Recorded presentation

Michelle Allen, Assistant Director, MOMobile, Maternity Care Coalition, 2000 Hamilton Street, Suite 205, Philadelphia, PA 19130, 2159720700, chelle@momobile.org and Heidi Worley, MA, Research, Education and Advocacy, Maternity Care Coalition, 2000 Hamilton Street, Suite 205, Philadelphia, PA 19130.

Health disparities persist among communities of color in prevalence of asthma, lead poisoning, and chronic diseases related to nicotine and tobacco products. There is increasing evidence that low-income populations are burdened with a disproportionate share of residential and occupational exposure to hazardous substances such as lead, PCBs, wood dust, and air pollutants. Additionally, the targeting of tobacco products in communities of color is well known. Maternity Care Coalition (MCC)’s Latina MOMobile serves pregnant women and new parents through street outreach and family support services in North Central Philadelphia, Pennsylvania where environmental health disparities are striking. According to data from the Philadelphia Health Management Corporation, 16.7% of Latino and 14.6% of African American children under the age of five in this community have asthma, compared to 6.2% of white children. Lead poisoning is also prevalent in these neighborhoods where almost all the housing stock predates removal of lead from paint. MCC has developed a community based integrated environmental health intervention, Healthy@Home, to address the glaring health disparities that affect Latino and African American families in this community. The goal of the program is to reduce the environmental health risks of lead poisoning, asthma triggers, environmental tobacco pollution, household chemicals, and pests for low income minority families through a home visiting intervention that provides education, risk communication, counseling, support and referral by community health workers. This presentation will share findings from a knowledge, attitude and behavior assessment of environmental health hazards among low income communities of color in North Central Philadelphia.

Learning Objectives:

• Participants will discuss the benefits of an integrated environmental health education intervention.
• Participants will learn about the results of a knowledge, attitude and behavior survey.
• Participants will explore the importance of involving the community in program design.

Keywords: Environmental Health Hazards, Environmental Justice

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.

Recorded presentation