Andrew Goodman, MD, MPH¹, Rachel Kramer, ScD, MHS², Roger Hayes, MA¹, Zoilo Torres¹, Rebecca Lee, MPH¹, and Candace R. Young, MS³. (1) East and Central Harlem District Public Health Office, New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, 158 East 115th Street, New York, NY 10029, (212) 360-5980, agoodman@health.nyc.gov, (2) East and Central Harlem District Public Health Office, New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, 158 East 115th Street, Third Floor, New York, NY 10029, (3) Division of Health Promotion and Disease Prevention, New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, 2 Lafayette St., 20th Fl., Box 46, New York, NY 10007

Background: NYC Housing Authority (NYCHA) developments in East and Central Harlem (ECH) offer a unique opportunity for public health interventions by virtue of the fact that they 1) house nearly 1/4 of the residents (50,000), 2) have existing infrastructure for information dissemination, 3) have community centers, daycare, youth and other programs, and 5) have active tenant associations. The neighborhoods of ECH have some of the highest rates of asthma and diabetes in the City. As a result, the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (NYC DOHMH) is partnering with developments in these neighborhoods to improve chronic disease management and prevent diabetes by promoting regular physical activity and healthy eating. Approach: The multi-level intervention is guided by a planning group comprised of the NYC DOHMH, NYCHA management, residents and community program staff. An initial needs assessment of the developments, to identify current program activities and resident concerns and interests, will inform the project. Intervention activities include: 1) workshops and peer education to increase individual knowledge and skills around nutrition, physical activity and chronic disease management, 2) staff training at daycares and youth programs in SPARK, a curriculum to increase physical activity; 3) resident training, in conjunction with tenant associations, to conduct outreach and advocacy, 4) strengthening of linkages with nearby schools, healthcare providers, and merchants; and 5) improvements to the physical environment of the developments and nearby neighborhoods. Conclusions: This pilot demonstrates the feasibility of partnering with public housing developments to design and implement health promotion and disease prevention programs.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, the participant in this session will be able to

• Identify the key elements of a multi-level community-based intervention
• Understand the attributes of public housing developments that can support health promotion and disease prevention activities
• Understand how to adapt evidenced-based interventions for physical activity to public housing settings.

Keywords: Community-Based Health Promotion, Physical Activity

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.