healthy people 2020 - Society for Public Health Education

thursday – saturday | november 4-6
✯ Poster Abstracts ✯
characteristics of a professional preparation program to prepare entrylevel
health educators to address health disparities. Phase two involved
development of a survey, the Lyles Health Disparities Assessment Tool,
based on information from the Delphi technique. The tool was piloted
among 187 Health Education Programs. Results: Pilot testing of the
survey revealed the Cronbach’s alpha coefficient for internal consistency
reliability was .752.
conclusions: Forty-three percent (n=19) of program coordinators felt
students get an optimal experience in learning to work with populations
that experience health disparities. Seventy percent (n=31) of the Health
Education Programs do not offer courses entirely devoted to health disparities.
Only 20% of the program coordinators report students complete
an internship in diverse communities. Many program coordinators felt
faculty had a professional commitment to teaching students to address
health disparities. Sixty-three percent (n=28) agreed or strongly agreed
faculty were committed to practical experience, research, and participation
in conferences focused on health disparities and health policy.
implications for practice: Health education programs should
incorporate an internship with communities that may experience health
disparities. Inclusion of an internship will allow students to use theories/
models based in culture and apply these models in real situations. Faculty
should be encouraged to pursue research agendas in health disparities.
Support should be available for faculty to attend conferences related to
the discipline. Providing training and supporting scholarly growth will
allow faculty to increase knowledge and exhibit a professional responsibility
to the field.
30. Advocacy 2.0: Using Web 2.0 to Advocate for
the Profession
Don Chaney, PhD, CHES, College of Health and Human Performance,
University of Florida, Gainesville; Beth Chaney, PhD, CHES,
University of Florida, Gainesville; Michael Setllefson, PhD, University of
Florida, Gainesville; Monica Webb, MPH, University of Florida, Gainesville
Advocacy is an integral component of public health education. The future
of our profession will be determined by how the profession advocates for
health education programs and practices that work to change behavior
and prevent disease to audiences outside the heath education field. Web
2.0 provides such a platform for dissemination. Yet, many health educators
lack training in how to effectively utilize Web 2.0 technologies in advocacy
efforts. The purpose of this presentation is threefold: 1) to provide a
general overview of Web 2.0 technologies; 2) to provide examples of how
Web 2.0 is utilized in advocacy initiatives; and 3) discuss how Web 2.0
can be utilized to enable health educators to mobilize communities and
policymakers in order to achieve specific advocacy goals. Although the
use of technology and the need for advocacy is continually cited in the
literature as an essential and crucial factor in the future direction of the
profession, the gap between literature and practice exist. This presentation
will enhance the practical understanding and application of Web 2.0 technologies,
while presenting strategies to revolutionize the way we currently
conduct professional advocacy initiatives.
31. Female Iraq and Afghanistan War Veterans:
Coming Home in Their Words
Lisa Hedden, BA, Health Science Department, San Jose State University;
Anne Demers, EdD, MPH, BA, Health Science Department, San Jose State
University
In the past two decades, the number of women in the military has
increased significantly and their roles as soldiers have greatly expanded.
Despite this increase, there is a lack of research on the effect that maledominated
military culture has on female soldiers and their specific needs
as they transition from military to civilian life. The literature demonstrates
that social support is a strong predictor of mental health outcomes. Yet
few studies, none of which are qualitative, have examined the role of social
support during a female veteran’s transitional process and the subsequent
effects on mental health. This study explored female Iraq and Afghanistan
war veterans’ experiences with social support and their ability to transition
back into civilian society. Within the framework of the social support
literature, data from two focus groups and three one-to-one in-depth
conversations were analyzed. Several themes emerged from the data
around social support including a lack of support within the military, feeling
disconnected from civilians and loved ones, and the need for genderspecific
support services to assist with reintegration into communities.
While focus group data revealed a desire to connect with other veterans,
the majority of the participants specifically wanted to connect with female
veterans. Their own military units were primarily comprised of men who
had provided little support for their female counterparts. The participants
wanted to distance themselves from male veterans upon returning home,
but still connect with someone they could relate to on a veteran’s level. This
is a culturally distinct population, with its own stresses, for which social
support greatly impacts their physical and mental health outcomes. These
results have significant implications for health educators such as a need for
program development within public health departments and community
based organizations that build in social support structures; and training
for women’s health service providers to address the needs of this population.
As increasing numbers of female veterans return home, essential
community health services and educators will need to be prepared to
effectively support them.
32. Assessing Intimate Partner Violence Among Iraq and
Afghanistan War Veterans and Their Significant Others
Authors: Anne Demers, EdD, MPH, Health Science Department at San Jose
State University; Elena Klaw, PhD, San Jose State University; Alea Gellman,
MPH Candidate, San Jose State University
Returning veterans from Iraq (OIF) and Afghanistan (OEF) wars are
struggling with myriad physical and mental health issues. Whether
they are diagnosed with a mental health disorder, or not, research
has shown that combat experience itself is related to increased risk
for anxiety, depression, and anger symptomology. Veteran’s anger, in
particular, is related to an increased likelihood of committing intimate
partner violence (IPV). The literature reveals very little about the current
prevalence of IPV among this population. Using a mixed methods
approach, an electronic survey was designed and launched at two-year
and four-year colleges and universities throughout California. The goal
of this study was to gain a better understanding of the issue of intimate
partner violence among OIF/OEF veterans and significant others of
veterans. Results reveal a continuum of relationship behaviors – from
healthy, to unhealthy, to abusive – and data suggest that there is more
at play than the traditional explanations of power and control. Many
veterans have not been screened for and/or are not receiving services
for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and are self-medicating with alcohol
and other substances. Veterans’ significant others are at a loss for how
to negotiate safe relationships. Recommendations include incorporating
military cultural competence training into more traditional curriculum,
programs, and service delivery.
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sophe conference ✯ november 4-6, 2010