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Basia Belza

she/her
Photo of Basia Belza

basiab@uw.edu

Professor

Biobehavioral Nursing & Health Informatics

Profile
My scholarship is focused on the dissemination and implementation of evidence- and community-based health promotion programs for older adults. In my doctoral program I developed and tested the Multidimensional Assessment of Fatigue scale that is now available in 40 languages and has been used in 102+ published studies by other investigators. Realizing the value of but lack of physical activity programs for older adults I contributed to the science for a community-based exercise program called EnhanceFitness through authoring 15+ data-based publications. Our research was instrumental in helping EnhanceFitness be approved for use by people with arthritis and adopted by the arthritis program at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). With funding from the CDC, I served as PI on three Special Interest Projects (SIP). First, as lead of the Coordinating Center for the Healthy Aging Research Network (HAN) (2009-2014) and in partnership with the CDC Healthy Aging Program, I oversaw the development and implementation of a national research and dissemination agenda related to the public health aspects of healthy aging. Under my leadership, HAN contributed to the improved understanding of the science of dissemination and implementation and provided technical assistance and support for the evidence-based health promotion movement. Second, as lead of the Coordinating Center for the Healthy Brain Research Network (HBRN) (2014-2019) we established and advanced a public health research, translation, and dissemination agenda that promoted cognitive health, addressed cognitive impairment, and helped meet the needs of care partners. And third, as lead of a SIP on Mall Walking (2015-2017), we evaluated the evidence on mall walking and conducted environmental assessments of malls and interviews with mall walkers and managers in which we identified strengths and opportunities with mall walking programs and developed the first ever Mall Walking: A Program Resource Guide. Building on the success of the HBRN, I am currently involved in several cognitive health projects including improved assessment of cognition in primary care, evaluation of the Dementia Care Practice Recommendations in long-term care, and implementation of the SHARP program in Seattle. Through our teams collaborative efforts, we have collectively built partnerships, expanded the public health understanding of healthy aging, disseminated findings to our stakeholders, and impacted policy.
Journal Articles
  • 2024. "Evaluating Cognitive Impairment in a Large Health Care System: The Cognition in Primary Care Program." Journal of Alzheimer's disease : JAD 99. 493-501.
  • 2024. "Urinary concerns among older adults: a qualitative analysis in the context of healthy aging." BMC geriatrics 24. 605.
  • 2024. "Understanding the Experience of Social Isolation Among Chinese American Older Adults Through a Constructivist Lens." Journal of gerontological nursing 50. 3-5.
  • 2024. "Eating experiences in people living with dementia: A concept analysis using Rodgers's methodology." Journal of advanced nursing.
  • 2023. "Implementation and impact of a Dementia Friends pilot." Dementia (London, England) 22. 493-513.
  • 2023. "At-Home Exercise Programming: Including Voices of People Living With Dementia and Their Care Partners When Designing Interventions." Journal of gerontological nursing 49. 2-4.
  • 2023. "Association of Perceived Neighborhood Environments With Cognitive Function in Older Adults." Journal of gerontological nursing 49. 35-41.
  • 2023. "Mediating role of walking between perceived and objective walkability and cognitive function in older adults." Health & place 79. 102943.
  • 2023. "Are Patients Who Are Unconscious Able to Understand and Perceive Their Environment? An Existential Perspective of Providing Care." Journal of gerontological nursing 49. 3-5.
  • 2023. "Developing a cognitive assessment toolkit for primary care: qualitative assessment of providers' needs and perceptions of usability in clinical practice." BMC health services research 23. 1006.
  • 2023. "Is Every Meal a Message? Understanding the Eating Experience of Persons Living With Dementia Through Heideggerian Phenomenology." Journal of gerontological nursing 49. 3-4.
  • 2022. "Frailty measurements in hospitalised orthopaedic populations age 65 and older: A scoping review." Journal of clinical nursing 31. 1149-1163.
  • 2022. "Clinical-community linkages as a strategy for increasing evidence-based program reach: Results of the PT-REFER randomized controlled trial with older adults and YMCA associations." Contemporary clinical trials communications 26. 100888.
  • 2022. "Training the next generation of aging and cognitive health researchers." Gerontology & geriatrics education 43. 185-201.
  • 2022. "A Portrait of Ageism: Worth (More Than) a Thousand Words." Journal of gerontological nursing 48. 2-4.
  • 2022. "Engaging With Aging: A Qualitative Study of Age-Related Changes and Adaptations." Innovation in aging 6. igac054.
  • 2022. "Perceptions and Beliefs of Memory Loss and Dementia Among Korean, Samoan, Cambodian, and Chinese Older Adults: A Cross-Cultural Qualitative Study." Journal of gerontological nursing 48. 40-48.
  • 2022. "A comprehensive health education plus monitoring support program for older adults with knee osteoarthritis coexisting with overweight and type 2 diabetes." International journal of nursing sciences 9. 512-520.
  • 2021. "A Typical Week With Mild Cognitive Impairment." The Gerontologist 61. 1095-1106.
  • 2021. "Exploring the impact of workforce turnover on the sustainability of evidence-based programs: A scoping review." Implementation research and practice 2. 26334895211034581.
  • 2021. "Bearing Witness in Oncology Nursing: Sharing in Suffering Across the Cancer Care Trajectory." Clinical journal of oncology nursing 25. 470-473.
  • 2021. "Applying Engaging With Aging in the Era of COVID-19." Journal of gerontological nursing 47. 3-5.
  • 2021. "Imagine a World With Limited Sound and Light." Journal of gerontological nursing 47. 3-4.
  • 2020. "Predicting hospital outcomes with the reported edmonton frail scale-Thai version in orthopaedic older patients." Journal of clinical nursing 29. 4708-4719.
Classes
  • NMETH 499: Undergraduate Research
  • NURS 588: Philosophical Inquiry and Nursing Science
  • NURS 610: Teaching Practicum
Grants
  • Dementia Care Practice Recommendations (DCPR): Organization-Wide Coaching and Implementation Pilot in Montana, Alzheimer's Association
  • Dementia Care Practice Recommendations (DCPR): Organization-Wide Coaching and Implementation Pilot in Washington, Alzheimer's Association
  • Association’s Dementia Care Practice Recommendations (DCPR) Ohio, Alzheimer's Association