The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA
3117.0: Monday, November 11, 2002 - 11:26 AM

Abstract #50009

Community-based breastfeeding coalition building: Implementing an Iowa model in New York

Julia D Block, MD, MPH, Pediatrics, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, 314 Plymouth Avenue, Brightwaters, NY 11718, 631-666-6515, jadblock221@pol.net, Corinne A. Doran, MS, RN, NP, Bureau of Public Health Nursing, Suffolk County Department of Health, 225 Rabro Drive E., Hauppauge, NY 11787, and Kathleen Van Deventer, RN, MS, PNP, Lactation Coordinator, Stony Brook University Hospital, Stony Brook, Stony Brook, NY 11794-7715.

An American Public Health Association affiliate, county public health nurse, master of public health student, local medical school lactation coordinator, and mother-to-mother support group leader from Suffolk County, having previously networked individually and through their service organizations, agreed to embark on a collaborative effort by attending the Maternal Child Health Community Leadership Institute in Atlanta, GA, 20-21 October 2001. The team proposed to improve the health of mothers and children by developing a coalition to protect, promote, and support breastfeeding as directed by the WHO/UNICEF Innocenti Declaration. Challenged by the Surgeon General's Blueprint for Action on Breastfeeding, the team was determined to unite the forces currently working individually in their community to achieve the Healthy People 2010 National Health Objectives for Breastfeeding in Suffolk County. At the Maternal Child Health Community Leadership Institute, the team developed their goal of establishing a community coalition and defined individual tasks for each team member. By increasing knowledge and skills, fortifying networking, and engaging the teams in a follow through system, the Institute would impact Maternal Child Health in the participating communities. The Iowa Department of Health (IDOH) Coalition Building tool was chosen as a model for coalition building. This report will outline the process of establishing a community coalition of professional and volunteer organizations and government agencies to protect, promote and support breastfeeding to achieve Healthy People 2010 National Health Objectives, fulfill the Surgeon General's Blueprint for Action on Breastfeeding, and improve maternal child health in Suffolk County, NY.

Learning Objectives:

    2. Describe the process of applying a model coalition building tool for the purpose of increasing breastfeeding initiation and duration rates to meet Healthy People 2010 Objective 16-19
        Increase the proportion of mothers who breastfeed their babies.
      • Identify the tools learned by one state team at the Second Maternal Child Health Community Leadership Institute which included a follow-through program, internet course and coaching to keep the team on task as well as support networking with other state teams.
      • Recognize that this model and these tools can be applied to a culturally diverse population by identifying social capital and defining community collaboration to increase quality and years of healthy life and eliminate health disparities by improving maternal, infant and child health as a result of achieving increased breastfeeding rates.

    Keywords: Breast Feeding, Coalition

    Presenting author's disclosure statement:
    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.

    Breastfeeding: implementing national policy; programs and research

    The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA