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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Barbara Popper, M Ed, IBCLC¹, Paula Minihan, PhD², and Aviva Must, PhD². (1) Federation of Children with Special Needs, 1135 Tremont Street, Suite 420, Boston, MA 02120, 617 236 7210, bpopper@fcsn.org, (2) Department of Public Health & Family Medicine, School of Medicine, Tufts University, 136 Harrison Ave., Boston, MA 02111

Family Voices, a national grass-roots parent organization, in partnership with researchers at Tufts University School of Medicine, is conducting a five state randomized research project: a) to learn what information families of children with disabilities know about health and wellness and whether they value it as a way to promote children's health through day-to-day behaviors, and, b) to find effective strategies for helping interested families encourage their children with disabilities to adopt healthier behaviors and lifestyles, including peer mentoring.

This presentation reports the findings of research utilizing experienced peer mentors interacting with an intervention population. The study protocol has been informed by 6 focus groups conducted in 2004 in 5 states with themes relevant and challenging for health practitioners. Enrollees select their health promotion goals, develop strategies with the mentor parents to achieve change, and report on their progress. The outcomes and findings of this project will highlight the importance of health promotion for families of children with special needs and provide a model of peer mentoring for use by Family Voices and others concerned about bright futures for all children. A family survey, in English and Spanish, on the topic for health department use will be shared and promoted at the session with early data from wide dissemination within the five states- NJ, VT, WA, LA and MA.

Learning Objectives: Educational Objectives

• Participants will understand the background, methodology, and findings of a CDC funded project conducted by a parent organization and a school of medicine, 2)Participants will understand the experience and early research findings of using Bright Futures and peer mentoring strategies to educate families of children with special health care needs about healthy lifestyles.

Keywords: Health Behavior, Child Health

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Not Answered