The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA

Abstract #46775

Tunu Kinebrew, BS¹, Tunu Kinebrew, BS¹, Valeria Wakefield, B|A¹, Kristen Postell, MS, RD¹, David G. Schlundt, PhD², Linda McClellan, MS¹, Michelle Marrs, MS³, and Christina Mushi, MPH⁴. (1) Project REACH 2010, Matthew Walker Comprehensive Health Care Center, 1501 Herman Street, Nashville, TN 37208, (615) 327-9400x334, tunu.kinebrew@mwchc.org, (2) Department of Psychology, Vanderbilt University, 301 Wilson Hall, Nashville, TN 37203, (3) Executive Director, Matthew Walker Comprehensive Health Care Center, 1501 Herman Street, Nashville, TN 37208, (4) Division of Health Care Services Evaluation, Metropolitan Nashville Davidson County Health Department, 311 23rd Avenue North, Nashville, TN 37203

North Nashville is a community similar to many urban neighborhoods and is facing an environmental crisis. The modern environment promotes sedentary lifestyles and physical activity is discouraged by our reliance upon automobiles for transportation, busy schedules, and by neighborhoods that are not safe for walking or biking. To make behavioral changes people must be informed, motivated, and supported, during the change process. The Health and Wellness Team of the Nashville REACH 2010 Project are encouraging North Nashville to participate in community “Walk Abouts.” Community “Walk Abouts” encourage physical activity through the identification and reduction of environmental hazards. Periodic assessments of North Nashville will result in ongoing geographic information system (GIS) coding and mapping of problem areas that contribute to unhealthy lifestyles while denoting assets that enrich North Nashville and support positive behavior changes. North Nashville residents are trained to conduct the audits in a three hour session. The REACH Project’s catchment area consists of 11 census tracts. Volunteers are trained to survey neighborhoods using checklists with pre-defined hazards, eyesores and assets to be charted. Through the “Walk About” trainings, North Nashville will be able to take ownership of the process and responsibility to bring about change. A healthier environment will impact the health of individuals leading to the mission of Nashville REACH 2010, reducing, and in time eliminating disparities of diabetes and cardiovascular disease in African Americans of North Nashville.

Learning Objectives:

• "Individuals attending the session will be able to
• 1.Identify environmental hazards and eyesores while denoting those assets that enrich a community."
• 2.Describe training for a Walk About."

Keywords: Community Assets, Geographic Information Systems

Related Web page: 129.59.231.121/Reach/index.htm

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.