A Community-Engaged Approach to Community Health Needs and Assets Assessment for Public Health Research
Abstract
1. Introduction
1.1. The Utility of a Community Health Needs (And Assets) Assessment
1.2. CBPR-Focused Community Health Needs and Assets Assessment
2. Materials and Methods
2.1. CHNAA Survey Instrument Development
2.2. CHNAA Administration
2.2.1. Sampling Methods
The City of Atlanta is divided into twenty-five (25) Neighborhood Planning Units (NPUs), which are citizen advisory councils that make recommendations to the Mayor and City Council on zoning, land use, and other planning-related matters. Source: Neighborhood Planning Units| Atlanta, GA |
2.2.2. CHNAA Data Collection Methods
2.2.3. Data Analysis Methods
3. Results
3.1. CHNAA Quantitative Findings
3.2. CHNAA Qualitative Findings
“They tend to run in my family so being more educated would definitely help better understand or at least know where to seek help.” Another individual cited, “Because these diseases are afflicting me and my family.”
“Lack of health education, health screening programs…” Another individual stated“Businesses that have better/cleaner options aren’t in the neighborhood. Grocery stores don’t make it a priority to provide fresh produce.”
“Creating health screening and education programs, offering free/low-cost primary health care and incentives (free medicine and supplies) to working people for adhering to treatment and control of these issues.”
3.3. CCB-Engagement Assessment
4. Discussion
5. Challenges and Limitations
6. Conclusions
7. Future Directions
Supplementary Materials
Author Contributions
Funding
Institutional Review Board Statement
Informed Consent Statement
Data Availability Statement
Acknowledgments
Conflicts of Interest
Abbreviations
CBPR | Community-Based Participatory Research |
CDC | Center for Disease Control and Prevention |
CEnR | Community-Engaged Research |
CHNA | Community Health Needs Assessment |
CHNAA | Community Health Needs and Assets Assessment |
Continuum of CEnRCCB | Continuum of Community-Engaged ResearchCommunity Coalition Board |
DME | Data Monitoring and Evaluation |
MSM | Morehouse School of Medicine |
MSM-PRC | Morehouse School of Medicine Prevention Research Center |
NPU | Neighborhood Planning Unit |
PRC | Prevention Research Center |
SVI | Social Vulnerability Index |
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Project Name | Funding Time Frame | Project Description | Population of Interest | Geographic Location |
---|---|---|---|---|
Mental Health First-Aid Training * | 2024–2029 | Training community members to learn, identify and manage stress and mental health. | Community members and professionals | Statewide |
REACH ** | 2023–2028 | Component A: Addresses risk factors for chronic diseases through nutrition, family weight management and physical activity.Component B: Adult vaccination—increase demand for COVID-19 and Flu vaccines through partnership and community-based collaboration | African American and Hispanic Adults | Fulton |
GA CEAL RESTORES ** | 2024–2029 | Family-based Diabetes prevention—family-based education to address pre-diabetes. Include mental health and civic engagement and policy advocacy training at the community level to increase support for families and address the social determinants of chronic diseases | African American and Hispanic pre-diabetic (Type 2) adults | Fulton, DeKalb, Hall and Macon Counties |
MSM-PRC Core Research ** | 2024–2029 | Family-based Diabetes Self-Management—Family-based intervention to address challenges with disease management through practical intervention (e.g., diet and nutrition) to prevent the exacerbation of reduce risk factors through connection with and support of community-based organizations. | African American and Hispanic Type 2 diabetic adults | Atlanta Metropolitan Area and Dalton City |
PEACH 2 * | 2023–2024 | To evaluate a community-based, adaptive home-based COVID-19 testing program with behavioral nudges delivered via mobile phone texts to increase uptake of COVID-19 testing and prevention behaviors among individuals affected by diabetes (with diabetes, at risk for diabetes, or caring for someone with diabetes). | African American and Hispanic | Statewide |
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Barrett, R.H.; Bicego, E.J.; Cotton, T.C., III; Kegley, S.; Key, K.; Mitchell, C.S.; Farley, K.; Shahin, Z.; Hoffman, L.; Okoye, D.; et al. A Community-Engaged Approach to Community Health Needs and Assets Assessment for Public Health Research. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2025, 22, 1030. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph22071030
Barrett RH, Bicego EJ, Cotton TC III, Kegley S, Key K, Mitchell CS, Farley K, Shahin Z, Hoffman L, Okoye D, et al. A Community-Engaged Approach to Community Health Needs and Assets Assessment for Public Health Research. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2025; 22(7):1030. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph22071030
Chicago/Turabian StyleBarrett, Rosanna H., Emma Joyce Bicego, Thomas C. Cotton, III, Supriya Kegley, Kent Key, Charity Starr Mitchell, Kourtnii Farley, Zahra Shahin, LaShawn Hoffman, Dubem Okoye, and et al. 2025. "A Community-Engaged Approach to Community Health Needs and Assets Assessment for Public Health Research" International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 22, no. 7: 1030. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph22071030
APA StyleBarrett, R. H., Bicego, E. J., Cotton, T. C., III, Kegley, S., Key, K., Mitchell, C. S., Farley, K., Shahin, Z., Hoffman, L., Okoye, D., Washington, K., Walton, S., Burney, R., Gruner, A., Ross, T., Grant, H. W., Mooney, M. V., Sanford, L. A., & Henry Akintobi, T. (2025). A Community-Engaged Approach to Community Health Needs and Assets Assessment for Public Health Research. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 22(7), 1030. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph22071030