Finding the future with the past: What to have in place for new groups working on new programs using the process evaluation of a New Orleans urban, minority, male health project


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

3332.0: Monday, December 12, 2005 - Board 10

Abstract #117274

Aimee Cox, Human Performance and Health Promotion, University of New Orleans, 109 HPC Building, UNO Lakefront Campus, New Orleans, LA 70148, 504-280-6419, acox@uno.edu, Elisabeth Gleckler, MPH, DrPH, College of Education, Human Performance and Health Promotion, University of New Orleans, 109 Human Performance Building, UNO Lakefront Campus, New Orleans, LA 70148, and Francoise Grossman-Kendall, MA, MPH, Family Planning, Louisiana State Office of Public Health, 250 Loyola Ave, 5th floor, New Orleans, LA 70112.

A program, “Wise Guys,” was developed in North Carolina to improve reproductive responsibility. It focused on urban, high risk males for improved knowledge and attitudes about reproductive health. A federally-funded grant supported the use of the program in New Orleans in two sites. The grant offered the opportunity for several organizations that had not previously worked together to work together to implement the program.

As a part of the overall evaluation, a process evaluation component was developed to investigate the new collaborations of the community, education, clinic, government and academic organizations involved in the project. The research focused on the attributes that made the project successful and the changes needed to improve its management. Over a four-month period eleven stakeholders and staff were interviewed in person using a semi-structured interview guide. Transcriptions of the audio taped interviews were imported into qualitative software (Ethnograph) and analyzed through content analysis.

Besides valuable recommendations to improve the specific program in the present circumstances, the study yielded a model for other groups working in similar situations. The results provided a set of factors that interviewees thought should be in place for successful projects and included attitudinal, behavioral and structural components. The components applied to personal, work group and organizational levels.

Process evaluations can be a powerful tool for projects and contribute to improving planning and decision-making. In this case, the process evaluation was also used to delve into possible generalized recommendations in management of community projects for high risk youth.

Learning Objectives:

At the end of this session, participants will

Describe the components of a successful program working with young urban males; list the attitudinal, behavioral and structural components that are recommended to be in place for implementing a new program; describe the issues that arise in a program working with urban young males with groups that did not have a previous working relationship; and name four reasons for investing in process evaluation to improve community health program decision-making.

Keywords: Collaboration, Community Health Promoters

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.

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