I can do it, you can do it: a community development approach to health promotion for individuals with disabilities

Abstract

The I Can Do It, You Can Do It Program (ICDI) national model, sponsored by the Division of Nutrition Research Coordination (DNRC), of the National Institutes of Health, implements a health promotion mentoring model for individuals with disabilities by leveraging the structural and human resources of community partners. The evidence-based model incorporates: (1) accessibility; (2) individual choice; (3) affordability; (4) public and nonprofit collaboration; (5) mentor support; and (6) evaluation. The university evaluated a pilot with 163 mentor-mentee pairs, to measure physical activity and healthy eating outcomes. In addition to reporting satisfaction, mentees increased physical activity levels, and decreased BMI. Mentees also increased fruit and salad intake. Mentors knowledge improved, but they also gained better communication, strategies for self-efficacy, and more comfort with supporting individuals with a disability. Through an expansion of ICDI in nine sites throughout the United States, larger-scale evaluation of the model continues.

Keywords:

• community development
• health promotion
• mentoring
• disabilities

Acknowledgements

The authors wish to acknowledge the support of this project by the Division of Nutrition Research Coordination of the National Institutes of Health Project (#HHSN2762009000011C), the Edith L. Trees Charitable Trust, and the CVS Caremark Charitable Trust.