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

Abstract #59478

Amy Schulz, PhD¹, Srimathi Kannan, PhD², J. Timothy Dvonch, PhD³, Barbara A. Israel, DrPH¹, Carmen Stokes, NP⁴, and Pat Miller⁵. (1) Health Behavior and Health Education, University of Michigan, School of Public Health, 5134 SPH II, 1420 Washington Heights, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, 734-647-0221, ajschulz@umich.edu, (2) Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University of Michigan School of Public Health Human Nutrition Program, 1420 Washington Heights, School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, (3) Environmental Health Sciences, University of Michigan, 109 Observatory St., 1608A SPH I, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2029, (4) University of Detroit Mercy, 14350 Warwick, Detroit, MI 48223, (5) Southwest Counseling and Development Services, 1700 Waterman, Detroit, MI 48209

This presentation describes a conceptual framework and the use of a community-based participatory research (CBPR) strategy to examine social determinants of cardiovascular disease risk in an urban community, and implications of this framework and CBPR multi-level interventions to address social determinants of health disparities. Our conceptual framework links racial and socioeconomic inequalities to aspects of the social and physical environments, and in turn to more proximate risk and protective factors (e.g., health related behaviors, nutrient levels) associated with cardiovascular disease. We will describe the use of a CBPR process that engages community members, health care practitioners and academic researchers in a collaborative effort to gather data that links social and physical environmental exposures to risk factors for cardiovascular disease in an urban community. We will present implications of this conceptual model and preliminary results for community planning and policy level interventions to address social determinants of cardiovascular health in urban areas.

Learning Objectives:

• Describe a conceptual framework for understanding contributions of social inequalities, through their implications for aspects of the social context and the physical environmnet, for risk factors for cardiovascular disease;
• Describe strategies for engaging community members, health care practitioners and academic researchers in collaboratively designing and implementing a study to examine social determinants of cardiovascular disease in Detroit;
• Discuss implications for community planning and policy interventions to address social determinants of cardiovascular health.

Keywords: Community-Based Public Health, Social Inequalities

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.