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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Assessing Progress towards Healthy People 2010 Measurable Goals in a Large Metropolitan City

Witold Migala, PhD, MPH, Michael J. Kazda, MA, and Dorian Villegas, PhD, MPH. Public Health Department/Epidemiology, City of Fort Worth, 1800 University Drive, Room 218, Fort Worth, TX 76107, 817-871-7362, Witold.Migala@fortworthgov.org

To determine progress towards the attainment of Healthy People 2010 measurable goals, generation and analysis of reliable local data is essential. Periodic review of various municipal data sources helps capture progress towards target initiatives. The City of Fort Worth Public Health Department monitors attainment of Healthy People 2010 goals by assimilating data generated by annual vital records reports, regular health and social service assessment surveys and a comprehensive community needs assessment that is conducted every five years. Mortality and natality data provide empirical measures, whereas internal assessments and other community cross-sectional studies provide subjective insights towards inferring morbidity and health status. Formal analyses of available data streams promote both refinement of health interventions and provide a measure of progress towards 2010 goals. Additionally, by collecting data with geographical identifiers, measures can be stratified by sub-populations and utilized to identify health disparities and ensure essential services are delivered through culturally and linguistically appropriate methods. An ongoing analysis of these data allows assessing the progress in attaining objectives and assists in establishing local priority initiatives. A combination of local assessment activities and the continuous analysis of traditional data streams provide local data that allows for reliable projection of local attainment of 2010 goals.

Learning Objectives:

Keywords: Healthy People 2000/2010, Health Assessment

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No

Evidence Based Policy and Practice

The 134th Annual Meeting & Exposition (November 4-8, 2006) of APHA