Semester

Fall

Date of Graduation

2025

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Type

PhD

College

College of Applied Human Sciences

Committee Chair

Eloise Elliott

Committee Member

Sean Bulger

Committee Member

Emily Murphy

Committee Member

James Wyant

Abstract

Physical inactivity remains a persistent public health concern in the United States, disproportionately affecting rural populations like West Virginia. To address statewide physical activity challenges, West Virginia developed one of the nation’s first state level physical activity plans, ActiveWV: 2015, that was revised to ActiveWV: 2030. Limited research has investigated how statewide physical activity plans unfold over time or how stakeholder learning can drive improvement.

This dissertation employed a learning history action research methodology to construct a collective narrative of the development, dissemination, implementation, and evaluation activities across both iterations of the West Virginia Physical Activity Plan. Reflective interviews with coordinating committee members, sector representatives, and national representatives were employed and triangulated using a document analysis to produce the learning history artifact. Participants were additionally offered opportunities to validate the preliminary results via member checking and a focus group. Data analyses integrated these sources using grounded theory techniques to identify patterns that shaped statewide physical activity planning.

The findings illustrated how throughout both versions of the WVPAP, core themes included engaging stakeholders and leveraging existing strengths, adapting to contextual influences, and utilizing evidence-based approaches. The resulting learning history articulates actionable recommendations designed to support both ongoing improvement of the ActiveWV: 2030 plan as well as inform physical activity planning efforts in other states

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