284968
Utilizing existing successful public health collaborations between local health departments and school districts as models for future joint program development
Tuesday, November 5, 2013
Kaitlin O'Keefe, MPH,
UCLA Center for Public Health and Disasters, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
Melissa M. Kelley, MS,
School of Public Health, Community Health Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
Katie Arrington, MPH,
UCLA Center for Public Health and Disasters, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
Kimberley Shoaf, DrPH,
Fielding School of Public Health, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
Background: While school districts have the responsibility of protecting their students, they must rely on aide from outside organizations in developing activities for promoting student health. Joint efforts between local health departments (LHDs) and school districts can be instrumental in improving implemented public health programs. Previously effective collaborations should be used as models in developing future programs to increase the likelihood of successful implementation. Purpose: This project was designed to identify existing public health collaborations which both LHDs and school districts perceived to have had the most successful implementation. Methods: Questionnaires regarding collaborative efforts were distributed to a nationally representative stratified random sample of 750 LHDs and school districts. Analysis focused on responses regarding specific joint programs identified as the most successful by each organization. Similar programs were grouped into defined categories for analysis. Results: Collaboration categories indicated most frequently by LHDs as having the most success included immunization campaigns, influenza (H1N1/seasonal) efforts, and surveillance activities (identified by 21.3%, 16.3% and 11.9% of LHDs respectively). Collaboration categories indicated most frequently by school districts as having the most success included influenza (H1N1/seasonal) efforts and immunization campaigns (identified by 28.9% and 26.3% of school districts respectively). Conclusions: As immunization campaigns and influenza (H1N1/seasonal) efforts were identified by both organizations as the most successful existing collaborations, these can be used as models in the development of future joint programs. Significance: Improving organizational collaborations can effectively enhance the ability of both school districts and LHDs to protect the vulnerable population of children and adolescents.
Learning Areas:
Implementation of health education strategies, interventions and programs
Other professions or practice related to public health
Planning of health education strategies, interventions, and programs
Program planning
Public health administration or related administration
Learning Objectives:
Describe the most successful existing public health collaborations identified by participating local health departments.
Describe the most successful existing public health collaborations identified by participating school districts.
Discuss the implications of these findings for the future development of enhanced joint public health efforts between local health departments and school districts.
Keyword(s): School-Based Programs, Collaboration
Presenting author's disclosure statement:Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have completed the analysis and abstract composition for this project. I am currently a doctoral student in the Department of Epidemiology at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health. I am a graduate student researcher at the UCLA Center for Public Health and Disasters.
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.
