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UCSF INSTITUTE FOR HEALTH & AGING ◊ UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN FRANCISCO
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| IHA Center for Healthy and Active Aging | |
Our Mission:
To enable, support, and enhance the health,
well-being, and independence of older persons in
California through a program of applied gerontology
research and community-level interventions that
focuses on the critical importance of maintaining
physical activity in late life.
We believe that maintaining physical activity in late life supports physical, intellectual, emotional, spiritual, and social well-being, and we affirm the positive potential of old age.
Regular physical activity contributes greatly to the fitness, health, functioning, and quality of life of older adults. The Center for Healthy and Active Aging was established within the Institute for Heath & Aging (IHA), University of California, San Francisco, as a central resource for the study and advocacy of physical activity in late life.
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| Anita Stewart |
The Center was founded by Anita L. Stewart, PhD, and honors the values that Professor Stewart has championed throughout her career: commitment to optimize the quality of life of seniors; special concern for the health and well-being of multi-ethnic and lower income populations; and conviction to put research results into practice by building effective community-level health and activity promotion interventions.
The Center is funded in part by the George and Katherine Dick Fund.
The Center's research activities focus on methodological studies and applied research in public health. An important goal of the research program is to understand the pathways to optimal physical functioning so that effective interventions can be implemented. Areas of interest include:
The Center sponsors and promotes accessible, practical, and client-centered physical activity programs for older adults and their families in many California counties. Programs include exercise and activity promotion classes, seminars, workshops, support groups, counseling services, and community resource referrals. Activity programs focus on helping seniors overcome physical and psychological obstacles to increasing their level of activity.
Community
Healthy Activities Model Program for Seniors (CHAMPS I, CHAMPS
II)
Anita Stewart, P. I
The CHAMPS programs are comprehensive lifestyle interventions to increase physical activity in sedentary and underactive older adults. The program uses client-centered motivational, behavioral, and cognitive techniques to help participants overcome barriers, exercise safely, and develop a balanced and appropriate exercise program that includes endurance, flexibility, and strength training. Participants choose their own form of activity, and with guidance, build their own exercise regimens. Also see the http://sbs.ucsf.edu/iha/champs web site.
CHAMPS
Physical Activity Questionnaire for Older Adults,
Anita Stewart, P. I. The instrument was designed to
evaluate the effectiveness of the CHAMPS programs. The measures
have been tested and have proved to be valid, reliable, and
sensitive to change.
Healthy Aging
in Diverse Community Settings (CHAMPS III),
Anita Stewart, P.I.
Funded by The California Endowment, this project utilized the lessons learned in the CHAMPS I and II programs to diffuse physical activity programs for low-income and minority seniors in three communities. Experiences from this diffusion process can help design larger projects which establish ongoing research-based physical activity programs in a variety of community settings.
Physical Activity and Diet to Reduce Disparities in
Diabetes Risk,
Anita Stewart, PI.
This study is funded by the Department of Health & Human Services and National Institutes of Health. It is recognized that most racial-ethnic minority adults have higher rates of type 2 diabetes and its physiologic and behavioral risk factors than their White counterparts. This study will test the effectiveness of a lifestyle program to increase physical activity, reduce weight, and improve diet, offered in community-based settings to primarily lower income, minority adults aged 40+ with "pre-diabetes" (fasting glucose 100·125 mg/dl).
Evaluating
Diffusion Models to Increase Physical Activity of Older Adults,
Anita Stewart, PI and
Nathalie Bera, Co-PI.
Funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, this project conducted a formative evaluation with key stakeholders in two geographic areas in the Bay Area. We obtained their input on the feasibility of a community-based physical activity promotion model and their ideas for modifying and operationalizing the model to be effective in their communities. Perspectives were gathered from seniors, directors of senior-serving agencies, physical activity instructors, members of senior-oriented coalitions, administrators of health departments, and health care providers. Results were used to design older adult physical activity promotion programs which were integrated into existing community infrastructure, involve multiple sectors, and focus on multi-ethnic and lower-income seniors.
The Active Aging Community Task Force Project,
Patrick Fox, P.I.
Funded by the
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJ), this project expands into
17 California regions a proven community task force model for
setting up strength training classes for persons over the age of
60. The aims of the project are to increase community awareness
of the risk factors and prevention and treatment strategies for
osteoporosis and falls, and increase the number of
community-based strength training classes for persons over the
age of 60. The community task forces will develop and implement
work plans to identify community sites in which to establish new
strength training classes, and identify the persons to be
trained to lead the classes.
California Center for Physical Activity,
Patrick Fox, P.I., Lisa Cirill, Acting Program Chief.
The focus of this project is to facilitate the creation of enjoyable social and physical environments that enable Californians to become and stay active, thereby, reaping the benefits of a physically active lifestyle. Organized with three main objectives: (1) to increase the proportion of the California population, age 50 and older, who engage in regular physical activity, (2) increase the proportion of employers who sponsor, and employees who engage in, regular physical activity, and (3) increase the proportion of community and neighborhood policies and environments that encourage and support walking and biking.
Transportation for Livable Communities Resource Center,
Patrick Fox, P.I.,
The goal of this project, sponsored by the State of California Department of Transportation, is to foster safer bicycle and pedestrian behaviors, foster more walking and bicycling for routine transportation, and create community and urban environments that are walkable and bicycle-friendly.
Preventive
Health Care for the Aged Project (PHCA),
Patrick Fox, P.I.,
Laurie Vazquez, Program Chief.
The PHCA Program was established in 1973 to enhance and protect the health of Californians 55 years and older by promoting healthy life-styles, increasing access to health services, and improving quality of life. The program currently provides public health nursing services to approximately 58,000 seniors in 17 counties. Services provided include comprehensive nursing assessments and screening, health education and counseling, referrals and linkages to medical and community services, and collaboration with medical providers, academic centers, and managed care health plans.
California
Heart Disease & Stroke Prevention Program (CHDSP),
Patrick Fox, P.I.
The purpose of this project is to (1) increase awareness among policy makers and media members of heart disease and stroke in areas with high rates of cardiovascular disease, (2) expand collaboration among community-based organizations, health departments and coalitions, clinics, hospitals, businesses and voluntary agencies, and (3) develop a CVD information clearinghouse with emphasis on assisting public health workers and researchers to address CVD disparities and needs of the multi-ethnic California population.
No More Falls
Project,
Patrick Fox, P.I.
This project's mission
was to reduce the death, injury, and disability attributed to
falls in older adults.
The goal of the study was to
promote capacity building by: (1) improving fall injury surveillance, (2) drawing together
stakeholders to address the problem of falls, (3) creating
educational interventions and supportive environmental
modifications for at-risk seniors,
(4) enhancing awareness of
falls among providers, and (5) reducing the number of
hospitalizations for fall-related fractures.
California
Osteoporosis Prevention and Education Program,
Patrick Fox, P.I., Pamela Ford Keach, Program Chief.
The major goals of this program are to: (1) promote public awareness of the causes and prevention of osteoporosis, (2) educate physicians and other health providers about preventing and managing osteoporosis, and )3) implement effective interventions to reduce falls and fractures.
California Arthritis Partnership Program,
Patrick Fox, P.I., Pamela Ford Keach, Program Chief.
The central goals of this program are to increase public awareness of arthritis, and increase access to existing local arthritis services for underserved populations.
California Obesity Control Project,
Patrick Fox, P.I.
The goals of this project are to (1) conduct strategic planning activities to assist the California Obesity Prevention Initiative (COPI) to develop a plan for obesity prevention in California, (2) develop pilot intervention projects, (3) provide training and technical assistance to state and local staff and collaborative partners, and (4) evaluate progress and impact of the California Obesity Prevention Plan and the pilot interventions.
Health and Function over Three Decades in Alameda County,
William J. Strawbridge, P.I.
Major goals of this project are to ascertain the determinants of function in older persons, ascertain determinants of clinical depression, identify factors associated with less decline among those who are frail, and continue analyses of impact of socioeconomic status and community as determinants of health and function.
Relationship Precursors of Well-Being in Old Age,
William J. Strawbridge, P.I.
Major goals were to assemble Dr. Dorothy Field's data and prepare a new grant to complete analyses of the impact of family relationships on well-being in old age using data from the Berkeley Older Generation Study and the Alameda County Study.
Anita Stewart, Ph.D. is a Professor at the Institute for Health & Aging and the Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, and founding director of the Center for Healthy and Active Aging. Her work focuses on examining and promoting optimal health in seniors through the use of effective community-based physical activity promotion programs.
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| Patrick Fox |
Dr. Stewart's work utilizes ecological, multilevel, community-wide approaches to healthy aging and physical activity. She is also experienced in measuring health and its determinants, and is applying these skills to understand and reduce health disparities.
Patrick Fox, Ph.D., M.S.W, is Co-Director of the Institute for Health & Aging and Professor of Sociology and Health Policy, Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences at the University of California, San Francisco.
Dr. Fox's interests include the sociology of aging, long-term care, evaluation of social and health interventions, health policy, disease-based social movements, economic costs of illness, and health promotion.
He has served as consultant to the Alzheimer's Association, The California Wellness Foundation, the Sierra Health Foundation, the California Health Care Foundation, and the California Department of Health Services on aging issues.
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| William Strawbridge |
William J. Strawbridge, Ph.D., is an Adjunct Professor with the Institute for Health & Aging at the University of California, San Francisco.
As a medical sociologist, Dr. Strawbridge has a background in both health planning and health research. For the past 15 years, his research has focused on areas of gerontology.
He is particularly interested in older persons' adaptations to the challenges of aging. Dr. Strawbridge is now directing analyses examining how spouses impact the health and well-being of their partners.
He was recently named a Fellow of the Gerontological Society of America.
UCSF INSTITUTE FOR HEALTH & AGING ◊ SCHOOL OF NURSING
◊ University of California, San Francisco
3333 California St., #LHts-340, San Francisco, CA 94143-0646
More information, contact: mariechristine.yue@ucsf.edu
This page is: http://sbs.ucsf.edu/iha/chaa.htm
Last revised: Apr. 2008
© Copyright 2008 University of California Regents, All Rights Reserved.
