Abstract

Promoting best practices with an urban American Indian community: Utilizing an academic-community partnership for a comprehensive community health needs assessment

Nicole Yuan, PhD, MPH1, Amanda Hunter, MPH1, James Cunningham, PhD2, Tyra Protho, BA1, Francine Gachupin, PhD1 and Coco Tirambulo, BA1
(1)University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, (2)The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ

APHA's 2019 Annual Meeting and Expo (Nov. 2 - Nov. 6)

Background: Urban Indian Health Organizations (UIHOs) conduct community health needs assessments to identify priorities for programming and service delivery and to meet funding requirements. Many UIHOs lack resources necessary to follow best practices for needs assessments. This presentation describes a collaboration of the Tucson Indian Center and the University of Arizona to conduct a comprehensive needs assessment. The assessment methodology and results for a sample of conditions (diabetes, respiratory conditions, mental health and alcohol misuse) are documented. Methods: The data collection methods included healthcare facility data, modified version of the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) survey, self-administered community health survey, key informant interviews with local stakeholders, and focus group interviews with community members. Findings were synthesized by health behaviors and conditions across the different methods. Results: The findings showed that for some health conditions, such as diabetes, respiratory conditions, and alcohol misuse, self-reported prevalence rates were consistent with high rates of emergency department and hospital encounters. For mental health, the prevalence rates did not match healthcare facility data. Despite high self-reported rates for mental health conditions, medical office visits were low according to the secondary data sources. Conclusion: The community-based participatory project provided a rich understanding of the complex physical and mental health needs of their community. The synthesis of findings across multiple data sources increased the value of dissemination activities to local tribal and community stakeholders and improved implementation of culturally-relevant strategies to achieve optimal health among the urban AI/AN community.

Assessment of individual and community needs for health education