Active Ottumwa: Adapting Evidence-Based Recommendations to Promote Physical Activity in a Micropolitan New Destination Community

Abstract

Background: Evidence-based interventions have been developed and tested to promote physical activity, but fewer studies have focused on identifying effective intervention strategies for mid-size rural communities, especially new immigrant destinations. We report here on the design and implementation of Active Ottumwa, a community-wide intervention using a lay health advisor approach to increase physical activity in a micropolitan new destination community in the rural state of Iowa. Methods: The Active Ottumwa study is part of a community-academic partnership in Ottumwa, IA. Evidence-based strategies recommended by the Community Guide for Preventive Services guided study implementation and included behavioral and social, campaign and informational, and environmental and policy approaches. Evaluation methods for this study are multi-faceted and include a cross-sectional community survey, longitudinal cohort assessment, observational data, key informant interviews, and project records. Results: We are currently in our second year of intervention implementation, with 45 lay health advisors (termed physical activity leaders here) trained to carry out behavioral and social intervention approaches, including walking groups, tai chi, and yoga. We have completed a communication and informational campaign utilizing five channels. Our longitudinal cohort has been recruited, with baseline and 12-month data collection completed. Conclusions: This study will assess the effectiveness and impact of a community-wide intervention to support physical activity.

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Reimagining Rural: Shifting Paradigms About Health and Well-Being in the Rural United States

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Respondent-driven sampling to recruit Latinos in a midwest micropolitan area: Lessons learned and recommendations for translational work

“…Recognizing its potential utility to recruit underrepresented minority participants, The University of Iowa Prevention Research Center collaborated with the Integrating Special Populations core of the Iowa Institute for Clinical and Translational Studies to incorporate RDS into Active Ottumwa , a CDC-funded community-level intervention trial to promote physical activity in a micropolitan community in southeast Iowa (U48DP005021). The project has been described in detail elsewhere [10]; in brief, Active Ottumwa is a 5-year community-based physical activity intervention that uses lay health advisors to inform residents about physical activity, provide social and behavioral support, and advocate for policy and environmental changes. The evaluation assessments of Active Ottumwa take place at the individual, community, and policy levels.…”