Women’s Health Education
Dr. Bangara’s project will provide health education for vulnerable female populations in Grayson County, home of Austin College. Studies have shown that women who report a history of interpersonal violence (IPV) are at greater risk for a variety of illnesses, such as heart disease and cervical cancer. Dr. Bangara and her students will be conducting women’s health education sessions at the Grayson Crisis Center. Topics selected were based on the feedback we receive during our focus group discussions. Each educational session will consist of a brief overview of a woman’s health condition for which they are at higher risk due to their history of IPV. The points to be covered during each session will include risk mitigation as it pertains to these disease processes by way reducing or abstaining from contributing modifiable high-risk behaviors that tend to be more common among IPV victims. The education modules will be evaluated for effectiveness to determine if they can be replicated in organizations serving similar populations. This project will also serve as a hands-on public health project for the student researchers on Dr. Bangara’s team. Typically, Public Health students do not receive this type of opportunity until graduate school; however, with this project, students will gain valuable experience by applying concepts learned in the classroom setting to real-world public health education efforts.