Arthritis Foundation Bulletin – 3rd Edition

December 10, 2012

Greetings Members & Friends,

My goodness, 2012 is drawing to a close in a matter of days; where did the time go? It’s been a good year here at the Michigan Arthritis Program (MDCH). We are excited about so many of the projects we have planned for 2013!

Items in this bulletin represent our ongoing effort to increase awareness about arthritis and related issues. Please feel free to suggest items for upcoming bulletins, or to offer constructive feedback about the content/distribution. You may also share the bulletin with anyone who you believe would benefit from reading it. Anyone may request addition to or removal from the distribution list by contacting me directly.

Upcoming Events

Save the Date! The Michigan Arthritis Collaborative Partnership 2013 Spring Educational Conference is scheduled for May 16, 2013 at the Lansing Community College West Campus Facility. Stay tuned for more information and distribution of registration materials.

Please contact me if you have events about which you would like to inform other MACP members and friends.

MACP 2012 Fall Business Meeting

The Fall Business meeting took place on Thursday, November 8th at the Michigan Public Health Institute Interactive Learning Center in Okemos. It was a good meeting – an opportunity for core members to update one another on their activities over the last year and to talk about our goals for the next year. Here are some meeting highlights:

  • Kara Dorda, Program Director – Arthritis Foundation Great Lakes Region, Michigan was introduced as the new MACP Co-Chair. We are so pleased to welcome Kara into this position; her nomination/confirmation marks the return of the Arthritis Foundation to a central role within the Partnership and we look forward to working closely with her.
  • Outgoing chair, Molly Polverento, was not able to attend the meeting, but forwarded comments to be read to the group. We sincerely appreciate Molly’s contributions over the past two years and wish her continued success in her many professional endeavors.
  • Denise Cyzman, new Vice President of the National Kidney Foundation of Michigan gave a Partner Spotlight presentation on NKFM’s implementation of evidence-based programs. NKFM is one of the most active and prolific non-profit organizations addressing chronic disease in Michigan. We are so grateful they are an active member of the Partnership!
  • Participants took part in an interactive discussion about partnerships and how they can be maximized to meet mutual goals.

Presentation materials and other handouts from the meeting are attached. If you have any questions about the meeting or MACP’s activities throughout the year, please feel free to contact me. Please note: The handout entitled “Reflections on Partnership” was an individual exercise completed during the MACP business meeting. If you are willing to complete the sheet and send it to me, we would welcome additional feedback on the topic. Thank you!

Osteoarthritis Action Alliance – Lunch & Learn (Dec 12th!)

Please join the OA Action Alliance on Wednesday, December 12th at 12pm ET for the final 30-minute Lunch and Learn of 2012. This month will feature Dr. Steven Heymsfield, M.D., the Executive Director of Pennington Biomedical Research Center of the Louisiana State University System and the George A. Bray, Jr. Chair in Nutrition.  Don’t miss this opportunity to learn more about the Facts and Myths about Dieting and Weight Loss

Conference Line: 1-877-278-3632

Passcode: 0208132#

Slides will be posted just prior to the call

An archive of past Lunch and Learn Presentations can be found at:

http://oaaction.org/news_events/events_past.php

Physical Activity Adherence and Quality of Life among Individuals with Arthritis

The National Center for Health, Physical Activity and Disability recently posted a summary of a research article from Quality of Life Research, which explored the connection between adhering to recommended levels of physical activity and health-related quality of life. The study found that few people with arthritis get the recommended 150 minutes of low- to moderate-intensity physical activity they should, but that those who do have fewer days of self-reported poor physical and/or mental health.

Read the entire summary at:

http://www.nchpad.org/1009/5294/Physical~Activity~Adherence~and~Quality~of~Life~among~Individuals~with~Arthritis

Increasing Awareness of the Arthritis Burden among State Legislators

The National Association of Chronic Disease Directors (NACDD) successfully competed for funding under the CDC funding opportunity “National Organizations to Support Arthritis Programs and Policy.” One of the projects to be carried out under this program was a partnership with the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) to inform and educate state legislators about the burden of Arthritis in their states.

NACDD met with NCSL members in conjunction with the NCSL annual legislative summit in Chicago on August 5th. A very successful meeting was held with leadership of the NCSL Health Committee.  Representatives from Michigan and Vermont public health departments were invited to address the group along with staff from CDC and Arthritis Foundation. Judi Lyles, manager of the Other Chronic Diseases Unit, which includes the Arthritis Program, represented Michigan. For a full summary of the meeting and information about NACDD’s arthritis policy efforts under this project, go to:

https://chronicdisease.site-ym.com/news/110190/Awareness-of-the-Burden-of-Arthritis-in-the-States.htm

BMI More Predictive of Walking Habits than Knee Pain

An article recently published in the Journal of Obesity showed that BMI was more predictive than knee pain of the amount of walking participants with knee osteoarthritis did during the study period. The study’s authors found that BMI was more likely to predict walking behavior than was knee pain.

Read more at:  http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22645666

Let’s Talk RA

The Arthritis Foundation has a communications kit, “Let’s Talk RA,” available for individuals with Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA).  This free kit is a great resource for individuals with RA who are looking to self-manage their condition.  It provides tools for communicating with health care professionals to determine a personal best course of treatment for RA.  Specifically, the kit offers:

  • Tips to make the most of your appointments with your rheumatologist
  • Information about treatment methods and options
  • A patient notebook for recording important details, and much more!

To find out more about the “Let’s Talk RA” toolkit and to order your free copy, please visit www.letstalkra.org.

QUICKSTATS: Leisure-time Physical Activity Comparisons According to Veteran Status

According to the National Health Survey, during 2007–2010, higher percentages of male veterans than nonveterans in all but one age group participated in leisure-time physical activities that met the federal 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans.

The MAP has recently begun collaborating with the Veterans Administration to reach veterans, particularly male veterans, with evidence-based programs (PATH, EnhanceFitness and Walk With Ease). Information about their physical activity needs, habits and barriers (among a wide range of information) will be helpful in trying to reach them with beneficial programs.

The Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report summary can be found at:

http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm6143a7.htm

 

Kind regards & happy holidays,

Annemarie

 
Annemarie Hodges, M.A.
MDCH Arthritis Program
Diabetes & Other Chronic Diseases Section
Division of Chronic Disease and Injury Control
phone (517) 335-8402
fax (517) 335-9461
email hodgesa5@michigan.gov
www.michigan.gov/arthritis
www.mihealthyprograms.org