The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA

Abstract #58208

Michele A. Kelley, ScD, MSW, School of Public Health, University of Illinois at Chicago, 1603 W. Taylor Street, Chicago, IL 60612, 312 413-3225, makelley@uic.edu, Alejandro L. Molina, Puerto Rican Cultural Center, 1671 N. Claremont, Chicago, IL 60647, Jeannie Belinda Concha, MPH, School of Public Health, University of Illinois at Chicago School of Public Health, 1603 W. Taylor, Chicago, IL 60612, Noel Chavez, PhD, RD, LD, Community Health Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago School of Public Health, 2035 W. Taylor, MC923, Chicago, IL 60612, and Jaime Delgado, School of Public Health; Community Outreach Intervention Projects, University of Illinois at Chicago, 1603 W. Taylor, Chicago, IL 60612.

The nature and role of social capital in population health is a topic of increasing interest to public health scientist and practitioners. A collaborative case study was conducted on the meaning and use of social capital in a community driven, federally funded HIV prevention and control program in a Chicago Puerto Rican community. The overall objective was to identify the community context and processes by which social capital is intuitively developed and employed to address community health issues, specifically HIV. Data collection utilized semi-structured interviews, review of organization and community documents and history, and participant observation. The role of community-based organization as a vehicle for applying intuitive knowledge of the concept is described. A locally relevant definition of social capital and its relationship to community health and development are presented. Five organizational/program characteristics that enhance social capital are described and implications for "whole community" approaches to health are discussed.

Learning Objectives:

• At the conclusion of the session the participants in this session will be able to:
• 1. Describe the community context by which social capital constructs were developed and employed to address community health issues
• 2. Describe the community processes by which social capital constructs were developed and employed to address community health issues
• 3. Understand the participatory inquiry methods used to develop a locally relevant definition of social capital
• 4. Describe the relationship between a locally relevant definition of social capital and its relationship to community health and development

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.

Handout (.ppt format, 3227.0 kb)