What Is Healthy Aging?

Healthy aging is the development and maintenance of optimal physical, mental and social well-being and function in older adults. It is most likely to be achieved when physical environments and communities are safe, and support the adoption and maintenance by individuals of attitudes and behaviors known to promote health and well-being; and by the effective use of health services and community programs to prevent or minimize the impact of acute and chronic disease on function.

Prevention Research Centers 
HAN Member Contact List          

The Prevention Research Centers'  Healthy Aging Research Network (HAN) is funded by the CDC, and envisioned to assist with the development of a research and dissemination agenda related to the public health aspects of healthy aging. The nine universities participating in the HAN are a subset of the 33 Prevention Research Centers located throughout the United States, and provide HAN with the area expertise necessary for its success. As with all PRC research programs, there is a strong focus on partnering with community based groups to develop programs that improve health, with a special emphasis on those communities and populations which bear a disproportionate burden of illness and disease.

Accomplishments

During its formative first year, the Network, under direction of lead center University of Washington Health Promotion Research Center (UWHPRC), developed and adopted a clear public health and aging vision and mission statement; constructed a model for healthy aging; and achieved consensus on the framework for a public health-focused agenda that may be best addressed through the network of community partnerships developed by the PRCs. 

This strategic aging agenda identifies key health promoting skills and behaviors, cross cutting disease or organ system topics and geriatric syndromes; and points to 5 primary areas of knowledge required for the translation of topics from research to policy arenas.

What Are We Doing Now?

The Network has launched two national demonstration projects with a focus on physical activity. Members are currently collaborating on an in-depth, evidence-based review and statement of the role of public health in addressing physical activity for older adult populations. The Network is also in the process of designing and implementing a HAN-wide survey of programmatic and environmental physical activity opportunities for older adults, across 7 distinct and widely diverse, national sites; while also collaborating with national organizations to identify best-practices for physical activity programming. Additionally, HAN members are consulting with federal and state organizations working to establish local-level infrastructure for healthy aging.

Future Directions

The funding of the PRC-HAN is directly linked to funding of the broader PRC program, and all current awards will expire by September 29, 2004. Within those timeframe limitations, we hope to help the CDC create a clear blueprint for future PRC program participants involved in actively addressing ways to mitigate the disease and disability burdens that afflict older adults above and beyond the aging process.

What is the CDCs Prevention Research Center program?

Each of the nation’s 33 Prevention Research Centers (PRCs) focuses on a particular theme, such as a health problem of great concern, a specific population, or a defined geographic area. All of the PRCs  have two major goals in common: 1) identification of solutions for vulnerable populations, and 2) formation of partnerships between health departments, academic units, health care organizations and community groups.