The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA

Abstract #47512

Judith A. Hager, MA, MPH¹, Jennifer Rienks, MS², Donald R. Rowe, MPA³, and Geraldine Oliva, MD MPH². (1) Family and Community Medicine, Family Health Outcomes Project, University of California, San Francisco, 3333 California St., Suite 365, San Francisco, CA 94118, 415 502-3247, jhager@itsa.ucsf.edu, (2) Family Health Outcomes Project, Dept. of Family and Community Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, 3333 California St, Suite 365, San Francisco, CA 94118, (3) Multi-cultural Health Improvement Project, Solano Coalition for Better Health, 360 Campus Lane, Suite 110, Suisun City, CA 94585

The mission of the Solano County Multi-cultural Health Improvement Initiative (MCHII) is to eliminate health disparities in colon, breast and prostate cancers and diabetes between African Americans and Latinos and Whites. The MCHII project is a small, innovative project exploring and implementing culturally appropriate, multifaceted, individual, community and health systems strategies to improve health-related choices, behaviors and interactions. The purpose of the project is to develop and assess approaches that, if successful, can then be adapted to address other health disparities in the County and to inform other efforts. The Family Health Outcomes Project, University of California, San Francisco in collaboration with project staff developed the evaluation. With limited funding, the evaluation design incorporates project staff and volunteers working with University consultants to conduct the evaluation, includes the development of a measurement tool designed to serve multiple purposes (needs assessment, baseline data and outcome evaluation) and effectively builds on proven and promising interventions identified in a literature review and confirmed locally. The evaluation design, theoretical justification, outcome and process measures, and the evaluation outcome instrument, a community survey, will be described. The major challenges and issues encountered will be highlighted. The emphasis of the presentation will be on methods of meeting the challenge of producing useful program outcome evaluations within budget constraints.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of this presentation the participant will be able to

1)Identify 3 challenges in the design of a low budget community-based program evaluation
• Describe at least 2 strategies or methods highlighted in this presentation for developing a useful outcome evaluation in a low budge environment
• Discuss the significance of identifying and incoporating existing intervention theory and research literature into the evaluation methodology.

Keywords: Evaluation, Challenges and Opportunities

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: Family Health Outcomes Project, University of California San Francisco Multi-cultural Health Improvement Initiative Project, Solano Coalition for Better Health
I have a significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.
Relationship: Employed by Family Health Outcomes Project, University of California, San Francisco