Parks, Trails, and Greenways for Physical Activity: A Community Guide Systematic Economic Review.

INTRODUCTION: This systematic economic review examined the cost-benefit and cost-effectiveness of park, trail, and greenway infrastructure interventions to increase physical activity or infrastructure use. METHODS: The search period covered the date of inception of publications databases through February 2022. Inclusion was limited to studies that reported cost-benefit or cost-effectiveness outcomes and were based in the U.S. and other high-income countries. Analyses were conducted from March 2022 through December 2022. All monetary values reported are in 2021 U.S. dollars. RESULTS: The search yielded 1 study based in the U.S. and 7 based in other high-income countries, with 1 reporting cost-effectiveness and 7 reporting cost-benefit outcomes. The cost-effectiveness study based in the United Kingdom reported $23,254 per disability-adjusted life year averted. The median benefit-to-cost ratio was 3.1 (interquartile interval=2.9-3.9) on the basis of 7 studies. DISCUSSION: The evidence shows that economic benefits exceed the intervention cost of park, trail, and greenway infrastructure. Given large differences in the size of infrastructure, intervention costs and economic benefits varied substantially across studies. There was insufficient number of studies to determine the cost-effectiveness of these interventions.

Healthy Community Design, Anti-displacement, and Equity Strategies in the USA: A Scoping Review.

Recent investments in built environment infrastructure to create healthy communities have highlighted the need for equity and environmental justice. Although the benefits of healthy community design (e.g., connecting transportation systems and land use changes) are well established, some reports suggest that these changes may increase property values. These increases can raise the risk of displacement for people with low incomes and/or who are from racial and ethnic minority groups, who would then miss out on benefits from changes in community design. This review scanned the literature for displacement mitigation and prevention measures, with the goal of providing a compilation of available strategies for a wide range of audiences including public health practitioners. A CDC librarian searched the Medline, EbscoHost, Scopus, and ProQuest Central databases, and we identified grey literature using Google and Google Scholar searches. The indexed literature search identified 6 articles, and the grey literature scan added 18 articles. From these 24 total articles, we identified 141 mitigation and prevention strategies for displacement and thematically characterized each by domain using an adapted existing typology. This work provides a well-categorized inventory for practitioners and sets the stage for future evaluation research on the implementation of strategies and practices to reduce displacement.

Exploring Residents' Perceptions of Neighborhood Development and Revitalization for Active Living Opportunities.

INTRODUCTION: Community fears of gentrification have created concerns about building active living infrastructure in neighborhoods with low-income populations. However, little empirical research exists related to these concerns. This work describes characteristics of residents who reported 1) concerns about increased cost of living caused by neighborhood development and 2) support for infrastructural improvements even if the changes lead to a higher cost of living. METHODS: Data on concerns about or support for transportation-related and land use-related improvements and sociodemographic characteristics were obtained from the 2018 SummerStyles survey, an online panel survey conducted on a nationwide sample of US adults (n = 3,782). Descriptive statistics characterized the sample, and χ2 tests examined associations among variables. RESULTS: Overall, 19.1% of study respondents agreed that development had caused concerns about higher cost of living. Approximately half (50.7%) supported neighborhood changes for active living opportunities even if they lead to higher costs of living. Prevalences of both concern and support were higher among respondents who were younger and who had higher levels of education than their counterparts. Support did not differ between racial or ethnic groups, but concern was reported more often by Hispanic/Latino (28.9%) and other non-Hispanic (including multiracial) respondents (25.5%) than by non-Hispanic White respondents (15.6%). Respondents who reported concerns were more likely to express support (65.3%) than respondents who did not report concerns (47.3%). CONCLUSION: The study showed that that low-income, racial, or ethnic minority populations support environmental changes to improve active living despite cost of living concerns associated with community revitalization.

Priorities and Indicators for Economic Evaluation of Built Environment Interventions to Promote Physical Activity.

BACKGROUND: Built environment approaches to promoting physical activity can provide economic value to communities. How best to assess this value is uncertain. This study engaged experts to identify a set of key economic indicators useful for evaluation, research, and public health practice. METHODS: Using a modified Delphi process, a multidisciplinary group of experts participated in (1) one of 5 discussion groups (n = 21 experts), (2) a 2-day facilitated workshop (n = 19 experts), and/or (3) online surveys (n = 16 experts). RESULTS: Experts identified 73 economic indicators, then used a 5-point scale to rate them on 3 properties: measurement quality, feasibility of use by a community, and influence on community decision making. Twenty-four indicators were highly rated (≥3.9 on all properties). The 10 highest-rated "key" indicators were walkability score, residential vacancy rate, housing affordability, property tax revenue, retail sales per square foot, number of small businesses, vehicle miles traveled per capita, employment, air quality, and life expectancy. CONCLUSION: This study identified key economic indicators that could characterize the economic value of built environment approaches to promoting physical activity. Additional work could demonstrate the validity, feasibility, and usefulness of these key indicators, in particular to inform decisions about community design.

Effect of lifestyle interventions on cardiovascular risk factors among adults without impaired glucose tolerance or diabetes: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Structured lifestyle interventions can reduce diabetes incidence and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk among persons with impaired glucose tolerance (IGT), but it is unclear whether they should be implemented among persons without IGT. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analyses to assess the effectiveness of lifestyle interventions on CVD risk among adults without IGT or diabetes. We systematically searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, Web of Science, the Cochrane Library, and PsychInfo databases, from inception to May 4, 2016. We selected randomized controlled trials of lifestyle interventions, involving physical activity (PA), dietary (D), or combined strategies (PA+D) with follow-up duration ≥12 months. We excluded all studies that included individuals with IGT, confirmed by 2-hours oral glucose tolerance test (75g), but included all other studies recruiting populations with different glycemic levels. We stratified studies by baseline glycemic levels: (1) low-range group with mean fasting plasma glucose (FPG) <5.5mmol/L or glycated hemoglobin (A1C) <5.5%, and (2) high-range group with FPG ≥5.5mmol/L or A1C ≥5.5%, and synthesized data using random-effects models. Primary outcomes in this review included systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), total cholesterol (TC), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), and triglycerides (TG). Totally 79 studies met inclusion criteria. Compared to usual care (UC), lifestyle interventions achieved significant improvements in SBP (-2.16mmHg[95%CI, -2.93, -1.39]), DBP (-1.83mmHg[-2.34, -1.31]), TC (-0.10mmol/L[-0.15, -0.05]), LDL-C (-0.09mmol/L[-0.13, -0.04]), HDL-C (0.03mmol/L[0.01, 0.04]), and TG (-0.08mmol/L[-0.14, -0.03]). Similar effects were observed among both low-and high-range study groups except for TC and TG. Similar effects also appeared in SBP and DBP categories regardless of follow-up duration. PA+D interventions had larger improvement effects on CVD risk factors than PA alone interventions. In adults without IGT or diabetes, lifestyle interventions resulted in significant improvements in SBP, DBP, TC, LDL-C, HDL-C, and TG, and might further reduce CVD risk.

Effect of lifestyle interventions on glucose regulation among adults without impaired glucose tolerance or diabetes: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

This study systematically assessed the effectiveness of lifestyle interventions on glycemic indicators among adults (⩾18years) without IGT or diabetes. Randomized controlled trials using physical activity (PA), diet (D), or their combined strategies (PA+D) with follow-up ⩾12months were systematically searched from multiple electronic-databases between inception and May 4, 2016. Outcome measures included fasting plasma glucose (FPG), glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), fasting insulin (FI), homeostasis model assessment-estimated insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), and bodyweight. Included studies were divided into low-range (FPG <5.5mmol/L or HbA1c <5.5%) and high-range (FPG ⩾5.5mmol/L or HbA1c ⩾5.5%) groups according to baseline glycemic levels. Seventy-nine studies met inclusion criteria. Random-effect models demonstrated that compared with usual care, lifestyle interventions achieved significant reductions in FPG (-0.14mmol/L [95%CI, -0.19, -0.10]), HbA1c (-0.06% [-0.09, -0.03]), FI (%change: -15.18% [-20.01, -10.35]), HOMA-IR (%change: -22.82% [-29.14, -16.51]), and bodyweight (%change: -3.99% [-4.69, -3.29]). The same effect sizes in FPG reduction (0.07) appeared among both low-range and high-range groups. Similar effects were observed among all groups regardless of lengths of follow-up. D and PA+D interventions had larger effects on glucose reduction than PA alone. Lifestyle interventions significantly improved FPG, HbA1c, FI, HOMA-IR, and bodyweight among adults without IGT or diabetes, and might reduce progression of hyperglycemia to type 2 diabetes mellitus.

The State of Evaluation Research on Food Policies to Reduce Obesity and Diabetes Among Adults in the United States, 2000-2011.

INTRODUCTION: Improvements in diet can prevent obesity and type 2 diabetes. Although policy changes provide a foundation for improvement at the population level, evidence for the effectiveness of such changes is slim. This study summarizes the literature on recent efforts in the United States to change food-related policies to prevent obesity and diabetes among adults. METHODS: We conducted a systematic review of evidence of the impact of food policies. Websites of government, academic, and nonprofit organizations were scanned to generate a typology of food-related policies, which we classified into 18 categories. A key-word search and a search of policy reports identified empirical evaluation studies of these categories. Analyses were limited to strategies with 10 or more reports. Of 422 articles identified, 94 met these criteria. Using publication date, study design, study quality, and dietary outcomes assessed, we evaluated the strength of evidence for each strategy in 3 assessment categories: time period, quality, and study design. RESULTS: Five strategies yielded 10 or more reports. Only 2 of the 5 strategies, menu labeling and taxes on unhealthy foods, had 50% or more studies with positive findings in at least 2 of 3 assessment categories. Most studies used methods that were rated medium quality. Although the number of published studies increased over 11 years, study quality did not show any clear trend nor did it vary by strategy. CONCLUSION: Researchers and policy makers can improve the quality and rigor of policy evaluations to synthesize existing evidence and develop better methods for gleaning policy guidance from the ample but imperfect data available.

Trends in Gestational Diabetes Among Hospital Deliveries in 19 U.S. States, 2000-2010.

INTRODUCTION: Diabetes is one of the most common and fastest-growing comorbidities of pregnancy. Temporal trends in gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) have not been examined at the state level. This study examines GDM prevalence trends overall and by age, state, and region for 19 states, and by race/ethnicity for 12 states. Sub-analysis assesses trends among GDM deliveries by insurance type and comorbid hypertension in pregnancy. METHODS: Using the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality's National and State Inpatient Databases, deliveries were identified using diagnosis-related group codes for GDM and comorbidities using ICD-9-CM diagnosis codes among all community hospitals. General linear regression with a log-link and binomial distribution was used in 2014 to assess annual change in GDM prevalence from 2000 through 2010. RESULTS: The age-standardized prevalence of GDM increased from 3.71 in 2000 to 5.77 per 100 deliveries in 2010 (relative increase, 56%). From 2000 through 2010, GDM deliveries increased significantly in all states (p<0.01), with relative increases ranging from 36% to 88%. GDM among deliveries in 12 states reporting race and ethnicity increased among all groups (p<0.01), with the highest relative increase in Hispanics (66%). Among GDM deliveries in 19 states, those with pre-pregnancy hypertension increased significantly from 2.5% to 4.1% (relative increase, 64%). The burden of GDM delivery payment shifted from private insurers (absolute decrease of 13.5 percentage points) to Medicaid/Medicare (13.2-percentage point increase). CONCLUSIONS: Results suggest that GDM deliveries are increasing. The highest rates of increase are among Hispanics and among GDM deliveries complicated by pre-pregnancy hypertension.

Trends in pre-pregnancy diabetes among deliveries in 19 U.S. states, 2000-2010.

BACKGROUND: Trends in state-level prevalence of pre-pregnancy diabetes mellitus (PDM; i.e., type 1 or type 2 diabetes diagnosed before pregnancy) among delivery hospitalizations are needed to inform healthcare delivery planning and prevention programs. PURPOSE: To examine PDM trends overall, by age group, race/ethnicity, primary payer, and with comorbidities such as pre-eclampsia and pre-pregnancy hypertension, and to report changes in prevalence over 11 years. METHODS: In 2014, State Inpatient Databases from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality were analyzed to identify deliveries with PDM and comorbidities using diagnosis-related group codes and ICD-9-CM codes. General linear regression with a log-link and binomial distribution was used to assess the annual change. RESULTS: Between 2000 and 2010, PDM deliveries increased significantly in all age groups, all race/ethnicity groups, and in all states examined (p<0.01). The age-standardized prevalence of PDM increased from 0.65 per 100 deliveries in 2000 to 0.89 per 100 deliveries in 2010, with a relative change of 37% (p<0.01). Although PDM rates were highest in the South, some of the largest relative increases occurred in five Western states (≥69%). Non-Hispanic blacks had the highest PDM rates and the highest absolute increase (0.26 per 100 deliveries). From 2000 to 2010, the proportion of PDM deliveries with pre-pregnancy hypertension increased significantly (p<0.01) from 7.4% to 14.1%. CONCLUSIONS: PDM deliveries are increasing overall and particularly among those with PDM who have hypertension. Effective diabetes prevention and control strategies for women of childbearing age may help protect their health and that of their newborns.

Seeking best practices: a conceptual framework for planning and improving evidence-based practices.

How can we encourage ongoing development, refinement, and evaluation of practices to identify and build an evidence base for best practices? On the basis of a review of the literature and expert input, we worked iteratively to create a framework with 2 interrelated components. The first - public health impact - consists of 5 elements: effectiveness, reach, feasibility, sustainability, and transferability. The second - quality of evidence - consists of 4 levels, ranging from weak to rigorous. At the intersection of public health impact and quality of evidence, a continuum of evidence-based practice emerges, representing the ongoing development of knowledge across 4 stages: emerging, promising, leading, and best. This conceptual framework brings together important aspects of impact and quality to provide a common lexicon and criteria for assessing and strengthening public health practice. We hope this work will invite and advance dialogue among public health practitioners and decision makers to build and strengthen a diverse evidence base for public health programs and strategies.

Variation in prevalence of gestational diabetes mellitus among hospital discharges for obstetric delivery across 23 states in the United States.

OBJECTIVE: To examine variability in diagnosed gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) prevalence at delivery by race/ethnicity and state. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: We used data from the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project State Inpatient Databases for 23 states of the United States with available race/ethnicity data for 2008 to examine age-adjusted and race-adjusted rates of GDM by state. We used multilevel analysis to examine factors that explain the variability in GDM between states. RESULTS: Age-adjusted and race-adjusted GDM rates (per 100 deliveries) varied widely between states, ranging from 3.47 in Utah to 7.15 in Rhode Island. Eighty-six percent of the variability in GDM between states was explained as follows: 14.7% by age; 11.8% by race/ethnicity; 5.9% by insurance; and 2.9% by interaction between race/ethnicity and insurance at the individual level; 17.6% by hospital level factors; 27.4% by the proportion of obese women in the state; 4.3% by the proportion of Hispanic women aged 15-44 years in the state; and 1.5% by the proportion of white non-Hispanic women aged 15-44 years in the state. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that GDM rates differ by state, with this variation attributable to differences in obesity at the population level (or "at the state level"), age, race/ethnicity, hospital, and insurance.

Reviewing performance of birth certificate and hospital discharge data to identify births complicated by maternal diabetes.

OBJECTIVES: Public health surveillance of diabetes during pregnancy is needed. Birth certificate and hospital discharge data are population-based, routinely available and economical to obtain and analyze, but their quality has been criticized. It is important to understand the usefulness and limitations of these data sources for surveillance of diabetes during pregnancy. METHODS: We conducted a comprehensive literature review to summarize the validity of birth certificate and hospital discharge data for identifying diabetes-complicated births. RESULTS: Sensitivities for birth certificate data identifying prepregnancy diabetes mellitus (PDM) ranged from 47% to 52%, median 50% (kappas: min = 0.210, med = 0.497, max = 0.523). Sensitivities for birth certificate data identifying gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) ranged from 46% to 83%, median 65% (kappas: min = 0.545, med = 0.667, max = 0.828). Sensitivities for the two studies using hospital discharge data for identifying PDM were 78% and 95% (kappas: 0.839 and 0.964), and for GDM were 71% and 81% (kappas: 0.584 and 0.840). Specificities were consistently above 98% for both data sources. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, hospital discharge data performed better than birth certificates, marginally so for identifying GDM but substantially so for identifying PDM. Reports based on either source alone should focus on trends and disparities and include the caveat that results under represent the problem. Linking the two data sources may improve identification of both GDM and PDM cases.

The public health role in the primary prevention of diabetes: recommendations from the chronic disease directors' project.

AIM: The article reports on the recommendations from the Diabetes Primary Prevention Project that was initiated and funded by the Division of Diabetes Translation, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and developed by the National Association of Chronic Disease Directors. METHOD: Essential components of statewide programs are delineated for effective interventions for diabetes primary prevention. The recommendations were derived from a structured process that is detailed on the basis of a cross-comparison of state-level diabetes prevention initiatives in six states where such programs were most developed. RESULTS: The recommendations focus on state-level partnerships, statewide program planning, required resources, policies, benchmarks for progress, and data collection. CONCLUSION: Illustrations are provided regarding how the project influenced the six participating states in further developing their programs for the primary prevention of diabetes.

Trends and disparities among diabetes-complicated births in Minnesota, 1993-2003.

We used Minnesota birth certificate data from 1993-2003 to test 2 hypotheses: rates of diabetes-complicated pregnancy are increasing, and disparities between more and less socially advantaged groups are widening. Significant increases occurred in rates (per 1000 live births) of prepregnancy and gestational diabetes mellitus (from 2.6 to 4.9 and 25.6 to 34.8, respectively). Increases were significant in all demographic groups except gestational diabetes among American Indian mothers, and disparities worsened among all groups. Targeted interventions and surveillance improvements are needed.

Family history of diabetes is a major determinant of endothelial function.

OBJECTIVES: We evaluated whether endothelial dysfunction was present in nondiabetic persons with a family history (FH) of diabetes and assessed its relationship with insulin resistance and atherosclerosis risk factors. BACKGROUND: Atherosclerosis is frequently present when type 2 diabetes (T2D) is first diagnosed. Endothelial dysfunction contributes to atherogenesis. METHODS: Oral glucose tolerance and brachial artery flow-mediated, endothelium-dependent vasodilation (EDV) were assessed in 38 nondiabetic subjects; offspring of two parents with T2D (FH+) or with no first-degree relative with diabetes (FH-). RESULTS: Although fasting glucose was higher in FH+ than FH- (5.3 +/- 0.1 mmol/l vs. 4.9 +/- 0.1 mmol/l, p < 0.03), glycemic burden assessed as 2-h or area-under-the-curve glucose after glucose load or glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c), and measures of insulin sensitivity or inflammation did not differ. Brachial artery flow-mediated EDV was reduced in FH+ (7.1 +/- 0.9% vs. 11.7 +/- 1.6%, p < 0.02), with no difference in nitroglycerin-induced endothelium-independent vasodilatation. In the combined cohort, only FH+ (r2 = 0.12, p < 0.02) and HbA1c (r2 = 0.14, p < 0.02) correlated with EDV. Insulin resistance, assessed by tertile of homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), was associated with impaired endothelium-dependent vasodilatation in FH- (p < 0.03, analysis of variance), but not in FH+, as even the most insulin-sensitive FH+ offspring had diminished endothelial function. In multiple regression analysis, including established cardiac risk factors, blood pressure and lipids, HbA1c, and HOMA-IR, FH remained a significant determinant of EDV (p = 0.04). CONCLUSIONS: Bioavailability of nitric oxide is lower in persons with a strong FH of T2D. Glycemic burden, even in the nondiabetic range, can contribute to endothelial dysfunction. Abnormalities of endothelial function may contribute to atherosclerosis before development of overt diabetes.