Active for Life

1
Active for Life

• www.activeforlife.info

2
The Programs
Active Choices Stanford University Telephone-bas
ed physical activity counseling Active Living
Every Day Cooper Institute Human
Kinetics Group-based lifestyle physical activity
program
3
Behavior Change Strategies

• Goal setting
• Identification of barriers
• Tracking of behaviors
• Active problem solving
• Supportive feedback

4
Active for Life Program Background

• Each site chose one of the two evidence-based
  physical activity intervention programs
• Introduced the program into existing community
  structures

• Nine community grantees (12 geographical areas)

5
(No Transcript)
6
Active for Life Program Background(cont.)

• Purpose was to increase physical activity among
  sedentary midlife and older adults
• Evaluation demonstrated community participant
  results of similar magnitude as in research
  setting

7
Accomplishments

• Community-based activity programs can

• Recruit retain diverse older adults
• Increase physical activity
• Decrease stress depression
• Satisfy participants
• Wilcox et. Al., AJPH 2006

8

• Anecdotally clinically significant improvements
  in health and health care costs
• Wilcox et. Al., AJPH 2006

9
Active For Life GenerationsWorking Together to
Prevent Childhood Obesity

• funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and
  administered by the Active for Life National
  Program Office at Texas AM Health Science Center
  School of Rural Public Health

10
RWJF Cross-cutting Tactics

• Build on existing programs synergy projects
• Develop criteria to help establish priorities
• Leverage opportunities for evaluation
• Develop an evaluation framework and consider
  possibility of common outcome measures
• Leverage opportunities for RWJF communications
  work and message platform
• Common models
• Strong community-based partnerships engage
  leaders and decision-makers

11
Intergenerational Grant Project - Generations

• Goal To halt the rise of childhood obesity rates
  
• How Promoting physical activity and healthy
  eating in schools and communities by changing
  policies and environments

• particularly among low-income children and their
  families

12
Intergenerational Grant Project - Generations

• Four Active for Life Grantee sites selected and
  given 45,000 to implement locally-designed
  project
• 18 month project promoting physical activity and
  healthy eating

13
Generations Approach

• Aimed at prevention or reduction
• of childhood obesity
• Involved older adults helping
• younger children and their families
• Included promotion of physical
• activity and healthy eating
• Utilized the 5P strategic
• planning work plan

14
5 P Work Plan
Each grantee created a strategic work plan,
complete with goals, activities, and benchmarks,
addressing each of the 5Ps
15
Projects

• Active Generations
• (The Oasis Institute/San Antonio, TX)
• FirstGarden
• (FirstHealth of the Carolinas, Pinehurst, NC)
• San Pablo Park Steps to Health
• (City of Berkeley, CA)
• School Health Advisory Council
• (Hamilton County General Health District,
  Cincinnati, OH)

16
FirstGarden FirstHealth of the Carolinas

• Developed 5,600 square foot organic garden next
  to low-income housing
• Partnered with the Master Gardeners to provide
  mentoring to children from the Boys Girls Club
  and town summer program

17
FirstGardenFirstHealth of the Carolinas

• Hosted cooking classes developed recipes using
  the produce brought home by the children from
  FirstGarden
• Expanded the local farmers market to the
  hospital campus

18
FirstGardenFirstHealth of the Carolinas

• Expanding gardens in three elementary schools and
  an adult community garden
• Creating a tool-kit for dissemination of organic
  community gardens in North Carolina

19
Active Generations The OASIS Institute

• Implemented evidence-based eight week program
  (CATCH) in two Learning Tree after school program
  sites
• Coordinated Walkabout and walkability assessment
  with children and older adults

20
Active GenerationsThe OASIS Institute

• Instituted partnership with the Metropolitan
  Planning Organization
• Resulted in environmental changes to improve
  safety and access to physical activity

21
Active GenerationsThe OASIS Institute

• Trained 100 Learning Tree staff to implement
  CATCH program across all sites
• Increased access to healthy snacks at the
  Learning Tree after school programs
• Engaged families in grocery store scavenger

hunt to improve shopping skills for high nutrient
food choices
22
San Pablo Park Steps to HealthCity of Berkeley

• Worked with local food vendors to provide
  affordable, healthy take-out dinners for sale
  each week
• Installed a Dance Dance Revolution machine in the
  Recreation Center

23
San Pablo Park Steps to HealthCity of Berkeley

• Developed tennis nutritious cooking classes
• Collaborated with Farm Fresh Choice to provide
  produce to buy at the Recreation Center

• Established senior-youth summer physical
  activities

24
School Health Advisory CouncilHamilton County
Gen. Health Dist.

• Developed a School Health Advisory Council (SHAC)
  in the Mt. Healthy School District
• Adopted district-wide Wellness Policy

• Delivered girls!CAN after school physical
  activity program

25
School Health Advisory CouncilHamilton County
Gen. Health Dist.

• Expanded healthy food choices for students and
  staff
• Conducted parent and teacher focus groups

26
School Health Advisory CouncilHamilton County
Gen. Health Dist.

• Creating an on-line tool-kit for dissemination
  and expanding the school health advisory process
  to two new districts

27
Lessons Learned

• Find and involve the right partners in planning
  and implementation
• Develop working relationships
• Focus on communitys assets and resources
• Efforts are effective and/or viewed as effective

28
Lessons Learned (cont)

• Follow your workplan yet
• remain open to evolving opportunities
• Identify benchmarks
• (success)
• Tap right adults for the
• right activity/involvement
• Design evaluation process
• Tell your story

29
Challenges

• Parents resistence to making changes
• Conflicting schedules of seniors/adults and
  youth
• Potential issue of transportation
• School operational culture

30
Next Steps

• More in-depth evaluation
• Continue to build helpful relationships
• Identify new partners who can enhance potential
  of sustainingthink outside the box
• Train-the-trainer potentials

31
Putting the pieces together to prevent
childhood obesity

32

• It is worth the challenge!