About the Community Engagement Working Group

Goal

Foster communities to build capacity to prevent or manage OA by disseminating information and resources about effective community interventions (e.g., evidence-based interventions, environmental and policy changes) and supporting the implementation of these interventions.

The primary strategies for the group currently include:
1) Identify and increase access to effective, evidence-based physical activity and self-management education programs to promote early initiation of lifestyle modifications to reduce pain; such programs could be delivered in a variety of accessible and acceptable formats and settings through community and clinical linkages
2) Promote physical activity and reduce inactivity among people with OA through implementation strategies outlined in the 2011 Environmental and Policy Strategies report.
3) Expand workplace wellness programs to include evidence-based self-management education and physical activity programs for OA, and greater use of workplace accommodations.

Since the OAAA reorganization in the Fall of 2015, this Workgroup

• established a mini-grant program as a part of a five-year cooperative agreement from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to expand and sustain the “Dissemination and Delivery of Arthritis-Appropriate, Evidence-Based Interventions (AAEBIs)”. The 2017 cohort will focus on expanding the dissemination and delivery of the Arthritis Foundation’s Walk With Ease program (WWE), a community-based physical activity program.
• successfully raised $20,000 from 6 member organizations to enable 4 awards of $5,000 each for the 2016 Environmental and Policy Strategies to Increase Physical Activity Among Adults with Arthritis Small Grants program;
• continues to monitor progress of grantees from the 2015 Environmental and Policy Strategies to Increase Physical Activity Among Adults with Arthritis Small Grants program;
• developing 3 white papers on physical activity and OA for publication in 2016-2017 including:
  • a) physical activity as a vital sign;
  • b) the impact of physical activity on arthritis; and
  • c) the economic impact of physical activity on arthritis
• completed a major renovation and expansion of our online OAAA Resource Library pages with new navigational menus, and links to evidence-based programs, educational information or other relevant physical activity resources from our member organizations.
• completed a Walkability Audit to identify and reach consensus among consumers and health professionals on factors that promote or restrict physical activity in the community for people with arthritis, specifically. The audit will determine whether existing measures are sufficient or whether an arthritis-specific measure should be developed. Manuscript is currently in development.

Priority Audiences: Community groups such as senior centers, multicultural centers, YMCAs, community wellness and activity programs, parks and recreation programs, mall walking programs, adult education centers, local government agencies’ arthritis programs, etc.

Group Leadership