CDC Finds Community Physical Activity Programs for
Older Adults are Effective
Reduce heart disease, stroke, colorectal cancer,
breast cancer and type 2 diabetes
Nov. 17, 2008 Communities that promote physical
activity and a more active lifestyle for older people are succeeding in
a cost-effective way to reduce heart disease, stroke, colorectal cancer,
breast cancer and type 2 diabetes, according to a study by the Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention, with support from the Robert Wood
Johnson Foundation.
Using a what the CDC says is a rigorous economic
model developed to assess the cost-effectiveness of community-based
physical activity interventions, the study found these interventions to
be cost-effective; reducing new cases of many chronic diseases and
improving quality of life.
Researchers found that community-based physical
activity programs appeared to reduce new cases of disease by: >> 5-15 cases per 100,000 people for colon cancer; >> 15-58 cases per 100,000 for breast cancer; >> 59-207 cases per 100,000 for type 2 diabetes, and >> 140-476 cases per 100,000 for heart disease.
Community-based physical activity interventions
broadly fall under the following strategies:
>> Community campaigns such as mass
communication efforts (TV/radio, newspapers, billboards,
advertisements).
>> Social support networks such as exercise
groups to encourage behavior change.
>> Tailored behavior change to encourage
people to set physical activity goals and monitor their individual
progress.
>> Enhanced access to services that support
active lifestyles such as fitness centers, bike paths and walking
trails.
Our study found that public health strategies that
promote physical activity are cost effective, and compared with other
well-accepted prevention strategies, such as treatment for high
cholesterol or motor vehicle air bags, offer good value for the money
spent, said Larissa Roux, M.D., Ph.D., lead author of the study.
The study, Cost Effectiveness of Community-Based
Physical Activity Intervention, is being published in the online
version of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.
This study supports the value and effectiveness of
the physical activity interventions that were studied, said William
Dietz, M.D., Ph.D., director of CDC′s Division of Nutrition, Physical
Activity and Obesity. This study also shows the importance of the new
physical activity guidelines put forth last month by the U.S. Department
of Health and Human Services.
The HHS guidelines recommend:
>> Two and a half hours each week of
moderate-intensity aerobic activity, such as brisk walking or,
>> An hour and 15 minutes each week of
vigorous-intensity aerobic activity such as jogging or running.
In addition, all adults should include muscle
strengthening activities that work all the major muscle groups on two or
more days per week.
Helpful Links:
>> To learn more about physical activity
recommendations for older adults at the CDC,
click here.
Nov. 17, 2008 Communities that promote physical
activity and a more active lifestyle for older people are succeeding in
a cost-effective way to reduce heart disease, stroke, colorectal cancer,
breast cancer and type 2 diabetes, according to a study by the Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention, with support from the Robert Wood
Johnson Foundation.
