Students Tackle Urban Health Issues

The Urban Health graduate course (PH7300) at Georgia State, offered by the Institute of Public Health, explores the urban context and health from a multidisciplinary approach, involving public health, psychology, sociology, criminal justice, urban planning, and other disciplines. It considers the unique aspects of cities, the characteristics of urban populations, healthy places, and employing a systems approach to studying urban health. The course takes students out into the city to learn about various factors that influence health. It also exposes students to the research conducted by the faculty in the Partnership for Urban Health Research (PUHR) at Georgia State.

One requirement of the course is that students form groups and complete projects that tackle real-life problems of urban life in the Atlanta community. In the Spring 2008 Urban Health class completed projects that addressed topics including the proposed BeltLine project, Grady Health System restructuring, Section 8 vouchers as an alternative to traditional public housing, and the effect of the HOPE VI program on levels of social capital among public housing residents. Students also took part in a variety of community-oriented activities, including field trips and community investigations.

The Community Level Health Impact Assessment: Atlanta BeltLine Redevelopment in Pittsburgh by graduate students Shannon Graham, Auntré Hamp, Michael Hiett, Diane Maboreke, and Julia McPeek examined the proposed renewal of the rail track that circles the inner portions of Atlanta and the effect on the health of the residents of Pittsburgh, a lower-income neighborhood in southwest Atlanta. Although there may be positive outcomes of the BeltLine such as additional public transportation and mixed use land (including green space), the students also considered negative impacts such as possible displacement and gentrification. The group stressed the importance of surrounding communities being viewed in the development project as significant stakeholders.

A Health Impact Assessment of the Restructuring of the Grady Health System by Tol Chan, Carrie Flagler, Michelle Marcus, Karen O’Quin, and Anna Rockett dealt with the transformation of Grady Memorial Hospital to a private, non-profit board of directors governance and the potential impact on its population and services. Grady has a huge influence on health in Atlanta. For example, Grady serves as North Georgia’s only Level I Trauma Center and is home to the only poison control center in Georgia. It also serves a very large medically-indigent population. In order to maintain the levels of charity care and remain a safety net hospital, the students recommended that Grady explore new financing opportunities and lobby for support at the local, state, and federal level. The students hope to provide their analysis to students and others involved in advocating for better support for Grady Hospital.

Does HOPE VI Improve the Lives of Public Housing Residents? Assessing Housing and Resources in Public Housing Area and Voucher Housing Area by Tyra Buckley, Leta Greenway, Megan Reynolds, Jacquie Rion, and Kimberly Stringer focused on assessing a neighborhood in south Atlanta where a public housing “project” is located and comparing it to a nearby neighborhood where private rental housing would be available for those who have obtained “housing choice” vouchers (Section 8). HOPE VI is a federal program that replaces public housing with mixed-income housing, available to residents through Section 8. The team first developed a survey tool to record observations of the neighborhoods’ features. The students found that residents of public housing had access to goods, services, and transportation while those in voucher housing had fewer transportation options and amenities such as laundry facilities. Further research should be done to assess the living conditions in both public and voucher housing.

Is Section 8 an Appropriate Alternative to Public Housing? A Look at the Differences in Social Capital in Public Housing Versus Section 8 Housing by Betsy Crane, Elizabeth Gaylor, Shannon Kraft, and Nastassia Laster compared data pertaining to traditional public housing projects in Decatur, Georgia and data about renting in Decatur’s private housing market using a Section 8 voucher. The project sought to determine how moving from one area to the other affects social capital. The data showed that this move from public housing into Section 8 private housing would result in limited access to social services and thus, potentially lower levels of social capital. The students created a brochure of their research to be distributed to housing advocacy groups.

The Urban Health class also conducted community research focused on identifying pedestrian safety issues in the downtown areas surrounding Georgia State. A list of hazards found during walking investigations of various downtown streets included intoxicated pedestrians, uneven and cracked sidewalks, a lack of wheelchair-accessible curbs and sidewalks, narrowing of walkways because of utility poles, construction, and various impediments, and many confusing and inoperative crossing signals. The results of the study were provided to PEDS, an Atlanta pedestrian advocacy and walkability improvement organization.

The class also took field trips to view conditions in Atlanta neighborhoods, the Dunbar Community Center, the Atlanta Community Food Bank, Grady Hospital, Fulton County Department of Health and Wellness, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Those trips provided access to experts in providing services to the urban population.

In the classroom, PUHR faculty members were invited to discuss their urban health research and interests as the course progresses. In 2008, PUHR faculty who participated included Erin Ruel (Sociology), who discussed a study of Atlanta public housing that was under development, Richard Rothenberg (Public Health), who discussed research on sexually transmissible diseases and network analysis, and Julia Perilla (Psychology), who discussed prevention of interpersonal violence in Latino populations.

John Steward (Public Health) is the instructor for the course. The course will be offered in the Fall 2008 semester. Please contact Mr. Steward if you are interested in the course.