Project GUIA

Project GUIA (Guide for Useful Interventions for Physical Activity in Brazil & Latin America) examines and promotes evidence-based strategies to increase physical activity in Brazil and Latin America.

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Wishing everyone a physically active year!

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WashU Promotes Physical Activity in Brazil: A Strategy to Reduce Health Inequalities

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Begin your journey to more physical activity today!

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This issue features new research, initiatives and policies relating to physical activity from around the world.

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Ross C. Brownson, PhD, professor at the Brown School of Washington University in St. Louis, is scheduled to speak at the IX Brazilian Congress on Physical Activity & Health November 13-16, 2013.

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Project GUIA Update! Rain or shine Project GUIA continues the evaluation and promotion of Physical Activity throughout Latin America

Project GUIA (Guide for Useful Interventions for Physical Activity in Brazil & Latin America) was officially formed in October of 2005 as an international partnership to examine and promote evidence-based strategies that increase physical activity in Latin America. The productivity, reach, and impact that the project achieved was far from the imagination of the researchers and students when they first embarked on this effort.  As a cross national and transdisciplinary collaboration funded as a Special Interest Project (SIP) through CDC, GUIA has built bridges between U.S. and Latin American researchers, students, faculty and staff in the area of physical activity promotion. Partners include the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Prevention Research Center in St. Louis, the Pan American Health Organization, and recognized universities such as Federal University of Pelotas in Brazil and University of los Andes in Bogota Colombia.

One of the most valuable and rewarding activities of project GUIA are the students and faculty exchanges, where masters, doctoral and post doctoral students get the chance to travel to Brazil, Colombia and the United States and engage in research and practice based activities of the project. Since 2007 the project has conducted a total of 14 internships, thus creating a significant and rewarding professional and personal experience for the students, which in their own words will be difficult to top. 

Project GUIA has evaluated several community based physical activity programs in Brazil (Academia da Cidade and CuritibaAtiva) and Colombia (Recreovia), thus helping to fill the gap and acquire much needed evidence around the topic. One of the most clear and objective signs of productivity and dedication of the project’s team is the large number of publications in international high impact journals including Social Science & Medicine, Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, American Journal of Public Health, American Journal of Preventive Medicine, and Preventive Medicine. To date the project has published 31 publications with at least ten more in the pipeline; to put this in perspective, the average number of publications for SIPs funded by CDC is one.

GUIA continues to carry out active dissemination of research products through the development of policy briefs for policy makers, and press releases for the media. Project GUIA has completed two systematic reviews of the literature around physical activity promotion in Latin America; the first one focusing on internal validity and the second including both internal and external validity.

Visit our website at www.projectguia.com

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April 8-11, 2014: 5th International Conference on Physical Activity and Public Health

"For the first time ever, this meeting will take place outside the high income world. In a society in which 85% of the population live in low and middle income countries, public health needs to pay attention to such countries. Organizing this meeting in Brazil is a clear statement from the International Society of Physical Activity and Health that global health is its priority."

Pedro C Hallal President of the V ICPAPH

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Intern Farewell: Alicia Manteiga

Alicia Manteiga was an intern with Project GUIA June and July, 2013. During that time, she lived in Pelotas, Brazil, and was affiliated with the Federal University of Pelotas’s Center of Epidemiologic Research.

The most significant experience she had during her internship was the opportunity to interview key partners from the project’s history. This allowed an in-depth, comprehensive view into the development, success, and maintenance of this multi-national collaborative network.

"I'm excited about carrying forward the network of friends, colleagues, and investigators which developed during my stay in Pelotas, and I'm grateful for the ways in which this internship will help shape the direction of my career."

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Intern Farewell: Lauren Walker

Lauren Walker was a Project GUIA intern based in the Epidemiology Research Center at the Federal University of Pelotas (UFPEL), Brazil from June-August, 2013.

She was responsible for conducting qualitative interviews with Project GUIA collaborators in order to publish an in-depth history of the project, and collaborated with Dr. Franklin Barcellos on a publication that examines the relationship between physical activity and kidney function. Lauren considers both experiences to be the most significant things she completed during her time as an intern.

"Working with GUIA was a very fulfilling experience, albeit short. The

opportunity I had to meet and speak with most of the GUIA partners taught me about the benefits of a strong, international network."

Since completing the internship, she considers the friends and colleagues that she met while in Brazil to be the most important thing she gained from the experience.

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Parque Barigui, one of the most visited parks in Curitiba, is a great place to stretch your legs and watch the sunset. We had a chance to see (and play on) a real Academia da Saúde, a physical activity intervention put in place by the Brazilian Ministry of Health to help citizens be healthy. The park is also known as a city dwelling for the world's largest rodent, the capybara which we saw first hand. They're huge!

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We're finally out exploring the city of Curitiba.

Day one: A trip to the Sunday morning artesian market took up most of the day. Even after wandering for hours, we hadn't seen it all. Fresh cane sugar juice, the flower market, finger puppets and bacon popcorn turned out to be just a few highlights.

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On Saturday night, Rodrigo and Lou were nice enough to invite us to their home for a farewell dinner. A good, home cooked meal and excellent company made for a relaxing, enjoyable night.

In the group shot: Jim Sallis, Mike Pratt, Lauren, Pedro Hallal, Rodrigo Reis and Lou Reis.

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A few more group photos from the seminar...

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Here's a few shots from the course that recently ended: Up top is the whole group, followed by photos of Victor Matsudo, Alex Florindo and Rodrigo Reis. All three are very highly regarded within their fields of study and were involved with Project GUIA. What an honor to have been invited!

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A night out with our roommate, Priscilla, and her family from Curitiba was a great way to unwind mid-seminar.

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We are so lucky to have been invited to this seminar. A host of lecturers and "students" from all over Brazil, Latin America and the U.S. represent the best of the best in physical activity. With day one down, it's clear that this week is going to fly by.

First impressions of Curitiba: It's a lively, colorful city that's a nice change of pace from Pelotas. The city sits on a few small hills that offer great panoramic views. For now we'll have to be content with what we can see at the hotel, but check back next week when we have a few days to explore downtown and the surrounding areas.

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That's right, everyone. We're on the move! Alicia and I have arrived in Curitiba for a week-long physical activity and public health seminar that begins Monday. Updates soon...