Infant mortality and asthma are major public health problems, especially for children born into poverty and for African Americans. In the Logan neighborhood of Philadelphia, the target population for the Community Coalition for Minority Children's Health (CCMCH), 80% of the residents are African American and 21% live below the poverty level. The 1995 infant mortality rate (IMR) for African Americans residing in the health district which includes Logan, was 20.1, which was higher than Philadelphia's overall IMR of 17.1 for African Americans and highest among Philadelphia's 10 health districts for this target population. At the major medical center in Logan, between July 1996 and June 1997, 92% of patients receiving emergency care for asthma and 91% of patients hospitalized for asthma were African Americans. The CCMCH project uses a public health and education model integrating community-based health and environmental assessment, education, outreach and referral services. A public health nurse, community health educator and Americorps members provide multi-level services including: in-home environmental assessment, education and support for families; after/in-school asthma clubs; and educational workshops for the general public, daycare providers, school teachers, principals, nurses, and local primary care providers. Creating a baby healthy and/or a trigger free environment is stressed and clients are supported in implementing efforts to reduce or eliminate identified hazards. Outcomes relating to prenatal care attendance, prenatal weight gain, birth weight, immunization status, asthma ER visits, asthma hospitalizations, school attendance, asthma medication use, education pre-test results, environmental findings and behavioral changes will be discussed.
Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, participants will be able to: 1. Describe model interventions for decreasing infant mortality and pediatric asthma morbidity and mortality within a low-income, minority community. 2. Describe the role and findings of comprehensive indoor environmental assessment and intervention for both families with children and children with asthma. 3. Identify the leading mis-beliefs of parents and teachers within the target population that can impede asthma management success
Keywords: Asthma, Perinatal Health
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.