246870 Improving rates of physical activity among older adults with arthritis through policies and environmental strategies

Monday, October 31, 2011

Angela Oliver, JD , Division of Adult and Community Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA
Erica Odom, MPH , Division of Adult and Community Health, Arthritis Team, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA
Jennifer Hootman, PhD , Division of Adult and Community Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA
Mary B. Waterman, MPH , Public Health Department, Arthritis Foundation, Washington, DC
Patience White, MD , Public Health Department, Arthritis Foundation, Washington, DC
Susan Toal, MPH , Contractor for Physical Activity Policies and Environmental Strategies Project, Independent Contractor, Atlanta, GA
Arthritis, the nation's most common cause of disability, affects 50% of persons aged 65 or older. Physical activity is beneficial for the prevention and management of many chronic diseases and for persons with arthritis (PWA) the benefits include: reduced pain, delayed disability, and improved function and quality of life. Despite these benefits, research shows that PWA are significantly less active than their peers without arthritis and arthritis can be a barrier to increasing physical activity among persons with multiple chronic conditions. To address a physical activity policy gap and potentially increase the percent of PWA who are physically active, the CDC Arthritis Program and the Arthritis Foundation initiated a workgroup and engaged experts to identify and prioritize policies and environmental strategies for increasing physical activity among PWA. This process includes a systematic literature review, a search of organization policies, and gathering input from experts, and has produced both a white paper examining facilitators and barriers to physical activity and a series of policy recommendations and environmental strategies specific to adults with arthritis for various settings ranging from public health and aging to health care. Experts (20 for an electronic review and 16 for an in person meeting) were identified by the workgroup, in areas such as physical activity and aging, to revise the white paper and finalize the list of arthritis-specific recommendations. This presentation will discuss the methods and outcomes of this review process, as well as the newly released recommendations and how they benefit older adults with arthritis.

Learning Areas:
Chronic disease management and prevention
Environmental health sciences
Public health or related organizational policy, standards, or other guidelines
Public health or related public policy

Learning Objectives:
1. Explain the importance of establishing physical activity policies and environmental strategies addressing the needs of older adults with arthritis. 2. Describe three or more sectors that can influence physical activity among adults with arthritis. 3. Identify barriers and facilitators to physical activity among adults with arthritis.

Keywords: Physical Activity, Arthritis

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am a Presidential Management Fellow/Management and Program Analyst in the CDC Arthritis Program
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.