— In Miami-Dade County, Florida, an afterschool, park-based program is effective in improving physical fitness among a sample of 52 children with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Afterschool programs may be an effective strategy to increase physical activity among disabled children, who tend to be less physically active than their non-disabled peers.
read moreof Park-Based Afterschool Program to Improve Cardiovascular Health and Physical Fitness in Children with DisabilitiesFlorida
Reducing Childhood Obesity Through Coordinated Care: Development of a Park Prescription Program
— In Miami-Dade County, Florida, researchers evaluated the structure of a pilot project connecting children, families, and their pediatricians to a park-based afterschool program. This study describes important factors encouraging ongoing support from participating families and pediatricians, as well as ways to measure the effectiveness of prescription parks programs.
read moreof Reducing Childhood Obesity Through Coordinated Care: Development of a Park Prescription ProgramImpact of a Park-Based Afterschool Program Replicated Over Five Years on Modifiable Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors
— A daily afterschool program in Miami-Dade County, Florida observes significant decreases in body mass index (BMI) and blood pressure between the beginning and end of the school year. Findings from this research suggest consistent, long-term afterschool programs can effectively reduce childhood obesity and cardiovascular disease risk.
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Megan Lawson, Ph.D.
Disasters and Populations at Risk: Lack of Vehicle Makes Evacuation Difficult
— Lack of access to a vehicle, poverty, and disabilities, can make evacuation difficult or impossible for some households.
read moreof Disasters and Populations at Risk: Lack of Vehicle Makes Evacuation DifficultEconomic Impact Analysis of Orange County Trails
— This study found that development of a trail and associated infrastructure has contributed to the revitalization of downtown Winter Garden, Florida. In this county-wide trail system, the trails with the most access points to businesses had the greatest measurable economic impact, but the complement of trails throughout Orange County – some urban and others natural and quiet – contribute to an appealing regional trail system.
read moreof Economic Impact Analysis of Orange County TrailsOutdoor Recreation Net Benefits of Rail-Trails
— This study found that trail users are willing to incur greater expenses and travel further to use rural trails, and spend more time on those trails while they are there, indicating these trails are enjoyed by both locals and non-locals. Urban trails, on the other hand, are mainly a resource for local residents, and are used much more frequently and for shorter periods of times.
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