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

Abstract #113651

Frances D. Butterfoss, PhD, Health Promotion/Disease Prevention, Center for Pediatric Research, Eastern Virginia Medical School, 855 W. Brambleton Ave, Norfolk, VA 23510, 757-668-6329, ButterFD@evms.edu, Marielena Lara, MD, MPH, UCLA/RAND Program on Latino Children with Asthma, UCLA and University of Puerto Rico, 1700 Main Street, Santa Monica, CA 90401, John R. Meurer, MD, MBA, Pediatrics (Community Care), Medical College of Wisconsin, 8701 Watertown Plank Road, MFRC CAUC, Milwaukee, WI 53226-0509, Michael P. Rosenthal, MD, Department of Family Medicine, Jefferson Medical College, 1015 Walnut Street, Suite 401, Philadelphia, PA 19107, Jane W. Peterson, RN, PhD, College of Nursing, Seattle University, 901 12th Avenue, PO Box 222000, Seattle, WA 98122-1090, James W. Krieger, MD, MPH, Schools of Public Health and Medicine, Public Health-Seattle & King County and University of Washington, 999 Third Ave Suite 1200, Seattle, WA 98104, Lisa Gilmore, MBA, MSW, DC Asthma Coalition, 475 H Street, NW, Washington, DC 20001, Laurie LaChance, PhD, School of Public Health, U of Michigan, 109 S. Observatory, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, and Amy R. Friedman, MPH, Department of Health Behavior & Health Education, University of Michigan School of Public Health, 109 S. Observatory Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2029.

Background: Researchers and practitioners agree that effective coalitions for health promotion and disease prevention develop in stages (formation, implementation, maintenance and institutionalization) and recycle through these stages as new members are recruited, plans are renewed and/or new issues are added. At each stage, certain factors enhance coalition function, accomplishment of tasks and progression to the next stage. The purpose of this presentation is to elucidate these factors and trace the natural history of community asthma coalitions in the 4-year Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's (RWJF) Allies Against Asthma initiative (2001-2005). Methods: Coalitions from 7 sites that are part of the RWJF Allies Against Asthma initiative participated in this study. Data from each site were analyzed to determine how coalitions developed over time and what factors promoted successful accomplishment of each stage. Data sources include: 1) Annual quantitative surveys of members and staff; 2) Key informant interviews of staff and key leaders; 3) Coalition Effectiveness Inventories (CEI) completed by staff; and 4) Timelines. Results and Implications for Practice: Data on similarities and differences among key factors such as coalition structure, products, membership, leadership, resource acquisition, decision-making, and strategies will be highlighted. We will also focus on the unique developmental history of each coalition and how the level of development and maturity of the coalitions affected short-term and intermediate outcomes.

Learning Objectives:

• To understand how key coalition factors such as community context and membership affect the formative development of community coalitions.
• To identify the key factors that make succesful progression through the four stages of coalition development more likely.
• To relate how the mautrity of community coalitions affects the accomplishment of short-term and intermeidate outcomes.

Keywords: Asthma, Coalition

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 commertial supporters WITH THE EXCEPTION OF grant support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation..