By: Alison Grodzinski, HBHE Staff

Dr. Daniel Kruger is thinking about the bigger picture. He thinks about availability of local grocery stores and public transportation, and considers the consequences of unrestricted urban growth. He thinks about how to change a culture that is founded on immediate gratification and convenience. He thinks about creating an environment that incentivises healthy behavior.

As an Assistant Research Scientist in HBHE, working with the Prevention Research Center of Michigan (PRC/MI), Dr. Kruger is finding ways to do just this. Dr. Kruger is the lead researcher for one of the PRC Core projects, the biennial Speak to Your Health! Community Survey in Genesee County. "What makes this survey unique is that the information is not available through any other source. We can map this data at the community and neighborhood level." Now in its third iteration, the community survey collects information from Genesee county residents on a variety of topics including: health status and behaviors, health care access and utilization, nutrition and physical activity, perceptions of neighborhoods and community, and faith and spirituality.

The information from the survey has been used by several community organizations to develop local programming and helped shape the Genesee County Health Department strategic plan. It has also helped guide policy. The data from questions about rates of uninsured and utilization of health services due to cost were instrumental in the adoption and funding of the Genesee Health Plan. This local health plan provides basic medical insurance for county residents who do not qualify for Medicaid, but are not covered by employers. Dr. Kruger is proud to report that over 27,000 county residents are now insured by the plan.

The success of the Speak to Your Health! Community Survey project has led to the development of a similar community survey for Jackson County, which is currently underway. Dr. Kruger would ideally like to be able to implement this type of survey in every county in Michigan.

In addition to the Community Survey project, Dr. Kruger is the lead evaluator of the Genesee County REACH US infant mortality reduction program. He also collaborates on other PRC projects, such as Youth Empowerment Solutions for Peaceful Communities, a community-level violence prevention program that connects middle school students with neighborhood organizations to conduct community improvement projects. In addition to the applied research at the Prevention Research Center, Dr. Kruger conducts a variety of basic research studies related to risk taking and mortality.

Dr. Kruger's research with the PRC/MI takes him to Flint and Jackson several times a month. When he's in town, he can be found in his new office on the 3rd floor of SPH I, surrounded by plants, and thinking about the bigger picture.

Recent Publications:

Kruger, D.J. (2008). Verifying the operational definition of
neighborhood for the psycho-social impact of structural deterioration. Journal of Community Psychology, 36, 1-8.

Kruger, D.J., Hutchison, P., Monroe, M.G., Reischl, T. & Morrel-Samuels, S. (2007). Assault Injury Rates, Social Capital, and Fear of Neighborhood Crime. Journal of Community Psychology, 35, 483-498.