iMOVE Project 3-019: Wagga Wagga Active Travel Plan Evaluation Project Final Report

Planning for Australia’s future requires increasing investment in sustainable transport, not only in capital cities but also in growing regional centres. Wagga Wagga is the largest inland city in NSW, with a population of 65,000 which is expected to increase to over 80,000 by 2040. Transport solutions for growing regional centres like Wagga Wagga require an integrated system of mobility options which meet current and future demand. Wagga Wagga City Council received $11.4 million in 2018 from the NSW Cycling Infrastructure Fund managed by Transport for NSW (Transport) to construct a 45 kilometre-long active travel infrastructure network in the town. Subsequently in 2020, Council received an additional$3.9 million in funding from the NSW Government to expand the project by 12 kilometres. This represents the largest network of new, high quality, safe and accessible shared walking and cycling links ever constructed within a short timeframe in regional NSW. The project comprises 57 kilometres of new or resurfaced shared path infrastructure plus interchange upgrades. This network connects cycling and walking infrastructure to education facilities and workplaces, including coming within one block of 90 per cent of schools in Wagga Wagga. To understand the impact of this infrastructure project on a range of areas such as increased community use and promotion of active travel, evaluative research was undertaken. This research aimed to provide evidence of the short to medium-term changes and benefits of the Active Travel Plans implementation and enable longer-term benefits to be estimated. This evaluation adds significantly to the evidence base on active transport planning and implementation in Australia. Specifically, the project provides critical data to inform policies for NSW regional towns and councils seeking to improve infrastructure for active travel

Relative validity and reliability of a novel diet quality assessment tool for athletes: the Athlete Diet Index

AbstractDiet quality indices are a practical, cost-effective method to evaluate dietary patterns, yet few have investigated diet quality in athletes. This study describes the relative validity and reliability of the recently developed Athlete Diet Index (ADI). Participants completed the electronic ADI on two occasions, 2 weeks apart, followed by a 4-d estimated food record (4-dFR). Relative validity was evaluated by directly comparing mean scores of the two administrations (mAdm) against scores derived from 4-dFR using Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient and Bland–Altman (B–A) plots. Construct validity was investigated by comparing mAdm scores and 4-dFR-derived nutrient intakes using Spearman’s coefficient and independent t test. Test–retest reliability was assessed using paired t test, intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) and B–A plots. Sixty-eight elite athletes (18·8 (sd 4·2) years) from an Australian sporting institute completed the ADI on both occasions. Mean score was 84·1 (sd 15·2; range 42·5–114·0). The ADI had good reliability (ICC = 0·80, 95 % CI 0·69, 0·87; P &lt; 0·001), and B–A plots (mean 1·9; level of agreement −17·8, 21·7) showed no indication of systematic bias (y = 4·57–0·03 × x) (95 % CI −0·2, 0·1; P = 0·70). Relative validity was evaluated in fifty athletes who completed all study phases. Comparison of mAdm scores with 4-dFR-derived scores was moderate (rs 0·69; P &lt; 0·001) with no systematic bias between methods of measurement (y = 6·90–0·04 × x) (95 % CI −0·3, 0·2; P = 0·73). Higher scores were associated with higher absolute nutrient intake consistent with a healthy dietary pattern. The ADI is a reliable tool with moderate validity, demonstrating its potential for application to investigate the diet quality of athletes.</jats:p

Prevalence of chronic conditions in masters athletes

The aim of this project was to compare the prevalence of chronic conditions in masters games athletes to the general population

Reliability Of The Athlete Diet Index: A Rapid Dietary Assessment Tool For Athletes

Reliability Of The Athlete Diet Index: A Rapid Dietary Assessment Tool For Athlete