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December 2008
Previous
Newsletters
From
the Active for Life Program Office
Tips,
Tactics and Tools
In
the News
Upcoming Events
Funding Opportunities
The
Active for Life® E-Newsletter Update is produced
monthly by the Active for Life® National Program
Office at The Texas A&M Health Science Center School
of Rural Public Health. To include information, contact
Brigid McHugh Sanner at brigid@sannerco.com
or call 214-244-4186. This program is funded by a grant
from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation®.
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From
the Active for Life® National Program Office
Evaluation of Evidence-Based
Programs for Seniors
The U.S. Administration on Aging (AoA) recently awarded AFL
Director Marcia Ory, PhD, MPH, a $900,000 grant to develop
a nationwide evaluation of evidence-based programs for seniors.
The three-year evaluation will provide the AoA with a recommended
plan to use in collaboration with the National Association
of State Units on Aging, National Association of Area Agencies
on Aging, and aging services provider organizations throughout
the country. These activities will be coordinated with the
Healthy Aging Research Network, a public health and aging
research network supported by the U.S. Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention
Texas Obesity Health Policy
Forum
Dr. Ory addressed the Texas Obesity Health Policy Forum in
early December, providing an update on the Texas Childhood
Obesity Prevention Policy Evaluation Project. The forum objectives
were to increase awareness about the impact of obesity on
Texas business, present the latest FitnessGram data
from the Texas Education Agency, share a preview of forthcoming
projections of obesity prevalence in Texas through 2040, provide
an update of the new Robert Wood Johnson Foundation-funded
research project on Safe Routes to School and WIC,
and host a discussion about policy recommendations.
Roadmap Project Meeting
AFL Deputy Director Diane Dowdy, PhD and Kerrie Horra of FirstHealth
of the Carolinas, an AFL grantee organization, recently participated
in a National Center for Bicycling and Walking (NCBW) Roadmap
Project meeting. As part of its Active Living Resource Center,
NCBW is creating a roadmap both to encourage communities to
become more pedestrian- and bicycle-friendly and to provide
them with the technical assistance to do so. More information
is available at http://www.bikewalk.org.
Tips, Tactics
and Tools
Enewsletter
from NIA
Spotlight on Aging Research (SOAR): News and Notes from
the National Institute on Aging (http://www.nia.nih.gov/NewsAndEvents/SOAR/v1n1/)
offers the research community, aging services providers,
health care professionals, policy makers, media, and others
information about National Institute on Aging programs,
people, and achievements. Subscription to the electronic
publication is free.
Active Living Videos
The Active Living Resource Center offers free downloadable
videos on community assessment, safe routes to school, and
barriers to walking. These can be used to assist in public
awareness programs, as well as to educate community leaders.
Please go to http://www.activelivingresources.org/videolibrary.php.
In
the News
Exercise
Helps Alzheimer’s Patients
According to research published in the October issue of
the International Journal of Sports Medicine (http://www.thieme-connect.com/ejournals/toc/sportsmed/64155),
a 12-week exercise program was effective in increasing strength,
flexibility, mobility and coordination among nursing home
patients with Alzheimer's disease. The researchers suggest
that exercise training should be considered as part of the
care of Alzheimer’s patients in nursing homes.
Tai Chi Improves Arthritis
Symptoms
Researchers reporting at a recent meeting of the American
College of Rheumatology noted that tai chi can help reduce
pain and physical impairment in people who have knee arthritis.
Tai chi also helps older adults improve balance and flexibility.
Evidence-Based Interventions
are Cost Effective
Community-based
physical activity interventions designed to promote
more active lifestyles among adults are cost-effective in
reducing heart
disease, stroke,
colorectal
and breast
cancers, and type 2 diabetes,
according to a study
by the Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention, with support from
the Robert
Wood Johnson Foundation. Using a rigorous economic model
developed to assess the cost-effectiveness of community-based
physical
activity interventions, the study found these interventions
to be cost-effective; reducing new cases of many chronic
diseases and improving quality of life. The full study
is available by sending a request to eAJPM@ucsd.edu.
Exercise Helps Physical Functioning
Physical activity, including cardiovascular exercise and
strength training, has been shown to help improve the physical
functioning of older adults, according to research published
in the October issue of the Journal of the American
Geriatrics Society (http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/121412040/abstract).
Exercise Counseling May Keep
Seniors Going
Reporting in the December issue of the Journal of the
American Geriatrics Society (http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/121454977/abstract),
researchers report that a single session of counseling on
physical activity with quarterly follow-up calls can help
older people avoid disability. The researchers found that
older adults who received counseling became more physically
active. Thirty-eight percent of people in the intervention
group became more active, while 16 percent decreased their
activity, compared to 32 percent and 22 percent for the
control group.
Observances
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Day. January 19,
2009
January is National Thyroid
Awareness Month. Sponsored by the American Association
of Clinical Endocrinologists. http://www.thyroidawareness.com/
http://www.aace.com/
January is National Glaucoma
Awareness Month. Sponsored by the Glaucoma Research
Foundation. http://www.glaucoma.org/learn/glaucoma_awaren.php
January is National Blood
Donor Month. Sponsored by the American Association
of Blood Banks. http://www.aabb.org/Content/Donate_Blood/Donate_Blood_Public_Education_Initiatives/National_Blood_Donor_Month/
January is Cervical Health
Awareness Month. Sponsored by the National Cervical
Cancer Coalition. http://www.nccc-online.org/awareness.html
Meetings and Conferences
American College of Preventive
Medicine Annual Conference. February 11-14, 2009.
Los Angeles, CA. http://www.preventivemedicine2009.org/.
National Conference on
Chronic Disease Prevention & Control. February
23-25, 2009. Washington, DC. http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/conference/
National Council on Aging-American
Society on Aging Aging in America Conference.
March 15-19, 2009. Las Vegas, NV. http://www.ncoa.org.
American College of Sports
Medicine Annual Health & Fitness Summit.
March 25-28, 2008. Atlanta, GA. http://www.acsm.org
American College of Sports
Medicine Annual Meeting. May 27-30, 2008. Seattle,
WA. http://www.acsm.org
Funding Opportunities
Healthy
Kids, Healthy Communities
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) is providing
support for community initiatives that will increase opportunities
for physical activity and improve access to affordable
healthy foods for children and families. Approximately
60 grants for Healthy Kids, Healthy Communities sites
will be awarded. Each will receive up to $360,000 total
for four years. All grantees must secure a cash and/or
in-kind match equal to at least 50 percent of the RWJF
award over the entire grant period. More information on
match requirements is provided at http://www.rwjf.org/applications/solicited/cfp.jsp?ID=20603.
Deadline for application is Feb. 3.
Salud America!
Salud America! is a national program of the RWJF
that supports research on environmental and policy solutions
to the epidemic of obesity among Latino children. The
program also aims to develop a network of researchers
whose findings will help identify the most promising obesity-prevention
strategies specifically tailored for Latino communities.
Investigators must propose a project in one of two general
areas: 1) research that has strong potential to inform
policy; or 2) the evaluation of an existing policy or
program, its implementation or its impact. For information,
please visit http://www.rwjf.org/applications/solicited/cfp.jsp?ID=20506&c=EMC-FA138.
The deadline is Feb. 6.
Champions for Healthy Kids
Grants
A partnership of the General Mills Foundation, the American
Dietetic Association Foundation and the President's Challenge
is offering 50 grants of $10,000 each, to be made to schools,
community groups, and other nonprofit organizations with
innovative programs aimed at improving the nutrition and
activity habits of young people. For more information,
please visit http://www.generalmills.com/corporate/commitment/champions.html.
The deadline is Jan. 15.
Ladder to Leadership
A collaborative initiative of the RWJF and the Center
for Creative Leadership, this funding initiative is designed
to enhance the leadership capacity of community-based
nonprofit health organizations serving vulnerable populations.
Ladder to Leadership focuses on developing critical
leadership competencies for early- to mid-career professionals
through a 16-month leadership development curriculum.
The program will be delivered in nine priority communities
on a staggered schedule over the next four years. Up to
30 fellows will be selected to participate in the program
in each of nine targeted communities across the U.S.:
Central NY; Cleveland, OH; Birmingham, AL; Albuquerque,
NM; Eastern NC; Portland, OR.; Mid-South Region (Western
TN, Eastern AR, and Northern MS); NJ (specific site/region
to be determined); and Starr County, TX. For more information,
please visit http://www.rwjf.org/applications/solicited/cfp.jsp?ID=20281&c=EMC-FA144.
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