Abstract
Problem:
Children in many of the communities within Birmingham, Alabama face health-related inequalities due to living in a subset of low-income, low-resource, and underserved area. These disparities combined with failure to address social determinants of health predispose children and their families to poor health outcomes and adverse childhood experiences with potential long-term consequences. The purpose of this project is to improve the health of children and their families in the Woodlawn community, an underserved, low-income, racially diverse subset of Birmingham currently undergoing revitalization. We propose creating a sustainable partnership that addresses health care needs. Partners in this collaborative effort include the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Nursing (UABSON) and i3 Academy, a public charter school that serves over 400 students and their families.
Goals and objectives:
This five-year project will facilitate measurable outcomes in healthy lifestyle habits, health literacy and health education, as well as overall well-being for children and their families. Strengths and innovations of this project include: (a) the integration of Bright Futures Guidelines for Health Supervision of Infants, Children, and Adolescents through targeted community and school-based screenings and health education sessions; (b) the implementation of an evidence-based health education model, Center for Disease Control and Prevention's Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child (WSCC) Model, focused on the critical role schools play in establishing healthy behaviors during childhood; (c) use of a cohort model of school-aged children who will be followed over time from Kindergarten to 5th grade; and (d) enhance care coordination through the support of a university with health profession students.
Methodology:
This project will include three key approaches: 1) health education and preventive health screenings with appropriate referrals for students; 2) health education on healthy lifestyle habits and health literacy for families; and, 3) enhanced care coordination.
Coordination:
The Leadership Team will coordinate health screenings and referrals for students, engage in follow-up, design culturally and linguistically appropriate health education sessions for students, and coordinate culturally and linguistically appropriate family health education workshops.
Evaluation:
Evaluation will include assessment of pre and post health literacy scores, pre and post healthy lifestyle habits assessment scores, and pre and post workshop evaluations to measure changes in knowledge for families. In students, evaluations will include annual tracking of BMI measures, knowledge of healthy lifestyle habits, and overall well-being.