[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 62 (Monday, April 1, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19491-19492]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-07204]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

[Docket No. CDC-2013-0003]


Walking as a Way for Americans To Get the Recommended Amount of 
Physical Activity for Health

AGENCY: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Department of 
Health and Human Services (HHS).

ACTION: Request for information.

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SUMMARY: To address the public health problem of physical inactivity, 
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), within the 
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announces the opening of 
a docket to obtain information from the public on walking as an 
effective way to be sufficiently active for health. The information 
obtained will be used to frame an anticpated Surgeon General's call to 
action on this issue.

DATES: Individuals and organizations interested in providing 
information must submit their written comments on or before May 1, 
2013.

ADDRESSES: Comments may be submitted by any of the two following 
methods:
     Internet: Electronic comments may be sent via: http://www.regulations.gov, docket number CDC-2013-0003. Please follow the 
instructions on the site to submit comments; or
     Mail: Comments may also be sent by mail to the attention 
of Joan Dorn, Ph.D., Chief, Physical Activity and Health Branch, 
Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity, Centers for 
Disease Control and Prevention, 4770 Buford Highway NE., MS-K46, 
Atlanta, Georgia, 30341-3717.
    Instructions: All information received in response to this notice 
must include the agency name and docket number (CDC-2013-0003).
    All relevant comments received will be posted without change to 
http://www.regulations.gov, including any personal information 
provided.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Joan Dorn, Ph.D., Chief, Physical 
Activity and Health Branch, Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, 
and Obesity, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 4770 Buford 
Highway NE., MS-K46, Atlanta, Georgia, 30341-3717 by telephone (770-
488-5692) or email ([email protected]).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Scope of the problem: Less than half (48%) of all U.S. adults (1) 
meet the 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines, which will be included in 
the docket as a supporting document, and less than 3 in 10 high school 
students get at least 60 minutes of physical activity every day (2). 
Only 13 percent of children walk or bike to school, compared with 44 
percent a generation ago (3). More than a quarter of trips made by car 
are within one mile of home (4). Observed differences in physical 
activity levels among some population groups include: physical activity 
levels decline with age (5); activity levels are lower in low-income 
communities and among racial/ethnic miniorities (6); and, in general, 
persons with disabilities are less active than those without 
disabilities (7). Causes for lower physical activity levels vary but 
may in part be due to a lack of available and/or accessible places for 
safe and enjoyable physical activity. Walking can be an enjoyable 
recreational, occupational or purposeful (e.g., for transportation) 
physical activity in which many Americans can engage. It can enhance 
health and quality of life and can also serve as a gateway to other 
enjoyable types of physical activity.
    Approach: HHS/CDC works to increase health-related physical 
activity through population-based approaches. The agency also conducts 
physical activity related surveillance, applied research and 
evaluation, and translates and disseminates associated best practices 
to inform efforts to improve opportunities and support for physical 
activity. Consistent with these activities, HHS/CDC is assisting the 
Office of the Surgeon General in the Department of Health and Human 
Services to issue a call to action to increase attention to the 
promotion of walking and walkability to help Americans become more 
physically active. The intent of the Surgeon General's call to action 
is to identify opportunities and actions that can be taken by all 
levels of government, civic organizations, health care providers, 
educational institutions, worksites, industry, service providers, 
individuals and others to increase walking and walkability throughout 
the nation by providing access to safe, attractive and convenient 
places to walk (and wheelchair roll) and creating a culture that 
supports walking for Americans of all ages and abilities.
    We invite comments and information on environmental or systems 
strategies; interventions that increase walkability of communities and 
walking for individuals; and national-, state-, tribal-, territorial-, 
community-, organizational-, and individual-level actions. We are 
particularly interested in strategies that consider individuals with 
developmental and chronic disease-related disabilities, and groups 
having health and physical activity disparities or lack resources and 
opportunities to be physically active.
    Areas of Focus: Many factors can contribute to low levels of 
walking and physical inactivity, including lack of access to safe and 
convenient places to walk, lack of signage and directional information, 
long distances to destinations, lack of public transportation, and lack 
of the inclusion of persons with mobility limitations in walking 
campaigns and programs. HHS/CDC and the Office of the Surgeon General 
are interested in receiving information on the following topics:
    (1) Barriers to walking for youth; adults; seniors; persons with 
developmental, injury, and chronic disease-related disabilities; racial 
and ethnic minorities; and low-income individuals.
    (2) Evidence-based strategies for overcoming those barriers and 
their reach and impact to increase physical activity at the population 
level and among the above mentioned subpopulations.

References

(1) Schiller JD, Jucas JW, Ward BW, Peregoy JA. Summary health 
statistics for U.S. adults: National Health Interview Survey, 2010. 
Vital Health Stat 2012;10(252).
(2) CDC. Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance--United States, 2011. MMWR 
2012;61(SS-4).
(3) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The association 
between school based physical activity, including physical 
education, and academic performance. Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of 
Health and Human Services; 2010. Available at http://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/health_and_ academics/pdf/pa-pe_paper.pdf. Accessed 
May 17, 2011.

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(4) Nationwide Personal Transportation Survey. U.S. Department of 
Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, Research and 
Technical Support Center. Lanham, MD: Federal Highway 
Administration, 1997.
(5) Trost SG, Owen N, Bauman AE, et al. Correlates of adults' 
participation in physical activity: Review and update, 1996-2001. 
Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2002 Dec;34(12). Available at http://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/topicsobjectives2020/overview.aspx?topicid=33. Accessed May 16, 2011.; U.S. Department of 
Health and Human Services 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for 
Americans. Available from http://www.health.gov/paguidelines. 
Accessed May 16, 2011.
(6) Sallis JF, Prochaska JJ, Taylor WC. A review of correlates of 
physical activity of children and adolescents. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 
2000; 32: 963-75.
(7) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Physical activity 
among adults with a disability--United States 2005. MMWR. 
2007:56(39):1021-1024.

    Dated: March 18, 2013.
Tanja Popovic,
Deputy Associate Director for Science, Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention.
[FR Doc. 2013-07204 Filed 3-29-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4163-18-P