GoJoCo Trail Awareness

Obesity is one of the largest health problems our nation currently faces. There are many contributing factors to the development of obesity, including genetics, lifestyle, diet, social and economic status, and lack of education or resources. In the rural East Tennessee community of Johnson County, lack of exercise has been identified as a major contributor to obesity. In addition, community members have expressed concern of a lack of knowledge of public places to exercise, such as walking paths and hiking trails. Previous research has shown that access to educational materials, such as informational brochures and maps, can increase knowledge of exercise locations. Our hypothesis, based on the Theory of Planned Behavior, is that creating and placing brochures in various locations throughout the community will normalize and encourage the use of these locations to increase exercise and ultimately improve the health of the community. An initial survey was sent to community members via email to determine what content should be included in the brochure. In conjunction with the Johnson County Health Council, a list of all walking paths and trails in the county was compiled. Each location was then visited to take note of the amenities available, the difficulty and the length of each path, and the hours available to the public. This information was then formatted into easy-to-read bullet points and grouped by geographic region in the county and a cartoon map developed. The completed brochure was then evaluated for effectiveness at increasing awareness of local paths and trails. Participants at a local doctor’s office were asked to complete a four question pre-survey assessing their current knowledge of walking paths and trails. The brochure was then given to the participants and sufficient time allowed to look through it. Participants completed an eight question post-survey which assessed any change in knowledge which occurred as a result of the brochure. The study was reviewed and approved by the ETSU Institutional Review Board. Preliminary results (n=6) show that the brochure is effective at increasing awareness and participants are more likely to visit one of the listed trails in the next month as a result. Further data collection is currently underway. By using a community based participatory approach, the specific needs of the community could be addressed. One drawback of this study is that it does not assess actual changes in trail usage or physical activity. However, it is hoped that the creation of this brochure and its use in the Johnson County community will lead to a more active community and will inspire future health initiatives