Louisiana gets a ‘D’ for physical activity among children

It’s another year, another “D” for Louisiana when it comes to the physical activity of its children and youth, says the Pennington Biomedical Research Center. In the 2012 Louisiana Report Card on Physical Activity & Health for Children and Youth, the state extends its streak of “D” grades to five years. The study has placed Louisiana a grade above failing since the center first released it in 2008. The “D” grade reflects the state’s “insufficient appropriate physical activity opportunities and programs available to the majority of Louisiana’s children and youth,” according to the study’s definition of the letter grades. Pennington says the state’s “built environment”—that is, its human-made features such as streets, shops, restaurants and parks—is one of the most influential factors impacting the health of children. That message is put more simply on the cover of the report card: “We are what we build.” The study notes that Louisiana ranks worse than the national average in all four categories measured by the National Survey of Children’s Health regarding the encouragement of good health among children: neighborhood amenities, neighborhood conditions, supportive neighborhoods, and neighborhood safety. Access the report card in a summary or complete version here.