The National Institute for Senior Centers wishes to announce the recipient of the 2009 NISC Research Award. This award recognizes outstanding research in the senior center field and serves as a catalyst for encouraging research related to the administration, operation, or programming of senior centers. 

The 2009 recipient of the NISC Research award is North Carolina State University Department of Parks, Recreation, and Tourism Management for their research on "The Role of a Senior Center in Promoting Physical Activity for Older Adults."  The research team of six graduate students was led by Karla A. Henderson, Ph.D., Faculty.

The research explored the specific programs at senior centers that facilitated physical activity. The team found that a social ecological approach to health promotion is most effective in encouraging participation in physical activities offered at senior centers. This means senior centers must do more than just offer an exercise program; they must take into account potential participants' social relations and support, personal capital, and organizational resources, for example. This report should be of interest to all senior center managers trying to facilitate participation in physical activities at their centers.

An award ceremony and presentation about the research will both take place at the annual National Council on Aging/American Society on Aging annual conference in Las Vegas in March 2009.  The Call for Nominations for the 2010 NISC Research Award will be available soon on the NCOA website.
 

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