What's the Plan?
ActiveWV 2030: WV Physical Activity Plan (WVPAP) aims to provide a strategic direction for physical activity promotion throughout the state. It is expected that the Plan’s implementation will increase the physical activity levels of all our citizens to meet or exceed the national physical activity recommendations and to therefore improve the health and quality of life of West Virginians. The Plan provides 5 priority areas, and includes strategies and tactics for 10 societal sectors: Business and Industry; Community Recreation, Fitness, and Parks; Education; Faith- Based Settings; Healthcare; Media and Communications; Military; Public Health; Sport; and Transportation, Land Use, and Community Design.
To view the 2030 WV Physical Activity Plan (WVPAP), please click here.
The West Virginia Physical Activity Plan was constructed using input from individuals from each of the 10 societal sectors. The sectors are Business and Industry; Community Recreation, Fitness, and Parks; Education; Faith-Based; Healthcare; Media and Communications; Military; Public Health; Sport; and Transportation and Land Use. Key organizational partners from throughout the state are critical to the success of the plan, and a sector representation ensures relevance, viability, and implementation.
To view the previous 2015 WV Physical Activity Plan, please click here.
WVPAP Priority Areas
The Plan was developed using five priority areas that will be addressed across all societal sectors as the conceptual framework.
- Priority Area 1: Structural Capacity
Despite the numerous unique strengths each sector has, there is a need for capacity-building efforts to supplement and maximize existing resources in support of physical activity. We must also place greater emphasis on increasing the quantity and improving the quality of physical activity resources, places, and programming with particular attention paid to expanding access to culturally relevant forms of lifetime physical activity for all ages and abilities. Building structural capacity should be focused on integrating best-practices for increasing physical activity into human resources (e.g., workforce training, professional development), organizational resources (e.g., committing all state agencies to a physical activity goal), information resources (e.g., sharing data), physical resources (i.e., safe physical spaces for physical activity), and fiscal resources to build capacity. - Priority Area 2: Public Awareness and Social Marketing
Public awareness and social marketing represent accepted approaches for facilitating changes in health-related knowledge, perceptions, and behaviors. We need to encourage the use of state and local media to raise awareness about the benefits of physical activity, area resources, and opportunities for participation for diverse and inclusive audiences. Specialized public awareness messages targeting sector-specific issues are found to be beneficial. - Priority Area 3: Community Engagement and Environment
Community engagement and environmental modification represent critical factors in local attempts to facilitate increased physical activity. The assessment of community needs and identification of social and environmental barriers to behavior change are important initial considerations during program development. Additionally, the acquisition of adequate financial support remains an important prerequisite to community-based programming. The identification and engagement of collaborators and stakeholders represents a necessary step when working to increase access to physical activity opportunities for citizens through community-based programming and/or enhanced physical environments. We recommend that communities that have been successful in enhancing physical activity programming and environments be showcased to raise awareness and support. - Priority Area 4: Policy
Policy decision-making at the state, local, and organizational level has the potential to greatly influence accessibility to physical activity opportunities within West Virginia. There is a clear need for better networked leadership and advocacy efforts regarding physical activity programming, research, and policy. We must also emphasize the use of evidence-informed policy decision-making characterized by the use of best practice in the areas of program planning, dissemination, implementation, and evaluation. - Priority Area 5: Multi-Sector Collaboration
A wide range of institutions and organizations share the responsibility of supporting their various constituent groups in reference to physical activity promotion. We recommend the use of evidence-based approaches to program implementation and the exchange of educational and program resources across institutions and organizations when possible. Multi-sector collaborations via intentional and diverse partnerships are recommended in order to address physical inactivity from a variety of perspectives. It is also critical to recognize programs, institutions, and organizations that invest discretionary resources in physical activity promotion and model use of best practice.