266245 Community Health Workers Impacting Health and Wellness of Filipino Americans

Monday, October 29, 2012

Rhodora Ursua, MPH , Center for the Study of Asian American Health, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY
David E. Aguilar, MA , Center for the Study of Asian American Health, NYU Institute of Community Health and Research, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY
Leonida Gamboa, BS , Kalusugan Coalition, Inc., Woodside, NY
Pacita Valdellon, Ed D , Kalusugan Coalition, Inc., Woodside, NY
Zebede Dimaporo, MA , Kalusugan Coalition, Inc., Woodside, NY
Esperanza Perrella, MS , Kalusugan Coalition, Inc., Woodside, NY
Potri Ranka Manis, RN , Kalusugan Coalition, Inc., Woodside, NY
Ephraim Shapiro, PHD, MPA, MBA , School of Medicine, New York University, New York, NY
Laura Wyatt, MPH , Center for the Study of Asian American Health, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY
Mariano Rey, MD , Center for the Study of Asian American Health, Institute of Community Health and Research, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY
Chau-Trinh Shevrin, DrPH , Department of Population Health, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY
Background/Significance:

The effectiveness of Community Health Worker (CHW) programs are enhanced when driven, owned by and firmly embedded in communities themselves. Through a community-university partnership funded by a multi-year federal grant, Project AsPIRE utilizes culturally-appropriate CHW interventions to improve health access and cardiovascular health status for Filipino Americans. This population exhibits higher rates of hypertension compared to other communities.

Methods: Utilizing a randomized control design, baseline and follow up surveys were conducted with study participants to identify changes in clinical measures, support systems, health behaviors and self efficacy. Surveys also measured participants' views of the CHW's role in impacting these factors. Quarterly in-depth interviews conducted with AsPIRE's 4 CHWs also produced findings on key successes and challenges of a CHW program. With its community-based participatory research framework, study findings and strategic partnerships provide opportunities for further sustainability.

Results and Discussion: CHWs will develop and conduct a presentation about: 1) CHWs' impact on the health and wellness of underserved Filipino immigrants, empowering community members to adopt healthy behaviors across their lifespan, 2) Challenges and facilitators of implementing a CHW program (i.e. community development strategies to leverage existing community resources and garner local support to sustain CHW efforts), 3) Dissemination and advocacy strategies to raise visibility of CHWs' impact, thereby ensuring the translation of research to policy and practice.

These strategies can be adapted for other ethnic minority communities which can result in building community self-reliance and enhancing quality of life of community members served.

Learning Areas:
Advocacy for health and health education
Chronic disease management and prevention
Implementation of health education strategies, interventions and programs
Other professions or practice related to public health
Planning of health education strategies, interventions, and programs
Public health or related research

Learning Objectives:
To describe strategies to maximize the impact of Community Health Workers on the health and wellness of an underserved immigrant community To discuss community development, advocacy and dissemination strategies to garner support for the sustainability of CHWs, so lessons could be applied to other underserved communities

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have a background in community mobilizing in the Philippines and the U.S. as a community advocate and community heath worker. I have also mobilized various stakeholders, trained other CHWs and played a key role in the development and implementation of Project AsPIRE - a community-based participatory research study on CHWs' impact on the health of Filipino Americans.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

Back to: 3393.0: CHWs Impacting Health and Wellness across the Lifespan