Sara Hanks has been awarded a grant to fund her project

Sara Hanks, HSTA Curriculum Coordinator and MPH Student Ambassador, has been awarded a grant to fund her project designed to increase the amount of physical activity in participants classified as “pre-diabetic.”   The project developed as an assignment in Sara’s Social and Behavioral Theory class taught by Professor Ken Simon.  The intervention centers around Social Cognitive Theory with the goal of increasing exercise self-efficacy, self-regulation skills, outcome expectancies, and physical activity.  Participants will be enrolled in four  1 hour sessions taught jointly by HSTA students and Community Health workers and follow a prescribed curriculum that was designed based on the Diabetes Prevention Program and the Healthy Living Partnerships to Prevent Diabetes program.  The curriculum focuses on helping participants overcome barriers and realize their exercise self-efficacy as well as effective ways to build social support to increase physical activity.  Each participant will receive a Fit Bit Ultra for monitoring and tracking activity throughout the program. 
“Quote by Sara Hanks”

HSTA’s Joint Governing Board has given $20,000 for the implementation for the pilot project in 3 of the HSTA regions across the state.  The project will begin in July with recruitment and training of HSTA students and extend throughout the 2012-13 school year.

HSTA stands for Health Sciences and Technology Academy.  Founded in 1994 by Program Director Ann Chester, PhD, HSC Assistant Vice President/Social Justice, the program helps minority and underrepresented students from West Virginia go to college.