Project Title:   In-Step - Healthy Aging Partnership

Amount Funded:   $25,000

About the Organization/Coalition:
The Healthy Aging Partnership (HAP) is a coalition of more than 30 organizations dedicated to the health and well-being of seniors in King County. HAP is a program of CHEF, a nonprofit organization founded in 1974 to improve health through education. HAP steering committee and members include the Harborview Medical Center, Public Health of Seattle and King County, Seattle-King County Aging and Disability Services, Senior Services of Seattle/King County, the University of Washington Health Promotion Research Center, AARP, and Asian Counseling and Referral Services, among other groups.

Project Objectives:

1. In-Step will increase awareness of the importance of physical activity for older adults and the availability of local resources/programs through a mass-market communications plan. Messages will be adapted to address diverse segments of the population. HAP will use direct mail, posters, HAP partner agency dissemination vehicles, flyers, radio spots, community center brochure, and proclamations issued by elected officials.
2. The program will develop six pilot sites to demonstrate collaboration models that can enhance and expand walking programs. Six community centers will initiate walking programs. Participants will complete an exercise readiness screening tool that incorporates a health self-evaluation and action plan outlining personal fitness goals. They will also receive incentive items, such as pedometers and water bottles. Participants can chart their activity in walking logs and compete for prizes and awards as individuals and community teams. The pilot sites will tailor their programs to meet the individual needs of their respective communities, incorporating cultural preferences and using local senior volunteers who serve as mentors.
3. The University of Washington Health Promotion Research Center will assess the overall impact of the pilot program on increasing physical activity and other outcomes among the target population. The findings will assist in the future development of intervention strategies that are practical and effective in the local communities.

Progress Report:  
In the summer of 2003, Comprehensive Health Education Foundation (C.H.E.F.) and the Healthy Aging Partnership (HAP) launched a pilot program, Sound Steps, designed to encourage sedentary older adults to walk for fun and fitness. The program for adults age 50 and older was based at six Seattle community centers that operated senior adult fitness programs. In its first year, Sound Steps attracted 500 participants. Six senior adult program staff from Seattle Parks and Recreation and 21 volunteers were trained to implement the program.

In an effort to increase awareness of the importance of physical activity, HAP created an eight-page, two-color booklet describing the benefits of walking, how to get started, and how to maintain a walking regimen. This educational booklet was provided to all Sound Steps walkers at registration along with other items, including a pedometer and walking logs. These items motivated participants to walk more regularly.

Two mass mailings advertising Sound Steps provided an excellent means of reaching older adults who had not previously been involved in Seattle Parks & Recreation programs. HAP sent a direct-mail flyer to all Seattle households through Valpak, a monthly mailing that includes flyers from local retailers. AARP, a major participant in Sound Steps, and HAP boosted publicity efforts by mailing 6 x 9-inch postcards promoting Sound Steps to 5,000 members in zip codes surrounding the six community centers. A press release was also sent to local and neighborhood newspapers, prompting 11percent of the Sound Steps participants to join. These mass-market communication efforts increased participation in Sound Steps and informed older adults about the importance of physical activity.

To evaluate the effectiveness of the Sound Steps program, the University of Washington Health Promotion Research Center (HPRC), a HAP member organization, collected both qualitative and quantitative information from the participants. A baseline questionnaire completed at registration and walking logs provided quantitative data. In addition, HPRC conducted six focus groups of organized walkers from six of the community centers and interviewed 53 individuals from the following groups: 1) Parks & Recreation senior adult Program staff; 2) Parks & Recreation community center coordinators; 3) Sound Steps volunteers; 4) walkers who did not participate in organized walks; and 5) people who left the program.

Benefits from Sound Steps included:

• Increased physical activity - Many people reported that having an organized program motivated them to walk more. Among the walkers who turned in their exercise logs, self-identified walkers increased their average walking time from 30 to 39 minutes a day, and the average number of times from 3.75 to 4.19 times per week. Participants who were sedentary prior to entering the program averaged 41 minutes a day, 3.1 times per week.
• Health improvements -- Many participants reported they experienced fewer chest pains on inclines, decreased back pain, more energy, better sleep, and boosted spirits.
• Community building - People were enthusiastic about having the program in their neighborhoods. Many connected with new walking partners.

Contact Information:
Gail Tanaka, Senior Program Director
Comprehensive Health Education Foundation
22419 Pacific Hwy S.
Seattle, WA 98198
(206) 824-2907