Finding The Retention Barriers Through Prevention Education Among Low Socioeconomic Communities Among High Risk Americans

• Norms: The normative sample included 1266 retired individuals residing in Florida age 65 to 91. There were 350 men between the ages of 65 and 85, and 750 women ages 65 to 91. The population was mostly middle to upper class retirees.

A number of recognizable key factors are responsible for the rise of the health club phenomenon. The most notable factor was the growing concern of people’s overall health and well-being. Awareness about the impact of obesity-related diseases on the quality of life and available health resources was heightened, especially following a statement issued by the Surgeon General’s office, which estimated the annual mortality resulting from obesity complications to be over a quarter of a million. Further research at the time showed about 6 in 10 American adults were overweight or obese, with only 4 in 10 adults falling within the healthy people indicator bracket. Between 1964 and 2004, 28 Surgeon General’s reports had been issued, all of which described the epidemiology and health consequences of unhealthy behaviors.1.

Obesity in America is real and profoundly alarming when you look at the major impact it has on our communities. Major health concerns like diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure cases are at an all time high. Specifically, the disparity between low-income urban inner cities in regards to obesity as compared to more upper class wealthier communities makes you take pause. This relates to my professional goals of going back into my community as an activist and organizer of issues related to my environment, like health and education.

Many people in the "baby boomer" generation are staying active as they age. By either jogging, swimming or becoming part of a sports team. They strive to remain youthful and mentally young and view retirement as an active period of their life. Theirinterest in health , fitness, looking young and attractive and longevity is quite phenomenal. They can expect to live longer due to medical advances however stress and burnout could impact on this expectation of longevity. They are well educated, thirsty for information interested in travel and will want to stay involved in the political processes. In addition they are optimistic, forward thinking and undoubtedly redefine old age. As the oldest of the nation's 75 million baby boomers approach the age of 60, a Pew Research Center survey finds many are looking ahead to their own retirement while balancing a full plate of family responsibilities either raising children or providing financial and other

The “Seniors’ on a Path to Fitness” program would use the behavioral or lifestyle approach. The Lalonde Report was the first time the national government made a significant statement in relation to the importance of health promotion as a key strategy for improving the health of a population (Stamler & Yiu, 2012). Health promotion encourages the adoption of behaviours or lifestyles that promote functional ability and well-being; undoubtedly in line with the goal and objectives of the proposed program. There is a clear focus on disease and disability prevention with behavioral or lifestyle risk factors.

Demographics and disease trends will influence health care delivery services in the future in many different ways. Not only will the current aging population affect the delivery of health care services because of its rapid growth, but also obesity. Obesity is one of the more serious problems facing our nation today, and will only get worse unless the implementation of programs to educate the public on the many health issues this condition can cause to prevent them from happening. Moreover, not only does the health care delivery system need to adapt in the future to provide quality care for

Majority of the community in Stockton lacked health insurance prior to Obama Care going into effect in 2014. Even though low-income families are now able to receive insurance at affordable costs or no cost at all, there are many health challenges within the community. Physical inactivity and unhealthy eating habits have led to obesity and multiple chronic diseases. According to the San Joaquin County Community Health Assessment Collaborative report (SJC2HAC) “diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and hypertension were consistently mentioned in the qualitative data as priority health concerns for the residents in the Communities for Concern” (SJC2HAC, pg.23, 2011). Five out of the ten communities for concern were Stockton zip codes. Unhealthy eating habits can be blamed due to the community of Stockton not having healthy retail outlets or access to fresh fruit/ farmers markets. Another reason why eating healthier is a challenge in this community is that fresh and healthy food is more costly. With households not making enough income, it is more convenient to grab fast food that is cheaper. “One of the largest barriers to engagement in physical activity is access to a recreational area” (SJC2HAC, pg.36, 2011). Some of Stockton’s rural areas may not have parks that are near by which can make it harder

Economic factors will play a role in baby boomers working beyond the age of 50. Due

According to Healthy People 2020 (HP 2020) (2014), nutrition, physical activity, and Obesity are one of the leading indicators ranking high-priority health issues. There are determinants that affect an individual’s to eat healthy, to be physically active, and maintain a healthy weight. The community setting has an essential effect on actions that impact health. For instance, there are communities that access to fresh fruits and vegetables is not available, and places for physical activities may not be available to motivate individuals to exercise or play. As well, gender, race, ethnicity, education level, and socioeconomic position determine the individual’s perception on healthy eating, physical activity, and obesity (HP 2020, 2014). Furthermore,

Socioeconomic status influences health care quality and outcomes. Patients of lower socioeconomic status are more likely to have worse self-reported health, lower life expectancy, and suffer from more chronic conditions when compared with those of higher socioeconomic status. As a result, patients of lower socioeconomic status, in which we will encounter throughout our career’s, require more care and attention during their visits due to this lack of access. These individuals typically need the most care and unfortunately, we will not see them as often compared to other socioeconomic groups. An additional additive for this population may include providing them with take home exercises in which they are able to perform on their own. That is if they are invested enough to complete them without further supervision. While some hospitals are willing to revise their current policies, to basically “write off” the lower class, we as athletic trainers have to be advocates for these individuals who make up the majority of the population. The first step that we can take involves going a step above to the school board and asking for better nutritional options regarding school lunches. Most school lunch options fail to include fresh alternatives consisting of mostly processed food that can be easily distributed to a large number of students. Another way in which we can promote healthy eating habits is by utilizing social media to share coupons and local grocery store ads to the parents of

The surrounding and available resources in a community are what influence the health of its residents. Health status will not improve if a community does not have access to resources that will encourage healthy living. In order to increase the health of a community it is important to provide the environment to support a healthy lifestyle, such as having easy access to healthy food and exercise. Obesity is a major population health issue in Polk County along with the remainder of the United States, which can be directly affected by physical inactivity and eating an unhealthy diet. The implementation of a preventative health improvement plan will help to provide greater access to healthy foods and exercise to assist in decreasing the obese population in Polk County. Increasing the available resources in Polk County that encourage healthy eating and exercise will greatly reduce the prevalence of obesity and allow for a healthier community.

The age markers are slowly changing and so is the concept of retirement. The modern aged community is unwilling to declare themselves as retired. One of the respondents made a statement that he wishes to work as long as he could do. A self declared retirement will make one detached from activities thus speeding up the ageing process. An earlier retirement will most probably make the individual feel old soon and this emotional drift will have a dramatic influence on his physical as well as mental and emotional health as well.

Allen, S. G., Clark, R. L., & Ghent, L. S. (2004). Phasing into retirement. The Industrial & Labor Relations Review, 58(1), 112-127. Gelfand, D.E., & Bechill, W. (1991, Summer-Fall). The evolution of the older Americans act: a 25-year review of the legislative changes. Generations, 15(3), 19-22. Zastrow, C. H., & Kirst-Ashman, K. K. (2010). Understanding Human Behavior and the Social Environment (8th ed.). Mason , Ohio: Brooks Cole/Cengage.

The elderly have multiple health problems and struggle to stay healthy and able to care for their own needs. The elderly in the rural areas tend to have a number of needs that may be compounded because of their choice of dwellings. The rural person may need to seek health care in different nearby cities, or may find some health care providers in their own local communities. Many elderly or older adults would benefit from a health promotion plan that would focus on the needs of this age group. The components that this plan would focus on includes physical activity, proper nutrition, and coping with mental stressors. While all older adults could potential benefit from this plan, this plan will be offered primarily in rural communities in order

Aging is described as a sequential, irreversible, progressive, and non-pathological process of maturation in an organism and that translates to a gradual decline in the ability to perform activities optimally. Aging is an individual process that can be a period of stress for individuals especially following their retirement (Hiller & Barrow, 2015). The current study sought to understand the process and experience of aging from the perspective of elderly individuals. In discussing matters of aging and retirement, many assume that women are always eager to retire, and adjust well, as compared to their male counterparts (Bauger & Bongaardt, 2016). Many people assume that since women are generally made as homemakers, they are willing and happy to retire while men, whose nature is to be the main source of family income, find it hard to be out of work (Moody & Sasser, 2014). Indeed, there exists very little literature that sheds some light on this area, particularly on the attitudes of each gender towards retirement and process of aging. Given the significance of retirement to this life stage, the study sought to understand the emotions and views of individuals regarding their retirement through the lenses of (1) Physical health and wellbeing, (2) Friends, Family, and Community, (3) Work and leisure, (4) Finances and lifestyles, and (5) Living