November 19, 2007
Contact:
Ken Ma
NSU Office of Public Affairs
954-262-5354 Office
954-830-4177 Cell
kennma@nova.edu
Nova Southeastern University’s Institute for Child Health Policy
Receives Grant to Expand Physical Fitness Education
FT. LAUDERDALE-DAVIE, Fla. ---- Nova Southeastern University’s Institute for Child Health Policy (ICHP) was awarded a 2-year $209,786 grant by The Health Foundation of South Florida this week to expand the Institute’s EnhanceFitness Program.
ICHP’s EnhanceFitness Program aims to reduce the number of adults who engage in no leisure-time physical activity; increase the number of adults who engage in vigorous physical activity that promotes the development and maintenance of cardiorespiratory fitness, three or more days per week, for 20 or more minutes per occasion; and increase the proportion of adults who perform physical activities that enhance and maintain muscular strength, endurance and flexibility.
“The EnhanceFitness program shows that people of all ages, including our seniors, can benefit greatly from improved fitness and nutrition while having a great time among friends,” said Deborah A. Mulligan, M.D., FAAP, FACEP, Director of NSU’s ICHP. The fitness program is a “model evidence, based program.”
Nova Southeastern University’s ICHP is the only organization in Florida licensed to run EnhanceFitness, which is a national program. No other organization is training leaders to conduct this evidence-based self-management intervention or have detailed knowledge of the program to ensure fidelity is maintained.
EnhanceFitness has demonstrated real health and quality life enhancing results based on sound scientific research based on more than 4,000 adults who have participated in the program, including multicultural populations in Miami-Dade County. Additionally, EnhanceFitness has won awards from the National Council on Aging, U.S. Administration on Aging, and the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services.
EnhanceFitness Program participants receive pre-programming fitness evaluations and ongoing evaluations every 16 weeks to monitor the effect of programming on three areas of functional fitness. Analysis of Florida participants’ pre and post testing during the past two years of implementation reveals ongoing improvement in all areas of functional fitness.
NSU’s ICHP engages intergenerational community networks of children and families to expand the impact of quality health care initiatives, and to cultivate an environment nurturing communications across the generations. The Institute seeks to bridge generational gaps to build successful, well establish outcome-based programs.
