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American Public Health Association
133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition
December 10-14, 2005
Philadelphia, PA
APHA 2005
 
3356.0: Monday, December 12, 2005 - Table 4

Abstract #109752

Development of a community-based intervention to enhance community resources for diabetes management

Mary F. Riley-Jácome, MA, Prevention Research Center, University at Albany, 1 University Place, Rm 116, Rensselaer, NY 12144, (518) 408-2339, mrjacome@albany.edu, Mary P. Gallant, PhD, School of Public Health, University at Albany, 1 University Place, Department of Health Policy, Mgmt & Behavior, Rensselaer, NY 12144, and Benjamin A. Shaw, PhD, School of Public Health, Department of Health Policy, Mgmt & Behavior, University at Albany, 1 University Place, Renssealer, NY 12144.

Improving diabetes management requires an understanding of the social and environmental factors that influence self-care behaviors. The University at Albany Prevention Research Center conducted a community–based assessment of self-care behaviors and factors that support or inhibit diabetes management among adults in two underserved communities, one urban and one rural. Results showed that physical activity levels were significantly lower in the rural community. In addition, rural participants reported limited environmental supports for physical activity. Forty percent of rural participants identified environmental barriers to physical activity such as inadequate walkways, lack of facilities, too many hills, traffic and bad weather. An independent assessment by the NYS Department of Health corroborated the lack of adequate sidewalks in this community.

Given these findings, intervention strategies to increase access to places for physical activity are recommended. However, rural communities often lack the resources to implement evidence based interventions, and changing environmental conditions requires ingenuity. In response to this challenge, key stakeholders identified a seemingly simple solution to the access issue: enlisting the use of public school buildings to give residents the opportunity to walk indoors after school hours for exercise.

As an initial step, research findings were disseminated to local schools to explore their potential role in addressing this need. One school district offered to pilot an evidence based walking program. This presentation will describe the process used to plan and implement this pilot intervention. Results will be shared with other rural communities to help guide future physical activity interventions.

Learning Objectives:

Keywords: Community Health Planning, Physical Activity

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.

Diabetes and Obesity: The New Epidemic of the 21st Century

The 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition (December 10-14, 2005) of APHA