Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #108633

Karen C. Foster, School of Public Health, University of Nevada, Reno, 788 Delmar Way, Reno, NV 89509, 775-337-6483, powerup100@charter.net and Deborah Ballard-Reisch, PhD, School of Public Health, University of Nevada, 274/University of Nevada, Reno, NV 89557.

Healthy People 2010 advances and public health research supports the need for the promotion of healthy behaviors in adult populations, particularly those related to tobacco use and obesity prevention. Partnerships between private sector and academic partners are crucial components in promoting behavior change and healthier lifestyles. Beginning in August 2004, the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR) School of Public Health and Sierra Pacific Power Company, along with Sierra Pacific health plan providers, developed an academic/workplace partnership to promote the health and wellness of Sierra Pacific employees in four targeted health risk areas: tobacco use, cholesterol level, blood pressure, and body mass index. Involving MPH students in a graduate level behavior change course, this project addressed four specific objectives:

1) Development and pilot testing of a Readiness to Change Health Behaviors Survey for Sierra Pacific employees to assess their readiness to change health behaviors related to the four targeted risk factors 2) Promotion of healthy behavior change by linking employees to available programs offered by health plan providers and Sierra Pacific 3) Provision of information to Sierra Pacific Power Company regarding employee needs and desired formats/strategies for behavior change initiatives in the four targeted health risk factors 4) Assistance to Sierra Pacific Power Company in the development of a comprehensive employee behavior change assessment and support program.

This presentation reports on the results of these initiatives as well as the benefits of this academic/workplace partnership for MPH students, Sierra Pacific employees and administration, and health benefits providers.

Learning Objectives: This session will describe an academic/private partnership designed to improve employee health risk behaviors. At the conclusion of this session, participants will be able to

• Identify opportunities within their own communities for establishing successful academic/private public health partnerships;
• Recognize the steps necessary to make such a partnership a successful one for all stakeholders;
• Apply a similar process in their local academic and private sector environment.

Keywords: Public/Private Partnerships, Behavioral Research

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.