Seven Barriers to Implementation of an Integrated Family-Based Health Promotion Program in Harlem Identified For Future Intervention
Researchers at Mount Sinai Heart conducted a qualitative study to identify factors that may affect the implementation of an integrated family-based health promotion program for children aged 3-5 years old and their caregivers in Harlem, known as the FAMILIA Project. An abstract of the study was presented this week at the American Heart Association (AHA)’s Scientific Sessions 2015 in Orlando, Florida.
The FAMILIA Project is the brainchild of world-renowned cardiologist Valentin Fuster, MD, PhD, Director of Mount Sinai Heart and Physician-in-Chief of The Mount Sinai Hospital. Mount Sinai Heart is ranked No. 7 in the nation by U.S. News & World Report in its 2015 “Best Hospitals” issue.
Dr. Fuster’s initiative is made possible thanks to $3.8 million in grant support to Mount Sinai Heart by the AHA. For the FAMILIA Project, Mount Sinai has partnered with NYC’s Administration for Children's Services (ACS), Division of Early Care and Education Head Start programs.
The Harlem area of New York City (NYC) has among the highest obesity and diabetes prevalence rates in the city. Nearly half of the children in Head Start programs and about 94 percent of adults are overweight or obese. NYC’s new four-year, early-heart health education and assessment project is enrolling 600 children ages 3-5 in eight of NYC’s Head Start preschool programs in the high-risk community of Harlem, along with 1,000 of their caregivers to improve nutritional and lifestyle knowledge, health, and habits of children and their families.
Researchers from The Mount Sinai Hospital conducted five focus group discussions at two Head Start preschool centers in Harlem, to determine potential barriers toward implementing an integrated family-based health promotion program. The focus groups included 25 parents, teachers, directors, educational directors, nutritionists, cooks, and mental health and social service professionals.
According to lead investigator Sameer Bansilal, MD, MS, Assistant Professor of Cardiology at The Mount Sinai Hospital, “We identified seven potential themes that might act as barriers to the successful implementation of an integrated family-based health program for young children and their caregivers. We then identified actions that will successfully address these barriers during program implementation. The researchers at The Mount Sinai Hospital believe this type of approach may have relevance for other health promotion programs in similar settings.”
The seven identified themes are:
- Knowledge regarding social determinants of chronic diseases
- Knowledge and perceptions regarding childhood obesity
- Impact of stress on health
- Impact of media and advertising on health choices
- Perception regarding researchers
- Incentives for healthy behaviors and choices
- Cultural and social sensitivity
Abstract 322 was presented at the AHA Scientific Sessions 2015 as Barriers to Implementation of an Integrated Family-based Health Promotion Program in Harlem, New York: The FAMILIA study--an AHA Strategically Focused Research Network Study.
About the Mount Sinai Health System
Mount Sinai Health System is one of the largest academic medical systems in the New York metro area, with more than 43,000 employees working across eight hospitals, over 400 outpatient practices, nearly 300 labs, a school of nursing, and a leading school of medicine and graduate education. Mount Sinai advances health for all people, everywhere, by taking on the most complex health care challenges of our time — discovering and applying new scientific learning and knowledge; developing safer, more effective treatments; educating the next generation of medical leaders and innovators; and supporting local communities by delivering high-quality care to all who need it.
Through the integration of its hospitals, labs, and schools, Mount Sinai offers comprehensive health care solutions from birth through geriatrics, leveraging innovative approaches such as artificial intelligence and informatics while keeping patients’ medical and emotional needs at the center of all treatment. The Health System includes approximately 7,300 primary and specialty care physicians; 13 joint-venture outpatient surgery centers throughout the five boroughs of New York City, Westchester, Long Island, and Florida; and more than 30 affiliated community health centers. We are consistently ranked by U.S. News & World Report's Best Hospitals, receiving high "Honor Roll" status, and are highly ranked: No. 1 in Geriatrics and top 20 in Cardiology/Heart Surgery, Diabetes/Endocrinology, Gastroenterology/GI Surgery, Neurology/Neurosurgery, Orthopedics, Pulmonology/Lung Surgery, Rehabilitation, and Urology. New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai is ranked No. 12 in Ophthalmology. U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Children’s Hospitals” ranks Mount Sinai Kravis Children's Hospital among the country’s best in several pediatric specialties.
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