Health promotion practice
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Health promotion practice · Jan 2015
Integrating community health workers into a patient-centered medical home to support disease self-management among Vietnamese Americans: lessons learned.
There is evidence that patient-centered medical homes (PCMHs) and community health workers (CHWs) improve chronic disease management. There are few models for integrating CHWs into PCMHs in order to enhance disease self-management support among diverse populations. In this article, we describe how a community-based nonprofit agency, a PCMH, and academic partners collaborated to develop and implement the Patient Resource and Education Program (PREP). ⋯ Throughout the program, we conducted process evaluation through structured team meetings and patient satisfaction surveys. We describe successes and challenges associated with PREP delivery including patient recruitment, structuring/documenting visits, and establishing effective care team integration, work flow, and communication. Strategies for mitigating these issues are presented, and we make recommendations for other PCMHs seeking to integrate CHWs into care teams.
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Health promotion practice · Jan 2015
CDC's Health Equity Resource Toolkit: disseminating guidance for state practitioners to address obesity disparities.
Obesity has been on the rise in the United States over the past three decades, and is high. In addition to population-wide trends, it is clear that obesity affects some groups more than others and can be associated with age, income, education, gender, race and ethnicity, and geographic region. To reverse the obesity epidemic, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) promotes evidence-based and practice-informed strategies to address nutrition and physical activity environments and behaviors. ⋯ The Toolkit provides a six-step process for planning, implementing, and evaluating strategies to address obesity disparities. Each section contains (a) a basic description of the steps of the process and suggested evidence-informed actions to help address obesity disparities, (b) practical tools for carrying out activities to help reduce obesity disparities, and (c) a "real-world" case study of a successful state-level effort to address obesity with a focus on health equity that is particularly relevant to the content in that section. Hyperlinks to additional resources are included throughout.
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Health promotion practice · Sep 2014
Development of a culturally relevant consumer health information website for Harlem, New York.
The process of creating a geographically tailored health information website with ongoing feedback from community members is one of inquiry and discovery, frustration and triumph, and development and reevaluation. This article reviews the development and implementation of GetHealthyHarlem.org, a health literacy level-appropriate consumer health information website tailored to consumers in Harlem, New York City. ⋯ Specifically, this article details how we sought to identify gaps, concerns, and uses of online health information and health care seeking in this local, predominantly racial and ethnic minority population. We review how we identified and addressed the multitude of variables that play a role in determining the degree of success in finding and using online health information, and include discussions about the genesis of the website and our successes and challenges in the development and implementation stages.
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Health promotion practice · Jul 2014
Using peer crowds to segment Black youth for smoking intervention.
Studies of peer crowds show promise for enhancing public health promotion and practice through targeting. Distinct images, role models, and social norms likely influence health behaviors of different peer crowds within health disparity groups. We describe peer crowds identified by Black young people and determine whether identification with them is associated with smoking. ⋯ Identifying with the hip hop crowd significantly increased the odds of smoking, controlling for demographic factors (odds ratio = 1.97; 95% confidence interval = 1.03-3.76). Tobacco prevention efforts for Black youth and young adults should prioritize the hip hop crowd. Crowd identity measures can aid in targeting public health campaigns to effectively engage those at highest risk.
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Health promotion practice · May 2014
School wellness policy implementation: insights and recommendations from two rural school districts.
Although school wellness policies have the potential to transform school environments, relatively little has been written about postadoption policy implementation and evaluation (policy to practice). The authors report results of a research study that examined the implementation of school wellness policies in two school districts in northern New Mexico. Through nine key informant interviews with administrators and two focus groups with students, they found that physical activity and nutrition policies were implemented inconsistently in both districts. ⋯ Participants also provided recommendations to improve policy implementation, including wellness policy training for school personnel and parents, improving the taste, nutritional value of, and choices in cafeteria food; and involving the community health council to promote community understanding and support of the policies. This study underscores the need to identify and address factors involved in the successful implementation of school wellness policies, looking at schools in the larger context of their communities. It also serves as an example of the potential for communities, schools, and others to work together to address a locally identified health priority.