Community Health and Prevention

Research in community health and prevention aims to improve the health of the population of children and their families, especially through preventive approaches. Such research includes:

• Clinical research in effective screening and counseling techniques.
• Translational research to spread basic science, clinical findings and best practices into hospitals, doctors' offices and schools.
• Health services and epidemiological research to assess the cost-effectiveness and equitability of health care delivery systems.
• Community-based participatory research that engages the population affected by a condition in the design, implementation and evaluation of a study.
• Health policy research to assess equitable ways to improve community health.

Children's Research Institute performs research in community health and prevention in many areas with national funding and recognition. Examples include:

• Studies to prevent injuries and violence through community partnerships and advocacy, including state car seat legislation.
• Evaluation of community and clinic efforts to improve immunization rates.
• Social and behavioral research to improve nutrition and physical activity among children, teens and their families to prevent and treat obesity.
• Research on improving asthma control among urban children through nurse care coordination, community and clinician education, and parent organizing.
• Investigations to reduce prematurity, low birthweight and infant mortality, especially for African American and Latino babies.
• Studies of programs to prevent teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections.
• Program evaluations to prevent child abuse and neglect.
• Assessment of efforts to eliminate HIV births in Wisconsin through a primary care support network.
• Research to examine health service access, use and outcomes, including quality of life for children with special health care needs.
• Evaluation of programs to eliminate health care disparities among racial/ethnic and socioeconomic groups.

Community health and prevention research is important for children's health because it addresses the needs of children and families, reaches a large number of individuals, and identifies risks early to prevent more costly illnesses and complications. Such research often employs collaborative partnerships that benefit from the assets and strengths of diverse community members.