NICHD and Spelman College Partner on Wellness Initiative

NICHD and Spelman College have signed a memorandum of understanding to cooperate on projects to promote the health of Spelman students and the communities they will influence. These health projects will include nutrition, fitness education, and physical activity promotion.

The partnership between NICHD and Spelman arose from Spelman’s Wellness Revolution, announced in November 2012. The goal of the Wellness Revolution is to improve the health and wellness of members of the community at this historically black college for women. The Wellness Revolution is a response to the disproportionately high rates of obesity, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes among African Americans, particularly among women and rising obesity statistics for with youth.

"The National Institutes of Health seeks to improve the public’s health and wellness, through research and by communicating health information,” said Yvonne T. Maddox, Ph.D., Deputy Director of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institutes of Child Health and Human Development. “Our partnership with Spelman is an important part of that process, and we look forward to working with its officials and students to improve the lives of young women, their families, and members of their communities through education and research engagement around nutrition and physical activity."

Together, NICHD and Spelman College will:

  • Co-sponsor a wellness summit at Spelman on nutrition, physical activity, and wellness on February 6, 2014. NICHD will provide experts on nutrition in women to speak at the event.
  • Connect students to health researchers through internships and other educational opportunities to foster interest in scientific careers.
  • Educate potential national partners about the Wellness Revolution as a program to model for college women on other campuses.

Information about the initiative is available on the Spelman College Web site at http://www.spelman.edu/wellness External Web Site Policy.

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About the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD): The NICHD sponsors research on development, before and after birth; maternal, child, and family health; reproductive biology and population issues; and medical rehabilitation. For more information, visit the Institute’s Web site at http://www.nichd.nih.gov.