The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA

Abstract #67777

Beth Morrell, MPH, Angela Weaver-Roebuck, MEd, Willi Horner-Johnson, PhD, and Charles E. Drum, JD, PhD. Oregon Office on Disability and Health, Oregon Health & Science University, PO Box 574, Portland, OR 97207

More people with disabilities are living on their own, working in community jobs and experiencing the same levels of stress as those without disabilities. People with disabilities are experiencing increases in secondary complications such as depression, obesity, and isolation. Health education and promotion has been helpful in reducing the frequency of these health issues in the general population, however the specific needs of those with disabilities has not been met. The Healthy Lifestyles for People with Disabilities training has been created to help decrease this disparity, and to identify interventions that are specifically tailored for people with disabilities.

The Healthy Lifestyles Evaluation Project is conducted by the Oregon Institute on Disability and Development in partnership with both the Oregon Office on Disabilities and Health and Independent Living Resources, a community based non-profit that assists people with disabilities. This integrated wellness curriculum occurs over the course of two and a half days and includes three main segments. The first segment encourages participants to self-define a healthy lifestyle. Topics covered include: fitness, nutrition, social health, and emotional health. The second segment focuses on the development of individual health and fitness plans and strategies for implementing those plans. The third segment includes an empowerment module that prepares participants to advocate for themselves. Utilizing support groups and mentors the participants are empowered to strive for self-identified goals. Evaluation includes a pre and post testing and a healthy lifestyle measurement at 3, 6, and 9 months.

Learning Objectives:

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of this presentation, participants in this session will be able to:
• Recognize the importance of the development and facilitation of community collaborations to increase health education and health promotion for people with disabilities.
• Develop an evaluative framework for a health education and health promotion training program for people with disabilities.

Keywords: Health Education Strategies, Disability Studies

Related Web page: cdrc.ohsu.edu/oodh

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.