COHE 7234- Community Health Assessment

Advanced concepts in the purpose and methods of community health organization, social action, organizational development, policy influence, capacity building, community diagnosis (needs assessment), social networking and coalition formation to bring about health behavior change and improved quality of life. Special focus on the application of methods presented to develop and enhance community health education intervention efforts

PUBH 9235 - Communication and Advocacy

This course will provide students with the ability to evaluate the history and current applications of health communication theory and strategies to public health practice and research. Emphasis is placed on use of health communication theory and strategies designed to create change across the ecological spectrum, from individual to policy levels. Students will gain the skills to structure, develop, implement and evaluate social marketing, media advocacy, risk communication and advocacy efforts for policy change. In addition, ability to lead systematic qualitative and mixed method data collection processes involving interviewing skills, participant observation and focus group development will be developed. Emphasis is placed on critical thinking skills to help students analyze and utilize these skills in research and practice in diverse public health settings

PUBH 7890 – Using Spanish in Public Health Practice Settings

Provides the student with an opportunity to investigate an area of interest under the direction of a faculty mentor. This independent study course will challenge the students to improve their existing Spanish language skills, as well as provide learning opportunities to develop Spanish language skills while discussing Public Health topics: Healthy relationships, sexual health, mental wellness and substance use

PUBH 9235- Communication and Advocacy

This course will provide students with the ability to evaluate the history and current applications of health communication theory and strategies to public health practice and research. Emphasis is placed on use of health communication theory and strategies designed to create change across the ecological spectrum, from individual to policy levels. Students will gain the skills to structure, develop, implement and evaluate social marketing, media advocacy, risk communication and advocacy efforts for policy change. In addition, ability to lead systematic qualitative and mixed method data collection processes involving interviewing skills, participant observation and focus group development will be developed. Emphasis is placed on critical thinking skills to help students analyze and utilize these skills in research and practice in diverse public health settings

PUBH 4330- Promotional Strategies for Health Programs

This course explores the application of social marketing and communication theory to the development of strategies to enhance health education and promotion programs

PUBH 6535- Social and Behavioral Science

This course is designed to familiarize students with the history and current applications of social and behavioral sciences as they are applied to public health practice and research. It explores social and behavioral science models, theories, and approaches that inform public health, and their philosophical roots. The course also examines social and behavioral determinants of health equity across the ecological spectrum. Emphasis is placed on critical thinking skills to help students synthesize and utilize information in research and practice. An important contribution of this course is the emphasis on recognizing the contributions of social and behavioral science research and practice to enhanced public health

Understanding Factors Associated With Intention To Go To Your Doctor To Ask For Sickle Cell Trait Screening Among African Americans Within Middle Reproductive Age

Thesis (Ph.D.) - Indiana University, Public Health, 2015Background: Current guidelines recommend that African Americans (AA) know their sickle cell trait status to inform their reproductive decisions. Two studies based on the Reasoned Action Approach (RAA) and the Extended Parallel Process Model were conducted with AA between 18 and 35 to understand their intention to get screened to determine their status. The aim of the main study was to identify factors underlying intention to go to their doctor to ask for sickle cell screening in the next 12 months. The aim of the secondary study was to identify how exposure to a brochure with information about sickle cell trait screening might influence knowledge and beliefs. Methods: Data were collected during March through May 2015 from community sites and via referral to Qualtrics from 300 AA residing in three cities in Indiana. After participants answered eligibility and knowledge questions, they were randomly exposed to one of two brochures. The control brochure had two boxes of information on sickle cell trait susceptibility, severity, and screening; the intervention brochure was identical to the control brochure with the recommended response (e.g., “Go to your doctor to ask for sickle cell trait screening.”) inserted between the two boxes. Then the participants completed a 45-item questionnaire. Results: In the main study sequential regression was used to predict intention. Adding the three RAA constructs of perceived behavioral control (β = .579, p<.001), attitude (β = .354, p<.001), and perceived norm (β = .177, p<.001) significantly increased the adjusted R2 from .173 to .639 (F=34.136, df, 16, 283 p<.001) over the model with four demographic variables and three knowledge and belief variables. In the secondary study, the multivariate t-test comparing those exposed to the control brochure to those exposed to the intervention brochure with the recommended response revealed no significant multivariate effects. However, a paired sample t-test comparing knowledge and beliefs before and after the brochures revealed that exposure to the brochure improved knowledge and beliefs about sickle cell trait screening. Conclusion: RAA was demonstrated to be a useful behavioral theory to understand factors underlying this genetic screening decision. Implications for interventions and research were discussed