Public Health Perspectives and Lessons Learned

Overview
Project Aims
Principles of the Project
Project Findings
Innovative Stakeholder Training Model
Theory of Change

Public Health Overview

Community-Based Participatory Research. The Partnership to Reduce Disparities in Asthma and Obesity in Latino Schools, which brought together community-based organizations, advocacy organizations, health providers and the University of Illinois at Chicago School of Public Health, used a community-based participatory research (CBPR) model to create a community-led process to address public health issues in two Latino communities. The project was funded by a grant from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) with a focus on environmental justice.

NIEHS defines CBPR as "an approach that promotes active community involvement in the processes that shape research and intervention strategies, as well as in the conduct of research studies." In other words, community-based participatory research involves the residents of a community – those who will be affected most directly by environmental hazards – in researching and addressing those hazards. This participation can also strengthen communication between researchers and community members, leading to increased understanding and greater progress on shared goals.

Social-Ecological Model. The Partnership’s approach to research and action was based on the social-ecological model, allowing the group to focus simultaneously on individual and community issues while balancing short-term and long-term outcomes. In addition, researchers and community organizers employed the health belief model to engage parents in health-promoting behavior. The experience of participating in health-promoting behavior, along with discussions of health as an issue of social and environmental justice, motivated parents to advocate for healthy food and physical activity at school. These changes in the school environment can make a difference in addressing the staggering health disparities that the children face, particularly with regard to childhood obesity and asthma.

The goal of this project was to develop effective strategies for motivating and empowering parents, students and community members in minority urban communities to shape school policies relating to school environmental health and wellness. Principal Investigator Rochelle Davis, also the founding executive director of the Healthy Schools Campaign, explained, “we wanted to learn how to engage minority parents in large urban communities in effective school health advocacy – and with the insight of our community partners and university researchers, that is exactly what we have been able to learn.”

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Project Aims

The aims of the partnership were to:

• Develop a better understanding of the impact of the school environment, and a large school district’s policies that influence this environment, on asthma and obesity.
• Develop a common language between “professionals” and “community members/parents” that will be used to motivate school administrators to take action to improve the school environment.
• Evaluate two different models of community organizing in a school-based setting.
• Open lines of communication and working partnerships between schools and community health providers.

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Principles of the Project

• Healthy students are better learners.
• The school environment, including the air quality, needs to be healthy.
• The school is an important place for introducing healthy food and nutrition concepts.
• Parent, student and community involvement are important for creating healthy schools and students.

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Project Findings

Social Ecological Model. Using this model allowed the Partnership to focus simultaneously on individual and community conditions, barriers and benefits while balancing short-term and long-term goals.

Social Justice as a Motivating Frame. Examining school health issues with a social justice lens resonated with the lived experiences of community members and corresponded with the mission of community organizations.

Collaborating with CBOs known for organizing skills rather than pre-existing commitment to health. The Partnership experience demonstrated that the dissemination of health information was bolstered by organizing acumen and did not compete with the other goals and campaigns of the CBOs. The strong leadership and organizing abilities of CBOs altered traditional relationships with university partners.

Community Based Participatory Research. The techniques involved in Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) illuminate the ways in which characteristics of CBOs influence the processes they use for intervention and information-gathering. The experience suggests that CBPR is particularly effective in health promotion efforts because the research begins with the community, is assisted by the community and, if successful, will benefit the community; hence, the community is more receptive to the intervention.

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Innovative Stakeholder Training Model

HSC has developed an innovative stakeholder training model based on lessons learned from the Partnership. In this project, HSC engaged and provided significant training and leadership development opportunities for low-income Latino parents. These parents then went on to transform their local schools and take on important leadership roles in their schools and communities, particularly through the establishment of school wellness teams at each school.

Through this effort, HSC developed training theories and models that it has successfully used to provide training and leadership development around school health issues for other stakeholders, including school nurses, school staff and principals. Through the Partnership, HSC learned key lessons that are successfully applied to all its training and leadership development programs for school stakeholders. These include:

Effective Messages: It is crucial that individuals, communities and schools make the connection between learning, health and the school environment. Messages that are developed by and for specific stakeholders will resonate with them. For example, examining school health issues through the lens of social justice and equity resonates with low-income Latino parents.

Effective Messengers: In communicating about health, the messenger is as important as the message. HSC works with well respected and know leaders from within the individual stakeholder groups to develop and present training and concepts.

Ongoing Engagement: Once a training program has been developed and implemented, HSC develops and implements strategies for fostering ongoing support and peer learning.

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Theory of Change

In order to foster environmental justice in schools in Latino communities, project organizers and parent leaders worked to achieve a better understanding of both the physical and decision-making environments to address the disparity in prevalence of asthma and obesity in minority student populations. The Theory of Change model illustrates the understanding of those environments that Partnership leaders developed. Click here to download the model.

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