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

Abstract #65605

James Wallace, MPH¹, Molly Loomis, MPH¹, Yen-Jwu Lin, MPH², Brett Temming, BSN, RN³, Kristin Schaible, BS¹, Amy Sommer, BS⁴, and James E. Emery, MPH¹. (1) Health Behavior and Health Education, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, CB# 7440, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, (919) 960-9410, jgwallac@email.unc.edu, (2) Department of Nutrition, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, CB# 7440, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, (3) School of Nursing, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, CB# 7440, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, (4) School of Social Work, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, CB# 7440, Chapel Hill, NC 27599

Universities throughout the country engage their health sciences students in health promotion programs designed to improve the health status of underserved communities. Many of these are founded on the principles of service learning; some are interdisciplinary; several form long-term community partnerships, but very few seek to create sustainable community-based health promotion programs that build community capacity. Service learning programs can be mutually beneficial to students and communities, but too often these programs are limited in the scope of student education and offer only one-shot service delivery programs that do not help underserved communities influence social determinants of health. The students in seven health sciences schools at one university recognized this dilemma. Through their work in the Student Health Action Coalition (SHAC), they formed SHAC Outreach to coordinate longer-term partnerships between interdisciplinary student teams and local communities. These partnerships will create sustainable, community-based health promotion programs to address health interests that communities identify and prioritize. Programs in each community build on community resources and strengths and require limited ongoing resources from outside sources. Students who participate in SHAC Outreach gain a broader view of health and its social determinants, practical experience, and increased value in community service. Through SHAC Outreach, the university has furthered its mission to public service and has improved the relationship between its research centers and the surrounding community. SHAC Outreach is a unique program of student-run community-based health promotion that can serve as a model for other university settings.

Learning Objectives:

At the conclusion of the presentation, participants will be able to:
• Identify elements of SHAC Outreach that create sustainable community-based health promotion programs.
• Describe how such elements contribute to mutually beneficial and empowering relationships between universities and their surrounding communities.
• Apply the principles on which SHAC Outreach was founded to existing and newly created university community-based health organizations.

Keywords: Community-Based Health Promotion, Community Capacity

Related Web page: www.med.unc.edu/shac

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: University of North Carolina School of Public Health, Department of Health Behavior and Health Education; UNC Student Health Action Coalition; Orange County Health Department
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.