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Background: falls in older adults is a significant global public health challenge. Exercise interventions which incorporate the physiological components of balance and strength can reduce falls risk. However, the optimum qualities, such as type, duration and frequency of engagement in these exercise programmes, are yet to be established.Objective: the overall research project aimed to develop and test a tool for the assessment of physiological criteria in community exercise programmes and to determine which community exercise programmes may be modified to help reduce falls risk factors. This initial phase of the research and the aim of this paper are to describe the development of the Community Exercise Program Assessment Matrix (the Matrix).Methods: a review of the falls literature identified an existing classification system, which guided the development of the Matrix. An expert panel assisted in reviewing, testing and ongoing refinement of the Matrix.Results: the Matrix contains a range of physiological and cognitive components as well as other items which capture non-physiological components. After testing some modifications were made to the Matrix to aid usage.Conclusion: this paper has outlined the development of the Matrix, which is intended to be used for the recording of physiological components (related to falls prevention) of an exercise programme in terms of type, duration and frequency. The next step is to use the Matrix in conjunction with pre- and post-physiological testing of participants to assess a range of exercise programmes and changes in participant physiological functioning. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper discusses a health promotion intervention that sets out to develop local capacity to address chronic disease risk factors in a remote Australian community. Community focus groups, and researcher and community discussions, aimed to determine the community's health concerns and build a partnership for community action. The journey from conception to reality was difficult for a number of reasons that are described here. Despite these difficulties, a range of outcomes included the establishment of an organisational structure that involved a local health promotion committee as the principal decision-maker the establishment of a grants scheme to support locally determined initiatives and the formal incorporation of a community Health Promotion Committee (HPC) that ensured the sustainability of activities beyond the funded project period. The HPC is still coordinating health promotion activities. The promotion of community ownership of health promotion activities is a complicated process, given that time, resources, expertise and community involvement require a much longer-term commitment than that currently imposed by many funding bodies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Issue addressed: Workforce development is one element of health promotion capacity building. This paper describes the extent to which participants in a five-day short course in health promotion, delivered three times in north Queensland during 2007, reported greater adoption of health promotion within their work roles, and the factors that affected the level of adoption. Methods: Out of 54 course attendees, 39 completed a post-course survey five to nine months after completing the course (72% response rate). Additionally, 11 course attendees participated in a focus group or phone interview to explore survey findings. Results: The courses succeeded in providing knowledge, skills, confidence and enthusiasm to undertake health promotion work. Eighty per cent of participants stated they had incorporated health promotion into their work frequently or all of the time since undertaking the course. Lack of understanding of health promotion from co-workers and managers, lack of organisational support and commitment, lack of resources, competing clinical priorities, and lack of time were cited as the main barriers for undertaking health promotion. Conclusions: The course met participant training needs. However, similar training across all levels of staff including management may help to develop organisational capacity, thereby building a more knowledgeable workforce that is supported to undertake health promotion as a core part of an organisation's business. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Issue Addressed: Workforce development is one element of health promotion capacity building. This paper describes the extent to which participants in a five-day short course in health promotion, delivered three times in north Queensland during 2007, reported greater adoption of health promotion within their work roles, and the factors that affected the level of adoption.Methods: Out of 54 course attendees, 39 completed a post-course survey five to nine months after completing the course (72% response rate). Additionally, 11 course attendees participated in a focus group or phone interview to explore survey findings.Results: The courses succeeded in providing knowledge, skills, confidence and enthusiasm to undertake health promotion work. Eighty per cent of participants stated they had incorporated health promotion into their work frequently or all of the time since undertaking the course. Lack of understanding of health promotion from co-workers and managers, lack of organisational support and commitment, lack of resources, competing clinical priorities, and lack of time were cited as the main barriers for undertaking health promotion.Conclusions: The course met participant training needs. However, similar training across all levels of staff including management may help to develop organisational capacity, thereby building a more knowledgeable workforce that is supported to undertake health promotion as a core part of an organisation's business. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]