330462
An assessment of community organization and information dissemination as a foundation for policy changes to improve cardiovascular health in African-American faith-based communities
Tuesday, November 3, 2015
JaWanna Henry, MPH,
Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Maryland Baltimore, Baltimore, MD
Twanda Johnson, ABA,
Warren Grant Magnuson Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
Michael McClurkin, BA,
National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
Valerie Mitchell,
Division of Intramural Research - Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Branch, National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, Bethesda, MD
Marlene Peters-Lawrence, RN,
Division of Intramural Research - Hematology Branch, National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, Bethesda, MD
Leah Yingling, BS,
Division of Intramural Research - Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Branch, National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, Bethesda, MD
In community-based participatory research (CBPR), data dissemination is linked to program sustainability and reflected in community-level policy changes. Little is understood about CBPR dissemination efforts’ impact on church-level policies in African-American, faith-based communities. A cardiovascular health and needs assessment for developing an intervention targeting physical activity and nutrition in at-risk Washington D.C. communities (NCT: NCT01927783) was implemented in predominantly African-American, faith-based organizations. In developing a dissemination plan for assessment data, faith-based community leaders and members in Washington D.C. (maximum N=24) are recruited to attend a meeting at partnering churches to complete the Community Organization survey. This survey uses validated measures to evaluate 1) empowerment, 2) community capacity, and 3) social capital as facilitators or barriers of data dissemination. Preliminary assessment data is presented to faith-based community leaders and members followed by group discussion. This discussion provides in-depth feedback on findings most relevant to Washington D.C.’s African-American,faith-based community and ideas for other community stakeholders who might benefit from data dissemination. We also identify current and recommended policies by leaders and members for their particular faith-based organization based on study findings. We will follow-up with community leaders and members after three months to determine policy changes implemented. Outcomes include recommended church-based policy changes promoting healthy behaviors at baseline and implemented at three months. We will also identify recommended policy changes reflective of empowerment, community capacity, and social capital. Thus, dissemination efforts from a Washington, D.C. cardiovascular health and needs assessment may impact policy to promote healthy behaviors within the African-American, faith-based community.
Learning Areas:
Administration, management, leadership
Advocacy for health and health education
Public health or related laws, regulations, standards, or guidelines
Public health or related organizational policy, standards, or other guidelines
Public health or related public policy
Public health or related research
Learning Objectives:
Identify ways to utilize concepts of community organization to plan and evaluate faith-based health policy changes.
Assess the level of community organization of faith-based leaders and faith-based community members prior to a cardiovascular health intervention in predominantly African-American faith-based communities.
Describe the process for developing a dissemination plan in African-American faith-based communities.
Keyword(s): Faith Community, Policy/Policy Development
Presenting author's disclosure statement:Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am a Master of Public Health Student at the University of Maryland, Baltimore and I am an Associate Investigator AI for the Cardiovascular Health and Needs Assessment in Washington D.C. My scientific interests include physical activity and nutrition chronic disease prevention, program planning and evaluation to decrease health disparities.
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.
