Digital Commons Network^™

Identifying Community-Engaged Translational Research Collaboration Experience And Health Interests Of Community-Based Organizations Outside Of Metropolitan Atlanta, Breanna B. Greteman, Latrice Rollins, Ph.D., Msw, Allisen Penn, Alison C. Berg, Eric J. Nehl, Nicole Llewellyn, Amber Weber, Melissa George, Darrell Sabbs, Mohamed Mubasher, Tabia H. Akintobi

Journal of the Georgia Public Health Association

Background: While rural health research has increased over the last two decades, there is limited understanding of the self-reported health priorities and research interests of rural and suburban community-based representatives and residents. These insights can be used to inform more successful intervention strategies that are responsive to the lived experiences of local residents and leaders who are the gatekeepers to buy-in and sustainability of community engaged research. The Georgia Clinical and Translational Science Alliance, a collaboration between four academic institutions includes a Community Engagement Program (CE) designed to facilitate community-academic research partnerships. This study aimed to assess the health priorities, …

Perception Of Health Care Access In Rural Georgia: Findings From A Community Health Needs Assessment Survey, Elisa M. Childs, Tiffany R. Washington

Journal of the Georgia Public Health Association

Background: Limited access to health care services has been cited as a barrier to care for individuals who live in rural areas, contributing to significant health disparities in this population. While perception of services has been cited as a determinant of utilization of health services, it is unknown how perception of services influences health care access in rural areas. The paucity of studies specific to areas in the United States that are medically underserved, necessitated this study and its quantification of the issues that are relevant to individuals living in rural Georgia.

Methods: This study examined the perception of health …

Fitnessgram Assessment Results In Five Rural Counties Of Georgia, Tara L. Underwood, Jimmie H. Smith Jr, Dawood H. Sultan

Journal of the Georgia Public Health Association

Background: Childhood obesity continues to be more prevalent in the United States (US) than ever before. Youth who reside in rural areas tend to experience higher risks of obesity and overweight status, mainly due to barriers to physical activity. Even though the US federal government has mandated a daily requirement of physical activity for all school-age children, the majority of youth from rural communities tend to not achieve the recommended Health Fitness Zone (HFZ) goals.

Methods: The FITNESSGRAM is the instrument that has been used to measure and report students’ physical activity and body mass index (BMI) based …

A Preliminary Examination Of Elevated Blood Lead Levels In A Rural Georgia County, R. Christopher Rustin, Yu Sun, Chris Calhoun, Christy Kuriatnyk

Journal of the Georgia Public Health Association

Background: Children in Flint, Michigan were exposed to lead at unsafe levels in drinking water bringing renewed interest and national attention to an old public health problem. In Georgia, thousands of children are exposed annually to lead at unsafe levels primarily from paint in homes built before 1978. With lead poisoning typically viewed as an urban problem, rural areas are often considered lower-risk in light of similar lead poisoning risk factors, albeit on a smaller scale. The purpose of this preliminary study was to examine the prevalence of elevated blood lead levels in childrenCounty, Georgia, a county designated as lower …

Reducing Sexual Risk Behaviors And Intentions Among Rural African American Youth, Natasha De Veauuse Brown

Journal of the Georgia Public Health Association

Background: In spite of dramatic declines in teen pregnancy and childbearing in every state and amongst all racial groups, progress to-date remains unbalanced and disparities persist. Blacks, Hispanics, and youth residing in southern states or rural areas continue to experience the highest teen pregnancy rates in the nation. In an effort to enhance protective factors that help youth avoid behaviors placing them at risk for pregnancy, between September 2011 and May 2013, a public school district in rural southeast U.S. implemented an evidence-based youth development program designed to address these issues.

Methods: A single-group, repeated measures design was employed to …

A Preliminary Examination Of Elevated Blood Lead Levels In A Rural Georgia County, R. Christopher Rustin, Yu Sun, Chris Calhoun, Christy Kuriantnyk

Journal of the Georgia Public Health Association

Background: Rural areas are often viewed as lower risk for lead poisoning and toxic exposures seriously impacting development of the brain and central nervous system; this report examines the prevalence of elevated blood lead levels for childrenCounty, GA.

Methods: Lead surveillance data from the Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) were analyzed using SAS®v-9.3 to calculate the prevalence of elevated blood lead levels (≥5ug/dL) among those children in Ben Hill County who had been tested for lead; the results were compared to Georgia and national data.

Results: A preliminary analysis of 2010-2015 screening data for Ben Hill County indicates that …

Adapting A Physical Activity Intervention For Youth In A Rural Area: A Case Study, Moya L. Alfonso, Gavin Golquitt, Ashley Walker, Akrati Gupta

Journal of the Georgia Public Health Association

Background: Physical activity offers children and youth many well-documented positive effects on health. The present study adapted a community-based prevention marketing campaign (CBPM), VERBTM Summer Scorecard (VSS) to promote physical activity among minority youth in rural, southeast Georgia. The purpose of this paper is to describe the adaptation process, emphasizing methods used and lessons learned.

Methods: A qualitative study design was used to identify social marketing concepts that informed program adaptation, including two focus groups with 12 children and two focus groups with 14 parents. Qualitative thematic data analysis was used to analyze formative research. The adapted program was implemented …

Leveraging University-Community Partnerships In Rural Georgia: A Community Health Needs Assessment Template For Hospitals, Ayanna Robinson, Sabrina T. Cherry, Michelle Elliott, Marsha Davis, Grace Bagwell

Journal of the Georgia Public Health Association

Background: Under the Affordable Care Act, nonprofit hospitals are required to conduct a Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) every three years. Using recommendations proposed by Georgia Watch, students and faculty members from the University of Georgia (UGA) conducted a CHNA for a hospital in a rural county in Georgia. The purpose of the CHNA was to identify community health problems and needs, as well as community assets and resources. The aim of this report is to describe the process for conducting the CHNA, the findings, and the lessons learned.

Methods: The CHNA team consisted of students and faculty members from …

Capital And Technical Assistance Needs Of Georgia’S Health-Related Nonprofits: An Exploratory Study, Jerry B. Daniel, Cherysh Green-Caldwell

Journal of the Georgia Public Health Association

Background: Nonprofit organizations, particularly those related to health and human services, are involved in addressing needs of the American population. They provide an array of services in small and large communities throughout the United States. Compared to for-profit organizations, health-related nonprofits are increasing in number. Despite having a substantial share of the health care market, nonprofit organizations face difficulties delivering services to those in need. The difficulties faced by rural nonprofits may be greater than those for their urban counterparts. The impetus for this study came from Healthcare Georgia Foundation’s goal of strengthening nonprofits to address the burgeoning health inequities …

Improving Rural Access To Care: Recommendations For Georgia’S Health Care Safety Net, Karen Minyard, Chris Parker, John Butts

Journal of the Georgia Public Health Association

Background: In Georgia, the safety net provides health care services to vulnerable populations scattered across 74 urban and 85 rural counties. In rural communities, the safety net is challenged with longstanding gaps in service provision and persistent difficulty in making services accessible. The rural safety net in Georgia is vulnerable.

Methods: An environmental scan was conducted of the Georgia rural safety net to assess who it serves, its providers, and how care is accessed in light of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The scan included analysis of population-based census and health databases and a literature review to inform recommendations.

Results: …

Quality Rated Childcare Programs And Social Determinants Of Health In Rural And Non-Rural Georgia, Nancy C. Webb, Madison L. Gates

Journal of the Georgia Public Health Association

Background: Early childhood is linked to school readiness and early school achievement. Through its Quality Rated (QR) program, which was designed to improve the quality of care in early childhood programs, the state of Georgia has been a trailblazer in funding universal preschool and in improving the quality of childcare programs. We have assessed differences in the availability of QR childcare programs in Georgia to learn if, in rural versus non-rural counties, there is a relationship between QR childcare programs and health-related outcomes.

Methods: This cross-sectional study evaluated county-level data to evaluate the relationship between QR childcare programs and social …