221468 From addressing asthma to reducing asthma inequities: A public health model working towards social justice

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Kate Lorenzen, MNA , Regional Asthma Management and Prevention (RAMP), Oakland, CA
Jessica Peters, MPH , Regional Asthma Management and Prevention (RAMP), Oakland, CA
Dana Hughes, DrPH , Institute for Health Policy Studies, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA
Azibuike Akaba , Regional Asthma Management and Prevention (RAMP), Oakland, CA
Lindsay Docto , Philip R. Lee Institute for Health Policy Studies, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA
Regional Asthma Management and Prevention (RAMP), a successful collaborative in the San Francisco Bay Area since 1996, promotes strategies for reducing asthma through a broad and comprehensive approach, ranging from clinical management to environmental protection. RAMP's work relies on collaborative efforts, occurs in multiple-settings, and spans throughout all levels of the socio-ecological model, with a focus on policy change. In addition to valuing the contributions of diverse organizations and disciplines, RAMP utilizes a community-based participatory approach by engaging community members who represent a core source of information and driving strategies that reflect and build upon a substantiated and comprehensive understanding of community assets, attributes, and challenges. Although asthma affects Americans of all ages, races, and ethnic groups, some populations are disproportionately impacted by the disease, such as African Americans and Latinos. RAMP's work reflects an understanding that addressing such disparities requires focus on the root causes of these inequities, such as exposure to environmental triggers, access to quality medical care, and support for asthma management. This presentation will describe the RAMP model, as well as present early findings from an external evaluation of these efforts to engage community partners in African American and Latino communities; identify the inequities that lead to disparities; develop shared objectives; and support implementation through the utilization of core strategies. By addressing asthma disparities through this framework, RAMP strives to impact health outcomes related to the effects of poorly controlled asthma and the new onset of asthma in otherwise healthy people.

Learning Areas:
Advocacy for health and health education
Conduct evaluation related to programs, research, and other areas of practice
Implementation of health education strategies, interventions and programs
Planning of health education strategies, interventions, and programs
Public health or related public policy

Learning Objectives:
1) Describe the mission, framework for change, operating methodologies, and goals of a community based health advocacy organization; and 2) Asses the aplicability of the approaches and strategies presented to their own public health and social justice work

Keywords: Environmental Health, Advocacy

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am qualified to present because I oversee programs that include environmental triggers and science policy as it relates to asthma and air quality.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

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.