Browsing by Author "Comer, Karen"

Now showing 1 - 6 of 6
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    CTSA 2 Community: www.ctsa2community.org
    (2011-08-31) Ackermann, Ronald; Hardwick, Emily; Comer, Karen; Hudson, Brenda; Odell, Jere D.; Arenson, Andrew; Barnett, Bill; McGuire, Patrick; Derr, Michelle; Reid, Tisha; Vandergraff, Donna; Marrero, David G.
    This poster describes the development an accessible, user-driven, and sustainable web resource for community and academic experts working together to identify, adopt, and implement a wide array of community engaged research infrastructures for enhancing community engagement in all forms of clinical and translational research. CTSA2Community aims to be a storage place for valuable resources referring to the set-up and running of a community engagement program. Resources are provided by experts in the field of community engagement.
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    Hoosiers’ Health in a Changing Climate: A Report from the Indiana Climate Change Impacts Assessment
    (Purdue University, 2018-01-01) Filippelli, Gabriel; Widhalm, Melissa; Filley, Rose; Comer, Karen; Ejeta, Gebisa; Field, William; Freeman, Jennifer; Gibson, Joe; Jay, Stephen; Johnson, Daniel P.; Moreno-Madriñán, Max; Mattes, Richard; Ogashawara, Igor; Prather, Jeremy; Rosenthal, Frank; Smirat, Jeries; Wang, Yi; Wells, Ellen; Dukes, Jeffrey
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    Implementation of a Journal Prototype for Pregnant and Parenting Adolescents
    (2014-10) Bute, Jennifer J.; Comer, Karen; Lauten, Kathryn M.; Sanematsu, Helen; Moore, Courtney M.; Lynch, Dustin; Chumbler, Neale R.
    Teenage pregnancy and childbearing remain pressing public health issues that have garnered attention from public health officials and social services agencies. This paper reports on the initial implementation and formative evaluation of a journaling program used as a means of communicating health information to pregnant and parenting adolescents (young women age 15-19) while also providing participants with a means of self-expression. The journaling prototype was implemented in a community-based agency in the Midwest by Family Support Specialists (FSSs) who made home visits on a monthly basis to assist pregnant and parenting adolescents (n = 52) with successful family planning and public health education. A mixed method approach of qualitative (analysis of journals, field notes, and responses of semi-structured interviews with FSSs) and quantitative (questionnaires from pregnant and parenting adolescent respondents) data with purposive sampling was employed to evaluate the implementation of the journaling intervention. Twenty of the 52 study participants were pregnant when the journaling intervention was implemented, while 32 were not pregnant, but recently had a child and were currently parenting. Two core themes emerged from analysis of the data after the implementation of the journals: (1) usefulness of the journal and responsiveness to participants' information needs and (2) functionality challenges. The results offer practical starting points to tailor the implementation of journaling in other contexts. Further, areas for improvement emerged regarding the distribution timeline for the journal and the content of the journal itself. As such, we discuss the lessons learned through this collaborative project and suggest opportunities for future phases of the journal intervention.
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    Learning in the zone: toward workforce development of evidence-based public policy communication
    (BMC, 2018-06-05) Meyerson, Beth E.; Haderxhanaj, Laura T.; Comer, Karen; Zimet, Gregory D.; Medicine, School of Medicine
    BACKGROUND: Evidence-based policy communication (EBPC) is an important, emerging focus in public health research. However, we have yet to understand public health workforce ability to develop and/or use it. The study objective was to characterize capacity to develop and use EBPC and identify cooperative learning and development opportunities using the case of Human papillomavirus (HPV). METHODS: Vygotsky's Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) informed guided interviews with 27 advocates in Indiana from government, industry, research, state associations and individuals. Participants focused on HPV, cancer, women's health, school health and minority health. RESULTS: Capacity to develop and use EBPC was reported to develop through cooperative learning opportunities on the job or in advocacy focused coalitions. Coalition learning appeared to translate across health topics. Notably, policy experience did not assure understanding or use of EBPC. CONCLUSIONS: The ZPD framework can inform workforce EBPC interventions by focusing on actual development, potential development and factors for learning and development in the ZPD. Future studies should further clarify and evaluate emerging indicators in additional public health policy areas with a larger sample.
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    Unequal access: Tobacco Retail in the Indianapolis Metro Area
    (The Polis Center, Indiana University at Indianapolis, 2017-07) Comer, Karen; Davila, Kelly; Hollon, Deb; Nowlin, Matt
    Retail access to various smoking products is an important consideration when discussing community action to improve a community’s health. Studies show that tobacco outlet density and proximity are linked to tobacco use–particularly in poor areas. We used socioeconomic data culled from the SAVI community information system to examine the density and proximity of tobacco outlets relative to vulnerable communities in Marion County. The report serves as a companion piece to the IU Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health’s September 2016 Report on the Tobacco Epidemic in Marion County and Indiana.
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    Worlds Further Apart
    (Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health, 2021-08) Weathers, Tess; Comer, Karen; Staten, Lisa
    In our updated analysis of 104 ZIP codes in the Indianapolis metro area (2014-2018), we identified the northern suburb of Fishers as our longest living community and just 17 miles away, within the Indianapolis city limits, is the shortest living community within the metro area. Though only 17 miles of distance separate them, their life expectancy is worlds apart.