Oral

For the past three decades our nation has taken strides to address health disparities. While there has been some success in documenting racial and ethnic health disparities, there has been little progress toward eliminating them. In fact, studies have found that racial and ethnic health disparities in some urban centers are widening. One reason for the lack of progress may be the paucity of meaningful risk factor survey data, which have the potential to shape effective community-based initiatives aimed at eliminating disparities. Urban centers throughout the United States are finding creative ways to gather such local data on disease prevalence and associated risk factors to guide local public health initiatives. For instance, the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene has utilized epidemiological data from its many community health surveys to improve nutrition, diet and exercise for the cityˇ¦s residents. King County (which includes Seattle) likewise conducts a local health survey of its residents to shape several initiatives such as its Healthy Communities Program. Los Angeles and Alameda County have similarly employed local data taken from the California Health Interview Survey to develop effective interventions for improved health for different racial and ethnic minority groups often underrepresented by existing state and national surveys. In Chicago, community survey data have led to multiple public-private and community-driven initiatives addressing health issues such as smoking, pediatric asthma, obesity and diabetes. All of these efforts have been pursued in response to the growing need to not only document the health of local populations but also use the data to address disparities in health. We propose this Special Session in an effort to compare and contrast how public health departments and research institutions inform local public health practices with local data. Panelists will: (1) describe how their specific city or county gathers risk factor data for local populations, particularly racial and ethnic minority groups; and (2) share examples of how these data are then used to guide new interventions and policies.

Session Objectives: - Compare and contrast different methods used to collect local data and local estimates about disease outcomes and risk factors; - Understand the importance of local health data and how they relate to existing data when profiling community health and targeting health promotion efforts; - Recognize the different ways local data can be used to more effectively target interventions and obtain funding to address racial and ethnic disparities in health.

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