Isanti County Active Living

Measuring Change in Perception and Behavior

Isanti County, Minn. received an Active Living by Design (ALbD) grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) in 2003 to encourage increased physical activity for county residents through environmental changes.

Over five years, the project worked with three cities to change policies to require paving of road shoulders, and sidewalks and trails in new developments. The project also enhanced trails, and created biking and walking maps and signs.

The project conducted two surveys, one in 2005 and 2008, to examine the effects of project changes on the physical activity levels of residents and their perceptions about the walkability of their community. The response rate of the random sample survey was 51 percent both years.

Key Findings:

  • More respondents reported moderate intensity physical activity in the 2008 survey (69% versus 63%). No similar changes were found in the state as a whole.
  • The number of respondents who perceived that their neighborhood encouraged physical activity increased between 2005 and 2008—measured by questions on the presence of shopping in walking distance, and sidewalks and bicycle lanes or paths, as well as questions about street traffic and safety.

While the authors acknowledge a causal relationship cannot be established between the project and survey results, they believe that “the ALbD project contributed to the changes in perception and behavior.”

American Journal of Preventive Medicine Presents the Evaluation of RWJF's Active Living by Design Program

  1. 1 Lessons from a Mixed-Methods Approach to Evaluating Active Living by Design
  2. 2 Capturing Community Change
  3. 3 Identifying the Role of Community Partnerships in Creating Change to Support Active Living
  4. 4 Assessment for Active Living
  5. 5 Evaluation of Physical Projects and Policies from the Active Living by Design Partnerships
  6. 6 Programs and Promotions: Approaches by 25 Active Living by Design Partnerships
  7. 7 Active Living by Design: Sustainability Strategies
  8. 8 Concept Mapping: Priority Community Strategies to Create Changes to Support Active Living
  9. 9 Evaluation of Active Living by Design
  10. 10 Evaluation Results from an Active Living Intervention in Somerville, Massachusetts
  11. 11 Bike, Walk, and Wheel
  12. 12 A Walking School Bus Program
  13. 13 Creating a Moment for Active Living via a Media Campaign
  14. 14 Isanti County Active Living
  15. 15 Using a Bicycle-Pedestrian Count to Assess Active Living in Downtown Wilkes-Barre
  16. 16 Active Living by Design's Contributions to the Movement
  17. 17 Healthy People and the Design Sciences
  18. 18 Active Living by Design and Its Evaluation
  19. 19 A Mixed-Methods Evaluation of School-Based Active Living Programs

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