The CDC recently awarded Fulton County’s Department of Health and Wellness (FDHW) a 4-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. State calendar-year 1998 hospital data were used to calculate and compare baseline differences in age and population-adjusted rate ratios (RR) and 99% confidence intervals (CI) for preventable CV-related hospitalizations among men and women aged >18 residing in the EZ to those residing elsewhere in the County. Admission rates for congestive heart failure were over 6 times higher among men in the EZ and 5 times higher among women (RR/99% CI=6.6/5.7-7.5 and 5.0/4.4-7.0, respectively). Hospitalization for angina was 2.8 times higher among women (99% CI=1.3-6.0). Admission rates for diabetes were 7.2 and 5.8 times higher among EZ men and women (99% CI=5.8 –8.9 and 4.8-7.0, respectively). Admission rates for hypertension were similar (RR/99% CI=6.2/1.2-13.4 and 7.9/5.0-13.1, respectively for men and women). Admission rates for stroke were 3.2 times higher among men and twice as high among women compared to those living elsewhere in the County (99% CI=2.3-4.2 and 1.5-2.9, respectively). The FDHW will use hospital data, along with other evaluation indices, to monitor immediate and long-term intervention efforts to improve CV disparities among African American men and women residing in Atlanta’s EZ. See N/A
Learning Objectives: N/A
Keywords: Minority Health, Community 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.