Joyce Moon Howard
Joyce Moon Howard
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Clinical Associate Professor of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Community Health Science and Practice
Interim Director of Community Health Science and Practice
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Professional overview
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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.
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Education
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BA, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, CAMPH, Columbia University, New York, NYDrPH, Columbia University, New York, NY
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Areas of research and study
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Community EngagementCommunity HealthCommunity-based Participatory ResearchQualitative Research
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Publications
Publications
Implementation of a multimodal mobile system for point-of-sale surveillance : Lessons learned from case studies in washington, dc, and new york city
AbstractMoon Howard, J., 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
2015Journal title
JMIR Public Health and SurveillanceVolume
1Issue
2AbstractBackground: 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.Lack of oral health care for adults in Harlem : A hidden crisis
AbstractMoon Howard, J., Zabos, G. P., Northridge, M. E., Ro, M. J., Trinh, C., Vaughan, R., Moon-Howard, J., Lamster, I., Bassett, M. T., & Cohall, A. T. (n.d.).Publication year
2002Journal title
American journal of public healthVolume
92Issue
1Page(s)
49-52AbstractObjectives. Profound and growing disparities exist in oral health among certain US populations. We sought here to determine the prevalence of oral health complaints among Harlem adults by measures of social class, as well as their access to oral health care. Methods. A population-based survey of adults in Central Harlem was conducted from 1992 to 1994. Two questions on oral health were included: whether participants had experienced problems with their teeth or gums during the past 12 months and, if so, whether they had seen a dentist. Results. Of 50 health conditions queried about, problems with teeth or gums were the chief complaint among participants (30%). Those more likely to report oral health problems than other participants had annual household incomes of less than $9000 (36%), were unemployed (34%), and lacked health insurance (34%). The privately insured were almost twice as likely to have seen a dentist for oral health problems (87%) than were the uninsured (48%). Conclusions. There is an urgent need to provide oral health services for adults in Harlem. Integrating oral health into comprehensive primary care is one promising mechanism.Lack of oral health care for adults in Harlem : a hidden crisis
AbstractMoon Howard, J., Zabos, G. P., Northridge, M. E., Ro, M. J., Trinh, C., Vaughan, R., Howard, J. M., Lamster, I., Bassett, M. T., & Cohall, A. T. (n.d.).Publication year
2008Journal title
American Journal of Public HealthVolume
98Issue
9 SupplPage(s)
S102-S105AbstractOBJECTIVES: Profound and growing disparities exist in oral health among certain US populations. We sought here to determine the prevalence of oral health complaints among Harlem adults by measures of social class, as well as their access to oral health care.METHODS: A population-based survey of adults in Central Harlem was conducted from 1992 to 1994. Two questions on oral health were included: whether participants had experienced problems with their teeth or gums during the past 12 months and, if so, whether they had seen a dentist.RESULTS: Of 50 health conditions queried about, problems with teeth or gums were the chief complaint among participants (30%). Those more likely to report oral health problems than other participants had annual household incomes of less than $9000 (36%), were unemployed (34%), and lacked health insurance (34%). The privately insured were almost twice as likely to have seen a dentist for oral health problems (87%) than were the uninsured (48%).CONCLUSIONS: There is an urgent need to provide oral health services for adults in Harlem. Integrating oral health into comprehensive primary care is one promising mechanism.Making the connections : Community capacity for tobacco control in an Urban African American Community
AbstractMoon Howard, J., Merzel, C., Moon-Howard, J., Dickerson, D., Ramjohn, D., & VanDevanter, N. (n.d.).Publication year
2008Journal title
American journal of community psychologyVolume
41Issue
1-2Page(s)
74-88AbstractDeveloping community capacity to improve health is a cornerstone of community-based public health. The concept of community capacity reflects numerous facets and dimensions of community life and can have different meanings in different contexts. This paper explores how members of one community identify and interpret key aspects of their community's capacity to limit the availability and use of tobacco products. Particular attention is given to examining the interrelationship between various dimensions of community capacity in order to better understand the processes by which communities are able to mobilize for social change. The study is based on qualitative analysis of 19 in-depth interviews with key informants representing a variety of community sectors in Harlem, New York City. Findings indicate that the community is viewed as rich in human and social resources. A strong sense of community identity and connectedness underlies this reserve and serves as a catalyst for action.Putting Prevention Into Practice : Impact of a Multifaceted Physician Education Program on Preventive Services in the Inner City
AbstractMoon Howard, J., Gemson, D. H., Ashford, A. R., Dickey, L. L., Raymore, S. H., Roberts, J. W., Ehrlich, M. H., Foster, B. G., Ganz, M. L., Moon-Howard, J., Field, L. S., Bennett, B. A., Elinson, J., & Francis, C. K. (n.d.).Publication year
1995Journal title
Archives of Internal MedicineVolume
155Issue
20Page(s)
2210-2216AbstractBackground: Physicians' prevention practices often differ from guidelines published by national authorities. Effective preventive services are most needed in inner city settings that suffer disproportionately from preventable diseases. This study examined the impact of a multifaceted physician prevention education program on the provision of preventive services in an inner city municipal hospital. Methods: The study used a controlled intervention comparative design at two inner city municipal hospitals— Harlem Hospital Center, New York, NY (intervention site) and Kings County Hospital, Brooklyn, NY (comparison site)—serving predominantly African-American patient populations. The intervention site received prototype materials for physicians, patients, and the office setting from the US Public Health Service's Put Prevention Into Practice campaign and a series of prevention lectures from November 1991 through April 1992. Change in physician prevention practices and knowledge was assessed by self-administered questionnaires and change in patients' reports of preventive services received was assessed by structured interviews. Results: Physicians at Harlem Hospital Center reported a greater postintervention increase in prevention practices and demonstrated a greater increase in prevention knowledge in comparison with physicians at Kings County Hospital. Patients at Harlem Hospital Center reported receiving increased preventive services from physicians after the intervention, while patients at Kings County Hospital did not report any significant change in preventive services received. Conclusions: A multifaceted physician education program using prototype materials from the Put Prevention Into Practice campaign with prevention lectures significantly increased the prevention knowledge and practices reported by physicians and the preventive services reported received by patients at an inner city municipal hospital.Religious responses to HIV and AIDS : Understanding the role of religious cultures and institutions in confronting the epidemic
AbstractMoon Howard, J., Muñoz-Laboy, M., Garcia, J., Moon-Howard, J., Wilson, P. A., & Parker, R. (n.d.).Publication year
2011Journal title
Global Public HealthVolume
6Issue
SUPPL. 2Page(s)
S127-S131Abstract~Shelley et al. respond
AbstractMoon Howard, J., Shelley, D., Cantrell, M. J., Moon-Howard, J., Ramjohn, D. Q., & VanDevanter, N. (n.d.).Publication year
2008Journal title
American journal of public healthVolume
98Issue
1Page(s)
5Abstract~Smoking cessation advantage among adult initiators : Does it apply to black women?
AbstractMoon Howard, J., Thompson, A. B., Moon-Howard, J., & Messeri, P. A. (n.d.).Publication year
2011Journal title
Nicotine and Tobacco ResearchVolume
13Issue
1Page(s)
15-21AbstractIntroduction: Smokers who initiate as adults are more likely to quit than those who initiate as adolescents. Black women are more likely than White women to initiate smoking in adulthood and are less likely to quit. There is a paucity of research examining whether the smoking cessation advantage among adult initiators applies to Black women. The study objective is to examine race differences in the effect of developmental stage of smoking initiation on number of years until cessation among Black and White women. Methods: Data were extracted from the National Longitudinal Survey of Young Women, a national cohort of women between the ages of 49 and 61 years in 2003. The analytic sample comprised 1,008 White women and 271 Black women with a history of smoking. Survival analysis procedures were utilized to address the study objective. Results: Racial disparities in smoking cessation were most evident among women who initiated smoking as adults. White young adult initiators had a 31% increased hazard of smoking cessation advantage (adjusted hazards ratio [HR]: 1.31, 95% CI: 1.04-1.65) over adolescent initiators, whereas Black young adult initiators had no smoking cessation advantage (adjusted HR: 0.85, CI: 95% 0.55-1.30) over adolescent initiators. Conclusions: Prior observations that smoking initiation in adlthood is associated with high rates of cesusation do not apply to black women. To contribute to the reduction of disparities in women's cessation efforts to prevent initiation should target young adult women, particularly Black young adult women.The $5 man : The underground economic response to a large cigarette tax increase in New York City
AbstractMoon Howard, J., Shelley, D., Cantrell, J., Moon-Howard, J., Ramjohn, D. Q., & Van Devanter, N. L. (n.d.).Publication year
2007Journal title
American journal of public healthVolume
97Issue
8Page(s)
1483-1488AbstractObjectives. We examined the mechanisms by which living in a disadvantaged minority community influences smoking and illegal cigarette sale and purchasing behaviors after a large cigarette tax increase. Methods. Data were collected from 14 focus groups (n=104) that were conducted during the spring of 2003 among Blacks aged 18 years and older living in New York City. Results. A large tax increase led to what focus group participants described as a pervasive illegal cigarette market in a low-income minority community. Perceived pro-smoking community norms, a stressful social and economic environment, and the availability of illegal cigarettes worked together to reinforce smoking and undermine cessation. Conclusions. Although interest in quitting was high, bootleggers created an environment in which reduced-price cigarettes were easier to access than cessation services. This activity continues to undermine the public health goals of the tax increase.Translating public health knowledge into practice : Development of a lay health advisor perinatal tobacco cessation program
AbstractMoon Howard, J., English, K. C., Merzel, C., & Moon-Howard, J. (n.d.).Publication year
2010Journal title
Journal of Public Health Management and PracticeVolume
16Issue
3Page(s)
E9-E19AbstractThe value of lay health advisor (LHA) interventions as an effective approach toward ameliorating racial, ethnic and/socioeconomic health disparities has been noted by researchers and policy makers. Translating scientific knowledge to bring state-of-the-art health promotion/disease prevention innovation to underserved populations is critical for addressing these health disparities. This article examines the experiences of a community-academic partnership in designing, developing, and implementing an evidence-based, LHA-driven perinatal tobacco cessation program for low-income, predominately African American and Hispanic women. A multimethod process evaluation was conducted to analyze three essential domains of program implementation: (1) fit of the tobacco cessation program into the broader project context, (2) feasibility of program implementation, and (3) fidelity to program implementation protocols. Findings indicate that project partners have largely succeeded in integrating an evidence-based tobacco cessation program into a community-based maternal and infant health project. The successful implementation of this intervention appears to be attributable to the following two predominant factors: (1) the utilization of a scientifically validated tobacco cessation intervention model and (2) the emphasis on continuous LHA training and capacity development.Types of dental fear as barriers to dental care among African American adults with oral health symptoms in Harlem
AbstractMoon Howard, J., Siegel, K., Schrimshaw, E. W., Kunzel, C., Wolfson, N. H., Moon-Howard, J., Moats, H. L., & Mitchell, D. A. (n.d.).Publication year
2012Journal title
Journal of health care for the poor and underservedVolume
23Issue
3Page(s)
1294-1309AbstractTo examine the types of dental fear experienced by African American adults and the role of these fears in the utilization of dental care, in-depth interviews were conducted with a street-intercept sample of 118 African Americans living in Harlem, New York City, who had experienced at least one oral health symptom in the past six months. Despite their oral symptoms, participants delayed or avoided dental care (often for years) due to a variety of dental fears, including fears of: 1) pain from needles; 2) the dental drill; 3) having teeth extracted; 4) contracting an illness (e.g., HIV/AIDS) from unsanitary instruments; 5) X-rays; 6) receiving poor quality care or mistreatment. These findings provide insights into the situations that provoke fears about dental treatment among African Americans and suggest strategies to address these fears in order to remove these barriers and increase the utilization of dental care by African American adults.