The first paper to be published based on the comprehensive assessment of health and quality of life of residents of The Villages was published this week in the Journal of Sexual Medicine.   Entitled “The Association of Physical and Mental Health with Sexual Activity in Older Adults in a Retirement Community”, the paper is a collaborative work from researchers in the USF College of Public Health.

Lynea E. Bach is lead author and was a graduate student in the college at the time of submission.  Her mentor James A. Mortimer, PhD, professor of epidemiology, Carla VandeWeerd, PhD, assistant professor of community and family health, and Jaime Corvin, PhD, assistant professor of global health, are co-authors on the article. Drs. VandeWeerd and Corvin also serve as the college’s two lead faculty on The Villages project.

Part of a unique partnership between USF Health and The Villages, the assessment included the largest survey ever completed by a population of active older adults. “An incredible team of faculty worked on this effort and many students have benefited from the learning experience,” said Donna J. Petersen, ScD, dean of the USF College of Public Health and interim senior vice president of USF Health.

“While this is the first paper published, many more are in process and will be emerging over the next few months.”

One of the first presentations on the survey earned the College of Public Health team the Erickson Award from the American Public Health Association, Section on Aging.

The College of Public Health’s five-year strategic plan includes a commitment to greatly increase the number of papers co-authored with students. To this end, whenever appropriate students are encouraged to take the lead and to earn the primary author spot.

“Ms. Bach has set a great standard which all of us can work to achieve,” Petersen said.

Lynea Bach earned a master of public health degree with a dual concentration in epidemiology and global communicable diseases. The USF College of Public Health, Departments of Epidemiology and Biostatistics and Global Health served as her academic home. The college offers more than 10 concentrations that lead to MHA, MPH, MSPH, DrPH, and PhD degrees, as well several dual degrees, graduate certificates, and special programs. Most recently, the college launched an online master of public health degree in epidemiology.

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