Promoting physical activity in rural communities

The Perry Lab works with rural communities to create and study programs that improve health through physical activity.

We partner with community members to help them be more active in their daily lives through activities such as biking and walking. We also aim to understand what makes it easier — or harder — for people in rural areas to stay active.

Our research looks at how policies, public places and social connections, like encouragement from friends, can affect physical activity. We also work with other researchers to find ways to make being active easier and more enjoyable.

We focus on underserved rural communities that have fewer safe or affordable options for activity.  We want everyone to be active.

On this page you can:

• Learn about our research projects
• Find links to our publications
• Meet our team

Our impact

Our research makes a difference:

• We help communities start programs that temporarily close streets to cars so people can walk and bike together.
• Our work found that rural Latino youths who take part in after-school activities are more likely to be physically active. They’re also less likely to be in gangs.
• A rural open-streets program became a successful yearly event.
• An evidence-based program for rural Latinas to promote nutrition and physical activity showed improvements in their fitness and weight.

Lab news

Relationships between the social norms and walking frequency with perceived walkability in rural Oregon adults. Our research shows that people in rural areas think their neighborhoods are more walkable when walking is common and encouraged.

A new walking program for our Siuslaw community. In a radio segment, a librarian in Florence, Oregon, talks about group walks offered by the library and the Perry Lab.

Rural libraries implementing walking groups or walking groups plus civic engagement for walkability in rural communities: a comparative effectiveness trial study protocol. We published a study plan describing research with rural libraries to offer and compare two walking programs: one focused on group walks and one that also included community involvement.

Research project

Our work stands out for its partnership with rural communities and its focus on real-world strategies. We don’t just test exercise programs in controlled settings. We look at how they can work in public places such as libraries, schools and streets.

Collaborations

The Perry Lab is part of the Physical Activity Policy Research and Evaluation Network, funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. We partner with researchers across the country and contribute to projects focused on rural areas.

Publications