The importance of engaging in any type of physical activity regularly, for both physical and mental health, is well established, and may be particularly beneficial in protecting the body and limiting the damage caused by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Exposure to nature or green space also has positive physical and mental health benefits. Closures of parks and green spaces during the COVID-19 pandemic has limited the options for physical activity and may affect vulnerable populations more than others. We provide both short-term and long-term recommendations to encourage access to green space for people while allowing for physical distancing.

Smartphone use among college students is prevalent across the world. Recently, research has begun to investigate the relationship between smartphone use and physical activity. This study examined the amount of time spent using a smartphone and the physical activity (PA) levels among college students majoring in health science-related disciplines in the United States (US) and Thailand. Using convenience sampling, college students in the US (n = 242) and Thailand (n = 194) completed an online survey, in Fall 2016, assessing smartphone usage and PA. Data were analyzed using chi-square tests and two-way ANOVA (p < 0.05). US students reported more days per week ( U = 15,150.0 , p = 0.00 , r = 0.33 ) and greater duration of PA ( U = 11,234.0 , p = 0.00 , r = 0.33 ) than Thai students while Thai students used smartphones more per day than US students ( U = 13,137.5 , p = 0.00 , r = 0.40 ). No difference existed for years of smartphone use ( U = 22,207.0 , p = 0.27 ). Greater smartphone use per day inversely related to days per week of engaging in PA among Thai students ( X 2 ( 3 ) = 10.55 , p = 0.01 , ε 2 = 0.06 ), but not among US students ( X 2 ( 3 ) = 2.39 , p = 0.50 ). The high smartphone use among college students, especially in Thailand, may be a barrier to PA as well as a strategy for PA promotion in higher education settings. Research should examine the best techniques for smartphone application development to promote PA in college settings.

Recent evidence highlights health disparities among rural communities. The purpose of this study was to learn from members of 2 Appalachia communities in North Carolina about barriers to health and well-being. Researchers conducted 3 focus groups (n = 24), which were coded and analyzed by a team of researchers to identify themes. Researchers identified 5 themes: (1) poverty/lack of economic opportunity; (2) access to health care and health resources; (3) social/mental health challenges; (4) food insecurity/hunger; and (5) youth/older adults being most vulnerable to health disparities. Ample evidence suggests that rural Appalachia is in dire need of public health attention.

The purpose of this article is to describe the recruitment challenges faced by eight public health graduate students when conducting qualitative dissertation research. The authors summarize their dissertation studies, describe recruitment challenges, and provide strategies and recommendations used to address challenges. The authors identified twelve recruitment issues which they grouped into three major categories: (a) obtaining consent; (b) working with gatekeepers; and (c) accessing participants. The authors propose three recommendations to consider in participant recruitment, which are: (a) collaborate with gatekeepers; (b) use additional recruitment tools; and (c) understand your target population. The compilation of experiences from multiple graduate students from a diverse selection of topics provides valuable insight and resources when planning a qualitative research study in the field of public health.

Ankle sprains and their common sequalae are thought to negatively affect physical activity levels and health-related quality of life among active populations, but limited evidence has described this among younger populations. This study aimed to determine the prevalence rate of ankle sprain and chronic ankle instability among rural adolescents and subsequently compare their physical activity levels based on ankle injury status. The study was conducted in a rural high school in North Carolina. High school students completed an online survey that assessed ankle injury history, perception of ankle instability and function, and physical activity. Respondents were categorized into one of four groups based on ankle injury history and complaints of instability: 1) uninjured (no history of injury); 2) unstable (history of injury >1 year and recurrent instability); 3) copers (history of injury >1 year and no recurrent instability); and 4) potentially unstable (injury within the past year). Frequency of physical activity was compared across groups using analysis of variance, Kruskall-Wallis test (α = 0.05), and responses to activity type were assessed using chi-square. Physical activity was found to differ significantly between the four groups with unstable respondents reporting more physical activity than uninjured respondents (unstable = 4706.05 ± 4610.56 MET-minutes/week; uninjured = 2592.93 ± 2946.02 MET-minutes/week). No differences were found between other groups. Despite injury history and sensations of instability, respondents with chronic ankle instability reported greater physical activity levels than uninjured participants. As this is contrary to pre-existing hypotheses, it is possible that continued physical activity after injury among adolescents may contribute to deleterious outcomes such as increased frequency of chronic instability.

Data collection is critical to the social research process. When implemented correctly, data collection enhances the quality of a social research study. However, doctoral students and early career researchers may encounter challenges with data collection. This article reports on the data collection challenges in dissertation research encountered by doctoral students enrolled in a public health program at a southeastern United States urban university. Each doctoral student shared at least one challenge and how it affected the data collection process. Additionally, the doctoral students shared how the identified challenges were addressed or suggested recommendations. Understanding these experiences of doctoral students is helpful for doctoral students and early career researchers conducting social research. The lessons learned may guide faculty in research mentoring and structuring research seminars for doctoral students.

Highlights Rural adolescents had less physical activity at school than non-rural adolescents. Rural adolescents had less screen time and active transit trips than non-rural. Neighborhood resources mediated physical activity/active transportation differences. Changes in rural environments may promote physical activity and active transit.

People residing in rural communities are more likely to be physically inactive and subsequently have elevated risks for chronic disease. Recent evidence has shown this could stem from environmental barriers, inadequate programming and policies directed at the promotion of physical activity (PA) in rural settings. The objective of this research was to assess active living features in rural towns and townships (n = 16) across seven counties in northwestern North Carolina (NC). The study utilized the Town-Wide and Street Segment components of the Rural Active Living Assessment (RALA) as well as the 2014 American Community Survey results. The assessments were conducted in the summer of 2016 in the rural Appalachia region of NC. Using the RALA town-wide assessment scoring system (0 − 100), the range of scores was 18–84, with the mean being 50.06. Three towns had no sidewalks, nine towns had sidewalks on only one side of the main streets, and four had sidewalks on both sides of the main streets. One town was rated as highly walkable, seven towns as moderately walkable, five towns as moderately unwalkable, and three towns as highly unwalkable. The rural Appalachia region of NC offers unique topographic, geographic and environmental barriers to PA. However, our findings indicate many rural towns offer common PA amenities. Future research should utilize qualitative methods and a community-based participatory research approach to more fully understand the challenges with increasing PA in the rural and often isolated Appalachia communities.