Special Projects Fund

Grantee Name

Center for Excellence in Aging Services, Research Foundation of State University of New York

Funding Area

Special Projects Fund

Publication Date

April 2010

Grant Amount

$124,512

Grant Date:

January 1, 2008 – June 30, 2009

DOWNLOAD FULL REPORT

The Active Choices program is a telephone-assisted counseling program developed by the Stanford Prevention Research Center, which has been found to increase physical activity among older adults (ages 50 years and older).

Under the project, “Cost-effective Delivery of an Active Choices Health Promotion Program,” the Center for Excellence in Aging Services (the Center) at the Research Foundation of the State University of Albany implemented a volunteer-led Active Choices program for seniors in four New York State communities.

Outcomes and Lessons Learned

  • It developed multi-media training materials, trained 15 coaches, and enrolled 500 participants.
  • It implemented the volunteer-led Active Choices program in four of six New York communities (Albany, Binghamton, Plattsburgh, and Saratoga).
  • Approximately 50%, or 250, of the participants completed the six-month program.
  • Physical activity among the participants increased from an average of 47 minutes per week to an average of 160 minutes (2.7 hours) per week—a statistically significant difference.
  • A majority of the individuals who completed the program reported exercising four or more days per week by the project’s end, suggesting that physical activity was becoming part of a regular routine.
  • Individuals who completed the program also reported at least one of the following benefits: improved flexibility and strength; less breathlessness; and better management of their chronic conditions.