The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA

Abstract #43669

Alec Ulasevich, PhD, Research and Evaluation, Prospect Center/AIR, 10720 Columbia Pike, Silver Spring, MD 20901, 301-592-2156, aulasevich@prospectassoc.com and Matilde Alvarado, RN, MSN, Office of Prevention, Education, and Control, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, 31 Center Drive, MSC 2480, Buidling 31, Room 4A-16, Bethesda, MD 20892-2480.

The Salud para su Corazón (SPSC) Initiative was launched by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), in partnership with the National Council of La Raza (NCLR), the University of North Texas School of Public Health and the Metropolitan Life Foundation to promote heart-healthy practices in Latino communities through a promotores -based (lay health educators) approach. This approach reflects traditional ways health information is disseminated in Latino communities. Currently, seven community organizations are implementing SPSC in New Mexico, California, Illinois, Texas, and Rhode Island. One component of SPSC evaluation includes field data collection by promotores who record intervention received by community members and measure changes in knowledge, attitudes and behaviors. Analyses of these data focused on the relationships between indices of intervention (e.g., number of promotora visits and content covered during those visits), the organizations implementing the intervention and changes in health attitudes and behaviors. These findings are discussed in a broader context of evaluating community based health promotion initiatives such as SPSC and methodological challenges of obtaining robust data on the effectiveness of health promotion interventions.

Learning Objectives:

• Participants will learn about SPSC health promotion efforts
• Particpants will become familiar with evaluation strategy and methodological challenges to gage effectiveness of the SPSC approach to health promotion.

Keywords: Health Advocacy, Peer Education

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute
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.