Project Description:
The University of Illinois at Chicago, through its Department of Disability and Human Development, Center on Health Promotion for Persons with Disabilities, proposes to develop a Disability Rehabilitation Research Program (DRRP) on Reducing Obesity and Obesity-Related Secondary Conditions in Adolescents with Disabilities. The research projects will operate in partnership with Shriners Hospitals for Children and six national disability organizations(Easter Seals, United Cerebral Palsy, Spina Bifida Association, the Arc, Partners for Youth with Disabilities, and Blaze Sports America) to conduct a coordinated program of research addressing the three areas of this priority. The DRRP will undertake initiatives to:
? Examine the antecedents and consequences of obesity using the ICF framework that addresses both person and environment contextual factors that relate to obesity in adolescents with disabilities.
? Evaluate the validity and utility of an alternative approach for establishing more accurate cutoff points for overweight and obesity in adolescents with disabilities.
? Develop a pilot intervention using an innovative personalized exercise and nutrition program (PEP-for-Youth) for managing obesity among youth with physical and developmental disabilities.
? Develop mutually beneficial working partnerships with community-based organizations to promote reduction of obesity in youth with disabilities.
The target systems to be impacted by the proposed DRRP include researchers studying overweight and obesity in adolescents with disabilities, clinicians working with disabilities who are at risk of overweight or overweight and their families or caregivers, and personnel working in health education or human services with adolescent with disabilities. The proposed DRRP will reach these target systems through traditional scholarly publications and an established and extensive network of dissemination partners including Shriners Hospitals for Children, the National Center on Physical Activity and Disability (NCPAD), United Cerebral Palsy (UCP), The Arc, BlazeSports America, Kids Enjoy Exercise Now (KEEN), Kids Included Together (KIT), and Chicago Communities in Schools.
The proposed DRRP includes substantial and significant contributions of in-kind staff time from UIC and Shriners Hospital, including graduate assistant support, cost recovery reductions, and support resources by the applicant and research partner.
