Osteoarthritis Action Alliance (OAAA)
The Osteoarthritis Action Alliance (OAAA) is a national coalition initially created through a partnership between CDC and the Arthritis Foundation. OAAA’s purpose is to promote and respond to the goals and recommendations contained in A National Public Health Agenda for Osteoarthritis: 2020 Update [PDF – 3MB]. Now under the coordination and oversight of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, over 100 partner organizations are working together to reduce the burden of osteoarthritis through strategies that address physical activity, self-management education, injury prevention, and weight management.
OAAA promotes the prevention and control of osteoarthritis and its progression through proven interventions, public policies, communication strategies, and enhanced research initiatives.
For more information about the OAAA’s work, visit the Osteoarthritis Action Alliance websiteExternal.
Osteoarthritis Action Alliance Sub-Awards to Implement the Environmental and Policy Strategies to Increase Physical Activity Among Adults with Arthritis
The Environmental and Policy Strategies to Increase Physical Activity Among Adults with Arthritis report focuses on the benefits of physical activity and ways to make physical activity more convenient and accessible for adults with arthritis. Developed by the Arthritis Foundation in partnership with CDC and others, the report focuses on six sectors that play crucial roles in reaching, influencing, and sustaining physical activity among adults with arthritis. The OAAA, through the leadership of the University of North Carolina, continues to fund annual mini-grant awards to community organizations to implement strategies within the various sectors.
Visit the OAAA website to read the report Cdc-pdf[PDF – 3.16 MB]External and the companion Physical Activity Implementation GuideExternal.
Learn more about the projects awarded through OAAA’s mini-grant programExternal.
Osteoarthritis Resources for Action
The OAAA supports strategies to improve osteoarthritis (OA) awareness, education, and resources to address the toll of OA. The OAAA maintains current information on its website to assist individuals, community organizations, professional societies, businesses, policymakers (local, state, and federal), and others in addressing osteoarthritis locally and nationally.
- OAAA Tools and InformationExternal—A collection of webpages containing the latest data highlighting the socioeconomic burden of OA among US adults and associated solutions.
- Community Partners pageExternal—a collection of useful resources for community-based organizations looking to add CDC-recognized, evidence-based interventions to their program offerings for adults with arthritis (e.g., Walk With Ease, Fit & Strong, CDSMP, etc.). These resources can be used to help organizations make the case for adopting programs to decision makers, implement and deliver programs as designed, track participation, sustain programs long-term, and more.
- InfographicExternal—Osteoarthritis: A Central Problem—this infographic presents a one-page illustration of the socioeconomic burden of OA and strategies to take action.
The OAAA also engages partner organizations to increase OA awareness and related education for their users, followers, and professional members.
Exploring Employee Health and Wellness Benefit Packages
Through a continuing partnership with CDC and the National Association of Chronic Disease Directors (NACDD), Medworks Consulting is educating multiple employers throughout the United States about the benefits of offering evidence-based arthritis interventions as part of health and wellness benefit packages for employees. Additionally, Medworks is exploring options for workplace or insurer-related financing of these programs. They will also educate health insurance companies about the benefits of promoting arthritis-appropriate evidence-based interventions.
For more information, contact Heather Murphy at NACCD.
