Community Health Improvement for Milwaukee's Children (CHIMC) originated as collaboration between community partners and academic researchers to implement a community-based participatory research (CBPR) model addressing local health disparities with Milwaukee's underserved populations. In 2008, CHIMC implemented interventions within 4 adjacent zip codes. In the targeted area, there are 35,036 households; primarily low-income families experiencing high unemployment. Children, ages 19-35 months, residing in the targeted zip codes had an immunization rate range: 31.24% to 35.4% for years 2000-2005 for the 4DTaP;3IPV;1MMR;3Hib;3HepB;1VZV series (4:3:1:3:3:1 antigen series), compared to the State of Wisconsin rate of 78%. The CHIMC study enrolled 1,533 children and 971 parents/caregivers into an educational program, social marketing campaign, and a model of theory of planned behavior change. By the end of the study, immunization status of children is up-to-date and statistically significantly correlated with Healthy People 2020 goals for all children except for those births to 18 months. In fact over the 4-year study period, the immunization rates increased by ~ 82% for children ages 19-35 months. CHIMC-Take Control IMMUNIZES! (CHIMC-TCI) will be developed to disseminate findings and to facilitate adoption of CBPR approaches for a larger population. For children ^ 4years of age, CHIMC-TCI proposes to utilize the Knowledge-to-Action framework to incorporate CHIMC- Save Lives Immunize (CHIMC-SLI) promising practices into local community-based organizations (CBOs) and public service providers (5 neighborhood centers and 5 WIC sites) across 10 zip codes to reduce the immunization disparities. CHIMC- TCI will develop a dissemination plan that includes a web-based CHIMC Immunization Toolkit for use by CBOs and community members and conduct relevant trainings for CBO staff, volunteers and community members. Dissemination strategies and tactics will utilize technological resources within their communities employing social media and other marketing strategies. We will evaluate the impact of adopted communication strategies and tactics by stakeholders and document the sustainability of those strategies.
Childhood Immunizations have been a key factor in the prevention and control of preventable diseases-and immunization disparities remain for some populations. CHIMC, building upon the infrastructure of CBPR will embark upon a dissemination plan that utilizes promising practices to eliminate these disparities. CHIMC-TCI proposes to engage families and other community members to support their community capacities to sustain high immunization coverage by using a CHMC Immunization Toolkit and social media strategies and tactics.
| Willis, Earnestine; Sabnis, Svapna; Hamilton, Chelsea et al. (2016) Improving Immunization Rates Through Community-Based Participatory Research: Community Health Improvement for Milwaukee's Children Program. Prog Community Health Partnersh 10:19-30 |
| Ngui, Emmanuel M; Hamilton, Chelsea; Nugent, Melodee et al. (2015) Evaluation of a social marketing campaign to increase awareness of immunizations for urban low-income children. WMJ 114:10-5 |
| Gray-Murray, Jo Ann; Leary, Meggan; Watts, Michelle et al. (2012) Field methods for discovering practical wisdom: the microdynamics of going beyond technical rationality in real-world practice. Int Q Community Health Educ 33:39-53 |
