Back to Annual Meeting

Back to Annual Meeting

APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Recorded presentation

Susan Hughes, DSW, Rachel Seymour, PhD, Richard T. Campbell, PhD, Pankaja Desai, MSW, MPH, Gail Huber, PhD, and Cameron Kunkel, MPH. Institute for Health Research and Policy, Center for Research on Health and Aging, University of Illinois at Chicago, 1747 W. Roosevelt Rd., Room 558, Chicago, IL 60608, 312-996-1473, shughes@uic.edu

Osteoarthritis (OA) is the leading cause of disability among older adults. As part of the NIH national cross-Institute Health Maintenance Consortium, we are testing different ways of reinforcing long term adherence to the evidence-based Fit and Strong! program. Fit and Strong! is an 8-week intervention for older adults with lower-extremity OA that couples flexibility, strength training and aerobic walking with health education for sustained behavior change. After participating in Fit and Strong! graduates are randomized to one of two strategies to promote long-term maintenance: negotiated vs. mainstreamed follow-up with and without telephone reinforcement. The trial is enrolling 600 older adults with lower-extremity OA at 5 regional Senior Centers in Chicago, three of which serve African American seniors. To date, 351 older adults have been enrolled. Participants have a mean age of 71 years, 54% are African American, 36% are low income, and 86% are female. Eighty-three percent are overweight or obese. Preliminary analyses found significant improvements from baseline to 2 months on participation in exercise (p = 0.000), self-efficacy for exercise (p = 0.010) lower extremity strength (p = 0.010), and aerobic functioning (p = 0.050). Recruitment strategies, class participation rates, and preliminary 2- and 6-month findings will be presented and discussed.

Learning Objectives:

• Describe the physical activity and behavior change components of Fit and Strong!
• Discuss comparative methods to reinforce long term maintenance of physical activity

Keywords: Aging, Physical Activity

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No

Recorded presentation