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Conference Abstractsand exercise regimens were measured using a revised healthinventory. Results: Approximately 60% of women wereoverweight, obese or extremely obese with 56% reporting lowpersonal disease. In terms of stages of change (SOC), 32% werein action meaning they were actively changing, while 32% werein maintenance stages meaning they were maintaining goodnutritional habits. Multiple regression analysis revealed thatthe higher SOC stages and age were significantly associatedwith having better eating habits. However, for some eatinghabits, women in active stages were no more likely to practicegood eating habits compared to women in pre-contemplationor contemplation stages. Readiness to change eating habitswas significantly associated with each eating habit excepteating salty foods and snacks. In essence, women in higherstages of readiness to change eating habits were significantlymore likely to eat (a) breakfast every day, (b) mostly to onlylow fat foods and (c) primarily or only whole grain products.Conclusion: To our knowledge this is one of the first studies toexamine SOC in eating habits among African American womenliving in Florida. We conclude that African American womenare ready to change eating habits, regardless of geographicalor social boundaries. Implications: Environmental andPolicy changes should be considered to assist AfricanAmerican women in developing healthier dietary patterns.In addition, educational interventions should be consideredto improve eating habits of African American women.Using Community-Based ParticipatoryResearch to Address Oral Health Care Needsand Issues Among Uninsured ChildrenAngelia Paschal, PhD, MEd, Mississippi University for WomenAdequate oral health care is one of the largest unmet publichealth issues faced by low-income populations, includingchildren (Treadwell and Northridge, 2007). About 80% oftooth decay is found in 25% of children, primarily in thosein low-income families (Beltrán-Aguilar et al., 2005). Amongchildren from low-income families, about 1/3 have untreatedcaries in primary teeth (Watson et al, 2008). While dental cariescan usually be prevented, affordable dental insurance and/or accessible dental care services are significant barriers foreconomically disadvantaged families (Fisher and Mascarenhas,2009; 2007). University researchers in collaboration withthe Wichita–Sedgwick County (Kansas) Oral Health Coalitionsponsored an annual one-day event, Give Kids a Smile(GKAS), to provide free preventive and restorative dentalcare to low income, uninsured children. Modeled after theAmerican Dental Association’s GKAS, recruitment focusedprimarily on low-income neighborhoods through radio andnewsletter ads, schools, primary health care facilities, socialservice organizations, and faith-based communities. To beeligible, children had to lack dental insurance, be betweenthree and 10 years old, and reside in Sedgwick County. AllGKAS staff were volunteers, including dentists. The purposeof this study was to examine the demographic make-up ofthe 2011 GKAS children; the oral health status, behaviors,and attitudes among GKAS children and parents/caregivers;and the dental care needs of uninsured children in SedgwickCounty. For each child, parents/guardians were asked tocomplete a 46-item survey, available in English and Spanish,which inquired about the child’s oral health status, pastand current oral health behaviors, and demographics. Datawas also abstracted from the cildren’s GKAS dental chartswere also SPSS 17.0 was used to analyze data. Surveyswere completed for 175 children. Spanish was the primarylanguage spoken in the home of 59% and 38% had householdincomes of