The RMPRC is conducting a three-pronged intervention aimed at promoting health eating and physical activity.  Along with community leaders, the RMPRC is working at the school, family, and community levels to promote healthy lifestyles and to develop community capacity.  The family piece was funded through a special interest project from the Centers for Disease Control.  The school and community components of the intervention are funded by core funds from the CDC.

Demonstration Project
Julie A. Marshall, PhD, Principal Investigator
SIP - 22

PACT Intervention -

• Parents, Adults, Children Together is a family-based intervention aimed at promoting Healthy People 2010 goals re: 5 a day and 30 minutes of physical activity most days of the week.
• Family advisors conducted home visits with families of 2nd and 3rd graders.  Families set nutrition and activity goals and participated in fun activities.  Advisors used a coaching approach in working with families.

School Intervention -

• The purpose of this program is to use hands-on, experiential learning techniques with 2nd, 3rd and 4th graders as they learn about nutrition and activity.
• A school resource teacher was hired by the PRC to teach 28 nutrition and physical activity lessons.  Teachers observed these lessons so that they can teach them the following year.

Community Intervention -

• Walking Program - annual indoor walking program for all Alamosa residents during winter months.
• Coming Alive - annual worksite health promotion program in Alamosa
• Mobile Kitchen - MoKi is a customized kitchen van available for community nutrition classes and cooking demonstrations. 
   

Special Interest Projects funded by CDC

Cardiovascular Health Intervention Research and Translation Network
Lucinda Bryant, PhD -- Principal Investigator
This network (CHIRTN) brings together researchers and communities from six Prevention Research Centers to contribute to cardiovascular health for all people through the development and implementation of a coordinated applied research and translation agenda.

Promoting Colorectal Cancer Screening in Rural Colorado
Jack Westfall, MD -- Principal Investigator
Using a community-based participatory research model, the scope of this project is to design, pilot test, and refine a community-based intevention to improve rates of colorectal cancer (CRC) screening in rural Colorado.

Vaccine Policy Collaborative Initiative
Allison Kempe, MD -- Principal Investigator
This is a project designed to survey providers and public health officials about important issues relevant to national immunization policy, using a rapid turnaround survey method with a pre-recruited Sentinel Site Network.

Healthy Aging Research Network
Lucinda Bryant, PhD, Principal Investigator
The Healthy Aging Research Network is a 7-center project to better understand the determinants of healthy aging in older populations, identify interventions that promote healthy aging, and translate research into sustainable community-based programs throughout the nation. (http://depts.washington.edu/harn).

Informed Prostate Cancer Screening
Lori Crane, PhD -- Principal Investigator
This project is to develop and evaluate a CD-ROM aimed at promoting informed decision-making for prostate cancer screening. The effectiveness of the CD-ROM will be evaluated in two two populations -- patients of an HMO, and a community sample of men from throughout Colorado.

Detection of Colorectal Cancer
Mark Deutchman, MD - Principal Investigator
Primary care physicians in Colorado are being trained to use flexible sigmoidoscopes for early detection of colorectal cancer. The providers receive supervised experience in flexible sigmoidoscopy.

Parents, Advisors and Children Together
Julie Marshall, PhD - Principal Investigator
Parents, Advisors and Children Together (PACT) was a 1-year intervention to promote healthy lifestyles among families with 2nd grade and 3rd grade students at Body Elementary School.

Services

The RMPRC is able to provide the following expertise to state and local health agencies and organizations:

• Consultation on intervention program design and development;

• Consultation on program evaluation, including survey design, evaluation design, diet recall, plate waste, activity monitors, ethnographic methods and key informant interviews;

• Working with and training health professional to incorporate health living guidelines and disease prevention interventions in their practices; and

• Presentations on the latest findings related to diabetes and obesity prevention, physical activity and nutrition.

Cores

The RMPRC is organized into three core areas.  The functions of each core are listed below

Intervention Core -

• Conducts or assists others in conducting interventions aimed at health promotion

• Develops and tests methods (e.g., participatory research)

• Provides consultation to state/local agencies regarding the conduct of intervention activities

Evaluation Core -

• Conducts evaluation of RMPRC

• Provides consultation to state and local agencies a regarding evaluation of prevention activities

• Conducts health surveillance in rural communities

Translation Core -

• Fosters active and effective communication among PRC staff, and between PRC staff and community, state, and national partners

• Strengthens collaboration, including exchange of ideas and resources, among state and national researchers and practitioners

• Disseminates findings, methods, and tools for use by other researchers, health practitioners, and community members;

• Describes local policies and decision-making; enhances readiness for incorporating health into local decisions, and engages decision makers in the dissemination process

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