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Health promotion students spend summer with Dekalb seniors


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During summer 2008, Health Promotion and Behavior doctoral students Donoria Evans and Jeffrey Cook continued the University of Georgia, College of Public Health’s (UGA-CPH) growing tradition of engaged service. These burgeoning scholars spent the summer working with the Lou Walker Senior Center in Dekalb County, Georgia. The Lou Walker Senior Center is a multipurpose community facility for active senior adults aged 55 and older. The Center brings together several community partners and County government to provide a wide array of programs to meet the diverse needs of Dekalb county seniors. This organization is also one of the UGA-CPH’s many community partners within the state.

Third year doctoral student Donoria Evans and second year doctoral student Jeffrey Cook are both interested in reducing the burden of chronic disease among older African Americans. Donoria’s specific interests are related to breast cancer screening behaviors among older African American women. She spent the summer conducting health promotion classes at the Center in partnership with a mini-medical school series offered by the Humana health care group.

Jeffery's interests are related to increasing physical activity among older African American men as means of reducing chronic disease morbidity and mortality within this population. He spent the summer developing a participant orientation to the Center's physical activity program.

Additionally, together Donoria and Jeffery engaged in a series of service learning activities that helped to shape their ideas about their research interests while providing needed and appreciated service to the senior citizens of Dekalb County.