Community Health

Addressing Community Health Worker Wellness and Self-care: A Formative Evaluation

An Open Access article published in the Health Behavior and Policy Review Journal.

Authors:

Chelsey Kirkland, PhD, MPH, CHW
Jeffrey S. Hallam, PhD, FRSPH

Objective:

Community health workers (CHWs) experience higher than average risks for chronic diseases and poor health and are disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic due to being from historically marginalized populations. Despite limited literature, these factors indicate a need for CHW-specific support programming for wellness and self-care. Therefore, we conducted formative evaluation using virtual focus groups (N = 5) using descriptive and interpretive qualitative research methods to inform a program called “HANS KAI.”

Methods:

The focus groups included CHWs (N = 35) and CHW supervisors (N = 5) to explore CHW-support programming needs and understand their perceptions of HANS KAI. Two moderators followed a semi-structured focus group guide with questions and prompts focused on 5 primary domains: (1) Intervention Initiation, (2) Impact of Agency Culture, (3) HANS KAI Meeting Details, (4) HANS KAI Meeting Topics, and (5) Intervention Incentives. Audio-transcribed data were aggregated and analyzed for each domain with inductive codes involving iterative cycles of descriptive and in vivo coding. Salient themes and sub-themes were developed based on the domains.

Results:

We developed 8 salient themes within the domains.

Conclusions:

Our findings reveal that CHW HANS KAI components reflect CHWs’ needs, may benefit CHWs, and provide insights into CHW-specific programming.

Source: Health Behavior and Policy Review
Publisher: Paris Scholar Publishing Ltd.
Article Link: https://doi.org/10.14485/HBPR.10.3.2

2023-08-19T15:38:25-06:00July 26th, 2023|Community Health, Physical Activity, Program Planning|

The Impact of COVID-19 on Physical Activity and Related Health Outcomes: Where Do We Go from Here?

A Fast Track article published in the Health Behavior and Policy Review Journal.
The full article is available for subscribers, subscribe here.

Authors:

Emily Stevens
Paul Gallo
Jaimy Dyer
Ethan Balk

Objective:

COVID-19 has presented challenges to public health, including mental and physical health risks attributed to reductions in physical activity (PA) and social isolation that resulted from quarantine. Barriers to community engagement and PA have persisted. In this paper, we review the literature on behavioral changes associated with COVID-19 on aerobic exercise, resistance training, and related mental and physical health outcomes, including barriers to PA, to guide recommendations for post-COVID community-based exercise programming.

Methods:

We identified 63 relevant studies related to COVID-19 and PA (N = 22), aerobic exercise (N = 11), and discreet resistance exercise (N = 30). We reviewed studies while trying to focus on synthesizing the impact of the pandemic on rates of PA, barriers to PA, and resulting health outcomes to guide recommendations for post-pandemic community-based programming.

Results:

COVID-19 lockdown resulted in substantial reductions in PA, which led to increased risk for comorbidities attributed to inactivity and social isolation. Typical barriers to PA among adults were exacerbated with closure of gyms and balancing work and family care from home.

Conclusions:

We recommend moderate physical activity, such as walking and discreet resistance training, for community-based programming in a post-pandemic society. These modes of exercise address key barriers to PA among community-dwelling adults.

Source: Health Behavior and Policy Review
Publisher: Paris Scholar Publishing Ltd.
Article Link: hhttps://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/psp/hbpr/pre-prints/content-psp_hbpr_10_2_3

2023-05-31T08:57:34-06:00May 31st, 2023|Community Health, COVID19, Physical Activity|

School Art Murals Reflecting the Immigrant Experience: A Mixed-methods Social-ecological Approach to Assess Perceptions of Staff and Students

A Fast Track Open Access article published in the Health Behavior and Policy Review Journal.

Authors:

Ross Shegog
Michelle Zhao
Jamila Raja
Evan Shegog
Elizabeth Leass
Aisha Siddiqui

Objective:

The objective of this study was to explore the perceived social-ecological impacts of school-based art mural installations that represented the immigrant and refugee experience in a major urban center in southeast Texas.

Methods:

We adapted surveys (ixia and National School Climate Center) to assess 4 theory-based individual- and community-level constructs with school personnel (N = 9) and students (N = 23) in 3 ethnically diverse inner-city schools in Houston, Texas. Focus groups and interviews captured their perceptions and experiences with the art murals in their own voice.

Results:

Most participants (> 90%) agreed that the art murals were socially valuable to the school community, neighborhood, and interpersonal relationships, in addition to providing increased economic value (p < .01). Participants responded that there were better relationships between the school communities and their neighborhoods and increased school pride. Student reflections and behaviors were commensurate with the murals’ inspirational messages.

Conclusions:

Findings contribute to understanding the benefits of public art in predominantly minority school settings that reflect the immigrant and refugee experience and aspirations for improving health within a community.

Source: Health Behavior and Policy Review
Publisher: Paris Scholar Publishing Ltd.
Article Link: https://doi.org/10.14485/HBPR.10.2.1

2023-06-09T15:04:12-06:00May 22nd, 2023|Community Health, Immigration Health|

Engaging the Houston Community in Research: An Early Case Study of a Community Engagement Core in the University of Houston’s HEALTH Center for Addictions Research and Cancer Prevention

An Open Access article published in the Health Behavior and Policy Review Journal.
The full article is available as a PDF download.

Authors:

Brian J. Carter, JD
Lorraine R. Reitzel, PhD
Tzuan A. Chen, PhD
LeChauncy Woodard, MD
Ezemenari M. Obasi, PhD

Objective:

The National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities-funded U54 Research Center at the University of Houston addresses disparate racial/ethnic health outcomes related to cancer and substance abuse. Of its 4 cores, the Community Engagement Core involves the impacted community in affiliated research. Strategies include implementing community advisory boards, assisting with study design and execution, maintaining a social media presence, and publishing health-related videos for the community. We examine the early effectiveness of these strategies.

Methods:

Data collection included surveying investigators and community advisory board members and monitoring traffic to videos and social media posts.

Results:

On a Likert scale survey of investigators (4 = “agree” and 5 = “strongly agree”), the mean rating for a prompt expressing satis- faction with services received was 4.67 (SD = 0.52; N = 6). On a Likert scale survey of community advisory board members, the mean rating for a prompt expressing belief that feedback was taken seriously was 5.00 (SD = 0.00; N = 9).

Conclusions:

The Community Engagement Core is build- ing trusting relationships between researchers and community members. We discuss lessons learned that may inform both our growth and others’ efforts to implement community-engaged research.

Source: Health Behavior and Policy Review, Volume 9, Number 5, September 2022, pp. 1017-1036(20)
Publisher: Paris Scholar Publishing Ltd.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.14485/HBPR.9.5.2

2022-11-11T15:54:28-07:00November 11th, 2022|Community Engagement, Community Health|

Implementing Statewide Health Surveillance in Schools: Processes and Lessons Learned from the Texas SPAN Project

An Open Access article published in the Health Behavior and Policy Review Journal.
The full article is available as a PDF download.

Authors:

Katherine A. Elder, PhD, MPAff
Carolyn Smith, BS
Claire Niday, MPH
Alison Winters Massie, DrPH
Amanda M. Reat, PhD, RD
Amier Haidar, BS
Michelle L. Cook, PhD, MPH
Deanna M. Hoelscher, PhD, RDN, LD, CNS, FISBNPA

Objective:

Prevalence of obesity among youth has increased in the last several decades. Using schools as a place to collect data on childhood obesity is considered by many researchers to be an important component to combating the disease. In this paper, we present process data from the Texas School Physical Activity and Nutrition (SPAN) project, a statewide surveillance system to monitor the prevalence of Texas school-aged children who have overweight/obesity.

Methods:

We selected 3 Public Health Regions (PHRs), including 30 districts and 140 schools, to represent geographic variability of processes of conducting this surveillance system. We tracked and analyzed administrative and communicative processes to conduct the Texas SPAN in those districts/schools.

Results:

The results demonstrate significant procedural variability across and within PHRs in implementing Texas SPAN. These variations occurred and are presented at both the district and school levels and relate to parental consent, communication processes, and time lags involved in approval and measurement.

Conclusions:

Due to the variability in the process data observed across and within PHRs, we recommend researchers interested in establishing obesity surveillance systems work to create statewide and local partnerships, cultivate strong communication, and develop mechanisms for data management.

Source: Health Behavior and Policy Review, Volume 8, Number 5, September 2021, pp. 412-421(10)
Publisher: Paris Scholar Publishing Ltd.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.14485/HBPR.8.5.2

2021-10-27T17:09:44-06:00October 27th, 2021|Community Health, School Health|

Supporting a Participatory Process for Evidence on Healthy Eating to Promote Healthy Diet among Children: An Illustration from Nigeria

Authors:

Yetunde O. John-Akinola, MPH, PhD
Odunayo O. Akano, MPH
Oluwasegun Akinwale, MPH

Objective:

In this study, we assessed children’s perception of healthy eating and investigated the contents of lunch boxes packed from home.

Methods:

Overall, 728 pupils in first to sixth class across 25 primary schools in Ibadan, South West Nigeria wrote their perceptions of healthy eating on small colored papers. Contents of lunch boxes were observed during the school lunch period. Descriptive and qualitative analysis was carried out and data were represented in word clouds and figures.

Results:

Most pupils (97.9%) listed food items that they referred to as healthy food, represented in a word cloud. Further categorization showed that few pupils identified fruits (5.3%) and vegetables (2.4%) as healthy food. Pupils in private schools were 1.9 times more likely to have pastries in their lunch boxes than public schools (OR = 1.914, 95% CI: 1.121-3.268)

Conclusions:

Multiple educational interventions should be targeted at the pupil-, parent-, and school-level to promote healthy eating behaviors. The use of communication materials with pictorial depiction of examples of healthy food could serve as a reinforcing factor to help maintain positive behavioral change.

Source: Health Behavior and Policy Review, Volume 8, Number 3, May 2021, pp. 269-276(8)
Publisher: Paris Scholar Publishing Ltd.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.14485/HBPR.8.3.8

2021-06-30T21:28:00-06:00June 30th, 2021|Community Health, Nutrition|

Engaging School and Family in Navajo Gardening for Health: Development of the Yéego Intervention to Promote Healthy Eating among Navajo Children

Authors:

India J. Ornelas, PhD, MPH Twitter
Kassia Rudd, MEd
Sonia Bishop, BS
Desiree Deschenie, BS
Emily Brown, MPH
Kevin Lombard, PhD
Shirley A. A. Beresford, PhD

Objective:

Navajo children are at increased risk for obesity, in part due to limited access to healthy foods. School garden interventions increase access to fresh fruit and vegetables and consumption of healthy foods. Our study describes the development and pilot testing of a school garden intervention for Navajo elementary school children.

Methods:

We reviewed existing school garden interventions and conducted formative research with students, caregivers, and school staff to inform the intervention. The intervention consisted of a garden built at the school and a yearlong curriculum on gardening and healthy eating. We pilot-tested the intervention in an elementary school on the Navajo Nation.

Results:

Formative research revealed the importance of incorporating Diné culture, including traditional growing practices and the preparation of traditional foods into the curriculum. School staff also stressed the value of tying the curriculum to state and Diné educational standards. Students enjoyed opportunities for hands-on activities and snack preparation.

Conclusions:

Schools have a meaningful role to play in addressing childhood obesity disparities among Navajo children. School-based interventions that draw on cultural strengths and include healthy traditional practices can be a promising strategy for increasing fruit and vegetable consumption.

Source: Health Behavior and Policy Review, Volume 8, Number 3, May 2021, pp. 212-222(11)
Publisher: Paris Scholar Publishing Ltd.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.14485/HBPR.8.3.3

2021-06-30T21:23:34-06:00June 30th, 2021|Community Health, Nutrition|

Utilizing Partnerships to Identify Community Needs and Analyze Network Collaboration in Public Health

An Open Access article published in the Health Behavior and Policy Review Journal.
The full article is available as a PDF download.

Authors:

Daenuka Muraleetharan, PhD
Ellen Jones, PhD
Josh McCawley, MPH
Katherine Ferrell Fouquier, CNM, PhD, FACNM
Whitney Garney, PhD, MPH
Kelly Wilson, PhD, MCHES

Objective:

LinkedUp is a multi-sector partnership focused on linking older teens (ages 17-19) to sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services at school-based health centers (SBHCs) in Mississippi. The purpose of this study was to examine key partnerships in LinkedUp development, focusing on community needs that initiated the formation of the partnership, and patterns of collaboration among these partners.

Methods:

In 2018, researchers conducted interviews (N = 3) and focus groups (N = 9) with Mississippi school administrators and high school and college students. In 2019, evaluators examined collaboration between these community partners (N = 6) using an interorganizational network analysis survey.

Results:

Thematic analyses of qualitative data indicated a need to commit to linking older teens to SRH services by increasing communication/planning among community stakeholders. Network analysis scores included an average network density of 1, strength of tie of 3.04, and degree centrality of 4.6 (SD = 1.4) for partners.

Conclusions:

Our findings illustrate how community stakeholders inform the development of a public health program as critical partners during both needs assessment and program development phases. This information can be used by practitioners and policymakers interested in addressing complex, community-level health issues.

Source: Health Behavior and Policy Review, Volume 8, Number 1, January 2021, pp. 48-59(12)
Publisher: Paris Scholar Publishing Ltd.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.14485/HBPR.8.1.5

2021-04-29T22:01:17-06:00February 22nd, 2021|Community Health, Program Planning|
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