Examples of Successful Proposals

Initial Planning Meeting for a Multi-site Physical Activity Intervention Study: Optimizing Bone Health During Adolescence Identifying Information

Principal Investigator

Moira Petit, PhD
Assistant Professor
Penn State University College of Medicine
Department of Health Evaluation Sciences
600 Centerview Drive, Suite 2200
Hershey, PA 17033
Tel: (717) 531-4233
Fax: (717) 531-3922
email: mpetit@psu.edu

Co-Investigators

Peter Cavanagh, Ph.D.
Professor
Penn State University
The Center for Locomotion Studies
29 Recreation Building
University Park, PA 16802
Tel: ( 814) 863-0995
Fax: (814) 863-4755
email: prc@psu.edu

Heather McKay, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
University of British Columbia
School of Human Kinetics
210, War Memorial Gym
University of British Columbia
Vancouver, B.C. V6T 1Z1
Tel: (604) 822-3120
Fax: (604) 822-6842
email: mckayh@interchange.ubc.ca

Tom Lloyd, PhD
Professor
Penn State University College of Medicine
Department of Health Evaluation Sciences
600 Centerview Drive, Suite
2200 Hershey, PA 17033
Tel: (717) 531-6258
Fax: (717) 531-3922
email: tal3@psu.edu

Thomas J. Beck, Sc.D.
Professor
Johns Hopkins University
Department of Radiology
The Johns Hopkins Outpatient Center
601 North Caroline Street, Suite 4233
Baltimore, MD 21287-0849
Tel: (410) 955-2684
Fax: (410) 614-1977
tjbeck@jhmi.edu

Consultants

Stefan Judex, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor in Biomedical Engineering
SUNY Stony Brook
Psychology A Building (3rd Floor)
Stony Brook, NY 11794-2580
Tel: (631) 632-1549
Fax: (631) 632-8577
Email: stefan.judex@sunysb.edu

Mary Bouxsein, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Harvard Medical School
Department of Orthopedic Surgery
Orthopedic Biomechanics Laboratory
Beth Israel Hospital
RN-122, 330 Brookline Avenue
Tel: (617) 667-8506
Fax: (617) 667-4561
Email: mbouxsei@caregroup.harvard.edu

Curriculum Design Expert from University Park

(TBA)

Purpose And Specific Aims

In collaboration with colleagues from Penn State Hershey and University Park, the University of British Columbia, Johns Hopkins University and Stanford University, we are planning a multi-site, school-based, physical activity intervention program aimed at optimizing bone health in children and adolescents. The purpose of this initial planning meeting is to bring together a subgroup of co-investigators and consultants to define the specific objectives and details of the physical activity intervention (a larger symposium with all co-investigators and collaborators will take place in April). The specific aims of the meeting are to address the following questions:

1. What are the key components (frequency, duration, magnitude, and progression) of the 'optimal" bone health running and jumping interventions?
2. How can these programs be standardized across maturity groups?
3. What biomechanical data do we need to establish standardized programs?
4. What other components should be involved in the after-school program?

From this meeting, a pilot study will be developed to standardize the physical activity interventions across maturity group. This is the first stage in the development of a June or October, NIH application for the multi-site study. The intervention study itself will test the benefits to bone health of a jumping versus running intervention in a multi-ethnic population across maturity groups.

Background And Description Of Activities

We are fortunate to have gathered a group of experts in the field of childhood and adolescent bone health who have successfully implemented exercise intervention studies at their individual sites. The key questions stemming from previous work include: 1) is there a "window of opportunity" in which exercise can be implemented for optimizing bone accrual during adolescence? 2) What is the optimal type of activity to maximize bone strength? and 3) Can bone health interventions be successfully implemented in community-based settings and adhered to by multi-ethnic populations? These questions can only be addressed in a multi-site study.

We are fortunate to have Drs. Judex and Bouxsein as consultants on this project. Dr. Judex has published extensively on the changes in bone strength and bone mechanical characteristics with running vs. jumping protocols in growing animals. His data serve as the basis for our proposal in children. Stefan's expertise and insight are invaluable to our team. Dr. Bouxsein has expertise in the biomechanics of bone and will provide knowledge from which to base our pilot study for standardizing the interventions. Including these two experts early on in the design of the intervention will help us create an intervention based on sound mechanical and biologic principles. Once the key components of the intervention are laid out, we will apply for CYFC Level II funding to develop and after-school program and intervention that will be fun and interesting for the children. The development of the program will involve collaboration with colleagues at University Park in Curriculum Studies as well as teachers and children in the schools.

Relevance To CYFC Goals

The goals of this Level I proposal are consistent with CYFC goals and themes. Collaborators on this project are a multi-disciplinary group interested in physical activity and bone health during adolescence with a range of expertise from the mechanistic to community-based intervention level. The larger project fits specifically into the broad CYFC goals including: 1) Prevention and intervention efforts: by optimizing bone health during adolescence and preventing osteoporosis in later life; 2) Promoting interdisciplinary activities: our larger research team includes individuals with backgrounds in medicine, kinesiology, bioengineering, curriculum studies, and epidemiology; and 3) Outreach and collaborative relationships with the community: the larger projects includes partnerships with elementary and middle-schools, parents and teachers. Specific Theme 1, preventing health risk and problem behaviors, is particularly relevant to this proposal. In addition, there will be opportunities with other researchers at University Park with the multi-site study which will include ~ 2,000 children of mixed ethnicity followed for 2 - 3 years.

Budget

Budget items are to cover the cost of travel, accommodation, food and consulting fees for participants coming from outside Penn State or the Hershey Medical Center.

Timeline

Overall grant time-line*

*If more time is needed to develop and pilot the intervention/after-school program, we will extend the time-line and apply for the Oct. NIH deadline rather than June.

Last modified: 09/27/06 | Contact Webmaster