142nd APHA Annual Meeting and Exposition

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Community exchange of “best practices” to conduct a multi-level, mixed methods health assessment across two counties: Faith-Academic Initiative for Transforming Health (FAITH) in the Delta

142nd APHA Annual Meeting and Exposition (November 15 - November 19, 2014): http://www.apha.org/events-and-meetings/annual
Wednesday, November 19, 2014 : 8:30 AM - 8:50 AM

Karen Yeary, PhD , Health Behavior and Health Education Department, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR
Keneshia Bryant, PhD, RN, APN , College of Nursing & College of Public Health, University of Arkansas for Medical Studies, Little Rock, AR
TIffany Haynes, PhD , University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR
Jerome Turner, MS , Boys Girls Adult Community Development Center, Marvell, AR
Johnny Smith , Shiloh Baptist Church, Pine Bluff, AR
Johnny Smith , Shiloh Baptist Church, Pine Bluff, AR
Dennis Kuo, MD , College of Medicine, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR
M. Kate Stewart, MD, MPH , Office of Community-Based Public Health, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health, Little Rock, AR
Songthip Ounpraseuth, PhD , Fay W. Boozman COPH, Biostatistics, Univ. of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR
Stephanie Williams, MPH , University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR
Kimberly Harris, PhD , University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR
Brittany Hudson, BS , Translational Research Institute, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR
J. Sullivan, MD, MSPH , Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Translational Research Institute, Little Rock, AR
OBJECTIVES: Approximately 17 percent of Americans—over 51 million—live in rural areas, including some of the most underserved areas of the country. African Americans in the rural South are a special sub-group of rural residents. Previous research has found that these communities are wary of health interventions. Thus, community engagement is necessary for interventions to be optimally utilized. Two rural counties exchanged their “best practices” to identify community health issues using multi-level data collected from a mixed-methods approach.  

METHODS: Faith-Academic Initiative for Transforming Health (FAITH) in the Delta takes place in two underserved counties in Arkansas. Phillips County taught Jefferson County how to develop a county-wide faith-health network, including specific strategic planning regarding community engagement and group development. Jefferson County taught Phillips County how to design a community-led electronic assessment, including procedures for survey design and data collection. This exchange of “best practices” led to a planned health assessment of 40 churches and four focus groups with religious and community leaders across two counties.

RESULTS: To date, community partners have collected survey data from 26 churches (n=448). Four focus groups (n=22) have been completed. Complete results, including the health issues identified by the counties through the triangulation of quantitative with qualitative data, will be presented.  

CONCLUSIONS: Few studies have conducted a multi-level health assessment that utilized mixed methods, whereby community partners disseminate their strengths to identify health issues to address. FAITH in the Delta is a useful model for those seeking to engage communities in community-based issue identification.

Learning Areas:

Assessment of individual and community needs for health education
Diversity and culture
Planning of health education strategies, interventions, and programs
Program planning
Public health or related research

Learning Objectives:
Describe how community and academic partners worked together to conduct a multi-level health assessment that utilized mixed methods. Describe how community partners exchanged “best practices” to be able to conduct the health assessment across 2 counties Name at least 3 ways to engage community partners’ strengths in developing and conducting a health assessment Discuss how data can be triangulated in community-based issue identification

Keyword(s): Health Assessment, Community-Based Research (CBPR)

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have been the principal or co-principal of multiple federally funded grants in community-based participatory research.
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: 5036.0: The Scholarship of Community-Based Participatory Research