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  25 West Independence Way
  Kingston, RI 02881
  Office:401.874.2976
  Fax: 401.874.4215
  Email: dhillman@uri.edu
  

The University of Rhode Island Dietary Education

and Active Lifestyle (UR-IDEAL) Study

 

Mission

Research

Publications

The University of Rhode Island Dietary Education and Active Lifestyle (UR-IDEAL) study was started in 2007 under direction of Dr. Delmonico, a faculty member in the Kinesiology Department and Dr. Lofgren, a faculty member in Nutrition and Food Sciences Department. Our focus mainly on increasing physical activity and implementing nutrition education programs for overweight and obese older adults.

Matthew Delmonico, PhD, MPH Associate Professor, Exercise Science 25 West Independence Way,Suite P Phone: 401-874-5440 Email: delmonico@uri.edu

Ingrid Lofgren, PhD, MPH, RD Assistant Professor, Nutrition & Food Sciences 302 Ranger Hall Phone: 401-874-5706 Email: ingridlofgren@uri.edu

Furong Xu, PhD Assistant Professor, Physical Education 25 West Independence Way,Suite P Phone: 401-874-2412 Email: fxu2007@mail.uri.edu

 

Research

UR-IDEAL I

Project Coordinators: Josh Avila(KIN), Julie Gutierres (KIN) and Meg Sheehy (NFS)

Obesity-related disability and heart disease in older adults is an urgent public health problem both nationally and in the State of Rhode Island.  Additionally, aging is associated with a decline in muscle mass that has been associated with losses of muscle strength and power, which have been shown to play a strong role in an individual’s physical functioning.  Resistance training has been shown to be an ideal intervention strategy for improving physical functioning in at-risk older adults, but its effectiveness in improving function and heart disease risk factors has not been thoroughly tested in a weight loss setting.  Thus, the primary aim of this interdisciplinary study is to evaluate the impact of a  resistance exercise training (RT) program when combined with a well-validated weight loss intervention (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension – DASH) in a group of overweight and obese men and women.  This RT exercise program will focus on resistance exercise that employs more rapid exercise movements with lighter resistances, which has been shown to have similar benefits on muscle function in older adults compared to traditional resistance exercise training.  The results of this experimental intervention will be compared to the results of those who participate in a weight loss only intervention.  Participants will be community-dwelling older adults who are overweight or obese (body mass index (BMI) between 25.0-39.9 kg/m2) and in need of weight loss based on national guidelines.  In order to evaluate the impact of the RT training with weight loss on physical functioning and heart disease risk factors, participants in both groups will be tested baseline and after the intervention to evaluate changes in physical function, muscle resistance, body composition, and blood lipid (e.g. cholesterol and triglyceride) profile.  Results from this innovative study will be both submitted for publication and used as pilot data for more thoroughly developed NIH and USDA grant proposals.

UR-IDEAL II

Project Coordinators: Leah Dorfman(KIN), Chad Straight(KIN) and Kate Cottell(NFS)

During our recent USDA-funded quasi-experimental community outreach study (UR-IDEAL II, fall 2009), 109 overweight and obese older adults aged 60-74 years underwent 8 weeks of deitary education and low to moderate intensity resistant training at four Rhode Island senior centers. Subjects in the DEPT group significantly increased their muscle strength (15%, p<0.001) and lost weight, decreased percent body fat and body mass index decreased (p<0.05). They also improved their detary quality as measure by the Dietary Screening Tool (p<0.01) and decreased their triacylglycerols (p<0.05). Adherence to the dietary intervention sessions was 85% for the DE group and 98% for the DEPT group. In the DEPT group, comopliance was high in regards to the PT, as subjects attended 96% of the PT exercise sessions. This suggests that dietary education with resistance training can be completed in senior centers and can reduce the risk of coronary heart disease and improve physical functioning.

UR-IDEAL III

Project Coordinators: Julie Krol(KIN), Justin Payne (KIN) and Kate Cottell (NFS)

In the spring of 2010, we completed a pilot study (UR-IDEAL III), with 11 obese older women (60-79 years of age) who participated in 12 weeks of dietary education and structured Tai Chi sessions. Though not significant, positive changes in waist circumference, body mass and body mass index were close to significance and there were significant improvements in hamstring and lower back flexibility (p<0.05). Improvement in flexibility can impact physical functioning.

UR-IDEAL VI

Project Coordinators: Marisa Benson(KIN), Lynn Katkowski (KIN) and Steven Magnanti (NFS)

In the spring 2011, we conducted a 16-week study with 30 overweight or obese older women. This phase will help guide the formulation and development of the interdisciplinary community based outreach intervention in the future. It is expected that Tai Chi will improve physical function and decrease fat mass with WL. These improvements are necessary as many older women in RI and nationally are at risk for obesity-related functional limitations and disability. The lack of integrative diet and exercise programs in the community make this an essential program that will strengthen the breadth of current intervention strategies offered to older women.

UR-IDEAL V

Project Coordinators: Jillian Bekke(KIN), Jonathan Letendre(KIN) and Nowen Beebe (NFS)

In the spring 2012, we will conduct a 16-week study with 40 oveweight older women in the North and South Kingstown senior centers. This study is designed to look at the effect of weight loss and Tai Chi exercise on physical function and heart disease risk factors.

 

Publications

Delmonico MJ and Lofgren IE. Resistance training during weight loss in overweight and obese older adults: What are the benefits? American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine, 4: 309-313, 2010.

Avila JJ, Gutierres JA, Sheehy ME, Lofgren IE, and Delmonico MJ. Effect of moderate intensity resistance training during weight loss on body composition and physical performance in overweight older adults. European Journal of Applied Physiology, 109:517-525, 2010.

Cottell KE, Dorfman LR, Straight CR, Delmonico MJ, and Lofgren IE. 2010. The effects of diet education plus light resistance training on coronary heart disease risk factors in community-dwelling older adults. Journal of Nutrition, Health, and Aging, In Press, 2011.

Straight C, Dorfman L, Cottell K, Krol J, Lofgren IE, and Delmonico MJ. Effects of resistance training and dietary changes on physical function and body composition in overweight and obese older adults. Journal of Physical Activity and Health, In Press, 2011.

Straight C, Lofgren IE, Delmonico MJ. Resistance Training in Older Adults: Are Community"Based Interventions Effective for Improving Health Outcomes? American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine, In Press, 2011.

Valente EA, Sheehy ME, Avila JJ, Gutierres JA, Delmonico MJ, Lofgren IE. The Effect of the Addition of Resistance Training to a Dietary Education Intervention on Apolipoproteins and Dietary Quality in Overweight and Obese Older Adults. Clinical Interventions in Aging, In Press, 2011.

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