Oral

In Cameroon, it was determined that a simple and community-owned visual health information system can go a long way to boost community behavior change interventions in a sustainable manner leading to improved maternal and child health. In the case of the study concerning Global Tobacco control, future public health programs should be accompanied by a plan for creating opportunities for network interaction; otherwise adoption and diffusion will be delayed and return on investments diminished. The study Network Structure, Diffusion of Social Influence, and Cigarette Smoking Among High School Aged Youth utilizes two waves of data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, which was conducted with a nationally representative sample of adolescents in grades 7 through 12. Implications for smoking related policy for high school aged youth will be discussed. In Ethiopia, scale methodology offers an alternative to traditional scale-up approaches by beginning at scale. Intensive time is required to lay the foundation for scale approaches; a tipping point must be reached to ignite at scale change.

Session Objectives: Demonstrate how simple, community maps can be used to promote local diagnosis and action for health programs, and to monitor the results of the community efforts in Cameroon. To define demographic and social network variables associate with time of ratification of the Framework Convention for Tobacco Control. Describe how social influence flows through a network system. Review the application of a systems approach to at-scale sanitation and hygiene improvement in Amhara, Ethiopia.

CE Credits: Medical (CME), Health Education (CHES), Nursing (CNE), Public Health (CPH)