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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Recorded presentation

E. Yvonne Lewis, Faith Access to Community Economic Development, 310 East Third Street, 5th Floor, Flint, MI 48503, 810-232-7733, yvonlewis@hotmail.com and Daniel J. Kruger, PhD, Prevention Research Center, University of Michigan, 1420 Washington Heights, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2029.

This presentation will focus on utilizing the results of a community-based survey to share information with faith leaders about specific health issues, especially with regard to health disparities. The goal is to empower faith leaders to act as a conduit for health related information and health promotion at a local level. We sampled 1748 households from all residential census tracts in Genesee County, Michigan. One resident over 18 years of age was randomly selected within each household and participated in a telephone interview. The survey gathered information on self-reported mental and physical health status, disease diagnoses, health access and utilization, health promoting and health adverse behaviors, neighborhood conditions, and other topics. Geographical Information Systems identified survey respondents and tabulated summary results for respondents proximal to places of worship. Faith leaders were presented with community-specific reports describing the health attributes of residents who live in the surrounding area, in order to assist with the identification issues of concern and opportunities to develop health ministries to address these issues. Faith leaders were encouraged to share this information with members of their faith community and develop means of obtaining additional information on the subjects of interest. We believe that engaging faith leaders with neighborhood specific health information will be critical in providing an understanding of the importance of their voice in improving health outcomes of their faith community, the surrounding neighborhood, and the community at large.

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

• Describe a method of collecting and using local public health data for needs assessment and intervention planning.
• Articulate three benefits of using geographical information systems in planning and evaluating public health interventions.
• Describe a method of mobilizing faith leaders to promote healthy behaviors in their faith community with local public health data.

Keywords: Faith Community, Public Health Education and Health Promotion

Related Web page: www.sph.umich.edu/prc/products/survey_info.html

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No

Recorded presentation