A study led by a faculty member and student at Columbia University’s Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons aims to establish effective health interventions for the women of Audubon by assessing their current levels of health satisfaction, primary healthcare access, and own ideas on improving their well-being.
An initial assessment of 33 respondents, conducted in July and August, found that most residents were satisfied with their current level of health and were well-connected to healthcare services. For example, 60% of respondents rated their current health level as good, very good, or excellent; 68% had a primary healthcare provider; 77% had received a routine medical check-up within the past year; and only 10% did not have any form of health insurance.
Clients reporting lower levels of health ratification (40%) identified key barriers to achieving a better quality of life. One was that they inherently associated living in a shelter with poorer health. Second was dissatisfaction with the local availability of nutritious food options.
In this context, clients reported four solutions to improving well-being of the population. One was increasing the quality of food by incorporating fresh fruits & vegetables into meal plans and investigating and emulating meal systems of shelters with high ratings. Second, they proposed establishing a model of group activities to enhance socialization and emotional health. Third, they suggested connecting them to nearby walk-in medical clinic. Lastly, they recommended increasing the access to information on nutrition and health services.
HELP USA and the Columbia University research team are currently designing a peer-support intervention with Audubon clients to increase healthcare access based on the study’s initial findings.
