 2005. MMWR.
2007:56(39):1021-1024.
Dated: March 18, 2013.
Tanja Popovic,
Deputy Associate Director for Science, Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention.
[FR Doc. 2013-07204 Filed 3-29-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4163-18-P