Rural Active Living: A Call to Action

Abstract

Rural residents are less physically active than their urban counterparts and disproportionately affected by chronic diseases and conditions associated with insufficient activity. While the ecological model has been successful in promoting and translating active living research in urban settings, relatively little research has been conducted in rural settings. The resulting research gap prohibits a comprehensive understanding and application of solutions for active living in rural America. Therefore, the purpose of this paper was to assess the evidence-base for an ecological model of active living for rural populations and outline key scientific gaps that inhibit the development and application of solutions. Specifically, we reexamined the four domains conceptualized by the model and suggest there is a dearth of research specific to rural communities across all areas of the framework. Considering the limited rural-specific efforts, we propose areas that need addressing in order to mobilize rural active living researchers and practitioners into action.

Urban‐Rural Differences in Aerobic Physical Activity, Muscle Strengthening Exercise, and Screen‐Time Sedentary Behavior

“…Rural residents typically have to commute longer distances to work, 60 and rural environments are less likely to feature facilities associated with leisure-time PA, such as parks and green spaces. 11,12 Such factors may be especially salient barriers to leisure-time PA in rural settings, and lower levels of this health-promoting behavior may play an important role in urban-rural health disparities.…”

Physical Activity–Related Policy and Environmental Strategies to Prevent Obesity in Rural Communities: A Systematic Review of the Literature, 2002–2013

“…Use of schools as the focal point for obesity-related interventions aligns with Institute of Medicine recommendations ( 68 ). In rural areas where community resources and safe places to be active are limited ( 59 , 60 , 69 – 71 ), school facilities and resources (eg, gyms, fields, playgrounds) are often some of the few, if not the only community assets for PA ( 72 ). However, many rural areas are consolidating their school districts and building new schools on the outskirts of rural communities or on state highways rather than renovating existing schools or building new schools within municipal domains or current residential areas; this trend may create school grounds that are less accessible for the more populous areas of a rural county ( 60 , 71 , 73 , 74 ).…”

“…We echo a conclusion that additional guidance on implementation of policy or environmental strategies in rural communities could be found in research not published in scientific literature (eg, websites, gray literature) ( 24 ). Although we used many strategies to identify studies conducted in rural settings, the definition of “rural” varies ( 71 ), and studies that were not explicitly identified as rural by their authors might not have been included. Although the variability in rural communities (by geography, population density, topography, resources, and other factors) should be considered in obesity prevention approaches ( 71 ), these reviews described strategies that were successfully implemented in multiple rural communities.…”

Examining Factors of Accelerometer-Measured Sedentary Time in a Sample of Rural Canadian Children

“…Prior to participation in the study, each school used their social media account to inform parents about upcoming classroom presentations. During the classroom presentation, the study details were explained to all children in grades 4-8 (ages [8][9][10][11][12][13][14]. After the presentation, children were given a package to take home to their parents, including a letter of information and parental consent form.…”

“…Rural residents often have lower incomes, poorer educational profiles, and less access to health and recreational services, which can affect the health of children and adolescents [13]. Research has suggested that factors that influence health behaviors in rural children differ from children living in urban environments [14,15] Therefore, it is crucial that researchers understand the determinants of sedentary time in rural children to ensure sedentary time is not another behavior where inequities exist.…”