Program Areas

Childhood Obesity

Physical Activity in Communities

RWJF Priority: Increase physical activity by improving the built environment in communities

When children have safe places to walk, bike and play in their communities, they’re more likely to be active and less likely to be obese. Communities can increase opportunities for physical activity by building new sidewalks, bike paths, parks, and playgrounds—and by improving those that already exist.

To encourage families to use these resources and facilities, communities can implement traffic-safety measures and neighborhood watch programs, so children are safe when playing outside. Such measures are especially important in underserved communities, where residents often face high crime rates, dangerous traffic patterns, and unsafe sidewalks.

The resources below, from RWJF grantees and partners, highlight recent efforts to identify the most promising solutions for promoting physical activity in communities.

Childhood Obesity Policy Priorities

From the New Jersey Partnership for Healthy Kids

Renovating Northgate Park in Camden, NJ

Renovating Northgate Park in Camden, NJ

"We want to see kids and families active." The New Jersey Partnership for Healthy Kids helped to rennovate Camden's Northgate Park, where residents can now use the new playground and participate in activities like tennis, volleyball, and cycling.

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From Healthy Kids, Healthy Communities

A Healthier Park

A Healthier Park

Chicago's healthy improvements to Humbolt Park include installing community gardens and healthy vending machines, and improving pedestrian access to parks.

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3 p.m. to Bedtime: Crunch Time for Children and Obesity

Crunch Time: Challenges and Solutions

Crunch Time: Challenges and Solutions

A poll reveals that many parents face a variety of barriers to helping their children lead healthy lives, especially during the "crunch time" from 3 p.m. to bedtime.

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Childhood Obesity Program Area

RWJF is committed to tackling one of the most urgent threats to the health of our children and families—childhood obesity. Our goal is to reverse the childhood obesity epidemic by 2015.

A Mixed-Methods Evaluation of School-Based Active Living Programs

November 1, 2012 | Journal Article

Activities promoting Active Living by Design (ALbD) were implemented at a public elementary school in Chicago over five years. Students enrolled continuously from Grade 1 through Grade 4 had a significantly lower BMI compared with students who had transferred to the school after Grade 1.

Assessing the Built Environment Using Omnidirectional Imagery

February 1, 2012 | Journal Article

Several methods are used to examine the characteristics of the built environment as potential determinants of physical activity—surveys of community residents, observation by trained observers, and interpretation of geographical information system ( ...

Park-Based Physical Activity Among Children and Adolescents

September 1, 2011 | Journal Article

Parks are important to the well-being of children and adolescents they play an important role in increasing physical activity. This study assesses park use and park-based physical activity among children and adolescents, ages 0 to 18 in 2007.

Safe Routes to School

September 1, 2011 | Report

This report examines the many benefits and cost-savings Safe Routes to School programs offer.

Active Living for Rural Children

December 1, 2010 | Journal Article

A study to identify perceived environmental factors that support or impede rural children's physical activity found a wide range of both barriers to and opportunities for physical activity, with a focus on rural-specific hindering factors.