The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA

Abstract #53832

David S. Bang, MPH, CHES, South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control, Saluda County Health Department, 613 Newberry Highway, P.O. Box 664, Saluda, SC 29138, 864-445-2141, bangds@dhec.sc.gov

The purpose of this project was to engage Saluda County, South Carolina in a community-based approach to promote cardiovascular health through the revitalization process of Brooks and Roston Park. The strategic plan supports the renovation process and the implementation of sports/recreation events to increase physical activity levels among all residents. Prevention Net, a grass roots local coalition, partnered with health professionals of the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control through a CDC-funded Cardiovascular Health grant. A significant component is to build a partnership with local citizens to plan park improvements for increasing physical activity resources in the community environment. This entails upgrading the playground facility, improving park road access, and renovating the nature trail to encourage daily walking. A two-stage sampling technique was used for evaluation: Stage 1: Community focus groups and qualitative surveys for community diagnosis and analysis; Stage 2: A monitoring system to track park modifications at incremental stages and documentation of recreation activities implemented by the strategic planning process. This presentation will describe the 1) planning process of the park project, 2) development of the strategic plan to implement the deliverables, 3) process evaluation of community partnership efforts and use of media for marketing campaign dissemination, and 4) methods of outcome assessment for documenting incremental upgrades of the park. Innovative community-based approaches can be effective when grass roots partnerships are involved in the process. In conclusion, community empowerment enables local citizens to promote cardiovascular health and reduce chronic disease incidence through effective health promotion planning.

Learning Objectives:

• At the conclusion of the session, participants will be able to:
• 1)Recognize the importance of community-based approaches to program and policy development within the context of building grass roots partnerships
• 2)Identify inequitable distributions of recreational resources (or lack thereof) throughout diverse neighborhoods to assess the overall needs of the community
• 3)Develop and discuss multi-disciplinary intervention strategies as innovative tools for park restoration planning and programming activities
• 4)Recognize the significant public health benefits of an “active” community structural environment that supports physical activity; the link between park improvements and health will be identified
• 5)Prioritize the need to increase access to recreation facilities to facilitate increases in physical activity levels throughout diverse neighborhoods

Keywords: Physical Activity, Community Health Planning

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I have a significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.
Relationship: CVH grant