Engagement of adults in wellness center activities to reduce the risk for chronic diseases

The presentation will provide data on a transformative university – community partnership centered in an urban community school Wellness Center. Adults from the community participate in an after school hours fitness program supported by service learning students from the Schools of Nursing and Physical Education. Students from the two disciplines were involved in service learning, and collaborated with residents to design plans for improving their health and reducing the risk for chronic disease. Using best practices in participatory action research, adult participants from the community were engaged in interviews with the nursing students to determine their preferences for health promotion programming at the Wellness Center. Results from the 50 interviews completed will be presented along with action plans and effective strategies that have been used to empower the community members to make lifestyle modifications. Emphasis will be placed on health related outcomes for the community members, and the impact of inter-professional education with graduate and undergraduate students in a community school setting. Wellness Center participant outcomes and students' reflections from the service learning initiative support the importance of designing inter-disciplinary programs in accessible settings to meet the needs of community residents.