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

Abstract #66026

Karen J Williams, PhD¹, Pamela Berry-Richardson, MA², Carrie Shapiro³, Patricia Gail Bray, PhD¹, Jane Peranteau, PhD¹, and Ilana Reisz, MA¹. (1) Community Health Assessment, St. Luke's Episcopal Health Charities, 6221 Main Street, Houston, TX 77030, 713-864.7990, kwilliams4@sleh.com, (2) Family Services of Greater Houston, 4625 Lillian Street, Houston, TX 77007, (3) Epidemiology, University of Texas School of Public Health, 1200 Herman Pressler, Houston, TX 77030

Community-based participatory research is a method and research philosophy seeking to address current concerns surrounding public health research and practice, including 1) separation of researchers/ practitioners from the non-expert citizenry and 2) inattention to social systems that "shape behavior and access to resources necessary to maintain health"(Israel, 1998). St. Luke's Episcopal Health Charities (SLEHC), a grant making charity, works with community collaboratives and individuals in Houston's socioeconomically disadvantaged communities to identify community health and well being issues, develop interventions, and evaluate results. Recently SLEHC expanded its three-point assessment methodology (quantitative data profiling, key informant interviews, asset mapping) to include a participatory component involving members of a community collaborative and community researchers in the formulation of study design, data collection, analysis, and dissemination of findings. Called Project REACH (Rapid Examination and Assessment of Child and Adolescent Health), this participatory component was originally developed by The University of Texas School of Public Health and modified for this study. In this paper, we describe the community-based participatory assessment, including 1) formation of community collaboratives and their involvement in identifying the research questions and developing the study design, 2) data collection and analysis by community and research team members, 3) review of study results describing community health as it is affected by both individual behaviors/lifestyles and by the social determinants of health in the context of the community, city, state, and nation, and 4) dissemination of results and subsequent development of a community collaborative devoted exclusively to health issues.

Learning Objectives:

• Describe the SLEHC neighborhood-level health assessment model combining quantitative data (census, vital statistics, crime, and education data) with qualitative data (key informant interviews, asset mapping, and participatory research).
• Describe the components of the rapid participatory assessment methodology of Project REACH used in this study.
• Discuss three core difficulties and three core advantages to using this form of community-based participatory research.

Keywords: Community Health Assessment, Community Involvement

Related Web page: www.slehc.org/Reach/projectReach.htm

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: Madison Feeder Pattern/Central Southwest Superneighborhood Health Collaborative The University of Texas School of Public Health St. Luke's Episcopal Health Charities
I have a significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.
Relationship: Collaborative members of Madison Feeder Pattern Health Collaborative, Employee of St. Luke's Episcopal Health Charities, Grantmaker to The University of Texas School of Public Health