Urban Health

The Health Research and Evaluation Program engages in interdisciplinary and community-based participatory research and evaluation that impact the health and mental health of the local community. Investigative topics include HIV/AIDS testing, hypertension, and eating for cardiovascular health. The team also conducts formative and summative evaluation of programs that promote parent involvement in educating children with special needs, integrate communicable disease testing in substance abuse treatment facilities, provide non-traditional trauma-informed substance abuse treatment, and mentor physician-scientists in Obstetrics & Gynecology research.

As co-investigators, the team has worked collaboratively with several community organizations as well as with WSU faculty throughout the university (e.g., College of Nursing, Nutrition and Food Sciences, Department of Communication, Cardiovascular Research Institute, and the Departments of Family Medicine & Public Health Sciences, Emergency Medicine, and Obstetrics & Gynecology).

Recent projects include developing a social media campaign to encourage high risk youth to test for HIV and using health information technology to educate adults attending a public primary care clinic in healthy eating habits. Currently the team is applying health information technology to promote blood pressure control for persons with uncontrolled hypertension seeking care at a Detroit hospital emergency department.

Contact:

Julie Gleason-Comstock, Ph.D., MCHES
Program Co-Director, Urban Health
(313) 577-9143
jgleason@med.wayne.edu

Alicia Streater, Ph.D.
Program Co-Director, Urban Health
(313) 993-7746
astreater@wayne.edu

Publications

• Gleason-Comstock, J., Streater, A., Ager, J., Goodman, A., Brody, A., Kivell, L., Paranjpe, A., Vickers, J., Mango, L., Dawood, R., & Levy, P. (2015). Patient education and follow-up as an intervention for hypertensive patients discharged from an emergency department: A randonmized control trial study protocol. BMC Emergency Medicine 15:38. https://bmcemergmed.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12873-015-0052-3.
• Gleason-Comstock J, Streater A, Kai-Lin CJ, Artinian N, Timmins J, Baker S, Joshua B, Paranjpe A. (2013). Consumer health information technology in an adult public health primary care clinic: a heart health education feasibility study.Patient Ed Couns 93:464-471. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.pec.2013.07.010
• Streater, A, Gleason-Comstock J, Bolden-Calhoun C, Norman S, Jones B. (2012) HIV Rapid Testing and the effectiveness of brief risk reduction counseling in an urban African-American community through a CBPR Partnership. Michigan Journal of Public Health 6(1), 100-126.
• Gleason-Comstock, J., Streater, A., Kai-Lin , C., Artinian, N. (2012). Development of a healthy eating kiosk-based feasibility study in a public health primary care clinic. American Journal of Public Health. Supplement: 140th American Public Health Association Annual Meeting, Session 5061.0: Telehealth: Innovative Technology & Competition, Presentation Abstract 267435. https://apha.confex.com/apha/140am/webprogram/Paper267435.html.
• Gleason-Comstock, J, Streater, A, Sorbo, M. (2012). Linkages between knowledge and behavioral intentions following an HIV/AIDS educational intervention in an urban men who have sex with men (MSM) population. 140th American Public Health Association Annual Meeting. Session 3405.0: Sexual Risk Reduction, Poster Abstract 268467. https://apha.confex.com/apha/140am/webprogram/Paper268467.html.
• Artinian N, Gleason-Comstock J, Streater A, Kai-Lin C, Baker S, Timmins J, Joshua B. (2012). Feasibility of a kiosk-based hypertension self-care education system in a primary care clinic for the uninsured. Journal of Clinical Hypertension. Supplement: American Society of Hypertension 2012 Annual Scientific Conference. Poster Abstract #950163.
• Gleason-Comstock, J, Streater, A, Bolden Calhoun, C, Bergmann, L. (2010) Community-Based Participatory Research with Intravenous Drug Users on Overdose Reversal. CES4Health.info. http://ces4health.info/find-products/vies-product.aspx?code=4RD8X6YX. Accessed Nov 5, 2010.
• Trent C, Gleason-Comstock J, Petroni G, Streater A, Ridella W. (2008) The Detroit Youth Tobacco Survey: results from middle school students. Michigan Journal of Public Health 2(1): 32 – 42. http://www.mupha.org/PHJournal/MJPH%20v20iWinter08.pdf
• Gleason J, Streater A, Levine D, Young R. (2008) HIV Risk Assessment in older women: physician roles and training needs. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society 56:10:1980-1981.
• Gleason-Comstock, J., Streater, A., Bolden Calhoun, C., Simpson, H., Rolack, R., Norman, J. (2006) Development of Community-Based Participatory Research to evaluate Conventional HIV Testing and HIV Rapid Testing. Journal of HIV and Social Services 5(3/4): 201-219. http://www.haworthpress.com/store/ArticleAbstract.aspID=94873
• Simpson H, Streater A, Bolden Calhoun C, Gleason-Comstock J. (2008). The development of an HIV/Substance Abuse service program using multiple data sources. HIV Prevention Leadership Summit (HPLS). Detroit, MI.
• Gleason-Comstock J, Streater A, Bolden Calhoun C, Norman S, Jr. (2007). A syringe exchange program as a public health point of contact. Wayne State University President's Biennial Conference on Health Disparities. Detroit. http://hdc.med.wayne.edu