Recorded presentation

Tricia B. Selby, MSW, State and National Initiatives, AARP, 601 E Street, NW, Room B4-433, Washington, DC 20049, 202-434-2478, tselby@aarp.org

Ms. Selby, AARP representative, will give an overview of the Active for Life campaign, specifically how the program engaged community organizations in promoting physical activity among the 50+ population. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and AARP launched a pilot project called Active for Life(TM) in Madison, WI and Richmond, VA to promote and encourage healthy behaviors and the environment that supports them. The project used marketing and communications, environmental assessments and collaboration with partnering organizations. The two-year campaign, which began in May 2002, promoted the benefits of regular physical activity--at least 30 minutes a day, at least five days a week. The goal of the campaign was to increase physical activity among adults age 50 and older in those two communities. Ms. Selby will discuss how Active for Life involved partners from city health departments; recreation, parks and fitness centers; non-profit organizations and representatives from local businesses to conduct activities such as: implementing a multi-media campaign combining paid advertising and earned media; developing and distributing a community resource directory of physical activity opportunities; developing and implementing a self-directed 12-week program to getting physically active; working with employers to help employees engage in regular physical activity; working with community organizations to either expand their offerings of physical activity programs to the 50+ or implement them; and, conducting assessments of the physical environment to identify barriers to being physically active in the community.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify one or more ways to engage community organizations in implementing or expanding physical activity programs for the 50+ population.
• Understand a multi-component initiative to increase physical activity in a community.
• Assess the applicability of the Active for Life campaign to their organization's goals, objectives, and strategies.

Keywords: Disease Prevention,

Related Web page: www.aarp.org/activeforlife

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.

Recorded presentation