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

Abstract #111845

Henry Herrera, MD, The Growing Home Partnership, New York Sustainable Agriculture Working Group, 11 North Goodman Street, Suite 23, Rochester, NY 14607, 585-271-0490, hank@c-prep.org and Lynn Fredericks, FamilyCook Productions, 330 East 43rd Street, Ste.704, New York, NY 10017.

Large-scale initiatives designed to address public health goals related to obesity and chronic disease prevention are inherently complex and can benefit from the involvement of an entire web of disciplines and stakeholders. Across New York State, a group of policy-minded stakeholders from a broad range of interests have come together to form The Growing Home Partnership. This statewide group is attempting to: 1) create a systemic approach to obesity prevention grounded in practice, capacity building and policy; and 2) work with children and families in some of NY State's most at risk communities, with special emphasis on New York city through projects to increase self-sufficiency, improve nutrition and prevent obesity. The Partnership has initiated two on-the-ground demonstration projects that involve simultaneous efforts in nutrition education, community gardening and community food assessment impacting all age groups in two at risk neighborhoods of NYC. Additionally, the New York City partners are in the process of developing a food systems network that will create a venue and forum for advancing the successes of the above-mentioned projects by disseminating and utilizing the new tools and innovations that result from these projects. A preliminary evaluation of project efficacy indicates vulnerable populations can be positively impacted and inspired to be pro-active to find solutions to their food issues by a skills-building approach to diet, food access, food sovereignty and as well as social and economic justice related to one of health's most fundamental requirements—affordable, nutritious, culturally appropriate food from local non-emergency sources.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, the participant (learner) in this session will be able to

• List five indicators that can be included when assessing the state of a regional food system.
• Identify the mechanisms for self-efficacy raising as a precurser to dietary behavior change that exist when experiences of growing of food and learning more skills around cooking/preparing meals using fresh ingredients are combined in an intervention
• Recognize the value of a ‘bottom up’ process where community members begin to strategize their own solutions to quality, fresh food access in their vacintiy.

Keywords: Community Health, Obesity

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.