141st APHA Annual Meeting

In This section

290664
Improving health outcomes through health literacy and integrative health: The canyon ranch institute life enhancement program

Monday, November 4, 2013 : 5:00 PM - 5:15 PM

Chuck Palm, MPH , Canyon Ranch Institute Life Enhancement Program, Canyon Ranch Institute, Tucson, AZ
Andrew Pleasant, PhD , Health Literacy and Research Director, Canyon Ranch Institute, Tucson, AZ
Jennifer Cabe, MA , Executive Director, Canyon Ranch Institute, Tucson, AZ
Paloma Hernandez, MS MPH , Urban Health Plan, Inc., Bronx, NY
Debbie Lester, LMSW , Institute for the Advancement of Community Health, Urban Health Plan, Inc., Bronx, NY
Samuel DeLeon, MD , Medical Affairs, Urban Health Plan, Inc., Bronx, NY
Amy Michael , Chief Operations Officer, Sullivan County Memorial Hospital, Milan, MO
Martha Gragg, RN MSN , Chief Executive Officer, Sullivan County Memorial Hospital, Milan, MO
Colleen Cross, MA , Department of Public Health and Research, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH
Nancy Johnson, RN PhD , Chief Operations Officer, El Rio Community Health Center, Tucson, AZ
Julia Strange , Tucson Medical Center, Tucson, AZ
Mary Atkinson, RD , Tucson Medical Center, Tucson, AZ
Richard Carmona, MD MPH FACS , President, Board of Directors, Canyon Ranch Institute, Tucson, AZ
Low health literacy may cause individuals to struggle with adoption and adherence to healthy behaviors that improve or prevent chronic diseases, such as diabetes and heart disease. Results from the Canyon Ranch Institute Life Enhancement Program (CRI LEP), targeted to low-income communities throughout the U.S. demonstrate that an integrative health program based on the best practices of health literacy approach can create statistically and clinically significant improvements in mental and physical health. Through hands-on activities aimed at increasing health literacy, CRI LEP participants across a broad age, race, and ethnicity spectrum at sites in New York, Ohio, Missouri, and Arizona develop measurably higher levels of self-efficacy and sense of empowerment to improve their health. The CRI LEP works within the core principles of the Calgary Charter on Health Literacy and uses evidence-based techniques such as the “teach back” method. Local community partner teams of professionals in integrative health, nutrition, fitness, pharmacy, behavioral health, and spirituality provide 36 hours of community-based participatory and hands-on group sessions, fitness instruction, live cooking demonstrations, social support, a nutritionist-guided grocery store trip, and provide at least four one-hour one-on-one planning consultations per participant. Evaluation from multiple cohorts indicate healthy changes in depression (NY-32%/MO-43%/AZ-45%), in stress (NY-47%/MO-16%/AZ-19%), in systolic blood pressure (NY-7%/MO-4%/AZ-20%); reductions in the number of mentally and physically unhealthy days in the previous month (NY-66%/MO-23%/AZ-35%), and other improvements in behavior and physical and mental health. The most up-to-date data available from five ongoing program sites will be included in this presentation.

Learning Areas:
Administer health education strategies, interventions and programs
Assessment of individual and community needs for health education
Chronic disease management and prevention
Diversity and culture
Implementation of health education strategies, interventions and programs
Public health or related research

Learning Objectives:
Discuss a public health intervention that effectively integrates health literacy and integrative health. Explain how an integrative approach to prevention and health literacy can transform the health care system in the United States.

Keywords: Health Literacy, Underserved Populations

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have been working in the field of public health for over 20 years, have a masters degree in public health, and am manager of the Canyon Ranch Institute Life Enhancement Program.
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.