Evolution of a multi-stakeholder initiative of health promotion in 20 suburban Roman districts

Issue: Rome is a heterogeneous city in terms of population and social stratification where inequalities in health affect disadvantaged groups, especially poor, elderly and frail people. Elderly amount to 19,4% of the population, most of them receiving an insufficient pension, living in deprived areas and representing a high-risk population for unhealthy lifestyles, chronic diseases, disabilities. A multi-stakeholder health promotion and prevention project focused on elderly, is running from ‘17/01 in 23 socially disadvantaged roman districts’ parishes. Description of the problem In each parish, a weekly counseling service led by local volunteers and sustained by health and social workers from OSA home-care Cooperative, has started from ‘17/01 to ‘17/03. At the same time, a Mobile Health Unit (MHU) has performed 10 health promotion campaigns designed by the Public Health Department of the Catholic University and focused on healthy lifestyle, chronic diseases, cancer prevention, active aging, psychological wellbeing, vision and hearing. During both counseling and MHU campaigns, data about personal, socioeconomic characteristics, health status and risk factors have been collected after the user’s informed consent. Results: Preliminary analysis shows that 45 volunteers of all counseling units have reached 1536 elderly, performing1139 interventions of health and social orientation (49,9%), redirections to the MHU (16,4%) or both (33,6%). During campaigns, MHU has reached 1518 elderly people, mean ± (SD) 128,3 (70,7), rating from 243 patients during the vision and hearing screening’s campaign to 12 during the psychological wellbeing campaign. Lessons: First results showed that offering health orientation focused on prevention can be an effective tool to identify social and health needs in elderly living in suburban areas.Further analyses need to be performed concerning social determinants of health and the socio-economical stratification of risk factors and diseases. Key messages: Health promotion and prevention programs need to be implemented in order to reach disadvantaged groups living in suburban districts. Health promotion and prevention programs need to be implemented in order to reach disadvantaged groups living in suburban districts.