Healthy Communities: Improving Access and Integration for People with Disabilities

Originally broadcast February 17, 2011

Speaker:
James H. Rimmer, PhD
Director
National Center on Physical Activity and Disability

Description:
Obesity is one of the most significant public health problems confronting our society today.  The environment where we live work and play can either contribute to increasing rates of obesity or play a critical role in reducing obesity trends.  The Healthy Communities movement strives to create or improve environments that promote and support a healthy lifestyle.  To that end, communities must offer opportunities to be physically active, opportunities to make healthy food choices, and opportunities to access proper health care services.  And those opportunities must be for everyone.

The prevalence of obesity among persons with disabilities is even higher than the general population.  According to the NYS Behavioral Risk Factors Surveillance System, the obesity rate in the general population is 21.6%, among persons with disabilities that rate climbs to 35.5%.  Physical inactivity is just one of the contributing factors to this prevalence among persons with disabilities.  Our communities and the opportunities they provide are vital to reducing obesity and improving overall health for everyone, including persons with disabilities.

James H. Rimmer, Ph.D. will document the prevalence of obesity in youth and adults with disabilities and will further explore the resultant secondary conditions and their impact.  Dr. Rimmer will identify community characteristics that promote health for persons with disabilities, and discuss the effective use of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention MAPPS strategies (Media, Access, Point of decision, Price, Social support/services) to ensure applicability among persons with disabilities. 

Objectives:
After watching this broadcast participants will:

• Describe the prevalence of obesity among individuals with disabilities across the lifespan
• Explain the health impact of obesity among individuals with disabilities
• List the environmental and societal contributors to obesity among persons with disabilities, as well as the facilitators in reduction of obesity among persons with disabilities

Continuing Education Credits

School of Public Health, University at Albany is an approved provider of continuing nursing education by the Massachusetts Association of Registered Nurses, Inc., an accredited approver by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation.

It has been assigned Provider Code PA# 157N.

Course code PA# 157N-251; 1.0 contact hour.

School of Public Health, University at Albany is accredited by the MSSNY to provide continuing medical education (CME) for physicians. The School designates this educational activity for a maximum of 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s).™ Physicians should claim only credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

This activity is sponsored by the School of Public Health, University at Albany, SUNY, a designated provider of continuing education contact hours (CECH) in health education by the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing, Inc. This program is designated for the CHES to receive 1.0 Category 1 CECH in health education.

Continuing education credits are available until February 2014.

The planners and presenters do not have any financial arrangements or affiliations with any commercial entities whose products, research or services may be discussed in this activity.

No commercial funding has been accepted for this activity.