UPEI researchers seek participants for free lifestyle intervention program
Researchers from UPEI’s Health and Wellness Centre and the Department of Applied Human Sciences are looking for 120 to 140 people on Prince Edward Island to participate in a free lifestyle intervention program called CHANGE.
The CHANGE program—Canadian Health Advanced by Nutrition and Graded Exercise—was announced by UPEI in mid-March but had to be delayed because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Principal investigator Marilyn Barrett, director of the UPEI Health and Wellness Centre, now hopes to begin the program in late June.
“To date, 27 participants have signed up for the program,” said principal investigator Marilyn Barrett, director of the UPEI Health and Wellness Centre. “We plan to begin intake visits this week. In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, participants and staff will use physical distancing where possible. In situations where it is not possible to maintain physical distancing, they will wear personal protective equipment.”
The 12-month program is being offered in communities across Prince Edward Island. To be eligible, participants must have or be at risk of metabolic syndrome. Individuals with metabolic syndrome have three or more of these five conditions: high blood pressure, insulin resistance (diabetes or pre-diabetes), abdominal obesity, high triglycerides, and low HDL-cholesterol. Participants will have their glucose and lipids level checked a total of five times over the year, as well as measurements of fitness, waist circumference, blood pressure, and heart rate.
Participants can be referred by their physician or nurse practitioner, or they can sign up directly by contacting a member of the study team at 902-620-5156. During the study, they will work with kinesiologist Angelie Carter and registered dietitian Jenneca Pomeroy who will provide them with personalized exercise and nutrition plans.
Barrett stressed that the study is not a weight loss program.
“This is a lifestyle intervention study,” she said. “According to recent studies, 19 per cent of Canadians have metabolic syndrome, and one in five Islanders has high blood pressure, which is one of the indicators of the syndrome. Through the CHANGE program, we will provide participants with the tools they need to better manage health conditions they may have and improve their overall health.”
The CHANGE program was created by Metabolic Syndrome Canada, a not-for-profit organization founded in 2011 to improve the long-term health of Canadians through effective direct and exercise lifestyle intervention. The program at UPEI is funded by donors to the UPEI Community Outreach Fund.
For more information, contact Marilyn Barrett at 902-566-0355 or mbarrett@upei.ca.
