2015 APHA Annual Meeting & Expo

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Recorded Annual Meeting Presentations (RAMP) are now available for purchase.
Only $90 for presenters, $140 for registered attendees and $200 for non-attendees.

Online Program

331967
School-Based Health Centers Impact on Adolescent Health in Post-Katrina New Orleans


Tuesday, November 3, 2015

Samantha Francois, PhD, Evaluation, Louisiana Public Health Institute, New Orleans, LA
Marsha Broussard, DrPH, School Health Connection, Louisiana Public Health Institute, New Orleans, LA
Kristie Bardell, MPH, Family Health, Louisiana Public Health Institute, New Orleans, LA
School Health Connection (SHC), a program of the Louisiana Public Health Institute, aims to improve the health status of students by increasing access to quality health and well-being through supporting school-based health centers (SBHC) and other school wellness programs. SHC strives to improve access to quality physical and behavioral care for students through the unique evidenced–based model of care delivery in SBHCs. An impact study was conducted by the SHC program in nine schools in 2012 utilizing a mixed-methods approach that included student focus groups, patient satisfaction surveys (n= 3,125), and a school-wide survey of students at schools with and without SBHCs. Findings determined the effectiveness of SBHCs in meeting the preventive, clinical, and behavioral / mental health needs of vulnerable students in Orleans Parish. This session will present results on the impact of SBHCs on access to comprehensive preventive and primary care services, high risk behaviors, consumption of fruits and vegetables, rates of physical activity and behavioral health. Schools with and without SBHCs will be compared to determine the effectiveness of addressing physical and behavioral health. Findings indicated that there were no differences between students with access and students without access to a SBHC with regards to nutrition and physical activity. Results illustrated that African American males in particular, are utilizing behavioral health support offered in SBHCs; and when available, all students generally utilize these services with greater frequency than community-based care.  Challenges, barriers and recommendations to addressing physical and behavioral health will be discussed during this session.

Learning Areas:

Advocacy for health and health education
Conduct evaluation related to programs, research, and other areas of practice
Planning of health education strategies, interventions, and programs
Program planning
Public health or related education

Learning Objectives:
Discuss if access to SBHC services were associated with increased access to comprehensive preventive and primary care for vulnerable students who may otherwise have limited access. Discuss if access to SBHCs were associated with decreased high risk behaviors among adolescents. Explain if SBHC use was associated with reduced use of higher cost alternatives such as emergency room use. Explain if use of SBHCs was associated with other positive health behaviors including increased consumption of fruit and vegetables, decreased consumption of sugary drinks, and increased physical activity. Compare schools with and without school-based health centers to determine the effectiveness of addressing physical and behavioral health.

Keyword(s): School-Based Health, Wellness

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: Samantha François, PhD is the Associate Director of Evaluation at the Louisiana Public Health Institute. Dr. François oversees the assessment and evaluation of the Gulf Region Health Outreach Program’s Primary Care Capacity Project and the School Health Connection programs. In this capacity, Dr. Francois supervises design and implementation of community health needs assessments, school and adolescent health needs assessments, health center assessments as well as individual- and community-level program evaluations.
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: 4286.0: School-Based Health Centers: Research and Outcomes