Presenting Author:

Principal Investigator:

Department:

Pediatrics

Keywords:

public health, women's health, reproductive health, age-appropriate health education, health education, community health

Location:

Third Floor, Feinberg Pavilion, Northwestern Memorial Hospital

PH37 - Public Health & Social Sciences Women's Health Research

The Importance of Age-Appropriate Community Health Strategies

Statement of Problem: In Chicago, the infant mortality rate for African American babies is more than double that of Caucasian babies. Decreasing infant mortality rates requires a multifactorial approach, especially one that focuses on early, age-appropriate education and capacity building to shape healthier communities. Program Design: Through the Albert Schweitzer Fellowship, I created a project with the goal to reduce racial and ethnic health disparities through community development and health promotion with a focus on reproductive health. This endeavor involved partnering with local organizations to conduct health education to hard to reach youth using age-appropriate teaching approaches: photo voice with elementary school children, roleplaying with middle school boys and girls, and discussions with high school girls. Program Implementation: At The Salvation Army in Englewood, I launched a photo voice class where elementary school children received disposable cameras to take pictures of what health looked like in their community. We planned field trips to various neighborhoods, with the aim to draw links to what we saw, smelled, and heard to the health of the community overall. In the classroom, we used our experiences and pictures to serve as a vehicle to discuss the social determinants of health. At the Chicago Youth Programs in Washington Park, I implemented roleplaying classes with middle school children on healthy relationships and communication. Through acting, the students portrayed the importance of conflict resolution, body language, and healthy relationships. Finally, at the Juvenile Temporary Detention Center, I held weekly health discussions with high school girls. Using nail polish as a common interest, we would paint our nails while discussing topics ranging from contraception to self-worth. Results & Evaluation: I evaluated each program with surveys and oral feedback. At the individual level, the students developed an increased awareness of healthy behaviors and risks associated with women's health and health overall. At the community level, the youth members grew confidence to share reproductive health information with their peers and the community at large. Conclusions and Future Direction: By focusing on early, age-appropriate education, students were able to understand the interplay between environment and health, explore the topic of healthy relationships and communication, and gain knowledge regarding reproductive health. Future community programs should include innovative teaching strategies to properly engage hard to reach youth.