Community-based Approaches to Reduce Chronic Disease Disparities in Georgia

Abstract

Background:Among underserved and racial/ethnic minority populations in Georgia, there are profound health disparities and a burden of chronic diseases. Such diseases, which are preventable, are influenced by risk factors, including poor nutrition, physical inactivity, lack of quality health care, and tobacco use and exposure. Awardees of the Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health (REACH) and Partnerships to Improve Community Health (PICH) are implementing community-based initiatives using evidencebased, policy, systems, and environmental approaches to reduce racial and ethnic health disparities and the chronic disease burden in underserved urban and rural Georgia communities. Methods:Within the context of a social ecological framework, the REACH and PICH awardees selected interventions. Their impact in the areas of tobacco use and exposure, chronic disease prevention and management, and nutrition are described. Results:To date, the interventions of Georgia's PICH and REACH awardees have reached approximately 805,000 Georgia residents. Conclusions:By implementing strategies for community-based policy, systems, and environmental improvement, Georgia's PICH and REACH awardees are reducing tobacco use and exposure; increasing access to healthy foods; and providing chronic disease prevention, risk reduction, and management opportunities for underserved communities in urban and rural Georgia communities. Their efforts to address chronic disease risk factors at various social and ecological levels are contributing to a reduction in racial/ethnic health disparities and the chronic disease burden in Georgia.

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Spike in Georgia: An Epidemiologic Study of Data, Modelling, and Policy Implications to Understand the Gender-and Race-Specific Variations

“…Some potential reasons for these health disparities documented in previous studies include lower income, lower educational attainment, cultural factors and language barriers, lack of health insurance, lack of access to healthcare services, and lower quality healthcare services. 24,25,26,27 As depicted in Table 1(a) , the counties seem to have health-related disparities. For example, rates for residents under age 65 without health insurance ranged from 13.7% (Fulton County) to 20.9% (Hall County).…”

Collaboration With African American Faith-Based Organizations to Promote Physical Activity: Lessons Learned From a Process Evaluation of a Shared-Use Agreements Program

“…Chronic diseases are disproportionately high among African Americans compared with other racial and ethnic groups, often caused by social determinants of health (e.g., access to physical activity [PA] opportunities; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2017). DeKalb County, Georgia residents, specifically African Americans, experience a higher prevalence of chronic diseases (African Americans, 46%) as compared with non-Hispanic, European American residents (40.9%) (Rollins et al, 2017). In DeKalb County, 23% of adults are physically inactive (University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute, 2020).…”

“…To reduce the burden of chronic diseases and improve health, the CDC established Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health (REACH) to implement policy, systems, and environmental strategies that address levels of the SEM (Rollins et al, 2017). Through REACH, the DeKalb County Board of Health (BOH) implements an SEM-informed PA initiative through its SUA intervention partnering with seven local FBOs to promote PA. For this evaluation, we focused on multiple influencers of PA, including individual, interpersonal, organizational, and policy.…”

“…Health disparities and chronic disease burden are evident in underserved and minority populations in Georgia (Rollins et al, 2017). Chronic diseases are disproportionately high among African Americans compared with other racial and ethnic groups, often caused by social determinants of health (e.g., access to physical activity [PA] opportunities; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2017).…”

“…Social factors, for example, unemployment and poverty contribute to chronic diseases, lack of PA, access to nutritious foods, and access to health care. Such diseases are preventable and can be reduced with increased PA (Anderson & Durstine, 2019; Rollins et al, 2017).…”