141st APHA Annual Meeting

In This section

289002
Connecting to protect: Implications of a CBPR approach to illustrate geospatial patterns of adolescent HIV/STI risk indicators

Monday, November 4, 2013

April Nellum, PHD Student , School of Public Health, Division of Social and Behavioral Sciences, University of Memphis, Memphis, TN
Kristen Morrell, MPH , Shelby County Health Department Epidemiology Program, Memphis, TN
Andrea Williams, MPA , Department of Infectious Diseases, Connect to Protect Program, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis
Latrice C. Pichon, PhD, MPH, CHES , Division of Social and Behavioral Sciences, University of Memphis, School of Public Health, Memphis, TN
The utility of geospatial mapping provides depictions of disease prevalence, incidence, and social determinants of health. HIV/STI morbidity clusters in ethnic and racial minority communities stricken by poverty, low socioeconomic status, and crime. The Memphis, TN research Coalition utilized a community-based participatory research (CBPR) approach to create Geographical Information Systems (GIS) maps assessing these elements. This abstract aims to describe the CBPR process and to discuss implications for integrating GIS results into community-based HIV/STI prevention strategies. The Coalition engaged the School of Public Health and the Health Department (SCHD) to create GIS maps depicting HIV/STI morbidity among adolescents, homicides, and female-headed households. HIV/STI rates were aggregated by zip code over a five year period and compared to geospatial maps depicting morbidity rates from previous years. Homicide case counts and the percentage of female headed households were mapped by census block groups. Zip codes disproportionately affected by HIV/STI rates in 2002-2005 also were identified as the zip codes with the highest classification of HIV/STI morbidity between 2006-2010. In these same zip codes, other indicators of risk included household poverty and high rates of homicide. CBPR approaches are essential to assess a range of data sources to understand determinants of HIV/STI risk. Coalition partners will modify its practice to include use of GIS mapping to more effectively allocate resources such as targeted testing initiatives and to further assist with behavioral intervention development.

Learning Areas:
Assessment of individual and community needs for health education
Social and behavioral sciences

Learning Objectives:
Describe a process for employing CBPR to develop GIS maps illustrating social disparities and HIV/STI morbidity. Explain implications for integrating GIS mapping into community-based HIV/STI prevention strategies.

Keywords: Community-Based Partnership, Geographic Information Systems

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have a Masters in Epidemiology and experience with applying GIS to health related issues. I am a second-year doctoral student in a School of Public Health and was the lead researcher of the current project. I have worked on several funded research projects with goals of reducing/eliminating HIV disparities. My primary research interest focuses on understanding the role that social determinants play on STI/HIV risk in youth and young adults.
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.