Title: UPDATE: National Public Health Week Focused on Healthy Aging
Author:
Section/SPIG: Aging & Public Health
Issue Date:
For the past 10 years, the first full week in April has been designated as National Public Health Week. Every year APHA picks a different topic to highlight the importance of public health, and for 2005 the topic was Healthy Aging.
In planning for the week, APHA staff tapped into the experience and knowledge of the Gerontological Health Section and the APHA-wide Task Force on Aging to develop key messages. Working with a marketing firm, APHA staff and gerontological health leaders chose the “3-Ps” as the framework for the week: prevention, protection (early detection), and planning for healthy aging.
The Association and its partners developed a series of evidence-based two-page fact sheets to support the key messages and call for action at the personal, organizational, and policy levels. Topics included immunizations, injury protection, prescription medications, health screenings, and more. These are useful materials that are also available in Spanish. See <http://www.apha.org/nphw/05-facts.htm>.
To provide an online health risk assessment tool, the Association partnered with Thomas Pearls, MD, MPH, of Boston University ,to promote his “Living to 100 Quiz." Based on the New England Centenarian Study, it asks a series of health-risk questions, provides an estimated life expectancy, and offers risk-reduction advice. See <http://www.agingresearch.org/calculator/>.
The Association also commissioned a survey of adults age 55 and older to assess their own health, their awareness of what it takes to stay healthy as they age, and what stands in the way of living healthier lifestyles. The telephone survey was comprised of a sample of 600 adults and was conducted between Feb. 24 - March 5, 2005. Key findings that were publicized during National Public Health Week include :
* Half of older adults believe they are living a healthy lifestyle, while half recognize they need to make changes to improve their health. * A lack of motivation (51 percent), followed closely by money (46 percent) and time (34 percent), were cited as primary barriers to taking action to be healthier. * Members of the oldest segment of Americans, those 75 and older, are more likely than their younger counterparts to say they are living a healthy lifestyle (67 percent for those aged 75+ compared to 38 percent for those 55 to 64 years old). * Nearly eight in 10 (78 percent) believe diet and exercise more than the genes they are born with (18 percent) decide how healthy they will be as they age.
According to APHA, this survey clearly illustrates the need to invest in public education, community-based programs, and environmental and policy interventions to better serve the needs of the aging population.
In addition, local health departments and schools of public health around the country held a wide variety of events on healthy aging for National Public Health Week. Overall, this proved to be a successful collaboration between APHA staff, GHS leadership, and the Aging Task Force. Credit is due to staff member Lakitia Mayo for pulling it all together under a tight schedule, and to Executive Director Georges Benjamin for supporting member involvement in the planning process. For more information, including the fact sheets, survey findings, and other materials, see <http://www.apha.org/nphw/05-letter.htm>.