Suchergebnisse

The frequency and intensity of extreme weather events have increased in recent decades; one example is Hurricane Sandy. If the frequency and severity continue or increase, adaptation and mitigation efforts are needed to protect vulnerable populations and improve daily life under changed weather conditions. This field report examines the devastation due to Hurricane Sandy experienced in Red Hook, Brooklyn, New York, a neighborhood consisting of geographically isolated low-lying commercial and residential units, with a concentration of low-income housing, and disproportionate rates of poverty and poor health outcomes largely experienced by Black and Latino residents. Multiple sources of data were reviewed, including street canvasses, governmental reports, community flyers, and meeting transcripts, as well as firsthand observations by a local nonprofit Red Hook Initiative (RHI) and community members, and social media accounts of the effects of Sandy and the response to daily needs. These data are considered within existing theory, evidence, and practice on protecting public health during extreme weather events. Firsthand observations show that a community-based organization in Red Hook, RHI, was at the center of the response to disaster relief, despite the lack of staff training in response to events such as Hurricane Sandy. Review of these data underscores that adaptation and response to climate change and likely resultant extreme weather is a dynamic process requiring an official coordinated governmental response along with on-the-ground volunteer community responders.

Purpose: To test the feasibility and reliability of a direct observation method for measuring moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) in children visiting an interactive children's museum exhibition. Design: Direct observation was used to assess MVPA in children visiting an interactive children's museum exhibition on 2 weekend days in winter 2013. Setting: The Children's Museum of Manhattan's EatSleepPlay™: Building Health Every Day exhibition. Participants: Children (group level) visiting the museum exhibition. Measures: System for Observing Play and Leisure Activity in Youth (SOPLAY). Analyses: Interobserver reliability was analyzed for MVPA and activity type. Two-group analyses were conducted using a series of Wilcoxon rank sum tests. Results: A total of 545 children were observed over 288 observations. No significant differences were found between observers for MVPA ( r = .91, P = .6804) or activity type (κ = .90, P = .6334). Children participated in MVPA during 35.2% of all observations. No significant differences were found for participation in MVPA between boys (37.6%) and girls (32.8%, P = .1589). Conclusion: The SOPLAY may be a useful tool for measuring MVPA in interactive children's museum exhibitions. Research with multiple museum settings and diverse groups of children over longer periods of time is warranted to further establish the feasibility and reliability of the SOPLAY for measuring MVPA in this novel setting.