‘Move for Life’: An evaluation of a peer mentoring intervention designed to cascade and consequently up-scale existing programmes to help inactive 50+ become more active.
A multidisciplinary team of researchers, practitioners and policy makers are undertaking research to increase population levels of physical activity in Ireland. The team, being led by Professor Catherine Woods from the University of Limerick, brings together expertise from sport and exercise science, health, psychology, implementation science and the community. The University of Limerick, the National University of Ireland Galway, Limerick and Clare Local Sports Partnerships, Age and Opportunity, Limerick City and County Council, Healthy Limerick and the Health Services Executive are all combining forces to tackle this complex challenge. Our vision is that adults 50+ will live a more active and healthy lifestyle as a result of being part of Move for Life. The research was funded as part of the Health and Positive Aging Initiative (HaPAI) by the HSE, Healthy Ireland, Atlantic Philanthropies and the Department of Health. Read about the launch of Move For Life in the Graduate Entry Medical School July Newsletter.
Staff shortages can limit the delivery of health promotion efforts, thus peer-delivered interventions could have considerable positive impact in expanding the reach of such efforts. The purpose of Move for Life is to test if broadening the reach of the professional (in this research programme, the Local Sports Partnership tutor) to the participants (inactive 50+) via peer mentor support (Move for Life programme) is feasible and has any potential for impact. We think it will work by empowering non-professional members of a community, using a ‘train the trainer model’, to teach behavioural skills and provide informational and social support to their peers.
This internship is an opportunity for individuals to spend up to twelve weeks on the Move for Life study, and work with faculty across PESS, the School of Allied Health, Psychology and the Graduate Entry Medical School. In addition, you will receive first hand experience of working with the Local Sports Partnerships, with Healthy Ireland and the Health Services Executive as part of the project. The internship will allow individuals to experience working on a national research project that entails collecting and processing data on physical activity levels and its determinants in older adults, writing and presenting brief scientific reports. In addition, you will receive first-hand experience of running a research project. You will also have the opportunity to explore further your interest and disposition to postgraduate study and / or to consider working in a university setting.
Internships are to be completed anytime between August 2018 and May 2019. Interns will receive €200 a week over a maximum of twelve weeks. Interested candidates are asked to contact Professor Catherine Woods to initiate a discussion on their interests in undertaking the Move for Life internship (email address below). The feasibility of the individual working with the faculty member to complete the internship application as well as the faculty member’s availability to oversee the Internship should also be established.
An internship application should clearly state the interest, skills and capabilities of the candidate wishing to engage with the Move for Life study, the benefit to the applicant and the Move for Life team in terms of output and future funding. Applications should be submitted electronically to Ms. Chloe Forte (16143582@studentmail.ul.ie) and received no later than 5pm on Friday 3rd August 2018. This deadline will be strictly adhered to. Applications will be evaluated on the criteria listed in the previous paragraph and will be considered by a committee chaired by the Move for Life Principal Investigator and two Move for Life research team members. Applicants will be notified of the outcome of their submission by 10th August 2018. Successful applicants will be required to furnish a report at the end of the internship as well as make a short presentation to Move for Life faculty and staff.
Email Contacts:
Ms. Chloe Forte: 16143582@studentmail.ul.ie
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