November 2014 - Parks & Recreation - 19

Pub Name: PRM 2.19 x 9.88

2012, meeting twice weekly at the
recreation center. Each class included one hour of nutrition education
and one hour of exercise instruction - including strength training,
treadmill and bicycle - and walking.
A physical therapy assistant teaches
the classes, with physicians, dieticians and exercise instructors serving
as guest speakers or trainers. Most
participants are over age 50, low- or
middle-income, and have at least
one chronic disease or risk factor.
Although they are weighed pre- and
post-program and surveyed, the limited budget and personnel prevents
this data from being analyzed and
leveraged for further benefit (i.e.,
evaluation of impact, grant funding).
The program is in some ways successful - from 2009-2012, participants lost 3.4 pounds and 0.7 body
mass index (BMI) percentage points
on average over the six-week program. However, only about half of
the people who began the program
completed it, and very few men participated, even though men have high
rates of chronic diseases at younger
ages than women. Participants suggested making the fitness program
longer, incentivizing weight loss,
increasing accountability, sending
email or phone reminders, providing
links to helpful websites about chronic disease self-management, adding
alternative activities such as swimming, yoga and dance, plus more
interactive nutrition classes involving
portion size and cooking lessons and
a recipe-exchange program.
How Can We Bring More
EBPs to Rural Communities?
To increase EBPs in rural communities, including the wellness/chronic
disease prevention program these
writers worked with, we suggest le

veraging more local community and
park and recreation resources available, as well as basing programs on
the CDC's Understanding Evidence
guide. There are several other cost-effective and easy ways to adopt more
EBPs to improve chronic disease prevention and self-management programs:
* Increase interest and involvement
by developing a broad base of appealing activities, especially those
relevant to our everyday lives (e.g.
walking, gardening, household
chores, playing with children/
grandchildren). Emphasis on lifestyle physical activity versus exercise is optimal.
* Ensure that programs are long
enough to create lifestyle change
(preferably 8-12 weeks or longer)
and achieve changes in physical
fitness/function parameters (e.g.,
weight, BMI, strength, flexibility).
With age, it takes longer for these
changes to happen.
* Reformat nutrition classes to incorporate recipe sharing, healthy
cooking techniques and competitions, and use community resources including gardens, garden centers and farmers' markets as local
subject matter experts and resources in the program.
* Use online forums and social media (e.g. Facebook, MyFitnessPal),
text messages and devices to track
progress (e.g. accelerometers) and
increase involvement.
* Use data, surveys and outcomes to
assess the impact of and tailor programs to participants and specific
diseases. If personnel resources are
scarce to utilize this data for the
organization's benefit, partner with
a community college faculty member and/or students to leverage the
data for organizational benefit.

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Parks & Recreation

November 2014 - Parks & Recreation

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