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American Public Health Association
133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition
December 10-14, 2005
Philadelphia, PA
APHA 2005
 
4111.0: Tuesday, December 13, 2005 - Table 2

Abstract #112430

Project GoodNEWS 2005: Improving life and health outcomes among inner-city neighbors

Mark J. DeHaven, PhD1, JR Newton, RN2, Jenny J. Lee, PhD, MPH3, and Michelle Lee, BS2. (1) Department of Family and Community Medicine, UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, 6263 Harry Hines Blvd., Dallas, TX 75390-9067, 214-648-1046, mark.dehaven@UTSouthwestern.edu, (2) Department of Family and Community Medicine, UT Southwestern Medical Center, 6263 Harry Hines Blvd., Dallas, TX 75390-9067, (3) True Life Ministries, P.O. Box 5683, Windsor, ON N9A6Z6, Canada

Project GoodNEWS is a congregation-based lifestyle enhancement program designed to encourage healthful lifestyle choices among African-American and Latino residents of the inner city. It is based on the need for individuals to be healthy in six dimensions of living, including the physical, mental, intellectual, social, environmental, and spiritual. The program promotes optimal health through a focus on five program components: Gardening, Nutrition, Exercise, and Wellness and Spiritual Growth. A pilot study in 2004 indicated the program increased fitness club membership, participation in scheduled exercise, and fruit and vegetable consumption, and reduced participants intake of fried foods. Based on the pilot findings, we developed and implemented a train-the-trainer Lay Health Promoter (LHP) program in twelve (12) inner-city African-American and Latino congregations. Our collaborators included the congregations, the Pastoral Council of a local weed and seed organization, and a local community development organization (CDC). Two LHPs from each of the congregations (N=24) participated in the seven-session training curriculum and an all day health ministry development seminar. The results of the program will be reported, and will address program effects among the LHPs and congregation members related to general health indicators, Health Locus of Control, the GoodNEWS Wellness and Lifestyle Inventory, and COOP/WONCA General Quality of Life measures. The authors will discuss the program effects in the context of community health improvement and the requirements for effective collaboration between FBOs, health professionals, and influential inner-city organizations.

Learning Objectives:

  • Participants in this session will learn

    Presenting author's disclosure statement:

    I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.

    Best Practices: The Evidence of Effective Faith-based Approaches

    The 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition (December 10-14, 2005) of APHA