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The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
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The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
Denise M. Caudill, DrPH, MPH, Consultant, 2200 Dublin Rd, Oklahoma City, OK 73120, 405-755-6258, denisecaudill@cs.com
Use of simple, local household utensils as instruments for measurement in participatory data collection processes provides a non-threatening, entertaining and easily accessible environment for involvement of community residents in program needs assessment, monitoring and evaluation. Familiar measures of dry goods or liquids employed in local markets (such as widely used measures in Nepal called manas which represent four proportions – approximately 1 cup, ¾ cup, ½ cup, ¼ cup) provide a scale for estimation of prevalence of diseases and other health problems. They may also be used to rapidly gauge levels of adoption of new practices and utilization of program services. In all cases the measurement task is complemented by extensive discussion of the reasons why residents reach their conclusions, including analysis of changes over time. Alternatively these local measuring utensils have been applied to the construct of group/organizational capacity, in which community members identify capacities (such as leadership, decision-making, financial management), define indicators of levels of strength for each capacity along the scale, assess their current level, and set objectives for improvement. These participatory processes and results provide policy makers and program planners with useful insight into local conditions and perceptions. Information generated can inform the design of health surveys and enhance their relevance. At the community level, residents are actively engaged and invested in the program. Descriptions of exercises and results from using simple household utensils in community-based participatory assessment of health problems and programs in Nepal, Ghana, Madagascar, Ecuador and the USA will be presented.
Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session the participant will be able to
Keywords: Participatory Action Research, Community-Based Health Care
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
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.