Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #106479

Ruth G. Kerzee, MS¹, Leslie Nickels, MEd¹, and Kiesha Graves, BS². (1) School of Public Health, Great Lakes Center, University of Illinois at Chicago, 2121 W. Taylor St., Chicago, IL 60612, (312) 996-6904, rgkerzee@yahoo.com, (2) EOHS - M/C 922, University of Illinois-Chicago School of Public Health, 2121 W. Taylor St., Chicago, IL 60612

Chicago is known as a city leading in childhood lead poisonings and asthma fatalities. Other environmental hazards are also affecting the health of its children due in part to the inadequacy of housing for economically disadvantaged individuals. Using community-based public health practices, well established hazard reduction tools and educational information this work describes a demonstration/research project developed to assess the effectiveness of in-home health education on changing family behaviors around in-home environmental health hazards. Collaboration between the university, community health workers, the health department and other experts in indoor environmental hazards was established to design a survey study assessing the impact and effectiveness of in-home health intervention practices on residents' actions and behaviors regarding four indoor health hazards: lead dust, asthma triggers, radon, and carbon monoxide. After extensive training of the CHWs on these hazards a two-survey system was collaboratively developed – an initial survey to assess current knowledge and effects of in-door hazards on the family and a follow-up survey to assess the post-intervention use of the tools and resources provided during the initial home visit. Preliminary analysis of the data collected from the 25 families included in the pilot study (100 total surveys) shows a willingness of families with young children to use the tools and resources to help reduce hazard exposures in the home. In addition, the surveys have provided a valuable tool for the CHWs to identify the health hazards of most concern for individual families enabling them to concentrate their efforts for the greatest effect.

Learning Objectives: This session will describe a community health center initiated study of their in home health outreach program. Participants will learn how to construct a similar program for application at their facility. At the conclusion of this session participants should be able to

• Create an organizational structure for developing a similar project, including a list of necessary partners, a timeline for implementation and tools for developing a site specific survey.

Keywords: Children's Health, Community Collaboration

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.