The Results of the "Positive Action for Today's Health" (PATH) Trial for Increasing Walking and Physical Activity in Underserved African-American Communities.
BACKGROUND
The "Positive Action for Today's Health" (PATH) trial tested an environmental intervention to increase walking in underserved communities.


METHODS
Three matched communities were randomized to a police-patrolled walking plus social marketing, a police-patrolled walking-only, or a no-walking intervention. The 24-month intervention addressed safety and access for physical activity (PA) and utilized social marketing to enhance environmental supports for PA. African-Americans (N=434; 62% females; aged 51±16 years) provided accelerometry and psychosocial measures at baseline and 12, 18, and 24 months. Walking attendance and trail use were obtained over 24 months.


RESULTS
There were no significant differences across communities over 24 months for moderate-to-vigorous PA. Walking attendance in the social marketing community showed an increase from 40 to 400 walkers per month at 9 months and sustained ~200 walkers per month through 24 months. No change in attendance was observed in the walking-only community.


CONCLUSIONS
Findings support integrating social marketing strategies to increase walking in underserved African-Americans (ClinicalTrials.gov #NCT01025726).
Department of Psychology, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, 29208, USA, wilsondk@mailbox.sc.edu.
Dawn K
DK
Wilson
M Lee
ML
Van Horn
E Rebekah
ER
Siceloff
Kassandra A
KA
Alia
Sara M
SM
St George
Hannah G
HG
Lawman
Nevelyn N
NN
Trumpeter
Sandra M
SM
Coulon
Sarah F
SF
Griffin
Abraham
A
Wandersman
Brent
B
Egan
Natalie
N
Colabianchi
Melinda
M
Forthofer
Barney
B
Gadson
D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American; D000368:Aged; D004779:Environment Design / Q000592:standards*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D040541:Marketing; D008875:Middle Aged; D009043:Motor Activity; D012449:Safety / Q000592:standards*; D040241:Social Marketing; D016138:Walking