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

Abstract #68315

Murray S. McKay, MA¹, Ken F. Fowler, PhD², Doreen Neville, ScD³, Catherine Donovan, MD⁴, and Dexter A. Harvey, PED¹. (1) Manitoba Heart Health Project, University of Manitoba, Room 419 Faculty of Education, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2, Canada, (204) 474-6886, mckayms@cc.umanitoba.ca, (2) Department of Psychology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, PO Box 4200, St. John's, NF A1B 3X9, Canada, (3) Memorial University of Newfoundland, Faculty of Medicine, 300 Prince Philip Drive, St. John's, NF A1B 3V6, Canada, (4) Health & Community Services, Eastern Region, Medical Officer of Health, P.O. Box 70, Holyrood, NF A0A2R0, Canada

This presentation will explore the contributions of participatory research approaches to community-based heart health promotion by featuring two of nine provincial heart health research projects undertaken as part of the Canadian Heart Health Initiative - Dissemination Phase. By tracking the evolution of community heart health coalitions/committees over a five-year span, it was observed by both the Newfoundland and Labrador Heart Health Program (NLHHP) and the Manitoba Heart Health Project (MHHP) that such a participatory approach could contribute to the capacity of target groups for the transfer, uptake and dissemination of heart health promotion initiatives. Overall, the partnerships formed within heart health projects in both provinces have allowed a wide-variety of heart health promotion initiatives to be delivered despite nominal budgets. The presentation will consider how the research methodology contributed to these achievements in the significantly different context of the two Heart Health Projects in these provinces. The results from these two provincial projects will aid the learner to identify and discuss important aspects of a participatory methodology, and to recognize its significant contribution to sustained community health promotion in diverse settings.

Learning Objectives:

• The results from these two provincial projects will aid the learner to identify and discuss important aspects of a participatory methodology, and to recognize its significant contribution to sustained community health promotion in diverse settings.

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.