Grant: Planning and Dissemination Grant - Institute Community Support

Physical inactivity is a recognized risk factor for obesity and non-communicable diseases, such as cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. In Mexico, the majority of children and youth fail to meet physical activity (PA) recommendations and recent evidence shows that PA levels decline with age. There are many associations between PA resources (e.g. parks, bike lanes and sports facilities) and PA levels. Municipalities can play an important role in promoting PA and healthy behaviours through public infrastructure and programming. The presence of PA resources has been directly and indirectly linked to increased PA in children, youth and adults. In Guadalajara, these community resources are conveniently located and highly accessible, offering a diverse range of environments and opportunities for social interaction at no cost. The objective of our planning activity is to provide a forum for researchers and knowledge-users from Canada, the US and Mexico to discuss emerging issues related to the relationship between community PA resources and PA involvement among youth. Using a community engaged process, we will develop a research funding application to study the Consejo Municipal del Deporte (COMUDE) model of supporting community PA among youth in Guadalajara, Mexico as a way of enhancing PA among vulnerable populations.