161813 Building community capacity in environmental health: The Community Action Against Asthma example

Monday, November 5, 2007: 9:30 AM

Edith Parker, DrPH , Department of Health Behavior and Health Education, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, MI
Wilma Brakefield-Caldwell, BSN , Steering Committee Member, Canton, MI
Lynna Chung, MPH , Department of Health Behavior and Health Education, University of Michigan, School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, MI
J. Timothy Dvonch, PhD , Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, MI
Katherine Edgren, MSW , Health Promotion and Community Relations, University of Michigan Health Services, Ann Arbor, MI
Sonya Grant-Pierson, MSW , Rebuilding Communities, Inc., Warren/Conner Development Coalition, Detroit, MI
Yolanda Hill-Ashford, MSW , Detroit Department of Health and Wellness Promotion, Detroit, MI
Barbara A. Israel, DrPH , Department of Health Behavior and Health Education, University of Michigan, School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, MI
Toby Lewis, MD , Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University of Michigan, School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, MI
Paul Max, BS , Detroit Department of Health and Wellness Promotion, Detroit, MI
Angela Reyes, MPH , Detroit Hispanic Development Corporation, Detroit, MI
Zachary Rowe , Friends of Parkside, Detroit, MI
Thomas Robins , Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, MI
Maria Salinas , CHASS, Detroit, MI
Donele Wilkins , Detroiters Working for Environmental Justice, Detroit, MI
The Community Action Against Asthma combined an intervention study to reduce environmental triggers for childhood asthma at the household and neighborhood level with an epidemiologic study of the relationship between ambient and indoor air quality exposures (e.g., ozone and particulate matter 2.5 and 10) and children's lung function and other asthma-related health indicators. As part of the neighborhood level intervention, activities focused on community organizing and engagement of community groups in education processes around environmental health. For example, CAAA staff worked with a local Detroit school to educate parents on implications of environmental contaminants found at the school and facilitated the creation of an action plan that satisfied parent's concerns. In another example, CAAA community and academic partners shared research results and their implications with local advisory boards for transportation and other projects with environmental health implications. This presentation will describe CAAA's strategy and share accomplishments, challenges and lessons learned through this process.

Learning Objectives:
: By the end of this presentation, the participants will be able to: 1. Articulate the importance of community-academic partnerships in designing environmental research projects in ways to enhance community. 2. Identify at least 2 different strategies for enhancing community capacity around environmental health. 3. Articulate the role of dissemination of research results to the broader community in which the research is undertaken as a crucial piece of creating capacity.

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No
Any institutionally-contracted trials related to this submission?

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.