healthy people 2020 - Society for Public Health Education

✯ Conference Abstracts ✯
saturday | november 6
84% Caucasian, and 5% were Hispanic; 22% had less than a high school
diploma, 36% had a high school diploma and 41% had some college or
greater. 15% of the population had inadequate health literacy as measured
by the DAHL. Those with inadequate health literacy were significantly
more likely to have poor or fair overall health (OR=2.04; CI: 1.97-2.19),
diabetes (OR=1.09; CI: 1.02-1.16); mental distress (OR=1.38; CI: 1.15-
1.64), need more assistance with ADL (OR=2.45; CI: 2.30-2.59), and have
difficulties with IADL (OR=2.32; CI: 2.18-2.47). Conclusions: Inadequate
health literacy as measured by the DAHL was found to be associated with
poorer health outcomes in the nationally representative sample.
implications for practice: To promote public health practice in
older adult populations with inadequate health literacy we must incorporate
HP2020 health communication objectives. Health education aimed
at improving health literacy in older populations may translate into
better overall health and quality of life.
Do Well, Be Well con Diabetes: A Pilot Study of a Type-2 Diabetes
Self-management Education Program for Hispanic/Latino
Rural Older Adults.
Ninfa Purcell, PhD, CHES, Assistant Professor/Health Specialists,
Family Development and Resource Management
The purpose of this grant-funded pilot study was to test the effectiveness
of the Do Well, Be Well con Diabetes (DWBW) program, a 6-week type
2 diabetes self-management intervention. Low-literate, Spanish-speaking
rural seniors (> 55 years) and their families were the intended audience.
Efficacy of the program was based on Hemoglobin Alc (A1c) levels, a
gold standard for blood glucose control. Two Texas counties, Starr and
Hidalgo, were selected as pilot sites because these communities have
the characteristics that can best be served by DWBW, including: high
rates of diabetes, rural, medically underserved, a growing Hispanic elder
population, and a larger proportion of Hispanic/Latinos. A prospective,
quasi-experimental, repeated-measure design was employed to test the
program’s effectiveness. Intervention and wait-list (control) sites were
Starr and Hidalgo Counties, respectively. At baseline and three months,
HbA1c, self-efficacy, acculturation, diabetes self-care behaviors, and diabetes
knowledge were assessed. The diabetes knowledge scale, consisting of
open-ended items, will not be reported in this preliminary study. Frequency
counts show that for the intervention county the mean age was 58.6 years
(N = 50) with 70% females. Almost half (47%) of the Starr County participants
had never been to high school, 30% had been to high school but left
before graduating. The remaining 20% had a high school diploma. Half of
the participants (50%) spoke and read Spanish only. Another 30% spoke and
read Spanish and English equally well. Mean pre hemoglobin A1c (A1c) was
8.34 (1.86 SD). The lowest A1c was 4.6 and the highest was 13.3. According
to the American Diabetes Association, an A1c 7 or below is considered ideal
for glycemic control. Positive changes were found on every measure of selfefficacy.
Overall, participants averaged a 3 point gain in self-confidence (pre
score 5.66; post score 8.65). Participants reported increase self-confidence
regarding exercise and diet. When examining self-care behaviors, blood sugar
was tested more often and feet and shoes were checked more often. Preliminary
evidence from this pilot study suggests that participants completing
DWBW show improvements in self-care behaviors and self-efficacy. It can
be concluded that these favorable results demonstrate participants’ ability to
maintain glucose control, thus reducing their risk for complications.
saturday | november 6
The Impact of Health Beliefs and Demographic Characteristics
on Breast Cancer Screening Practices among Women
Age 55 and Older.
Peggy Johnson, MPH, Texas State University
background: One of every eight women in the United States will be
diagnosed with breast cancer in her lifetime. Although early detection
of breast cancer is the most effective method of assuring survival, many
women throughout the country do not avail themselves of this advantage.
Hypotheses that explain breast cancer mammography screening
practices by older women can be classified as health beliefs and socioeconomic/structural
issues.
purpose: This study assessed whether individual health beliefs as well
as demographic factors were associated with obtaining recent and regular
mammography screening. In addition to health beliefs, demographic
data including age, educational attainment, or rural versus urban/suburban
residence were examined.
methods: Data was collected from four hundred women from 31 counties
in Tennessee using the Champion Revised Health Belief Model Scale.
The sample for analysis included women age 55 and older from rural,
urban and suburban areas within these counties. Results: Individual health
beliefs and demographic characteristics were associated with a higher
likelihood of having a recent and regular mammography screening.
conclusions: An association of health beliefs concerning the benefits
and barriers of mammography screening to regular and recent mammography
screening was found in this study. Additional associations
to demographic characteristics were also found. Theoretical models are
needed to explain the association between health beliefs and demographic
characteristics to mammography screening practices.
concurrent sessions d3
Room: Colorado E-F
scaling new heights in health education leadership:
revisiting our past to inform our future
Scaling New Heights in Health Education Leadership:
Using Our Past to Inform Our Future
John P. Allegrante, PhD, Professor and Deputy Provost, Teachers College,
Columbia University; Emily Tyler, MPH, CHES, Greesboro, NC for Harriet
Hylton Barr; David A. Sleet, PhD, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,
Atlanta, GA, for Martin Fishbein; David S. Sobel, MD, MPH, Kaiser
Permanente Northern California, Oakland, CA, for Laura Keranen
The modern history of health education includes a pantheon of individuals
whose legacies of leadership have shaped both SOPHE and the
profession. Among the generation of those who played key roles in
health education during the last half of the 20th century and gave life to
the early phase of SOPHE’s development were Laura Keranen, Harriet
Hylton Barr, Norbert Reinstein, and Martin Fishbein. This session will
bring together a distinguished group of contemporary leaders in health
education that will assess the life and work of these important figures in
the history of school and public health education and discuss the implications
of the legacy each leaves for addressing the challenges of today’s
health problems.
sophe conference ✯ november 4-6, 2010 35