Community Health Assessment and Planning

PI: Dr. Nisha Fahey and Dr. Apurv Soni

Study Objective and Design:
Identify common health problems and related factors of the community served by CAM through cross-sectional survey and stakeholder meetings. We examined differences in healthcare-seeking behavior between mothers and their children in rural Gujarat, India.

Trainee Involvement:
Trainee-leaders led the study in all phases: brainstorming, designing, implementation, and dissemination of the study and its findings.

Faculty Support:
A BU clinical epidemiologist, head of CRS at CAM, and manager of CRS.

Institutional Support:
BU Dudley Allen Sargent grant ($7,000) to offset transportation and data collection costs; in-kind logistical support from CAM.

Significance for the Collaboration:
Established trust and foundational partnership between trainee-leaders and local partners and findings helped inform the roadmap for RAHI. This area reflects RAHI-SATHI’s commitment to understanding local health needs before designing solutions. Projects under this umbrella focus on identifying gaps in access, disease burden, and risk factors in rural areas.

Outcome:
Majority (57.4%) of women reported postponing healthcare, more often for themselves than for their children (60% vs. 44.7%). The findings suggest that rural healthcare programs must improve quality and reduce financial barriers to increase utilization.