F5. Oral Session: Strengthening Community and Rural Health Through Partnerships
F5.02 - Oral Session: Evaluating Rural Health Priorities Through Triangulated Data and Community Health Assessments
Friday, April 24, 2026
8:45 AM - 9:15 AM PST
Location: Pavilion Ballroom West, Plaza Level
Area of Responsibility: Area I: Assessment of Needs and Capacity Keywords: Alcohol and Substance Abuse@@@Child and Adolescent Health@@@Rural Health, Subcompetencies: 1.1.5 Recruit and/or engage priority population(s), partners, and stakeholders to participate throughout all steps in the assessment, planning, implem, 1.3 Analyze the data to determine the health of the priority population(s) and the factors that influence health. Research or Practice: Practice
At the end of this session, participants will be able to:
Analyze how triangulated data sources reveal community-specific substance use and mental health trends.
Evaluate the effectiveness of local prevention strategies by linking community health assessment findings to programmatic decision-making.
Apply strategies from the MAPP 2.0 framework to strengthen stakeholder and youth engagement in rural community health assessment and program planning processes.
Brief Abstract Summary: Discover how triangulating rural data across two community health assessment cycles uncovered persistent gaps in substance use and mental health outcomes. Learn how the MAPP 2.0 framework helped engage stakeholders, elevate community voice, and expose limitations in youth-focused prevention programming. Gain practical insights into using cross-sector data and community input to inform equitable, evidence-based interventions in under-resourced rural settings.
Detailed abstract description: What’s in it for the attendee: This presentation offers public health professionals, educators, researchers, and practitioners a compelling look into how rural communities can overcome limitations in traditional data systems to design effective, equity-focused interventions. Using Marshall County, Kentucky as a case example, attendees will walk through a multi-year effort to integrate cross-sector data, elevate community voices, and apply the MAPP and MAPP 2.0 frameworks for comprehensive community health assessment and program planning.
Attendees will learn how youth under 18 were identified as the highest reporting group for ATOD use during the 2022–2025 CHA, challenging assumptions about the effectiveness of existing prevention efforts. Despite evidence-based school-based programs being in place, youth use remained high, prompting the local health department to reevaluate both implementation and engagement strategies. In contrast, the most recent 2026–2029 CHA cycle, though guided by the enhanced MAPP 2.0 framework, experienced low adolescent survey participation, highlighting a key barrier to continuous youth engagement.
Participants will also discover how triangulated data, spanning health, education, law enforcement, and behavioral health, illuminated overlapping trends in mental distress, overdose spikes, lack of trusted adults, and provider shortages (2,890:1). Substance use emerged as the top community risk factor, and mental health was ranked the highest priority by both youth and adults.
This session emphasizes the power of integrated assessment and inclusive data practices to expose hidden patterns and inform sustainable public health action. Attendees will leave with strategies to improve CHA design, strengthen local data partnerships, and tailor programs to meet the real needs of rural populations, particularly youth.
Whether you’re looking to revamp community assessments, evaluate the impact of ATOD prevention strategies, or increase youth engagement, this presentation will offer actionable lessons and replicable approaches for practice.
