Joyce Moon Howard

Director of Undergraduate Programs

Clinical Associate Professor of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Community Health Science and Practice

Professional overview

Dr. Joyce Moon Howard’s work and career is rooted in the community healthcare movement, where she witnessed the transformative power and positive impact of neighborhood and community action on healthcare.

Through community-based participatory research (CBPR), she facilitates cooperation between researchers and community members to understand community needs and concerns, create lasting bonds that build trust, and empower communities to take action. While working in rural Tanzania on needs assessment, she engaged community members and employed qualitative strategies, such as photovoice (a research technique where community members photograph scenes to describe a particular problem and/or research theme) and focus groups, to create a space for open dialogue among community members and researchers to effectively address health needs. Further, she has served as Principal Investigator in several research studies: a Health Resources and Services Administration study on eliminating disparities among pregnant women in low-income areas in New York City; a National Institute of Child Health and Infant Development study focusing on HIV/AIDS prevention strategies in African American communities; and an National Institute on Aging study examining facilitators and barriers to CBPR at the Columbia University Medical Center.  

As a professor, Dr. Moon Howard shares her research experiences with students in Community Assessment and Evaluation courses and in an undergraduate course, Health, Society, and the Global Context.

Education

BA, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, CA

MPH, Columbia University, New York, NY

DrPH, Columbia University, New York, NY

Areas of research and study

Community Engagement

Community Health

Community-based Participatory Research

Qualitative Research

Publications

Publications

A Pipeline to Increase Public Health Diversity: Describing the Academic Enrichment Components of the Summer Public Health Scholars Program

Assessing the Public's Health

Cultural competency training for public health students: Integrating self, social, and global awareness into a master of public health curriculum

Electronic cigarette advertising at the point-of-sale: A gap in tobacco control research

Implementation of a multimodal mobile system for point-of-sale surveillance: Lessons learned from case studies in washington, dc, and new york city

Cantrell, J., Ganz, O., Ilakkuvan, V., Tacelosky, M., Kreslake, J., Moon-Howard, J., Aidala, A., Vallone, D., Anesetti-Rothermel, A., & Kirchner, T. R. (n.d.).

Publication year

2015

Journal title

JMIR Public Health and Surveillance

Volume

1

Issue

2

10.2196/publichealth.4191

Abstract

Abstract

Background: In tobacco control and other fields, point-of-sale surveillance of the retail environment is critical for understanding industry marketing of products and informing public health practice. Innovations in mobile technology can improve existing, paper-based surveillance methods, yet few studies describe in detail how to operationalize the use of technology in public health surveillance. Objective: The aims of this paper are to share implementation strategies and lessons learned from 2 tobacco, point-of-sale surveillance projects to inform and prepare public health researchers and practitioners to implement new mobile technologies in retail point-of-sale surveillance systems. Methods: From 2011 to 2013, 2 point-of-sale surveillance pilot projects were conducted in Washington, DC, and New York, New York, to capture information about the tobacco retail environment and test the feasibility of a multimodal mobile data collection system, which included capabilities for audio or video recording data, electronic photographs, electronic location data, and a centralized back-end server and dashboard. We established a preimplementation field testing process for both projects, which involved a series of rapid and iterative tests to inform decisions and establish protocols around key components of the project. Results: Important components of field testing included choosing a mobile phone that met project criteria, establishing an efficient workflow and accessible user interfaces for each component of the system, training and providing technical support to fieldworkers, and developing processes to integrate data from multiple sources into back-end systems that can be utilized in real-time. Conclusions: A well-planned implementation process is critical for successful use and performance of multimodal mobile surveillance systems. Guidelines for implementation include (1) the need to establish and allow time for an iterative testing framework for resolving technical and logistical challenges; (2) developing a streamlined workflow and user-friendly interfaces for data collection; (3) allowing for ongoing communication, feedback, and technology-related skill-building among all staff; and (4) supporting infrastructure for back-end data systems. Although mobile technologies are evolving rapidly, lessons learned from these case studies are essential for ensuring that the many benefits of new mobile systems for rapid point-of-sale surveillance are fully realized.

Approaches to Increase Arsenic Awareness in Bangladesh: An Evaluation of an Arsenic Education Program

A cluster-based randomized controlled trial promoting community participation in arsenic mitigation efforts in Bangladesh

George, C. M., Van Geen, A., Slavkovich, V., Singha, A., Levy, D., Islam, T., Ahmed, K. M., Moon-Howard, J., Tarozzi, A., Liu, X., Factor-Litvak, P., & Graziano, J. (n.d.).

Publication year

2012

Journal title

Environmental Health: A Global Access Science Source

Volume

11

Issue

1

10.1186/1476-069X-11-41

Abstract

Abstract

Objective. To reduce arsenic (As) exposure, we evaluated the effectiveness of training community members to perform water arsenic (WAs) testing and provide As education compared to sending representatives from outside communities to conduct these tasks. Methods. We conducted a cluster based randomized controlled trial of 20 villages in Singair, Bangladesh. Fifty eligible respondents were randomly selected in each village. In 10 villages, a community member provided As education and WAs testing. In a second set of 10 villages an outside representative performed these tasks. Results: Overall, 53% of respondents using As contaminated wells, relative to the Bangladesh As standard of 50g/L, at baseline switched after receiving the intervention. Further, when there was less than 60% arsenic contaminated wells in a village, the classification used by the Bangladeshi and UNICEF, 74% of study households in the community tester villages, and 72% of households in the outside tester villages reported switching to an As safe drinking water source. Switching was more common in the outside-tester (63%) versus community-tester villages (44%). However, after adjusting for the availability of arsenic safe drinking water sources, well switching did not differ significantly by type of As tester (Odds ratio =0.86[95% confidence interval 0.42-1.77). At follow-up, among those using As contaminated wells who switched to safe wells, average urinary As concentrations significantly decreased. Conclusion: The overall intervention was effective in reducing As exposure provided there were As-safe drinking water sources available. However, there was not a significant difference observed in the ability of the community and outside testers to encourage study households to use As-safe water sources. The findings of this study suggest that As education and WAs testing programs provided by As testers, irrespective of their residence, could be used as an effective, low cost approach to reduce As exposure in many As-affected areas of Bangladesh.

Types of dental fear as barriers to dental care among African American adults with oral health symptoms in Harlem

Computer use, internet access, and online health searching among Harlem adults

Religious responses to HIV and AIDS: Understanding the role of religious cultures and institutions in confronting the epidemic

Smoking cessation advantage among adult initiators: Does it apply to black women?

A stroke preparedness RCT in a multi-ethnic cohort: Design and methods

Emergency response and public health in Hurricane Katrina: What does it mean to be a public health emergency responder?

Experiences of Public health workers in responding to Hurricane Katrina: Voices from the storm

Identifying women at-risk for smoking resumption after pregnancy

Translating public health knowledge into practice: Development of a lay health advisor perinatal tobacco cessation program

Lack of oral health care for adults in Harlem: a hidden crisis

Making the connections: Community capacity for tobacco control in an Urban African American Community

Shelley et al. respond

The $5 man: The underground economic response to a large cigarette tax increase in New York City

HIV-positive men sexually active with women: Sexual behaviors and sexual risks

Building the Capacity of Faith Organizations to Address HIV/AIDS in Five African Nations

Access to health services in an urban community: Does source of care make a difference?

Developing a collaborative community, academic, health department partnership for std prevention: The gonorrhea community action project in harlem

Lack of oral health care for adults in Harlem: A hidden crisis