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

Abstract #111256

Sharon Sand, MPP¹, Amy Schulz, PhD², Idethia Shevon Harvey, MPH³, Sheryl Weir, MPH⁴, Yolanda Hill, MSW⁵, Noble A.-W. Maseru, PhD, MPH⁵, and Deanna Myrie⁵. (1) Promoting Healthy Eating in Detroit/Healthy Connections, University of Michigan, 1080 S. University, Room 3751, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, 734-647-1471, slsand@umich.edu, (2) Health Behavior and Health Education, University of Michigan, School of Public Health, 5134 SPH II, 1420 Washington Heights, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, (3) Behavioral and Community Health Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, 130 Desoto Street, 208 Parran Hall, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, (4) Department of Health Behavior and Health Education, University of Michigan, School of Public Health, 1420 Washington Heights, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, (5) Detroit Health Department, 1151 Taylor, Detroit, MI 48202

This presentation will describe the community-based participatory evaluation approach used to monitor the process and impact of a Healthy Connections Village Health Worker (HCVHW) project designed to provide screening for diabetes and high blood pressure. The HCVHW project involves a community health worker intervention strategy to provide screening for diabetes and cardiovascular disease among African American and Latina women in Detroit through project-sponsored “House Parties.” House Parties, which are held in homes, churches, and at other community sites, provide women an opportunity to come together to learn about diabetes and cardiovascular disease and to participate in screenings for these diseases. The evaluation design is formative in nature and includes both process and impact evaluation. Data collection and analysis incorporates both qualitative and quantitative methods. Process evaluation includes documentation of training activities and program activities at House Parties (e.g., screening activities, provision of information). Assessment of the effectiveness of the program includes documentation of results and recommendations provided for women screened at House Parties, and follow up to assess actions taken based on recommendations. We will describe the process through which evaluation findings are regularly shared and discussed with the Healthy Connections Advocates (community health workers), and used to generate improvements in the implementation of the intervention. We will present results from the evaluation, describe their use in collaborative problem solving activities within the partnership, and describe modifications that have been made to the HCVHW training and intervention activities based on the results of this formative evaluation.

Learning Objectives:

• Understand strengths, challenges and contributions of a community-based participatory approach to formative evaluation that includes both process and impact evaluation.
• Identify strategies for engaging community health workers in discussing evaluation results and generating more effective means to implement intervention activities.

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.