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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Recorded presentation

Janie Canty-Mitchell, PhD, RN and Judith Karshmer, PhD, RN. College of Nursing, University of South Florida, 12901 Bruce B. Downs Blvd, MDC 22, Tampa, FL 33612, 813-974-1169, jcantymi@hsc.usf.edu

Eliminating health disparities is one of the two overarching goals of Healthy People 2010. Whereas, many of the health disparity initiatives have targeted adults, more attention needs to be focused on promoting healthy lifestyles and reducing health disparities in children and adolescents. An ideal means of providing training on health disparities would be to include such information in the curriculum of students enrolled in nursing, public health, or other health professional programs. The University of South Florida (USF), College of Nursing, offers an innovative service-learning course designed to partner with communities to deliver evidence-based health promotion programs to underserved children, adolescents, and their families in health professional shortage areas. Partnerships were established with community health centers, neighborhood groups, public schools, local boys and girls clubs, migrant health centers, homeless programs, the Florida chapter of the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, and the USF Area Health Education Center. Community partners identified priority health needs. Based on the agency needs, students and faculty worked together to plan, develop, and implement focused evidenced-based health programs. Community agencies provided the program space, assisted in recruiting efforts, and provided incentives as appropriate. In a two-year period of time, students and faculty delivered evidence-based health promotion programs to over 200 minority children, adolescents, or families that addressed child asthma; nutrition and fitness; obesity; alcohol, tobacco, and drug use; immunizations; and childhood safety. Program implementation have resulted in grant funding, new university-community partnerships, and increased involvement of community agencies into child and adolescent health issues. Implications for public health nursing research, practice, and education will be discussed.

Learning Objectives: At the end of the session, participants will be able to

• Identify factors contributing to child and adolescent health disparities.
• Discuss one of several processes for developing community partnerships to address child/adolescent health disparities.
• Incorporate community-partnered, child/adolescent health promotion programs into the curriculum of health professional students.

Keywords: Health Disparities, Children and Adolescents

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No

Recorded presentation