The CDC recently awarded Fulton County's Department of Health and Wellness (FDHW) a four-year Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health Demonstration Project (REACH 2010) to improve cardiovascular (CV) health outcomes among individuals residing in Atlanta, GA's Empowerment Zone (EZ). The EZ is a federally designated economically disadvantaged community comprised of 98% African Americans. The FDHW's weighted-BRFSS was used to calculate rate ratios and 95% confidence intervals (RR/95% CI) to compare baseline differences in the prevalence of major CV risk factors between men and women aged >18 in the EZ to those residing elsewhere in the County; a two-tailed significance cutpoint of p < 0.05 was established. Smoking rates among men in the EZ were double that of men who lived elsewhere in the County (RR/95% CI=2.0/1.9-2.1); rates were also higher among EZ women (RR/95% CI=1.4/.39 -1.5). Men and women in the EZ were almost twice as likely to be physically inactive (RR/95% CI=1.6/1.5-1.6 and 1.8/1.7-1.8, respectively). Prevalence rates for diabetes and excess weight were similarly higher among EZ women (RR/95% CI=1.9/1.1-2.0 and 1.8/1.8-2.0, respectively). Public resources were allocated to facilitate Healthy People 2010 federal policy objectives of reducing racial/ethnic disparities in health. The FDHW's BRFSS will be used, in conjunction with other evaluation tools, to monitor interventions efforts to improve baseline CV disparities among African American men and women residing in Atlanta's EZ.
Learning Objectives: N/A
Keywords: Community Health, Minority Health
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: N/A
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.