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

Abstract #118312

Debra Murphy, PhD, MPH, Psychology/HTC Health Connection Online Project: Get the Hook-up, Huston-Tillotson College, 900 Chicon Street, Austin, TX Texas, 512-505-3102, dmurphy54@aol.com

Background: Students at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) represent often untapped conduits of health information for the African American Community at large. The objective was to develop a Consumer Health Advocate (CHA) certification program for students to help combat racial disparities in health on campus and in the surrounding underserved community.

Methods: A curriculum was developed to certify 20 students to be CHAs that included completion of a course in the biopsychosocial aspects of racial disparities in health (including certification in the American Heart Association's search your heart sessions and HIV/AIDS education) and a practicum that included participation in a local area racial disparities in health conference for policy makers, and the conducting of informational sessions about accessing credible health information online with students and consumers in the surrounding community.

Results: Preliminary data with 70 consumers indicate a statistically significant pre-post t-test assessment of mean change in the target population's knowledge, skills, benefits of accessing, and intent to access credible online health resources in the future (p< .05)(alpha=.80). Follow-up data to ascertain the extent of continued access and behavior change are being collected.

Conclusions: HBCU students as conduits that can impact racial disparities should be given serious consideration. Given their high likelihood of returning to the African American Community as educated and trained citizens, workers, and/or volunteers, their impact could be far reaching.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, the participant will

• be able to articulate the role that students on HBCU campuses can play in impacting racial disparities in health; 2)be able to develop a consumer health advocate certification program on their campuses

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.