Kerry Bertke: Preventive Medicine and Community-based Intervention BACK

Published by AFAR

When I thought about my MSTAR summer, I was looking forward to learning more about preventive medicine. I wanted to know more about how clinicians could take a more active role in preventing chronic disease and how individuals can be motivated to change behaviors that contribute to these diseases, such as diet and exercise. Thus far, my MSTAR experience has revealed the challenges of implementing community-based interventions, but also how important this effort can be for willing participants and communities.

I am working with researchers at the UNC Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention (HPDP) in Chapel Hill, NC. One of their current large-scale efforts is a five-year, multi-phase community intervention to reduce cardiovascular disease (CVD) in Lenoir County, NC. This county is part of the stroke belt in the southern United States and a poor area in eastern North Carolina. The focus of my project for the summer is using previously collected baseline data to evaluate the dietary choices of participants already enrolled in the Heart Healthy Lenoir study. I hope to describe dietary patterns that explain the high CVD prevalence, also investigating how age and various demographic characteristics play a role in dietary choices. Other factors investigated by the researchers through questionnaires include environmental barriers to physical activity and the impact of health literacy on health behaviors.

I feel fortunate to be in a place that truly believes in the importance of preventive medicine. I have been paired with experienced researchers that have years of experience in behavioral interventions at the community level to assist in my understanding of the project and the difficulties and rewards that exist with this type of research. I spent much of the first week understanding the project, taking part in conference calls, and reading related journal articles. The culmination of my second full week at the center was the opportunity to travel to the field site, meet the team, and take part in a group weight loss intervention session in Kinston, NC. The participants were very open about how difficult making health choices and finding time to exercise can be, but also motivated to change. They were excited about the program and seemed energized by each other’s successes.

I hope to use their motivation as well as what I discover about dietary choices to further emphasize and advocate for the importance of a healthy lifestyle, and to encourage physicians to speak with their patients about this important aspect of health.

Kerry Bertke
Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine

 

"Diary of an MSTAR Student" follows scholars in the 2012 Medical Student Training in Aging Research (MSTAR) Program, highlighting their summer experiences. As they continue their path of research, training and clinical practice, read their daily thoughts at www.afar.org/mstarblog. New diary entries are posted every day, so check back soon.