The Midwest Roybal Center for Health Promotion and Translation promotes the adoption and maintenance of healthy behaviors among older adults of ethnic and racial minorities through research-based interventions.

Almost nine of every ten U.S. adults older than 65 have at least one chronic disease, such as osteoarthritis, diabetes or cardiovascular disease. Chronic disease burdens older adults with long-term illness and disability, diminished quality of life, and greatly increased health care costs. Older adults who adopt or maintain a physically active lifestyle are significantly more likely to maintain functional ability and prevent disability, thus improving their quality of life.

Established in 1998, the Midwest Roybal Center is based in the Center for Research on Health and Aging of the UIC Institute for Health Research and Policy, in partnership with the UIC Department on Disability and Human Development [2]. 

Susan L. Hughes, DSW [3], professor of community health sciences and co-director of the Center for Research on Health and Aging, directs the Midwest Roybal Center.

The center develops research-based interventions and shares them with organizations and health practitioners that serve older adults, communities and researchers worldwide. The center is one of 13 Edward R. Roybal Centers for Research on Applied Gerontology funded with a grant [4] from the National Institute on Aging [5].

The Midwest Roybal Center nurtures and supports the development of UIC researchers studying health promotion and maintenance of older adults by hosting two pilot grant competitions [6] each year — one dedicated to supporting doctoral dissertations, and the other open to the entire UIC scientific community.

Need more info?

Contact Saja Froukh at sfrouk2@uic.edu [7].