Funding for the Center for Adolescent Health Promotion and Disease Prevention at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health was renewed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for five more years as a Prevention Research Center (PRC). The PRC network consists of 33 academic, public health and community partners that link science and practice to develop health solutions for disadvantaged communities. The Center for Adolescent Health Promotion and Disease Prevention first joined the PRC network in 1993.
For 10 years, the Center has worked in partnership with community agencies in Baltimore to understand and reduce adolescent risk behaviors such as tobacco use, alcohol use, violence and early sexual activity. Projects have also focused on the contexts in which adolescents live and play, such as their schools, after-school programs, families, peers and neighborhoods. With the renewed funding, the focus of the Center’s work will now be expanded to incorporate health promotion into existing employment and training programs for youth.
The Center is committed to assisting Baltimore City youth to become healthy and productive adults. Together with community partners, the Center conducts research that identifies the needs and strengths of young people and tests programs designed to improve the youngsters’ outcomes.
The Center’s Community Advisory Board and Youth Advisory Committee guide its work and ensure that the Center’s research is closely related and applicable to the needs of the community.
Freya Sonenstein, PhD, director of the Center and a professor in the Department of Population and Family Health Sciences, said, “Part of our commitment to area adolescents comes through our active approach to communicating research-based knowledge to youth, their families and people who work with young people around Baltimore.”
In 2003, Dr. Sonenstein succeeded Cheryl Alexander, PhD, MPH, a professor at the Bloomberg School of Public Health - who successfully led the Center for its first decade. On November 7, 2004, in conjunction with the American Public Health Association Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C., Drs. Sonenstein and Alexander will attend a reception showcasing and honoring the 20th Anniversary of the PRC.
For more information on the Center for Adolescent Health Promotion and Disease Prevention, contact Beth Marshall at 443-287-3008 or bmarshal@jhsph.edu or visit the Center's website.Public Affairs media contacts for the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health: Kenna Lowe or Tim Parsons at 410-955-6878 or paffairs@jhsph.edu.