Examining the contributions of a community coalition in addressing urban health determinants.

Community coalitions facilitate changes in community outcomes and conditions by addressing issues and determinants of health and well-being. The purpose of the present study was to examine the process of a community coalition, the Ivanhoe Neighborhood Council (INC), in addressing community-prioritized urban health determinants aimed at improving living conditions in a neighborhood in Kansas City, Missouri. Using an empirical case study design, the implementation of the community change framework supported through the Kauffman Neighborhood Initiative is examined. The results suggest that the INC was effective in implementing 117 community changes, and these changes were associated with modest improvements in targeted outcomes related to housing and crime. A 10 year follow-up probe indicates that the majority of recurring community changes were sustained. The results indicate that the comprehensive community initiative was important in facilitating community change that may have contributed to improvements in addressing urban health determinants.