This webinar will address the critical issue of ageist beliefs and practices that impact older adults' health and inclusion in behavioral medicine research. Older adults can benefit significantly from health promotion interventions to reduce high rates of chronic disease risk and barriers to quality of life exacerbated by social determinants. However, ageism has deep roots in our society and presents an “upstream” factor that threatens their health, social functioning, participation in research, and exclusion from digital interventions. Addressing ageism with evidence-based strategies is the first step to ensuring that everyone can access essential health promotion resources with aging, yet many behavioral medicine professionals have not received training in this area. This issue is relevant to all SBM members, as ageism impacts not only those directly studying aging but also the design, delivery, and effectiveness of health interventions across the lifespan.
To address these awareness and training gaps in our field, SBM's Organizational Partnerships Committee (OPC) has brought together a multidisciplinary panel of leaders from the Gerontological Society of America (GSA) and SBM's Aging Special Interest Group (SIG). The expertise of the GSA in gerontology and aging is essential to complement the behavioral health expertise of the SBM, ensuring a comprehensive approach to combating ageism. The panelists will provide an overview of age-inclusive language and evidence-based communication strategies from the National Center to Reframe Aging. The panelists will demonstrate how these strategies can be integrated into the design, recruitment, data collection, and dissemination phases of behavioral medicine studies across specialties.
Representing GSA, Patricia D'Antonio will discuss how bias against older people affects societal practices and policies, offering strategies from the National Center to Reframe Aging to improve public understanding and use person-centered language. Representing the SBM Aging SIG, Drs. Ryan Mace and Meghan Mattos will provide actionable strategies to eliminate ageist beliefs and practices that contribute to the “digital divide” and improve the recruitment, enrollment, and retention of older adults in behavioral medicine research. By fostering collaboration between SBM and GSA, this webinar aims to equip SBM members with the knowledge and tools necessary to address ageism toward the design of inclusivity and effective health promotion interventions for all.
Learning Objectives:
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Attendees will be able to identify how ageist beliefs and practices negatively affect older adults' health, social functioning, and participation in behavioral medicine research.
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Attendees will learn to apply evidence-based communication strategies and age-inclusive language from the National Center to Reframe Aging across research, clinical, and educational contexts.
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Attendees will acquire specific strategies to address the digital divide, improving the recruitment, enrollment, and retention of older adults in internet-based and digital health interventions, ensuring their research and interventions are accessible to older populations.