HEA 609 (3 credits)

Community Health Interventions

Department of Public Health Education

2^nd Semester, 2004-2005 Academic Year

Instructor:		Robert Aronson, DrPH, MPH, Assistant Professor Department of Public Health Education 437 HEHP Building Greensboro, NC 27402 336-256-0119 rearonso@uncg.edu
Location:		HEHP 336
Time:		Thursdays from 6:00-8:50 PM
Prerequisites:		HEA 601, 602, 603, 608, or permission of instructor.
For whom planned:		This course is a required course for students enrolled in the MPH program in Community Health Education.
Course Description:		Catalog Description: Overview of the theories, successful intervention strategies, and methods of implementation across the social ecology and their application to the development of health education programs. Expanded Description: The core practice of community health educators is to develop, implement and evaluate interventions to promote and protect the health of populations. Interventions can focus on whole communities and systems as well as at individuals and their behaviors. In this course we will explore the settings for health education and health promotion, the types of interventions commonly used in these settings, and the health education methods needed to successfully implement such interventions. The course consists of lectures, case studies, group discussions, and student presentations
Student Learning Outcomes:		The following are the Student Learning Outcomes (SLO) for this course. At the end of the course, students will be able to: 1) Explain the need for interventions oriented toward change at each level of the social and cultural ecology. 2) Use a “theory of the problem” and a “theory of solution” to select appropriate settings and intervention strategies for health education and health promotion. 3) Select appropriate methods of health education and health promotion needed to effectively implement an intervention. 4) Understand the process of implementing an intervention.
Readings:		Required Textbooks: Kreuter MW, Lezin NA, Kreuter MW, and Green LW. Community Health Promotion Ideas that Work. (2^nd Edition). Jones and Bartlett Publishers: Sudbury, Massachusetts. 2003. Readings: Additional course readings will be made available through UNCG’s library system on e-reserves. Students are expected to have completed the required reading assignments before each class session.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS
Teaching Strategies:	This course will combine the lecture, class discussion, group process, and student presentation formats. The success of this course depends on how much you, your classmates, and I put into our work here together. This syllabus is the beginning of a learning contract we will share. The outline of topics to be covered and readings to be done - as well as the course objectives - lay out part of my commitment to you in what learning I will facilitate. The course requirements and the assignments listed below lay out part of your commitment to you and to your classmates to what learning you will undertake and facilitate.
Philosophy:	This course is designed to introduce you to some basic principles and skills used in public health interventions. It is recognized that every student in the class brings with them experiences from their own life and from practice settings. These experiences are a valuable part of the course and it is intended that students will participate actively in classes by elaborating upon lectures, asking questions, and exchanging ideas with each other and the lecturers. Our learning process depends on your participation and commitment to learning. Before-class ways that you will demonstrate this commitment include reading and thinking about the readings and completing your assignments. In class, you will demonstrate this commitment by: listening, sharing your insights about the readings and topics at hand, asking questions, and participating in activities. To ensure that everyone has opportunities to contribute, I will call upon those who are not participating to help us out, but the primary responsibility for contributing falls on you.
Grading:	Students will be graded on 1) class participation and subjective assessment (20%); 2) reflective writing in journals (20%); 3) journal club papers and presentations (20%); and 4) intervention logic model paper and presentation (40%).
Syllabus:	Learning is an organic process. As every strong health educator knows, learning needs to be tailored and re-tailored to both meet the needs of the participants (that’s you, in this case) and to meet the objectives of the program (PHE). This syllabus may change. You will need to keep up with these changes, and you will receive information on any changes and/or a new syllabus (with a new date in the upper right corner) as necessary. You are expected to keep up with these changes both so that you complete the right assignments and so that you are informed of any changes. Please bring your syllabus to each session.
Grading and Assignments:	1. Class Discussion & Participation (20%) Students are expected to contribute to classes based on their analysis of the readings and their own experience, when applicable. It is expected that you will come to class prepared with a set of questions or issues to raise during the class period discussion. Students are expected to attend all classes; if you cannot attend, please notify the instructor and arrange to get copies of notes or handouts. (SLOs # 1-4) 2. Outside of class reflection on readings and classroom activities (20%) Informal writing is an important contributor to student learning. All students are expected to keep a weekly journal pertaining to the readings and classroom activities and discussions. On occasion, specific reflection questions will be posted on blackboard. You will be expected to respond to these questions in your journal. Journals will be reviewed at mid-term and the end of the course. (SLOs # 1-4) 3. Journal club handouts and presentation (20%). Groups will prepare one page summary handouts, and will facilitate class discussion on the assigned reading. (SLOs # 1-4) 4. Logic Model paper and presentation (40%). Groups will prepare a two page single-spaced summary of their selected intervention, a one page visual logic model of the intervention, and will give a presentation (45 – 60 minutes) on their intervention/logic model. (SLOs # 1-4) TO EARN A COURSE GRADE OF “A” Meet all requirements for a grade of B and meet the following criteria for excellence - achievement of distinction and excellence in several if not all of the following aspects: 1) completeness and accuracy of knowledge; 2) intelligent use of knowledge; 3) independence of work; 4) originality. Expectations for the quality necessary for grades of B and C are as follows: B (Good) - indicates general achievement superior to the acceptable standard defined as C. It involves excellence in some aspects of the work, as indicated in the definition of A. C (Average) - indicates the acceptable standard for graduation from UNCG. It involves such quality and quantity of work as may fairly be expected of a student of normal ability who gives to the course a reasonable amount of time, effort, and attention. Such acceptable standards should include the following factors: 1) familiarity with the content of the course; 2) familiarity with the methods of study of the course; 3) full participation in the work of the class; 4) ability to write about the subject in intelligible English.
Internet:	The course instructor will be setting up a course homepage utilizing the Blackboard Course Management System for intra-class communications. This list may be used to inform students of any changes in the assignments, room or scheduling changes, etc. It may also be used by students to ask questions of classmates and the instructor, or to further discussions outside of the classroom. Students will be responsible to make sure their UNCG e-mail is activated. You can activate your account from the Blackboard login page at http://bb.uncg.edu, click “Login Information”, click “Account Activation Form.” Student Blackboard usernames are the same as the first part of their UNCG email address, for example: jdoe@uncg.edu, username = jdoe. Everyone's initial password is “password” until you change it. You can either use your UNCG e-mail account to regularly check for messages or you can forward your UNCG e-mail to another ISP (such as Hotmail, AOL, Yahoo, etc.). For instructions on how to forward e-mail go to http://csv.uncg.edu/csv/faq/unix/forward.html. If you have any problems doing either of these tasks contact the Student Computing Help Center in the library’s SuperLab or call 334-4686. It is your responsibility to make sure you set up your email accounts in order to receive important messages that will be sent through Blackboard.
Academic Honor Code:	Please note that this course relies on your adherence to the Academic Integrity Policy (honor code). Refer to UNCG web site for full listing of UNCG’s Academic Integrity Policy: (http://saf.dept.uncg.edu/studiscp/Honor.html)

DATE	TOPIC	READING / ASSIGNMENT
1/13	Introduction to course Settings for Health Education and Health Promotion Units of Identity, Solution and Practice Creating a shared vocabulary The Guide to Community Preventive Services	WHO Health Promotion Glossary (http://www.wpro.who.int/hpr/docs/glossary.pdf)
1/20	Defining the problem. Looking at data.	-Kreuter text. Chapters 1& 2. -Articles for journal club to be shared among students. (In groups of 3 or 4).
1/27	Defining the problem. Discovering the causes. Involving the community.	-Kreuter text. Chapter 3 & 4.
2/3	Models for program planning in Health Promotion.	McKenzie. Chapter 2 (Models for Program Planning in Health Promotion) Journal club presentation (Black: Children in Low-Income Urban Settings).
2/10	Applying theory to intervention problems.	Kreuter text. Chapter 5. Journal club presentation (Yancey: Engaging High-Risk Populations in Community-level Fitness Promotion).
2/17	Interventions. Types of intervention strategies. Creating Health promotion interventions. Overview of methods used in interventions.	McKenzie. Chapter 8 (Interventions) Steckler (Health Education Intervention Strategies) Journal club presentation (Nguyen: Promoting Physical Activity at the community-level).  Journal club presentation (Parker: Detroit’s East Side Village Health Worker Project).
2/24	Workshop on Presentations Speaking to Learn: Learning to Speak Guest facilitator: Joyce Ferguson (Communications)	Bensley, Chapter 6 (Selecting Presentation Methods) Bensley, Chapter 7 (Developing Effective Presentations) Journal club presentation (Engelgau: A Project to Reduce the Burden of Diabetes in the African American Community: Project DIRECT).
3/3	Health Communications. Social marketing. Media advocacy. Guest speaker: William Evans (tentative).	Kreuter text. Chapter 6. Bensley, Chapter 15 (Using Media Advocacy to Influence Policy) Journal club presentation (McAlister: Theory and Action for Health Promotion: Illustrations from the North Karelia Project).
3/10	SPRING BREAK
3/17	Community organizing and community building. Building and Sustaining Coalitions Healthy cities and communities Guest Speaker: Mary Bobbitt-Cook (tentative)	McKenzie. Chapter 9 (Community Organizing and Community Building) Bensley, Chapter 13 (Building and Sustaining Coalitions) Journal club presentation (Flynn: Healthy Cities: The Indiana Model of Community Development in Health)
3/24	Facilitating Groups, effective meetings	Bensley, Chapter 12 (Facilitating Groups) 1 presentation on logic models (Rasheed Onafuye: lead poisoning in children). Journal club presentation (Evans: A Cervical Cancer CD-Rom Intervention for College Age Women).
3/31	School Health Promotion. Guest lecture: Rick Brown. (tentative)	Journal club presentation (Kegler: Understanding Teen Pregnancy from the Perspective of Young Adolescents in Oklahoma City).
4/7	Photovoice Guest lecture: Robert Strack	Strack (Engaging youth through photovoice) Journal club presentation (Wang: Who knows the streets as well as the homeless?).
4/14	Comprehensive Community-based trial	Thompson (Methodologic advances and ongoing challenges in designing community-based health promotion programs)  2 presentations on logic models.
4/21	Presentations on logic models.	3 presentations on logic models.
4/28	Presentations on logic models.	3 presentations on logic models.
5/5	Presentations on logic models.	2 presentations on logic models.