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March 2007
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Active for Life® E-Newsletter Update is produced
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From
the Active for Life® National Program Office
Theme for Older Americans Month
The Administration on Aging (AoA) has announced Older
Americans: Making Choices for a Healthier Future as the theme
for Older Americans Month, May 2007. Information and resources
are available at http://www.aoa.gov/PRESS/oam/oam.html.
Southwestern Ohio AFL Grantee
Partners with YMCA
The YMCAs from Hamilton and Clermont Counties (Ohio) are permanent
partners with Active for Life® grantee Hamilton
County General Health District/Council on Aging of Southwestern
Ohio, and will offer the Active Living Every Day (ALED) program
at area YMCAs. In 2006 there were 18 ALED graduates from the
YMCA in southwestern Ohio, and two Y sites stated offering
the program in March of 2007.
OASIS Receives Award
The OASIS Institute, an Active for Life® grantee,
was presented with the Jack Ossofsky National Leadership Award.
The award is given to individuals or organizations that have
taken a creative, new idea and developed it into a successful
program, service, or policy that helps older people achieve
vital aging. The award, named for former National Council
on Aging (NCOA) president Jack Ossofsky, was presented at
the joint conference of the NCOA and American Society of Aging
in March.
State of Aging Report
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, with funding
from the Merck Company Foundation, has issued a report card
on the nation’s progress in promoting and preserving
the health of older adults and reducing the prevalence of
behaviors and conditions that contribute to premature death,
disease, and disability. The State of Aging and Health in
America is available at http://www.cdc.gov/aging/saha.htm.
The report presents the latest data on 15 key health indicators
for older adults related to health status, health behaviors,
preventive care and screening, and injuries. Among findings:
-
The nation is meeting
federal benchmarks for the care of older adults in only
four (mammogram screening, colorectal screening, cholesterol
monitoring and smoking cessation) of 11 categories. Three
health behaviors - smoking, poor diet and physical inactivity
- were the root cause of almost 35 percent of U.S. deaths
in 2000.
-
The cost of providing
health care for an older American is three to five times
greater than the cost for someone younger than 65.
-
By 2030, the nation’s
health care spending will increase by 25% unless more
is done to preserve the health of older adults.
The “State-by-State Report
Card” provides similar information for each of the
50 states and the District of Columbia, and enables states
to see where they are on each indicator as well as in relation
to other states.
New Web Site
The National Women’s Health Information Center has
a new Web site, Aging Well, Living Well, which
can be found at http://www.4woman.gov/ow/?style=large.
The site includes a myriad of practical consumer-based information
including a section on staying active. There are also links
to information on activities that can be incorporated into
daily life, as well as resources on exercise, nutrition,
arthritis and related topics.
Physical Activity and Public
Health Course
The Physical Activity and Public Health Course (PAPH), sponsored
by the University of South Carolina Prevention Research
Center and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,
feature an eight-day postgraduate course on research directions
and strategies and a six-day practitioner's course on community
interventions. The research course serves post-doctoral
personnel and is designed to develop research competencies
related to physical activity and public health. The practitioner's
course is for those professionally involved or interested
in community-based initiatives to promote physical activity.
The 2007 courses will be held September 11-19 at The Sea
Pines Resort in Hilton Head, SC. For information and application
instructions, contact Janna Borden at (803) 576-6050 or
e-mail jsborden@gwm.sc.edu.
Exercise for People with
Arthritis
People with arthritis need specific guidance on appropriate
types of exercises as well as the duration and frequency
of physical activity. They should be informed that while
pain may increase during and immediately following physical
activity, exercise can enhance overall pain management.
Certain land-based exercise and water exercise classes are
safe for people with arthritis.
-
Arthritis Foundation
Exercise Program
http://www.arthritis.org/afep1.html.
In this community-based recreational exercise program
(formerly known as People with Arthritis Can Exercise,
or PACE) developed by the Arthritis Foundation, trained
instructors cover a variety of range-of-motion and endurance-building
activities, relaxation techniques, and health education
topics. All of the exercises can be modified to meet participant
needs.
-
-
EnhanceFitness
(formerly Lifetime Fitness)
http://www.projectenhance.org/pro/fitness.html.
This is an evidence-based, community-delivered exercise
program proven to increase strength, boost activity levels,
and elevate mood. Certified instructors offer a program
that focuses on stretching, flexibility, balance, low-impact
aerobics, and strength-training exercises.
-
The Arthritis Foundation
Self-Help Course (AFSHC) helps people learn and practice
the different skills needed to build an individualized
self-management program and gain the confidence to carry
it out. The six-week course consists of weekly two-hour
sessions guided by two trained instructors who follow
a detailed protocol. Participants have reported a 20 percent
decrease in pain and a 40 percent decrease in physician
visits, even four years after participation in the course.
More Physical Activity is
Better
For community-based older persons without dementia,
physical activity is associated with a reduced risk of developing
impairment in activities of daily living (ADL), according
to a study published in the February issue of the Journal
of the American Geriatrics Society. The abstract is
available at http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1532-5415.2007.01038.x.
Study participants spent between three and three-and-one-half
hours per week engaging in physical activity. The risk of
death decreased 11 percent for each additional hour of physical
activity per week. For those who were not disabled at baseline,
the risk of developing disability in ADLs decreased 7 percent.
Exercise and Memory
Research has shown that people who exercise do better on
memory tests. Researchers at Columbia University Medical
Center found that exercise targets a region of the brain
which underlies normal age-related memory decline that begins
around age 30 for most adults. This finding is significant
because it was accomplished via the first-ever observation
of the growth of neurons within a living brain. The study
is published in the March 12-16 early online edition of
the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, available
at http://www.pnas.org/papbyrecent.shtml.
Summit on Global Aging
On March 15 the Department of State convened a Summit on
Global Aging that focused on encouraging international dialogue
and coordinated studies about the health, economic, social
and security implications of aging. For the first time in
history, people 65 years old and over will soon outnumber
children under age five. But the added years of life, a
crowning achievement of the 20th century, also pose significant
challenges. As the world's population ages, the prevalence
of chronic disease increases. Insurance, pensions, and other
social support systems are strained. Many governments, both
in the developed and developing worlds, are beginning to
recognize that global aging can affect economic growth,
labor force, trade, migration, international relations,
and national security. A fact sheet is available at http://www.state.gov/g/oes/rls/fs/2007/80940.htm.
Additional information on the global aging issue is available
in the report issued jointly by the Department of State
and the Department of Health and Human Services, National
Institutes of Health, National Institute on Aging, Why
Population Aging Matters: A Global Perspective, available
at http://www.state.gov/g/oes/rls/or/81537.htm.
Exercise and Behavior Change
Effective for Osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis among
older people, the result of wearing away of the cartilage
protecting the bones. The Fit and Strong! program
was designed to assess the impact of exercise and behavior
change on older adults with osteoarthritis in the lower
extremities. The 115 participants followed a program that
included flexibility, aerobic walking and resistance training.
Education and group problem-solving encouraged people to
maintain physical activity. Participants developed plans
for maintaining their individual programs. At two months,
people in the program significantly improved in self-efficacy
for exercise, minutes per week of exercise and lower extremity
stiffness. Although a smaller number of people were following
the program at 12 months, those who continued maintained
self-efficacy for exercise and minutes per week. They also
had reduced levels of pain and lower-extremity stiffness.
The researchers concluded that "this consistent pattern
of benefits indicates that this low-cost intervention is
efficacious for older adults with lower extremity osteoarthritis."
The results of this work were published in the December
2006 issue of The Gerontologist, available at http://gerontologist.gerontologyjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/46/6/801.
National Health and Livability
Summit. April 17-19. Atlanta, GA. The National
Recreation and Park Association invites local, state,
and national officials and citizen advocates to join together
to examine new management practices, and investigate the
vital contributions park and recreation agencies make
to increase the quality of life, health, and livability
of the individuals they serve. For details, go to http://www.nrpa.org/content/index.html?documentId=4704.
Environments for Aging.
April 23-24. Baltimore, MD. The conference focuses
on educating government and private sector stakeholders
about planning and design of new urban and suburban environments
that serve the independent and active Baby Boom generation.
For information see http://www.environmentsforaging.com.
30th Annual National Association
for Health and Fitness Conference. April 26-28. Buena
Park, CA. A national conference designed for
health and fitness providers, the conference will focus
on youth fitness, Native Americans and diverse community
fitness, fitness for older adults, and environmental issues
on physical activity. Information is available at http://www.physicalfitness.org/_2007conf/info/.
American College of Sports
Medicine 54th Annual Meeting. May 30-June 2. New Orleans,
LA. For information, go to http://www.acsm.org.
National Wellness Conference:
Creating and Sustaining Wellness Cultures. July 14-19.
Stevens Point, WI. http://www.nationalwellness.org.
ICAA Conference: Active
Aging 2007. Nov. 29-Dec. 1. Orlando, FL. For
information go to http://www.icaa.cc:80/convention.htm.
World Congress on Physical
Activity and Aging. Tsukuba, Japan. July 26-29, 2008.
The University of Tsukuba, in collaboration with the Japan
Ministry of Health and Nutrition; the Foundation of Fitness
Promotion and Exercise Guidance, the Japan Health Promotion
and Fitness Foundation, the Center of Excellence in Health
and Sport Sciences, and the Tsukuba Advanced Research
Alliance will host this important scientific event. Information
will be posted at http://www.isapa2008.org.
Funding
Opportunities
Decision
Making in Health: Behavior Maintenance
The purpose of this funding opportunity announcement is
to invite applications for research projects that will expand
the knowledge of basic decision-making processes underlying
initiation and long-term maintenance of healthy lifestyle
behaviors that may reduce the risk of cancer and other chronic
diseases, such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and
addiction. For more information, and to apply, go to http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-05-016.html,
http://grants1.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-07-204.html.
Resource Centers For Minority
Aging Research (RCMAR)
The NIH invites applications from qualified institutions
to create or continue RCMAR and the RCMAR Coordinating Center.
It is anticipated that approximately $2,740,000 will be
available for each RCMAR award in their first year, and
that three to five RCMAR awards will be made plus one Coordinating
Center. http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files
Community Participation in
Research
The Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research/NIH/DHHS
is sponsoring support for research on health promotion,
disease prevention, and health disparities that is jointly
conducted by communities and researchers. For more information,
go to http://grants1.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-05-026.html
or e-mail kbagley@ahrq.gov.
Boomer Business Plan Competition
The Boomer
Business Plan Competition is being held in conjunction
with the Boomer Venture Summit, presented by the Leavey
School of Business at Santa Clara University. The summit
will take place June 19. The competition is open to anyone
with an idea for developing a product or service for the
age 45 and older market. Two $10,000 prizes (one in a health
category, the other in a general category) will be awarded
to the business plans that are considered by an elite group
of judges to have the highest potential for success in the
Boomer market. The competition is a terrific opportunity
for participants to gain significant exposure to a vast
network of leaders in the field of aging, including potential
strategic partners and top investors. Deadline for competition
entries is April 20.
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