Enhanced Collection of De-Identified Community Health Data for the Ask A Buckeye Nurse Program: A Quality Improvement Project
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Date
2021-05
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The Ohio State University
Abstract
Background: The Ask a Buckeye Nurse (ABN) program was developed to address challenges to health and wellness of African American adult members of an inner-city community in the Midwest. Compared to White Americans, African Americans experience higher levels of poverty and food insecurity. Likewise, chronic diseases, such as heart disease, diabetes, and obesity, remain prevalent. Barbershops are potential sites for health promotion and have become epicenters of community based participatory research (CBPR) for at-risk populations. Additionally, the literature supports the usage of continuous quality improvement projects (CQIP) in African American populations as means to improve health by identifying problems, implementing interventions, and studying effectiveness.
Purpose: A CQIP was introduced to: (1) improve the collection of population data and measurement of program outcomes; (2) provide more robust data to demonstrate how many people were screened, referred, and educated; and (3) document population de-identified data of blood pressure (BP), blood sugar (BS), perceived stress (PSS-10), and body mass index (BMI) to gather evidence in support of ABN. A post-screening satisfaction survey was included to better understand the community perception of ABN events.
Conceptual Framework: The social-ecological model was used as the conceptual framework.
Methods: Health screenings of African American adults were conducted by The Ohio State University faculty and students at a barbershop in inner-city Columbus, Ohio. ABN health screenings measured participants' BP, BS, BMI, perceived stress (PSS-10), and offered an opportunity to complete a satisfaction survey post-screening. Participants also self-reported demographic data and were offered health education information and referrals. All participants were English-speaking, ages 18 years or greater, recruited inside of the barbershop or beauty shop, and consented to the screening.
Results: Most community members screened (n = 104) identified as African American (96.9%). The mean age of individuals screened (43.1 years old), gender percentages (male = 58.8%; female = 41.2%), and most frequent zip code (43203 = 24.4%) were identified. Sixty-seven were classified with BP results above normal, and 12 had high BS levels. Thirty-four were classified as overweight or obese. Referrals for follow-up care were made for 18 participants. Results of the satisfaction survey suggest that most participants (86.0%) agreed or strongly agreed that health screenings help them control their health and wellness.
Conclusions: Results illustrate that health promoting events are beneficial and supported by this African American community. The participants' willingness to engage in health screenings suggests that barbershops are useful places to offer health interventions and education.
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Keywords
African Americans, Community Health, Health Disparities, Health Promotion, Health Screenings, Quality Improvement