Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #115713

Deidre J. Holland, MPH, Partnership Coordinator/Health Educator, Sussex County Division of Health, One Spring Street, 2nd floor, Newton, NJ 07860, 973-579-9488 ext.1251, deedee@nni.com and Alberto J.F. Cardelle, PhD, MPH, Department of Public Health, East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania, 200 prospect Street, Denike Building, East Stroudsburg, PA 18301.

Significant public health decisions are frequently made at the local level. Key officials in Monroe County have not been required by their constituents to support or develop a local health department (LHD). There are public health services that are underutilized and unavailable to many residents in the community because of the lack of a central facility. In the 67 counties of Pennsylvania, only six have county health departments while five municipalities have health bureaus. All of the 42 rural counties lack a LHD including Monroe County. This paper will have surveyed residents and key informants within Monroe County. The two surveys are administered instruments collecting information designed to assess the perception of public health and essential services. The residential survey will measure the identification of public health services, public health definition, public health responsibility, funding support, as well as the relationships between prior residence and these variables. The key informant survey will identify emic themes and concepts in response to questions about public health perception, public health activities performed and needed, funding issues, essential services, and barriers and/or supports to increase the public health infrastructure within the county. The data analysis will quantify the differences in perceptions of public health and essential services in people who have lived in Pennsylvania all their lives versus persons who have moved to the county from other areas. Initial results indicate the need to educate laypeople about public health, to clarify public health services, and raise awareness about the benefits of public health.

Learning Objectives:

• · 1 – recognize the importance of examining public perception of public health
• · 2 – analyze the significance of educating the general public about public health including ways to raise awareness of public health services
• · 3 – identify future initiatives that could help facilitate popular and public support for increasing the public health infrastructure and public health activities

Keywords: Public Health Infrastructure, Public Health Research

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.