Laboratory Name:

Stanford Prevention Research Center’s Successful Aging Lab

Institution:

Stanford University School of Medicine

Key Faculty:

Abby C. King, Ph.D.

 William Haskell, Ph.D.

Cynthia Castro, Ph.D.

Leslie Pruitt, Ph.D.

 Contact:

Abby C. King 

(king@stanford.edu)

 http://prevention.stanford.edu/research/successful_aging.html

  Research Overview:

For over fifteen years, researchers in the Stanford Prevention Research Center’s (SPRC’s) Successful Aging Lab have been identifying strategies for helping older adults prevent and control chronic disease and improve overall quality of life. Aging is a complex process that involves many variables (genetics, lifestyle factors, etc.), so it is a challenge to come up with “one-size-fits-many” programs for successful aging. But exercise benefits everyone, even the oldest, so SPRC researchers are working hard to create customizable yet broadly applicable programs for regular physical activity.

Some of SPRC’s studies focus on how best to help groups with particular needs. For example, SPRC has tailored exercise programs for family caregivers and for adults with sleep difficulties. Other studies have examined the effectiveness of a particular method. SPRC has learned, for instance, that seniors are more likely to stick with an exercise program that is based in the home (instead of classes) and supported with counseling by phone.

SPRC’s Successful Aging Lab is working toward its ultimate goal: spreading its research results into the broader community, where they can benefit more and more people.

Future Studies:

• The impact of regular moderate-intensity physical activity programs on sleep quality among older adults with sleep complaints.
• Combining programs for physical activity and dietary change.
• How best to utilize older adults as health promotion counselors for peers.
• Evaluating technologies (e.g., computerized phone systems, handheld computers) that give a more convenient and less expensive way to provide counseling.

 Recent Publications:

King, A. C., Haskell, W. L., Taylor, C. B., Kraemer, H. C., & DeBusk, R. F. (1991). Group- vs home-based exercise training in healthy older men and women: A community-based clinical trial. Journal of the American Medical Association, 266, 1535-1542.

King, A. C., Haskell, W. L., Young, D. R., Oka, R. K., Stefanick, M. L. (1995). Long-term effects of varying intensities and formats of physical activity on participation rates, fitness, and lipoproteins in men and women aged 50-65 years. Circulation, 91, 2596-2604.

King, A. C., Kiernan, M., Oman, R. F., Kraemer, H. C., Hull, M., & Ahn, D. (1997). Can we identify who will adhere to long-term physical activity? Application of signal detection methodology as a potential aid to clinical decision-making. Health Psychology, 16, 380-389.  

King, A. C., Oman, R. F., Brassington, G. S., Bliwise, D. L., & Haskell, W. L. (1997). Moderate-intensity exercise and self-rated quality of sleep in older adults: A randomized controlled trial. J.A.M.A., 277, 32-37.

King, A. C., Pruitt, L. A., Phillips, W. T., Oka, R., Rodenburg, A., & Haskell, W. L. (2000). Comparative effects of two physical activity programs on measured and perceived physical functioning and other health-related quality of life outcomes in older adults. Journal of Gerontology: Medical Sciences, 55A(2), M74-M83.

King, A. C. (2001). Interventions to promote physical activity among older adults. Journal of Gerontology: Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences, 56A(Special Issue II), 36-46.

King, A. C., Stokols, D., Talen, E., Brassington, G. S., & Killingsworth, R. (2002). Theoretical approaches to the promotion of physical activity: Forging a transdisciplinary paradigm. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 23(2S), 15-25.

King, A. C., Baumann, K., O'Sullivan, P., Wilcox, S., & Castro, C. (2002). Effects of moderate-intensity exercise on physiological, behavioral, and emotional responses to family caregiving: A randomized controlled trial. Journal of Gerontology: Medical Sciences, 57A, M26-M36.

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