Problem Identification
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death globally and in the United States and contributes significantly to economic and health burdens. People experiencing homelessness (PEH) face disproportionately high rates of CVD morbidity and mortality. In Sacramento County, California, CVD mortality among PEH is estimated to be twice that of the general population.
Analysis
The PRECEDE-PROCEED model was utilized to identify and analyze behavioral and environmental contributors to CVD risk among unsheltered PEH. The analysis highlighted extreme heat exposure as a significant environmental risk, with multiple behavioral and structural factors affecting risk.
Intervention (Solution) Proposal
The proposed solution is a four-year multi-level public health program designed to reduce CVD incidence by targeting heat exposure and related behaviors among unsheltered PEH. Core components include an education and communication program, transit system supplementation, and policy and grant-writing initiatives led by a Community Advisory Board.
Implementation and Evaluation
A lean, dedicated staff will implement the program alongside community partners vital to the program’s success, including non-profits and governmental agencies. Ethical and logistical considerations necessitate a non-experimental design. The program focuses heavily on process evaluation to measure successes through all four years of operation. Impact evaluation assesses reductions in CVD incidence and heat exposure. The program aims to generate novel data and serve as a scalable model for similar communities.
- Beat the heat Sacramento: Preventing cardiovascular disease among people experiencing homelessness in Sacramento County, California
- Laura Ellen Hayes
- Michael Mink (Advisor)
- Department of Public Health
- Master of Public Health (MPH); Public Health; California State University, Sacramento; 05/06/2026; 2026
- California State University, Sacramento
- 09/22/2026
- 99258346745501671; https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12741/rep:14379
- Masters Project
- English
- 61
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