Healthy lifestyles and enhancing participation for older people

Promoting healthy lifestyles including physical activity, healthy eating and social activity have a range of health benefits for older people and impact on quality of life. A better understanding of the determinants of healthy lifestyle behaviours amongst older adults is needed to tailor and target health promotion strategies and programs to maximise health outcomes for older people. We have a particular focus on the role of culture, the built environment and transport on healthy lifestyles. Our research explores older people’s physical activity, eating and social behaviours and evaluates practical, community-based programs designed to assist participation by older people.

We have ongoing studies in this area in:

The role of progressive resistance training (PRT) program for post-stroke depression

The impact of food security for people from diverse cultural backgrounds upon health and well-being.

The barriers to, facilitators of, and impact of physical activity in older adults from diverse cultural backgrounds upon health and well-being.

Further details about our work on physical activity in the management of depression in older people, including those who are stroke survivors can be found at pg 114 of http://www.beyondblue.org.au/index.aspx?link_id=6.993

and

Sims J, Galea M, Dodd K, Taylor N, Joubert J, Joubert L , Jespersen S. 2007 The Regenerate Study: Using a strength training program to enhance the physical and mental health of chronic post stroke patients with depressive symptoms /Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry/ 41(Suppl 2) A317 (Abstract).