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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Deborah Glik, PhD¹, Allison M. Drury, MPH¹, Joy Blevins, MS, MPH², Phyllis Tan, MPhil², and Kimberley Shoaf, DrPH³. (1) Community Health Sciences, UCLA School of Public Health, Westwood Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90095, (310) 206-9548, dglik@ucla.edu, (2) Public Health, Los Angeles County Department of Health Services, 313 N. Figueroa Street, Room 909, Los Angeles, CA 90012, (3) Center for Public Health and Disasters, UCLA, 1145 Gayley Ave., Ste. 304, Los Angeles, CA 90024

In this presentation, we detail the formative research, message development, and materials dissemination for Los Angeles County Department of Health Services – Public Health's Phase 2 “Just Be Ready. Prepare Together!” multi-cultural education and outreach disaster preparedness and supplies campaign, targeting the county's multi-ethnic population. With the emerging threat of terrorism and the recent hurricane Katrina disaster in the Gulf Coast, public health has mobilized to address the issue of encouraging people to maintain disaster supplies. A recent L.A. County population based survey showed that only 28% of respondents reported maintaining emergency supplies. Los Angeles County is comprised of over 10 million people of diverse ethnicities. Initial formative research based on multi-ethnic focus groups conducted in the summer of 2005 identified factors that would facilitate preparation of a disaster kit by the county's diverse population. Findings indicated a wide variability in knowledge about current disaster supply recommendations across ethnic groups, although interest in learning more and becoming more prepared was great across all groups. These findings were used in the design of the campaign. Messages specifically sought to increase knowledge of the importance of assembling a disaster kit at home, the 10 most essential items to include, and maintenance recommendations. Findings also include the campaign materials dissemination plan and process tracking data from 2006 which utilized the 8 county Services Plan Areas (SPAS) to organize materials placement in smaller, community-based businesses and venues.

Learning Objectives:

• 1. Identify factors that guide the formation of culturally appropriate messages for disaster preparation.
• 2. Learn how to utilize local offices of a large public health agency to help disseminate marketing materials.
• 3. Identify avenues to reach community based businesses and venues for dissemination of marketing materials.

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Not Answered