Ottumwans are becoming healthier and more active thanks to a community initiative launched last year by the University of Iowa Prevention Research Center (PRC).

The goal behind Active Ottumwa is to help residents in this Wapello County community work toward being active for at least 150 minutes per week.

Many of the activities take place on the county’s extensive parks and trail system. The project doesn’t provide funding for brick-and-mortar infrastructure but works to train community members to lead activities such as walking, cardio, and muscle strengthening, says Barbara Baquero, co-principal investigator and deputy director of the PRC, which is based in the UI College of Public Health and funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“That’s the biggest thing we’re going to build,” says Baquero, who directs the Active Ottumwa research project, “advocates for health in their own community.”

With nearly 25,000 residents, Ottumwa was selected because of its health needs, as well as its “willingness to work with us,” says Edith Parker, director of the PRC and head of the Department of Community and Behavioral Health in the UI College of Public Health.

A Community Advisory Board was established to collaborate on identifying concerns, developing a community survey, and partnering with the center on other initiatives.

The project will work on developing long-term solutions and creating evidence-based protocols, like a community walking program, that can be replicated in other Iowa communities, as well as the Midwest, Baquero says, “So this is not just a one-time thing.”

The study also will follow residents over the next two to three years to assess the community-wide impact of the program.

“Our commitment to Ottumwa is long-term,” Parker says. “We want to establish a lasting relationship. That’s our promise.”

To learn more about Active Ottumwa, visit the UI Prevention Research Center website. View an Active Ottumwa video here.