4074.0: Tuesday, November 14, 2000 - Board 7

Abstract #7482

Developing a web-based geographic information system to meet the needs of local public health professionals in California

Erika Takada, MPH, Public Health Institute, California Project LEAN (Leaders Encouraging Activity and Nutrition), 601 N. 7th Street, P.O. Box 942732, MS-675, Sacramento, CA 94234-7320, 916-445-3510, etakada@dhs.ca.gov and Nestor Martinez, MPH, RD, California State Department of Health Services, California Project LEAN (Leaders Encouraging Activity and Nutrition), 601 N. 7th Street, P.O. Box 942732, MS-675, Sacramento, CA 94234-7320.

California Project LEAN (Leaders Encouraging Activity and Nutrition), a program of the California Department of Health Services and the Public Health Institute has identified the need for a web-based service designed to assist local public health professionals and their community partners in more effectively identifying and meeting the nutrition and physical activity needs of low-income Californians. What CPL has done to help meet this need is to develop a web-based GIS (Geographic Information System) application that will primarily facilitate information dissemination and sharing. This web site contains local information about available public health services and contacts related to nutrition and physical activity, and houses a GIS component that can be used to identify the demographic characteristics of low-income populations in specific regions throughout California and their relationship to the location of appropriate resources. The goal of developing a web-based GIS is to further strengthen the network of local public health professionals by building and making accessible a more comprehensive source of public health nutrition, physical activity, and prevention information, with a database of the most currently available resources and contacts, and their geographic distribution. A three-month evaluation will be conducted to examine its usage.

Learning Objectives:

  • At the conclusion of the session, the participant (learner) in this session will be able to: 1. Use and access a web-based GIS.
  • 2. Describe its usefullness for community assessment and planning for public health programs.
  • 3. List components to the evaluation of a web-based GIS application.
  • Keywords: Geographic Information Systems, Community Planning

    Presenting author's disclosure statement:
    Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
    I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.

    The 128th Annual Meeting of APHA