THE HEALTHY BRAIN INITIATIVE

BY:  Shileah Cantey, MSW, Healthy Brain Coordinator

The Alzheimer’s Association and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have joined forces to form the Healthy Brain Initiative.  This initiative is designed to bring awareness to the public about the importance of cognitive health.

Within the initial phase of the Healthy Brain Initiative, research has suggested African Americans, especially those ages 42-64 years, bear a disproportionate burden of chronic diseases, including vascular diseases.  This is due, in part to the lack of consistent engagement in protective health behaviors such as physical activity and healthy nutrition choices, that help prevent vascular risks and disease among the U.S. population and African Americans in particular.

The Alzheimer’s Association, Georgia Chapter, along with the California Southland Chapter, were selected to implement a pilot program, the Healthy Brain Initiative.  Part of the HBI is called “The Healthy Brain Champion Campaign.”   This campaign is a community-level, culturally relevant intervention designed to increase knowledge and awareness of brain health of African American baby boomers in Atlanta and Los Angeles.  The idea is to make an impact at the community level through media activities, community partnerships and educational events.

Beginning August 2008, 17 African American baby boomers stepped forward to be trained to become champions and help improve brain health within the Atlanta community.   Among the champions trained were representatives from the Fulton County Department of Health and Wellness, the Atlanta chapter of the Association of Black Social Workers, the Fulton County Office of Aging, the CDC’s Division of Diabetes Translation, REACH for Wellness and other members of the Atlanta community.  In this half-day session, these future brain health champions learned about the risks associated with poor brain health, ways to reduce the risks and improve overall health, as well as simple steps to take in spreading the word within the community.

“We relied heavily upon our community partners to understand which activities would keep the participants engaged throughout the session.  Once we began, I could feel the excitement from the group.  People were automatically beginning to get excited about overall health as well as brain health,” said Ginny Helms, Vice President of Programs, Services and Public Policy.

The champions training was the first of several events designed to recruit and educate brain health champions. Following the events from the Healthy Brain Champion Campaign, The Alzheimer’s Association and the CDC will continue to provide overall surveillance of the pilot’s activities to develop future programs that effectively increase intentions to engage in physical activity, and to manage vascular risks factors within the African American community.

If you would like to learn more about the Healthy Brain Initiative, or to become a healthy brain champion, call Shileah Cantey at 404-728-1181.