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

Abstract #59832

Amy Schulz, PhD¹, Srimathi Kannan, PhD², Barbara A. Israel, DrPH¹, James S. House, PhD³, Sherman James, PhD¹, J. Timothy Dvonch, PhD⁴, and Alex Allen, MSA⁵. (1) Health Behavior and Health Education, University of Michigan, School of Public Health, 5134 SPH II, 1420 Washington Heights, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, 734-647-0221, ajschulz@umich.edu, (2) Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University of Michigan School of Public Health Human Nutrition Program, 1420 Washington Heights, School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, (3) Department of Sociology, University of Michigan, Institute for Social Research, Survey Research Center, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, (4) Environmental Health Sciences, University of Michigan, 109 Observatory St., 1608A SPH I, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2029, (5) Community Planning and Research, Isles, Inc, 10 Wood Street, Trenton, NJ 08618

This presentation will describe the conceptual framework linking racial and socioeconomic inequalities to aspects of the social and physical environments, and in turn to more proximate risk and protective factors (e.g., health related behaviors, nutrient levels) associated with cardiovascular disease. We will examine existing evidence linking social and physical environmental exposures to cardiovascular disease. The overall design of the Healthy Environments Partnership study will be described and the relationship of various methods of data collection and analysis to the study’s conceptual model will be described. Specific methods used to ensure participation and influence by a wide range of community-based organizations, community residents, health care providers and academic researchers in all phases of the study will also be presented. Finally, the presentation will discuss the rationale for use of community based participatory strategies to design research intended to inform multi-level (e.g., individual, community, policy) interventions to address social determinants of health

Learning Objectives:

• Describe a participatory process to develop a conceptual model linking social determinants of health (e.g., social and physical environments) to risk factors for cardiovascular disease;
• Describe the rationale for the use of a CBPR process to develop, implement and translate results of community epidemiological research effort to inform interventions to reduce risk of cardiovascular disease at the community level.

Keywords: Community-Based Public Health, Health Disparities

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.