The third workshop of the Avon Network for Physical Activity Promotion for Older People in the Community (AVONet) was held in Bath in February. Dr Afroditi Stathi, Principal Investigator for the project, hosted the event with other colleagues from University of Bath's School for Health and welcomed two of the most important researchers in the field from the US and a leading UK academic as keynote speakers.
The network is a collaboration between the Universities of Bath, Bristol and the West of England in partnership with local PCTs, commissioners, service providers and service users across the Avon region. It is funded by the Lifelong Health and Well-Being Initiative which is supported by the Research Councils in partnership with the UK Health Departments. The workshop, attended by 50 delgates, set out to finalise work on identifying BEST BET solutions to promoting physical activity in older adults.
Dr Jack Guralnik is one of the leading epidemiologists in this field. He is Chief of the Intramural Laboratory of Epidemiology, Demography and Biometry at the National Institute on Aging, USA. He provided convincing evidence of the positive impact of physical activity on mobility disability. Professor Abby King, from Stanford University, who is at the forefront of physical activity interventions in the US, presented compelling guidance on what interventions might work well.
Professor Peter Lansley, Director of the Strategic Promotion of Ageing Research Capacity (SPARC), provided reassuring advice on how to make partnership working sustainable. Prof Lansley is also the Co-Director of the prestigious knowledge transfer consortium programme, KT-EQUAL, in which the University of Bath's involvement is lead by Prof Chris Eccleston. This project aims to increase the knowledge transfer of research and enhance the quality of life and well being of older and disabled people.
The AVONet collaboration will continue until April and will provide a comprehensive guidance document for physical activity intervention design. The team will also submit a large grant proposal to evaluate interventions in this field.
Research findings will be profiled in a public event organised by AVONet and KT-EQUAL focusing on physical activity and health ageing, at the beginning of July.
For further information about this event, click here
