The West Virginia University School of Public Health has been named to the American Journal of Health Promotion’s (AJHP) Best of 2022 list of health promotion studies. The paper, titled “Assessment and Promotion of Physical Activity in Clinical Settings in the United States: A Scoping Review,” highlighted the effectiveness of physical activity in clinical settings, as well as the need for further research.
“I hope that more physicians and health systems will prioritize physical activity as a cost-effective, non-pharmacological basis for disease prevention, management and overall well-being.” said Kristin Grogg, lead author and graduate of the master’s of public health program.
The paper won the 2022 Michael P. O’Donnell Award in recognition of the paper’s timely topic, well-executed study methods, and readability, as well as the paper’s transmission and citation rate.
Kristin Grogg is a PhD candidate in the WVU School of Medicine’s Clinical and Translational Sciences Program and is the Senior Program Coordinator in the WVU Honors College Office of Premedical Development.
In addition to Grogg, the award-winning research team included Associate Professor Christa Lilly; Professor Peter Giacobbi Jr. WVU Rural Scholars Program Director Treah S. Haggerty; Professor Peter Giacobbi Jr. WVU School of Medicine alumna Emma Blair; and Director of Exercise at Jacksonville University is Medicine® and Associate Professor of Exercise Science, Ph.D. Carena Winters.
“As an intern and PhD candidate, I could not have done my research and written a publishable manuscript without their guidance,” Grogg said.
Professor George Kelley, one of the paper’s senior authors, said this recognition has important implications for future research and practice not only at the state but also at the federal level.
“This award exemplifies the high-quality, timely and effective physical activity research conducted by some of our graduate students and faculty here at WVU,” he said.
The next step for Grogg is to follow up her dissertation with a systematic review.
“This study will examine how clinicians can use simple monitoring tools from pedometers to accelerometers to track and motivate patients to engage in more regular activities for their overall well-being,” she said.
To read more about their paper and the other winners of this year’s AJHP paper of the year, please visit their website.
