Community ownership and program continuation following a health demonstration project

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Community Health Programs
• Health Behavior Interventions

Background:

• The Minnesota Heart Health Program (MHHP) was a community-based demonstration project funded by the National Heart, Blood and Lung Institute (NIH).
• It aimed to foster community ownership and long-term maintenance of heart health programs.
• A partnership was established between the University of Minnesota and three intervention communities starting in 1981.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the extent of community ownership and maintenance of heart health programs after federal funding withdrawal.
• To identify factors facilitating or impeding the local ownership of these health initiatives.
• To analyze differential results of program incorporation across three intervention communities.

Main Methods:

• Community organization, training, and volunteer involvement over an 8-year period.
• Transfer of educational program responsibility to existing community-based groups.
• Monitoring of program continuation and support by local sponsors after federal funding ceased.

Main Results:

• In 1989, 70% of MHHP-initiated heart health programs were continued by local sponsors using local funds.
• By 1992, program maintenance had decreased to an average of 60%.
• Varied results in program incorporation were observed among the three communities, with specific community sectors identified as frequent sponsors.

Conclusions:

• Community ownership of heart health programs is achievable but requires ongoing effort for sustained maintenance.
• Factors influencing program incorporation and long-term viability need further investigation.
• Continued research is necessary to understand the long-term sustainability of community-based heart health programs.