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Innovative care delivery model to address obesity in older African-American women: Senior Wellness Initiative and Take Off Pounds Sensibly collaboration for health (SWITCH).

Publication ,  Journal Article
Mitchell, NS; Polsky, S
Published in: J Am Geriatr Soc
November 2013

OBJECTIVES: To determine the feasibility and acceptability of integrating Take Off Pounds Sensibly (TOPS), a national nonprofit weight-loss program through which people have lost a clinically significant amount of weight, into a community program that serves African Americans (AAs) and to determine weight change. DESIGN: Single-group pilot design. SETTING: Denver, Colorado. PARTICIPANTS: Community-dwelling participants aged 51 to 85. INTERVENTION: Participants were recruited through a program that serves AAs, and new TOPS chapters were started at a church, senior center, and senior residence for independent living. MEASUREMENTS: Feasibility was measured by determining the ease of recruitment and acceptability was measured according to retention. The secondary outcome was weight change. RESULTS: Sixty-four percent of people who were referred to the program or attended an information session participated in the study. The retention rate at 52 weeks was 79%. At 52 weeks, 16 of 48 participants had lost 5% or more of their initial weight, and 23 had lost 0% to 4.9% of their initial weight. CONCLUSIONS: Recruiting AA women through the Center for African American Health was feasible, and the program was acceptable. One-third of participants lost a clinically significant amount of weight. TOPS may be one way to combat the health disparity of obesity in AA women.

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Published In

J Am Geriatr Soc

DOI

EISSN

1532-5415

Publication Date

November 2013

Volume

61

Issue

11

Start / End Page

1971 / 1975

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Weight Loss
  • Program Evaluation
  • Pilot Projects
  • Obesity
  • Models, Organizational
  • Humans
  • Geriatrics
  • Female
  • Feasibility Studies
  • Delivery of Health Care
 
Journal cover image

Published In

J Am Geriatr Soc

DOI

EISSN

1532-5415

Publication Date

November 2013

Volume

61

Issue

11

Start / End Page

1971 / 1975

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Weight Loss
  • Program Evaluation
  • Pilot Projects
  • Obesity
  • Models, Organizational
  • Humans
  • Geriatrics
  • Female
  • Feasibility Studies
  • Delivery of Health Care