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Problem:
The rapidly increasing prevalence of obesity in Americans over the last three decades is recognized as a public health crisis. Cultural, ethnic and geographic disparities are factors which must be considered in developing effective, efficient, short-term interdisciplinary leadership training in overweight/obesity prevention and intervention for MCH professionals.
Goals and Objectives:
The universal goal of this distance learning project is to demonstrate on both regional and national levels, increased knowledge, advanced leadership skills, and greater outreach to minority MCH professionals and those serving minority populations in the areas of overweight/obesity prevention and intervention for children, adolescents and families, including children with special heath care needs (CSHCN). The project will be accomplished through four major goals and ten related outcome-based objectives. Project goals and selected abbreviated objectives are to:
I. Develop an interdisciplinary distance learning curriculum to integrate best practices with culturally competent, family centered, community solutions, and state-of-the-art evidence-based knowledge of overweight/obesity prevention and intervention for children, adolescents and families, including CSHCN
a. Trainees demonstrate increased knowledge of all necessary components for preventing, identifying and treating children, adolescents and families who are overweight or at risk for overweight, using interdisciplinary case studies of family-centered, culturally competent plans.
b. Through post-course survey, project trainees demonstrate by activity level and collaborative involvement increased understanding of their own role and the roles of other members of the interdisciplinary team.
II. Use contacts and collaborative networking with regional and national Title V and LEND representatives to attract minority MCH professionals to the two-day, live interactive web conference (IWC) distance learning program and to the online, web-based modular program
a. Using regional and national Title V collaboration, recruit minority MCH and other health care professionals to enroll in the two-day IWC distance learning workshop.
b. Using regional and national Title V collaboration, recruit minority MCH and other health and allied professionals to enroll in the online, modular, web-based distance learning program.
III. Develop a plan for continuing education distance learning using a live two-day conference (IWC) to be presented at multiple sites across the region and nation that will be developed into an online modular web-based program.
a. With an Advisory Committee comprised of local, state, and federal public health professionals, LEND family support coordinators, other agency professionals and parents, project faculty develop the first year two-day IWC and update for year two.
b. With input from the Advisory Committee, the Planning and Evaluation Committee develops plans for continuing education distance learning using a live two-day IWC to culminate in an online, modular web-based educational program for use in multiple sites across the region and nation.
IV. Using video of the two-day live IWC, online educational modules are developed to meet continuing education needs of state Title V agency professionals and others in local, state and federal public health agencies.
a. Online, interactive, modular, web-based educational curriculum is developed during the first project year and implemented in year two.
b. After necessary revisions and updates at the end of project year two, online, interactive, web-based curriculum modules are updated and implemented in year three.
Methodology:
Using distance learning techniques to deliver interdisciplinary leadership trainee curricula in overweight/obesity, this project integrates best practices into culturally competent, family-centered, community solutions. The core curricular components focus on: health disparities, minority populations, community leadership, and children, including CSHCN. This training is specifically designed to support and strengthen Title V and related programs that address overweight/obesity, especially those with minority populations. Methodologies include an annual interactive web conference that will be developed into a nationally disseminated interactive, online, web-based modular program. Building upon a current successful distance learning program, this project increases the number of training sites and trainees. The multi-site web conference evolving into a self-paced online modular program addresses differing needs of individual learners. Curriculum content includes components that focus on: leadership, public health, cultural competence, family-centered care, emerging issues, collaborative relationships, adult learning principles, and best use of state-of-the-art distance learning technology.
HP 2010 Objectives:
Twenty-nine HP 2010 Objectives are addressed in six Goals. The primary HP 2010 Goals that the project addresses are to:
• Improve access to comprehensive, high-quality health care services;
• Promote the health of people with disabilities, prevent secondary conditions, and eliminate disparities between people with and without disabilities in the U.S. population;
• Increase the quality, availability, and effectiveness of educational and community-based programs designed to prevent disease and improve health and quality of life;
• Improve the health and well-being of women, infants, children and families;
• Promote health and reduce chronic disease associated with diet and weight; and
• Improve health, fitness, and quality of life through daily physical activity.
Coordination:
With the UT Boling Center for Developmental Disabilities as the base for the project, distant sites include: UT Knoxville, LEND and LEAH programs at Strong Center for Developmental Disabilities in Rochester, New York, LEND or related programs at Child Developmental and Rehabilitation Center in Portland Oregon, University of North Carolina, University of South Carolina, University of Florida, Virginia Commonwealth University, Vanderbilt University and selected programs in Mississippi and Kentucky. The curriculum is designed to have maximum national impact through wide dissemination in the LEND network, extensive marketing to professionals in the major allied health fields, and sustainability of the online course to be available beyond the project funding period. Project Advisory and Planning/Evaluation Committees have strong representation from local and state MCH and health department leaders.
Evaluation:
Formative and summative evaluation components will assess the effectiveness of all facets of the program development, implementation and impact. The impact and effectiveness of the IWCs and web based program will be evaluated in the areas of method and content of IWC, effectiveness of modular, web-based program, and evidence of leadership development. Trainees will assess their status as leaders in the field of developmental disabilities. A survey of trainee-initiated projects, services offered, training sessions held, resources used, and policies developed will be tabulated.
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