Assessing the capacity of health departments to engage in community-based participatory public health

Edith Parker, Lewis H Margolis, Eugenia Eng, Carlos Henríquez-Roldán, Edith Parker, Lewis H Margolis, Eugenia Eng, Carlos Henríquez-Roldán

Abstract

Objectives: We created indicators of local public health agency capacity to engage in community-based participatory public health.

Methods: We sent a survey of 27 items reflecting aspects of community-based participatory public health to 429 employees in 4 local health departments. Two thirds (n = 282) responded. We performed a factor analysis to identify components of community-based participatory practice.

Results: We identified 4 factors: (1) the agency's and (2) the individual employee's skills in working with community groups and minority populations, (3) the extent and frequency of agency networking, and (4) community participation in health department planning.

Conclusions: Our findings suggest that it is possible to measure the competencies needed by health department staff to engage in community-based participatory public health.

References

    1. James SA, Schulz AJ, van Olphen J. Social capital, poverty, and community health: building social capital in urban communities. In: Saegert S, Thompson JP, Warren MR, eds. Social Capital and Poor Communities. New York, NY: Russell Sage Foundation; 2001:165–188.
    1. Israel BA, Schulz AJ, Parker EA, Becker AB. Review of community-based research: assessing partnership approaches to improve public health. Annu Rev Public Health. 1998;19:173–202.
    1. Clay R. Let’s work together: connecting research and the community. Environ Health Perspect. 2000;108:A500.
    1. Green LW, Mercer SL. Can public health researchers and agencies reconcile the push from funding bodies and the pull from communities? Am J Public Health. 2001;91:1926–1929.
    1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Competing Renewal Request for Urban Research Centers Initiative; Special Interest Project 20—URC, Program Announcement #98047.
    1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Public Health’s Infrastructure: A Status Report. Atlanta, Ga: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; 2000. Available at: . Accessed October 31, 2002.
    1. Institute of Medicine. The Future of Public Health. Washington, DC: National Academy Press; 1988.
    1. Margolis LH, Stevens R, Laraia B, et al. Educating students for community-based partnerships. J Community Pract. 2000;7:21–34.
    1. Northridge ME. Putting diversity into practice. Am J Public Health. 2000;90:689.
    1. Turnock BJ, Handler A, Hall W, Potsic S, Nalluri R, Vaughn EH. Local health department effectiveness in addressing the core functions of public health. Public Health Rep. 1994;109:653–658.
    1. Miller CA, Moore KS, Richards TB, Monk JD. A proposed method for assessing the performance of local public health functions and practices. Am J Public Health. 1994;84:1743–1749.
    1. Mays GP, Halverson P, Miller CA. Assessing the performance of local public health systems: a survey of state health agency efforts. J Public Health Manag Pract. 1998;4(4):63–78.
    1. Turnock BJ, Handler AS, Miller CA. Core function-related local public health practice effectiveness. J Public Health Manag Pract. 1998;4(5):26–32.
    1. Brownson RC, Riley P, Bruce TA. Demonstration projects in community-based prevention. J Public Health Manag Pract. 1998;4(2):66–77.
    1. Parker EA, Eng E, Laraia B, et al. Coalition building for prevention: lessons learned from the North Carolina Community-Based Public Health Initiative. J Public Health Manag Pract. 1998;4(2):25–36.
    1. MacQueen KM, McLellan E, Metzger DS, et al. What is community? An evidence-based definition for participatory public health. Am J Public Health. 2001;91:1929–1938.
    1. Bruce TA, McKane SU, eds. Community-Based Public Health: A Partnership Model. Washington, DC: American Public Health Association, W. K. Kellogg Foundation; 2000.
    1. McKnight JL. Two tools for well-being: health systems and communities. Am J Prev Med. 1994;10(suppl 3):23–25.

Source: PubMed

Sponsors et collaborateurs

Les conditions médicales

Interventions en matière de drogue

3
S'abonner