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

Abstract #61815

Jennifer Leigh Skala, MEd and Magda G. Peck, ScD. Department of Pediatrics/Section of Child Health Policy, CityMatCH at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, 982170 Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198-2170, (402) 561-7500, jskala@unmc.edu

Background: CityMatCH worked with 14 cities through a Practice Collaborative (PC) to utilize, define and implement the PPOR approach in U.S. urban communities to improve women’s and infants’ health.

Methods: A six-step approach was followed over two years to build community and analytic “readiness,” to map and further investigate city-specific feto-infant mortality, and to translate findings into targeted community-driven actions. The CityMatCH PPOR PC (2000-2002) provided strategic leadership, scientific support, structured peer exchange, continuous assessment and promoted best practices to action teams from selected U.S. cities.

Results: All PPOR-PC cities found greatest “opportunity gaps” in feto-infant mortality in two Periods of Risk: <1500 grams (“Maternal health/prematurity”) and postneonatal >1500 grams (“Infant Health”). Many cities integrated PPOR analytic findings with focused FIMR findings to identify key strategies for prevention. Assessment and emphasis on “community readiness” fostered greater mobilization based on data. Attention to analytic readiness increased data capacity and partnership with many states. Focus on identified PPOR “gaps” allowed cities to better target prevention strategies, including a shift to preconceptional health.

Conclusions: Findings from the PC will be demonstrated in one city’s example of how PPOR was an effective approach for developing community-based interventions focused on pre-\interconceptual care and improved access to prenatal care to address infant mortality and health disparities.

Public Health Implications: Implementation of the six-step PPOR approach, not just feto-infant mortality data, stimulated new and/or strengthened existing community partnerships to improve women’s and infants’ heath.

Learning Objectives:

At the conclusion of the session, the participant will be able to: (
• articulate how PPOR was used to locally-define disparities to target further epi investigations; (
• acknowledge methods used to integrate PPOR, FIMR and Healthy Start to produce better information; and (
• define strategies to build stronger local/state/community partnerships to address maternal health/prematurity.

Keywords: Maternal and Child Health, Infant Mortality

Related Web page: www.citymatch.org/PPOR/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.