Research digs into fitness in rural areas

CONCORD, N.H. — From hiking and biking to skiing and shoveling snow, staying physically active in rural northern New England might sound like a cinch. But researchers who have begun exploring how to promote healthy living in rural communities are digging beneath that scenic surface.

"From the outside looking in, you say, 'Oh, they don't need a park, they have the woods. But the woods can be as much of a deterrent to being physically active as a freeway, depending on how you look at it," said Barbara McCahan, director of the Center for Active Living and Healthy Communities at Plymouth State University.

The New Hampshire school is one of a handful of universities looking at ways to encourage active living, health and wellness in rural places. Researchers say the work is important because people living in rural communities are at greater risk for obesity, and past research focused on cities and suburbs has often produced conclusions that are a poor fit for rural towns.

Adding sidewalks and bike paths so children can exercise on their way to school makes sense in cities and suburbs, but those aren't realistic options in a rural town where the school is on the outskirts, said David Hartley, director of the Maine Rural Health Research Center at the University of Southern Maine.

His research has included running focus groups in three Maine towns to identify opportunities for and obstacles to physical activity. For children in particular, transportation is a major barrier, he said.

"To get kids more physically active, one of the options seems to be getting more kids participating in after-school programs, but the busing situation is such that the bus goes home at 3 o'clock, and if you want to stay later you have to get a ride," he said. "If you're from a low income family, you may not be able to get a ride. Chances are, your parents are already working two jobs, and they just can't help you out."

Kyle Santheson is the town recreation director in Waldoboro, Maine, a coastal town of about 5,000 residents and one of the communities Hartley has studied. He said there are a range of athletic programs for children and adults — from Little League to co-ed softball leagues — and many parents carpool. But some children do end up left out.

More than one parent has told him, "Geez, I really can't have my kid participate because he doesn't have a ride."

Beyond organized athletic and recreation programs, Hartley also found that the notion that rural residents have unlimited access to outdoor recreation and open space simply by stepping outside their doors didn't ring true.