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

Abstract #117194

Michael Price, BA¹, Jerry A. Schultz, PhD², Rick Schwertfeger, MAT¹, Jennifer L. Conroy, DrPH, MPH¹, and Adolfo Valadez, MD, MPH³. (1) STEPS to a Healthier Austin, City of Austin Health and Human Services, 2800 Webberville Rd, Rm 122, Austin, TX 78702, 512-972-6760, Rick.Schwertfeger@ci.austin.tx.us, (2) Work Group on Health Promotion and Community Development, University of Kansas, 1000 Sunnyside Avenue, 4082 Dole Human Development Center, Lawrence, KS 66045, (3) Austin / Travis County Health & Human Services Department, 15 Waller St., RBJ Building, Austin, TX 78702

This paper reports on an analysis of the contribution of community change to outcomes related to the prevention of diabetes, asthma and obesity. Data were collected over a two year-period (2003-current) on the intermediate outcomes created by the STEPS to a Healthy Austin, a STEPS to a Healthier US demonstration project. The project targets individuals and systems in a geographic area in the city of Austin, Texas where the greatest health disparities occur. Steps-Austin partner agencies documented instances of community and systems change (i.e., new or modified programs, policies, and practices related to the mission). They also report on the different features of each community change (e.g., primary goal, strategy, sector). An analysis of the distribution of community and systems changes and their contribution to population-level outcomes related to diabetes, asthma and obesity was conducted. The logic model and working hypothesis of this project suggest that there will be an improvement in population-level outcomes (specifically reduced asthma, diabetes and obesity) when community changes (the dose) are of sufficient amount by goal, intensity of behavior change strategy, duration, penetration to intended targets through appropriate sectors in specific places. In addition, qualitative methods were used to determine the factors that lead to discontinuities in rates of community and systems change brought about by the partnership. This study will also analyze the contribution of community and systems changes to the outcomes of interest.

Learning Objectives:

• Define community change.
• Describe a working hypothesis for understanding how community change contributes to improvements in population outcome.
• Describe factors that have affected how the Austin STEPS project has unfolded.

Keywords: Evaluation, Community-Based Partnership

Related Web page: ctb.ku.edu

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.