Marcia Nielsen, PhD, MPH, Dept of Health Policy and Management, University of Kansas Medical Center, 3901 Rainbow Blvd, Mail Stop 3044, Kansas City, KS 64109, 913-588-1872, mnielsen@kumc.edu

Advocacy is a term that is being increasingly sprinkled into the public health vernacular. However, many public health professionals are unclear about the appropriate role of legislative advocacy activities, uncertain about advocacy’s effectiveness, and unversed in methods aimed at influencing their elected officials. This lack of comfort creates barriers for participation in legislative advocacy by public health professionals. This session includes the following three objectives: (1) to explore the role that advocacy plays in the legislative process and discuss the effectiveness of public health legislative advocacy efforts; (2) to understand the predisposing, enabling, and reinforcing factors aimed at increasing legislative advocacy by public health professionals; and (3) to consider recommendations for public health advocacy training which addresses each of these factors.

Learning Objectives:

(
• To explore the role that advocacy plays in the legislative process and discuss the effectiveness of public health legislative advocacy efforts; (
• To understand the predisposing, enabling, and reinforcing factors aimed at increasing legislative advocacy by public health professionals; and (
• To consider recommendations for public health advocacy training which addresses each of these factors.

Keywords: Advocacy, Legislative

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.