title: Community Partners Join Forces: Battling Obesity and Diabetes Together.
abstract: Our objectives was to create an initiative to change the culture of a small community to improve quality of life as it relates to health for the residents through the use of health-related educational sessions, a coordinated fitness and nutrition program, and the construction of community fitness trails. We compared the use of a health-focused community driven program to the status quo in seeking opportunities to improve perception and understanding of one's health and overall quality of life for participants. Among the various techniques identified to improve a community's health outcomes, dissemination of information through the use of educational sessions empowered citizens to take control of their health status, and ultimately, their quality of life. This came with zero negative impacts for those providing the education, as well as those participating in the sessions. Although the application of these methods depends on local resources, leadership, and partnerships, programs similar to those presented here can help to improve quality of life for citizens in communities across the country facing the challenges secondary to a sedentary lifestyle.
authors.affiliation: Lipscomb University College of Pharmacy, One University Park Drive, Nashville, TN, 37204, USA. rparker@lipscomb.edu.
authors.forename: Robin
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6102-6122
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Parker
authors.affiliation: City of Tullahoma Community Development Coordinator, Tullahoma, TN, USA.
authors.forename: Winston
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Brooks
authors.affiliation: Marcrom's Pharmacy and Wellness Center, Manchester, TN, USA.
authors.forename: Jordan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wright
authors.affiliation: California Health Sciences University College of Pharmacy, Clovis, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Nicole
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Nielsen
authors.affiliation: Lipscomb University College of Pharmacy, One University Park Drive, Nashville, TN, 37204, USA.
authors.forename: Benjamin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Gross
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003153:Community Health Services / Q000379:methods / Q000458:organization & administration*; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D009765:Obesity / Q000517:prevention & control*; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000379:methods / Q000458:organization & administration*; D010806:Physical Education and Training / Q000379:methods / Q000458:organization & administration; D011788:Quality of Life; D013714:Tennessee; D061217:Weight Reduction Programs / Q000379:methods / Q000458:organization & administration
keywords: Diabetes; Health department; Interprofessional care; Obesity; Pharmacy; Weight loss