Landesvereinigung für Gesundheit und
Akademie für Sozialmedizin Niedersachsen e. V.
Fenskeweg 2 | 30165 Hannover 
Internet: www.gesundheit-nds.de
Twitter: @LVGundAFS

Leibniz Institute for Prevention Research and Epidemiology – BIPS

Department Prevention and Evaluation
Achterstraße 30
D - 28359 Bremen

Research Interests

• Community Prevention Approaches
• Social Epidemiology
• Addiction Research
• Sex and Gender-Sensitive Research Methods in Epidemiology and Public Health
• Aspects of Men's Health
   

Dissertation Topic

Analysis of community capacities for promotion of older adults’ physical activity

Abstract

Physical activity is an important contributor to healthy ageing. Communities can play an important role in delivering public health programs to older adults but they differ in the provision of local structures and resources. Furthermore, prevention and health promotion activities do not reach all population groups to the same extent. The concept of Community Readiness applies a stage model of change to the communities to analyze structures and the degree of willingness to take action on a health issue. According to the stage of readiness, capacity building measures are initiated. Capacity building measures comprise strategies for structure formation prior to the introduction of prevention programs with the aim to reach vulnerable population groups for promoting physical activity.
Hence the dissertation aims to assess the Community Readiness regarding physical activity for older adults in the Metropolitan Region of Northwest Germany. Furthermore it aims to implement appropriate capacity building measures to reach vulnerable population groups.
In the frame of the dissertation a Community Readiness Assessment with key respondents in 23 municipalities (11 urban and 12 rural communities) in the Metropolitan Region of Northwest Germany will be performed. In a content analysis strengths, weaknesses and obstacles of existing physical activity programs in the included communities are analyzed.
As in Germany so far a systematic analysis of the state of readiness of communities regarding promotion of physical activity in older people is missing, this approach provides an important contribution to close this research gap.

Academic Supervision

Prof. Dr. Hajo Zeeb, Leibniz Institute for Prevention Research and Epidemiology – BIPS, Department Prevention and Evaluation.