Roosevelt Community Park Walking Trail Project

In 2002, a walking trail and health education classes were developed by a predominantly African American community (Roosevelt). The primary purpose of this project was to help address the disproportionately high cardiovascular disease (CVD) rates among African Americans in South Carolina. Specifically, the outcomes of the project were to increase the health education knowledge in Roosevelt Community and to increase physical activity by providing a walking trail in the neighborhood park.

Environmental Change Initiation

There were three major forces that influenced the initiation of the Roosevelt Community Park Walking Trail. One of these was the magnitude of the CVD problem in South Carolina, another was the approach taken at the state to address that problem, and the third was the active interest of the community itself.

The CVD Problem

Heart disease and stroke account for over 40% of all deaths in South Carolina. The state ranks third in the Nation in the rate of overall CVD, seventh in ischemic heart disease, and for five decades has led the entire country in deaths due to stroke. African Americans carry a disproportionate burden of CVD, hospitalization dues to CVD, and the risk factors associated with CVD and they are twice as likely to die from stroke than Caucasians.

The American Heart Association estimated in 2000 that the cost of CVD in South Carolina was $2.1 billion, which includes both direct healthcare costs and indirect costs (e.g., family economic disruption, death benefits, lost work time and increased insurance costs).

The Approach To Addressing CVD in South Carolina

The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) received capacity building support from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in 1998 to develop CVD functions and activities at the state level. Based on their planning, South Carolina was one of six states to receive increased CVD funding from CDC in 2001 which included an emphasis on implementing initiatives throughout the state.

DHEC has made a committed effort to decrease the significant toll that CVD has taken on South Carolina while recognizing that risk factors that contribute to CVD vary across the state. Health districts in South Carolina were allowed to submit proposals for CVD grant funding from DHEC’s central office. Proposals were to take into consideration comprehensive, community-based policy level interventions in conjunction with information and education strategies to affect broad social change. The strategy needed to influence physical and social environments, organizations and interpersonal relationships in order to impact health behaviors to lower the CVD rate. Grant guidelines specified the following priority populations: African American; indigent and underserved; and rural. Each health district was required to develop relationships with community partners to allow community input in planning and implementation. Districts we expected to design community-based interventions that focused on policy and environmental changes related to physical activity, nutrition and tobacco use prevention.

Community Interest

A preceding project to develop a community walking trail and health education classes had been undertaken for the Southland Park Community (also predominantly African American) by the Catawba Public Health District and the City of Rock Hills’ Parks, Recreation and Tourism Department. An article about this project was published in the local newspaper. The President of the Roosevelt Community Watch read the article and contacted the health department requesting a similar program for her community. The Town of Clover (where Roosevelt Community is located), Recreation Department and Roosevelt Community already had a master plan that included the community’s interest in a walking trail.

Public Health Agency Roles

The public health agency played a number of roles for this project:

· Provided $45,696 to help with construction of the walking trail and to purchase health education and promotion materials.

· The Town of Clover was able to get the York County Council to allocate in-kind services to construction of the walking trail.

· Worked with the Town of Clover, Recreation Department and the Roosevelt Community Watch to plan and carry out the project.

· Worked with Roosevelt Community Watch to develop their health education classes which were presented at its monthly meetings.

· Worked with the Piggly Wiggly grocery store and Kinard Elementary School to promote 5-A-Day. Included in this was a tour of the grocery store to promote health and physical activity for fourth graders.

· Health education articles were published in the local newspaper and also in the Piggly Wiggly corporate newspaper.

Major Partners

In addition to the partners mentioned above, the Clemson University Extension Service and the York County Public Works Department were partners involved in the project.

Official Support

Official support for the project was provided by the Town of Clover Council and the York County Council.

Results from the Environmental Change

Results from the project include use of the walking trail and additional physical activity-related construction in the community as illustrated by:

· A survey of community residents at the trail dedication in which 61 of 116 community members reported using the trail;

· Verbal report from the Clover Recreation Director of community use of the trail; and

· Two new ball fields have been constructed, a basketball court has been upgraded and new playground equipment has been added.

Lesson Learned

Lessons learned from this environmental change project include:

· There is a desire in all communities to have amenities that allow residents to pursue their leisure time interests – in this case the Roosevelt Community had expressed their desire for a walking trail to the Town of Clover, Recreation Department which had included it as a priority in its master plan for the neighborhood park.

· Community leaders will communicate ideas to local officials that they see working in/for other communities.

· The CVD grant provided funding source not available to most other communities.

· Community development trends continue to make sidewalks a thing of the past – walking trails help fill the void this trend creates.

· The collaboration of local community leaders, public health departments and public recreation departments make for a successful partnership to address community health needs.

Opposition

There was no opposition to this project. On the contrary, there was full community support.

Submitted By

Thurmond C. Bonner

Health Educator I

South Carolina DHEC

P.O. Box 3057

Rock Hill, SC 29732

803-909-7338

(Fax) 803-909-7397

bonnertc@dhec.sc.gov