For the next three months, 49 students in Mary Middlemiss’ Community Health Education class will partner with the Syracuse Housing Authority and WellTrail to provide a program for residents of the Pioneer Homes, built by the housing authority, to live a healthier lifestyle and make healthier decisions.

‘We hope the people who live in the Syracuse Housing Authority will take more responsibility for being healthy,’ said Middlemiss, an assistant professor in the health and wellness department. ‘I hope they learn about the ability to engage in a variety of partnerships to promote health.’

The program, called Healthy Change Challenge, kicked off Thursday and was advertised with fliers in the participating neighborhoods and a word-of-mouth initiative by the Syracuse Housing Authority. Six people attended the kickoff, in comparison with the 20 to 25 families Kelli LaPage, president of WellTrail, hopes will join the program, she said. WellTrail helps companies create specialized wellness plans.

The students of HTW 304: Community Health Education are now discussing how to improve the program and attract more participants.

Natia Kolotashvili, a sophomore public health and pre-med major, said there was not as much initial interest as she and her classmates hoped, but it was a good start to the program.

Once the program begins, the students will interact with participants in the program once a week, Middlemiss said. They will administer educational motivational meetings and hold health-risk screenings for the participants.

Those joining the program will get a health-risk assessment, which will identify their body composition and blood pressure. From these findings the students will identify the key health issues participants should learn about and what the students should focus on in motivational lectures they will hold as part of the program, Middlemiss said.

The students participating in the project were divided into groups to focus on specific tasks. Program development, public relations, data collection, record keeping and a media team are some of the groups to which the students are assigned.

Middlemiss’ class will be taking part in the program both inside and outside of class time. During class they will come up with the program, but the students will interact with the residents outside the class.

‘It starts with a theory and then a discussion with me and the students about how to assess the population,’ Middlemiss said. ‘We then discuss how would you implement it, how would you evaluate it, and then the decision is made.’

Andres Moreira, a sophomore public health major, said he wants the program to be both fun and informative for the residents.

‘Health-wise, they don’t know the basics,’ Moreira said. ‘Parents bring the kids to McDonald’s and get a $5 meal because it’s cheap. But we are going to show them it is actually cheaper to go get a real meal at the supermarket. We are trying to give them resources and teach them to change their habits.’

LaPage, the president of WellTrail, said she and the class hope this will continue to grow and exist beyond this semester.

‘Our goal is to do an initial three-month pilot,’ LaPage said. ‘Right now we are only focusing on one population. We’d like to see the participants increase to the other communities in the housing authority.’

The students are also planning a health resource fair in coordination with WellTrail and the Syracuse Housing Authority as the final event of the semester. Middlemiss said the health fair will take place at the end of April and be open to all the program’s participants. They are planning different family events and challenges for the day, as well as a raffle and barbeque.

Health-related businesses in the area may attend the fair and hold cooking demonstrations and other activities, LaPage said. The health fair will not only be open to the participants, but all who live in the Pioneer Homes.

Middlemiss said the program is both needed in the community and allows students to engage with a variety of populations in their community.

‘If we can get the residents thinking about and engaging in their own health activities, that would be great,’ Middlemiss said. ‘And for the students, it really focuses on engaging with community members and taking the concepts we learn in the classroom into the real world.’

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Published on February 23, 2010 at 12:00 pm