Overview
The ISU Walk with Ease program is managed by Dr. Greg Welk and a team of staff and students affiliated with the Physical Activity and Health Promotion Lab in the Department of Kinesiology (Click HERE to Meet the Team). Questions can be directed to our email account ([email protected]). You can also select the 'Contact Us' page to submit a form and we will get back to you.
The research is coordinated through the ISU Translational Research Network and linked outreach programs that support programming in community settings and worksites. Details are provided below followed by information on the two CDC-Funded projects that provide support for our ongoing work.
The research is coordinated through the ISU Translational Research Network and linked outreach programs that support programming in community settings and worksites. Details are provided below followed by information on the two CDC-Funded projects that provide support for our ongoing work.
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U-TuRN
The Iowa State Translational Research Network (U-TuRN) is a network of transdisciplinary researchers committed to the dissemination of evidence-based interventions and programs. Visit the U-TuRN website to learn more and to meet members that have led the initial launch of Walk with Ease - click here or visit the following link: https://www.uturn.iastate.edu/project/walk-with-ease/ CCPH: The ISU Community Connections for Public Health (CCPH) group is an outreach group focused on broad health and human service needs (both locally and across the state). Service-learning is the key programming strategy in the ISU CCPH since it provides mutual benefits to both students and community partners. The CCPH group also serves to coordinate the Community Engagement Club which supports the management of the GivePulse community engagement tool. Direct inquiries can also be made to Dr. Greg Welk, the faculty coordinator of CCPH and the director of U-TuRN ([email protected]). Wellness Works: Wellness Works is an outreach program coordinated by the Physical Activity and Health Promotion Lab in the Department of Kinesiology at Iowa State University. Programming is led by students working through internships, independent studies, and class-based service learning programming through an upper division Kinesiology course (HS 380 - Worksite Health Promotion). Click here to learn more about our team and our approach.
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CDC-Funded Projects
Our team has built a robust infrastructure to enable group-based programming to be available for FREE in multiple sites in Ames and Story county. The foundation was built from a CDC funded trial that evaluated the potential for Walk with Ease program to reduce risks of falling. The trial has been completed but we will continue operating community-based programming over time.
Fall Prevention Trial
A Cooperative Agreement with the CDC provided support for our team to run a randomized controlled trial to evaluate the effectiveness of Walk with Ease as a fall prevention program (See Press Release). Details on the trial are available from ClinicalTrials.gov (Link). The project has been conducted in collaboration with a local team of physical therapists, clinicians, fitness programmers and public health leaders. To promote clinical referrals and to help ensure sustainability over time, we have established the Story County Falls Prevention Coalition. This group provides ongoing oversight for the community-based programming.
State Arthritis Programming
A Cooperative Agreement with the CDC has provided support for our team to promote the dissemination of Walk with Ease across the state and help to improve arthritis care in Iowa (see Press Release). The project capitalizes on expertise in community-engagement strategies and implementation science methods to evaluate programming and the capacity-building process.