• July 1, 2026 | 12:45 PM - 2:45 PM
• PCC,118AB

Stronger Voices, Healthier Communities: Leveraging Public Health for Impactful Advocacy

Athletic trainers are uniquely positioned to address both the individual healthcare and public health needs of their patient populations. In doing so, athletic trainers serve as advocates for their patients at the individual, interpersonal, community, organizational, and policy levels. Athletic trainers can optimize their advocacy potential by leveraging public health frameworks to develop stronger messaging and greater influence with key stakeholders. However, there is a gap in knowledge of public health frameworks and in the application of these frameworks toward developing advocacy strategies in athletic training.

Learning Objectives - Describe the role of the athletic trainer in public health.
- Identify the utility of public health frameworks, including the socio-ecological model.
- Describe the process of a community needs assessment.

Lab Objectives
- Outline the components of a community needs assessment for their patient population.

Keywords: Community health; theoretical frameworks, health promotion

Presented by: AT in Public Health Committee