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Abstract #161559

Ilene Katz Jewell, MSHyg, Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, 130 Desoto Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, 412-624-3612, ikatz@pitt.edu, Ravi K. Sharma, PhD, Deptartmant of Behavioral and Community Health Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Graduate School of Public Health, 228 Parran Hall, 130 DeSoto Street, Pittsburg, PA 15261, Gerald Barron, MPH, Center for Public Health Practice, University of Pittsburgh, 3109 Forbes Ave, Suite 210, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, and Edmund Ricci, PhD, MLitt, Behavioral and Community Health Sciences, Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, 130 DeSoto St., Pittsburgh, PA 15261.

A population's health is influenced by many factors including its physical environment, culture and value systems, biology, socioeconomic stratification and personal health behaviors. In local communities across the nation there are many institutions and agencies that try to positively impact the health of residents. In 2002, the Allegheny County Health Department (including Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) in partnership with the University of Pittsburgh's Graduate School of Public Health brought together a group of governmental and voluntary community organizations to design and implement a behavior health risk survey. The study used Core and Option Modules of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey (BRFSS) to assess the prevalence of health problems in the county. To maximize the range and usefulness of information collected, the health department invited other interested community agencies to participate. Agencies that participated provided funding and participated in the survey design.

During 2002, a total of 4,750 randomly selected adult residents of Allegheny County completed interviews. A disproportionate stratified sample design was used. Areas with high concentrations of African Americans were over-sampled. Computer-assisted telephone interviews were conducted with each completed interview taking about 30 minutes. The survey included 258 questions. The data are being used to plan interventions targeted to specific health problems of the citizens of Allegheny County. Subsequent surveys (every 4 years) will be conducted to evaluate the progress of change in the community.

During the presentation we will discuss the methodological/implementation issues and the nature/composition of the collaborative.

Learning Objectives:

• Discuss unique ways to develop collaborations of voluntary and government agencies to collect baseline health data in a local community.
• Recognize the benefits of partnering in a local community to achieve the goals of many for the benefit of citizens in the community.
• Develop a needs assessment in a local community that incorporates a wide range of health information for a variety of groups that share responsibility for design and funding.

Keywords: Needs Assessment, Collaboration

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No
Any institutionally-contracted trials related to this submission?

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.