The "10 Keys" to Healthy Aging: 24-Month Follow-Up Results From an Innovative Community-Based Prevention Program

• Published in: Health education & behavior 2011-08, Vol.38 (4), p.379-388
• Main Authors: Robare, Joseph F., Bayles, Constance M., Newman, Anne B., Williams, Kathy, Milas, Carole, Boudreau, Robert, McTigue, Kathleen, Albert, Steven M., Taylor, Christopher, Kuller, Lewis H.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adherence; Aging; Aging (Individuals); Biological and medical sciences; Bone Density; Bone mineral density; Colonoscopy; Community health care; Community Relations; Community-Based Participatory Research; Counselling; Diagnostic Tests; Diet; Dietetics; Diseases; Drug Therapy; Education; Exercise; Female; Guidelines; Health Behavior; Humans; Hypertension; Immunization; Immunization Programs; Intervention; Low Income; Low income groups; Male; Medical sciences; Medication Adherence; Miscellaneous; Older Adults; Older people; Patient Education as Topic - organization & administration; Physical Activities; Poverty Areas; Prevention; Prevention and actions; Prevention programs; Preventive programmes; Public Health; Public health. Hygiene; Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine; Risk; Risk Factors; Socioeconomic Factors; Vaccination
• ISSN: 1090-1981; 1552-6127
• DOI: 10.1177/1090198110379575

The purpose of this report was to evaluate a prevention program to reduce risk factors for common diseases among older individuals in a lower income community. This randomized community-based study enrolled older adults into a Brief Education and Counseling Intervention or a Brief Education and Counseling Intervention plus a physical activity and (for those with hypertension) a dietary sodium intervention. Outcomes were collected on 389 adults with a mean age of 73.9 years over 24 months. Adherence to the "10 Keys" improved significantly in the proportion meeting goals for low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (+14%), bone mineral density testing (+11 %), pneumonia vaccination (+11%), colonoscopy (+14%), and adherence to antihypertensive medication (+9%). This program resulted in significant reductions in key risk factors, increases in immunizations, and adherence to established prevention guidelines over 2 years. Further research is needed to refine the use of community health counselors for translating prevention knowledge into community settings. A major limitation of these studies is the low participation percentage.