Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #119696

Lynda A. Anderson, PhD, Division of Adult and Community Health (MS K-51), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 4770 Buford Highway NE, Atlanta, GA 30341-3724, 770 488-5998, laa0@cdc.gov

The question “is it evidence-based?” seems to be on many of our minds these days when considering health promotion programs for older adults. Why is this an important question to ask? What evidence is needed? What does the evidence tell us? Dr. Anderson, a senior CDC scientist and researcher, will provide the context for the overall session by briefly highlighting the unprecedented aging of our nation's population and its implications for public health, aging services, and the health care system. She will then focus her remarks on what “evidence-based public health” is; why an evidence basis is important for what we do; what kinds and levels of evidence are important in deciding to implement a particular program; and other factors that should be considered by policymakers, organizations, and health and aging professionals in designing, conducting, and evaluating health promotion and disease prevention programs for older adults.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, the participant will be able to

• Describe 3 public health opportunities to promote healthy aging in the United States;
• Specify 3 key characteristics of evidence-based public health interventions;
• Identify 2 tools or processes for identifying evidence-based public health interventions.

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.