 | The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA |
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| The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA |
Beth Morrell, MPH, Angela Weaver-Roebuck, MEd, Willi Horner-Johnson, PhD, and Charles E. Drum, JD, PhD. Oregon Office on Disability and Health, Oregon Health & Science University, PO Box 574, Portland, OR 97207
More people with disabilities are living on their own, working in community jobs and experiencing the same levels of stress as those without disabilities. People with disabilities are experiencing increases in secondary complications such as depression, obesity, and isolation. Health education and promotion has been helpful in reducing the frequency of these issues in the general population, however the specific needs of those with disabilities have not been addressed by the public health community. The Healthy Lifestyles for People with Disabilities curriculum has been created to help decrease this disparity.
The Healthy Lifestyles Evaluation Project is conducted by the Oregon Institute on Disability and Development in partnership with both the Oregon Office on Disabilities and Health and Independent Living Resources, a community based non-profit that assists people with disabilities. This integrated, holistic curriculum takes place over the course of two and a half days and includes three main segments. The first segment encourages participants to self-define a healthy lifestyle. Topics covered include: fitness, nutrition, social health, and emotional health. The second segment focuses on the development and the strategic implementation of individual health and fitness plans. The third segment includes an empowerment module that prepares participants to advocate for themselves. Additional activities during the training include: 1) collage; 2) goal setting; 3) massage; and 4) yoga. Utilizing support groups and mentors the participants are empowered to strive for self identified goals. Evaluation includes pre and post testing and a healthy lifestyle measurement at 3, 6, and 9 months.
Learning Objectives:
Keywords: Health Education Strategies, Disability
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.