Not too long ago, we were celebrating our 20th anniversary. We have made great progress in the last 5 years. Here’s a sneak peek of our progress and accomplishments in the last 5 years.
Did we meet the 10% goal for 2003? (The Institute has the results. Click here)

Commitments for the next 7 years….

1. The federal, provincial, and territorial governments convened in February 2003 and jointly resolved to address this issue of physical inactivity by establishing a new goal, increasing physical activity levels nationally and in each jurisdiction by 10 percentage points before the year 2010ⁱ. The Ministers then extended the Institute’s mandate to monitor the progression towards the goal over the next seven years. To understand why the goal was or was not achieved, the Institute will continue to take a comprehensive public health approach to understanding how the contributing factors.
   
   
2. By 2012, the Canada Sport Policy has it as a mission to increase the proportion of “Canadians from all segments of society who are involved in quality sport activities at all levels and in all forms of participation.” Sport Canada and advisory groups involved in sport participation (that have been established under the direction of the FPT Ministers) will also be establishing similar goals focusing on increasing sport participation among the general population as well as specific target groups who have been identified in research as being less active. These groups include women, girls, low income populations, and inactive Canadians as examples.
   
   
3. An objective measurement of physical activity levels has not been conducted in Canada. In particular, as in the National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth, the Monitoring program had relied on parent’s reports of physical activity to discriminate between less active and more active children prior to 2000. Self reported physical activity data tends to overestimate leisure-time energy expenditure, through the possible inclusion of non-active time (such as waiting for lifts when alpine skiing)^{ii iii}. In addition, studies using self-report instruments with children younger than 10 years have revealed insignificant validation coefficients, indicating that the instruments are not measuring what they are intended to measure in this population of children.^{iv v iv} The accuracy of self report data is particularly a concern for children and youth who do physical activity in bursts that may not be accurately remembered. With fewer children playing outside, participating in physical education and free time activity opportunities at school, and spending more time watching television and videos and using computers, there is a pressing need for an accurate measure of physical activity levels in children and youth. The Institute was mandated by the Public Health Agency of Canada and Federal Provincial and Territorial Ministers to report, inform, assist and recommend to policy makers on increasing the current activity patterns of our children and youth for over the next 5 years, 2008.
   CANPLAY, click here.

Comprehensive Monitoring of Physical Activity and Sport
Recognizing the excellence of Canada's system the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention invited the Institute to speak by at the International Congress on Physical Activity and Public Health (April 2006) to present our monitoring program as the model for how to design a comprehensive physical activity monitoring for public health.
(For more info on monitoring, click here).

Professional Opportunities
PACE Canada
To assist physicians in this important role, the Canadian Fitness and Lifestyle Research Institute has developed a provider-based intervention tailored to the Canadian health care system and cultural milieu. Called PACE Canada, this intervention is based on an internationally recognized program that was originally developed in the U.S. by a team of physicians, leading health researchers, behavioural scientists and medical practitioners. Research has demonstrated that this intervention is effective in helping patients move towards more active living, and that it is generally acceptable to health care providers, office staff and patients alike. In addition, this program can be effectively used by a wide range of primary care providers.

Physical Activity for Public Health
This course provides a Canadian perspective to a global series course focusing on increasing knowledge about physical activity research, interventions, evaluation methods, and creating stronger networks between Canadian practitioners and leaders in physical activity promotion. This course will be of major benefit to those working at the policy, program or practice levels to increase opportunities and promote active lifestyles in their communities.

An internationally recognized faculty has been chosen to:

• present a series of lectures designed to help you utilize the existing evidence base to communicate the benefits of physical activity, as well as essential tools to allow you to develop individual and policy and environmental interventions.
• lead small group sessions to discuss the implications of the lectures to physical activity promotion as they apply to your mandate.
• be available to course participants through networking opportunities.

This intensive, four-day course is the perfect opportunity for those responsible for
promoting physical activity in their community to access leading edge solutions and ideas.

Course Tracks:

• Building the case for physical activity with your audience
• Developing action plans
• Applying the literature
• Understanding what works both generally and with specific populations
• Networking with international experts and peers

Outcomes Measurement and Evaluation Training workshops
These workshops enable participants to increase their organizational capacity to measure and evaluate the impact of programs and projects, and communicate effectiveness to funders, partners, and the public. Workshops offer hands-on experience backed up with the theory of performance measurement and evaluation. Participants are encouraged to bring examples of their own programs to work on and will leave with logic models and evaluation frameworks they can use immediately. Participants gain knowledge of key concepts, definitions, approaches, best practices and tools used to measure and evaluate the impact of their programs and projects.

Our accomplishments

CFLRI Reports Released within 5 year period

• Opportunities for physical activity in Canadian schools : Trends from 2001-2006
• Physical activity and sport : Encouraging children to be active
• Local Opportunities for physical activity: Trends from 1999-2004
• A Municipal perspective on opportunities for physical activity: Trends from 2000-2004
• Increasing Physical Activity: Communicating benefits of physical activity for children: A parent’s perspective
• Increasing Physical Activity Building Active Workplaces
• Increasing Physical Activity: Trends for planning effective communication
• Socio-demographic and Lifestyle Correlates of Obesity. Ottawa: Canadian Institute for Health Information.
• Increasing Physical Activity: Assessing trends from 1998-2003
• Increasing Physical Activity: Encouraging physical activity through school
• Increasing Physical Activity: Supporting an active Workforce
• Increasing Physical Activity: Supporting children’s participation
• Increasing Physical Activity: Enhancing municipal opportunities
• Canada's Children and Youth: A Physical Activity Profile (1999)

Technical reports and Chapter published elsewhere

Socio-demographic and Lifestyle Correlates of Obesity. Ottawa: Canadian Institute for Health Information. CIHI

• NAHO adults
• NAHO teenagers
• NAHO children

Journal articles
Craig CL. Cragg SE, Tudor-Locke C, Bauman Twelve-month impact of Canada on the Move: A population-wide campaign to promote pedometer use and walking HER 2006.

Craig CL. Cragg SE, Tudor-Locke C, Bauman A . Proximal impact of Canada on the Move: The relationship of campaign awareness to pedometer ownership and use CJPH

Craig C.L., Gauvin L, Cragg S.E., Katzmarzyk P, Stephens T.M., Russell S.J., Keast M., Bentz L., & Potvin L. (forthcoming) Towards a Social Epidemiological Perspective ofn Physical Activity and Health: The Aims, Design and Methods of the Physical Activity Longitudinal Study (PALS). JPAH; 2005;3:272-84

Bauman.A, Craig, C.L. The place of physical activity in world health – policy reflections on the WHO Global Strategy on Diet and Physical Activity. Int’l J of Nutrition and Physical Activity. 2005 Aug 24;2(1):10

Gauvin L., Richard, L., Craig CL., Spivock, M., Riva, M., Forster, M., Laforet, S.,Laberge, S., Fournel, M-C., Gagnon, H., Gange, S., Potvin, L. From walkability to active living potential: an “ecometric” validation study. Am J Prev. Med 2005

Bauman, A., Craig C.L (2005) Low levels of recall of Canada’s Physical Activity Guide to healthy Active Living . CJAP Vol 30, No 2 246-252.

Bauman.A, Madill. J., Craig. C.L., Salmon. A. (2004) ParticipACTION: this mouse roared, but did it get the cheese? Can J Public Health. 2004;95 Suppl 2:S14-9.

Craig C.L., Russell, S.J., & Cameron, C. Bauman, A (2004) Twenty Year Trends of Physical Activity among Canadian Adults. CJPH 95(1) 59-63

Craig, C.L., Marshall, A.L., Sjostrom, M., Bauman, A.E., Booth, M.L., Ainsworth, B.E., Pratt, M. Ekelund, U. Yngve, A., Sallis, J.F., Oja, P. et al (2003) The International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ): A comprehensive reliability and validity study in twelve countries. Med Sci, Sports Exerc. Vol 35, No 8 1381-95.

Craig, C.L., Brownson, R.C., Cragg, S.E., & Dunn, A. L. (2002) Exploring the effect of the environment on physical activity: A study examining walking to work. Prev Med 23(2S) 36-43.

Craig, C.L., Russell. S.J., & Cameron, C. (2002) Reliability and validity of Canada’s Physical Activity Monitor for assessing trends. Med Sci, Sports Exerc. Vol 34, No 9 1462–1467.

Katzmarzyk, P.T., Craig, C.L. (2002) Musculoskeletal fitness and risk of mortality. Med Sci, Sports Exerc Vol 34, No 5. 740-744.

Katzmarzyk PT, Craig CL, Bouchard C. Adiposity, adipose tissue distribution and mortality rates in the Canada Fitness Survey follow-up study. Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord. 2002 Aug;26(8):1054-9.

Katzmarzyk, P.T., Craig, C.L. Bouchard, C. (2001) Underweight, overweight and obesity: relationships with mortality in the 13–year follow-up of the Canada Fitness Survey. J. Clin Epid Vol 54 916-920.

Invited Presentations

• ICPAPH
• Craig C.L. Using market research data: Targeting messages and media buys. Invited presentation. Communicating Physical Activity and health Messages: Science into Practice. December 8-11, 2001.
• Craig, C.L. Promoting active communities: Exploring the relationship between physical activity and the environment. Innovative Approaches to Understand and Influencing Physical Activity. Cooper Clinic and American College of Sport Medicine Specialty Conference, Dallas, October 4-6, 2001.
• Craig, C.L. Russell, S.J. & Cameron C. Physical activity in Canada: A public health challenge. Community-based Strategies to Enhance Physical Activity. International Summer School. University of Saskatchewan & WHO Collaborating Centre for Research and Training in Stroke Prevention Epidemiology and Surveillance. August 20-24, 2001.
• The relationship between perceived improvements in the environment and sufficient walking for health.
• Self efficacy and intention
• The influence of environment on physical activity, 1988-2004
• Introducing the Physical Activity Longitudinal Study (PALS)
• Physical Activity, Physical Fitness and Body Mass Index as Predictors of Future Obesity in Canada.
• The contribution of intention and self-efficacy to the long-term maintenance of an active lifestyle.
• Shifting the population risks of sedentary living: a 20-year study of outcomes

ⁱⁱ Craig CL, Cameron C, Bauman, A. Socio-Demographic and Lifestyle Correlates of Obesity—Technical Report on the Secondary Analyses Using the 2000–2001 Canadian Community Health Survey., (Canadian Institute for Health Information, Ottawa, 2005)

ⁱⁱⁱJ. Montoye, C. G. Kemper, W. H. M. Saris, R. A. Washburn, Measuring Physical Activity and Energy Expenditure (Human Kinetics Publishers, Champaign, IL: 1996), p. 45.

^ivWeston AT, Petosa R and Pate R. Validation of an instrument for measurement of physical activity in youth. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 1997 29(1): 138-143

^vKohl HW III, Fulton JE, Capsersen CJ. Assessment of physical activity among children and adolescents: A review and synthesis. Prev Med. 31: S54-S76.

^viHealth Development Agency. Recommended Amounts and Types of Physical Activity. On-line. Available at: http://www.hda.nhs.uk/html/improving/physicalactivity.html. (Retrieved: February 19, 2005).