Health Evaluation and Research Team

Health Evaluation and Research Team (HEART)

Principal Investigator: Linda J. Peñaloza, Ph.D.
Start and End Dates: 11/1/00 – 6/30/08
Sources of Funding: New Mexico Department of Health Tobacco Use Prevention and Control (TUPAC) Program

The Health Evaluation and Research Team (HEART) of the Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention has been funded to provide evaluation assistance to the New Mexico Department of Health (NMDOH) Tobacco Use Prevention and Control (TUPAC) Program for their statewide tobacco program. The goal is to enhance program planning, implementation and reporting needs.

During the early years of this relationship, HEART assisted TUPAC with designing its internal reporting structure to conform to CDC’s previously outlined goals and strategies, by developing objectives and indicators, and by creating a structure, called the TUPAC Evaluation Tool – (TET) to measure progress toward achieving these objectives statewide. HEART also developed and pilot-tested two databases for TUPAC - a web-based database for TUPAC contractors to use to evaluate their contract activities (called the eTET, or electronic TUPAC Evaluation Tool) and an activity tracking database for TUPAC staff to catalog and track on contractor objectives, activities, budgets and type of contract.

HEART provides annual training and technical assistance for all TUPAC contractors on developing eTET-based evaluation plans based on their program’s activities that match TUPAC’s goals, strategies, and objectives.

The eTET web-based program monitoring system assists TUPAC in 1) monitoring contracts (improve communication and accountability); 2) standardizing contractor program information collection (monthly and annual e-TET reports, narrative reports, and invoices); and 3) expanding the type of information and services available to TUPAC contractors.

During Fall 2002 and again in 2004, HEART assisted TUPAC with implementing the New Mexico Youth Tobacco Survey. This survey, developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, is conducted in classrooms in grades 6-12, to collect baseline information about students’ knowledge, beliefs and attitudes about tobacco use. The information collected make significant contributions to understanding the influence of tobacco marketing, advertising and products availability on the youth of New Mexico.

HEART is also working with TUPAC to collect health risk and resiliency data on priority populations in New Mexico who are disparately impacted by tobacco or who are not adequately represented through traditional surveillance systems. In 2006, HEART helped design, conduct and analyze interviews of African Americans in 3 communities, using the Community Readiness Model.

HEART also developed a PDA survey that was administered to over 500 LGBT individuals at Pride events in Albuquerque, Las Cruces and Santa Fe.

In FY07, HEART will continue to work with the African American community, Native Americans, Spanish-speaking populations, and individuals with disabilities.

For additional information about HEART activities, please contact Linda Peñaloza, (505) 272-4462 or lpenaloza@salud.unm.edu.