Goal 4 health: Bringing the focus back to the community

A common oversight in implementing a public health education program is making assumptions about the priority population's needs. Instead, involving them in the program development provides key inspirations in developing a more relevant and comprehensive approach to address their needs. The Goal 4 Health (G4H) program, a community-campus service initiative, utilizes soccer, a key community and cultural resource, to encourage healthy lifestyle habits within the population of San Bernardino, a culturally diverse and resource poor area of Southern California. In an effort to maximize the benefits of the G4H program, a Healthy Living Activities (HLA) curriculum geared towards the parents was integrated with the soccer league. An evaluation of previous seasons revealed that parents have not shown a significant level of interest in the HLA curriculum. In order to investigate ways to modify the curriculum to promote greater involvement, a team of Public Health students, in partnership with the G4H staff, conducted a mixed methods needs and assets assessment that incorporated priority population (parents) involvement by asking them what they want, rather than assuming. The assessment included focus groups (n=4), key informant interviews (n=4), and a survey (n=11) to identify the barriers to involvement and potential improvement. The results identified barriers such as a lack of curriculum organization and relevant courses. Furthermore, parents recommended key health topics such as stress and weight management, and reading nutrition labels. The team implemented and evaluated these recommendations with modified structural methods to increase parental participation and ultimately improve the community's health outcomes.