The Center for Community Action for Primary Prevention and The Medical Foundation are working with the Codman Square (Boston, MA) Health Center, the Codman Square/Four Corners Alliance for Health and others to implement a community mobilization strategy to reduce lead poisoning. It focuses on primary prevention by assisting pregnant women and newborns living in very high-risk housing. Lead poisoning damages a young child's developing brain, causing learning and behavioral disabilities. Where lead poisoning prevalence is high, the impact goes beyond children and their families to affect the entire community - poor performance in neighborhood schools, higher dropout and delinquency rates and fewer employable graduates. Effectively focusing available resources and acting before children become poisoned creates the best opportunity to reduce the number of poisoned children. This session will present the steps needed to develop, implement and evaluate an effective community-based strategy to reduce lead poisoning where lead-safe housing is not generally available. Topics will include generating interest and involvement within a community, maximizing the use of existing resources, and using materials designed to be sensitive to barriers to effective education and communication in low-income communities. With these materials, local organizations and residents are prepared to: § Advocate for access to safe housing and safe abatement services for high-risk families; § Work with families to improve environmental safety decision-making and risk reduction skills; and § Develop resources within the community to provide low-cost interventions when safe housing is not available.
Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of this session, participants will be able to: 1. Describe the steps needed to develop, implement and evaluate an effective community-based strategy to reduce lead poisoning. 2. Discuss ways to involve local organizations and residents in primary prevention strategies. 3. Identify and maximize existing resources in a community to promote lead poisoning prevention. 4. Develop or adapt educational materials to decrease barriers to effective learning in low-income communities
Keywords: Primary Prevention, Lead
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: The Center for Community Action for Primary Prevention and The Medical Foundation
I have a significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.
Relationship: Director, The Center for Community Action for Primary Prevention