231391 Interventions to affect health equity and preterm birth prevention

Tuesday, November 9, 2010 : 11:05 AM - 11:20 AM

Diane M. Ashton, MD, MPH , Office of the Medical Director, March of Dimes, White Plains, NY
Preterm birth is a complex public health problem, and addressing the problem will involve public health strategies that look beyond biomedical approaches to consider social, behavioral, and environmental factors that contribute to prematurity. A number of programs have been initiated that take a population-based approach to prevent “preventable” preterm births, those that are not medically necessary. One such program is the Healthy Babies Are Worth the Wait program in Kentucky organized by the March of Dimes, Johnson and Johnson Pediatric Institute and the Kentucky Department of Public Health. When addressing the added dimension of disparities in pregnancy outcomes, additional issues may need to be incorporated in the program, including removing barriers to access, developing culturally appropriate educational materials for consumers, involving women in their own care and families in decision making about care.

Learning Areas:
Administer health education strategies, interventions and programs
Assessment of individual and community needs for health education
Program planning
Public health or related education
Public health or related public policy
Social and behavioral sciences

Learning Objectives:
Recognize social, behavioral and environmental factors that can contribute to develop effective programs to prevent preterm birth Assess public health programs to address the challenge of preventing preterm birth to identify best practices

Keywords: Health Disparities, Maternal and Child Health

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am a obstetrician gynecologist with a masters degree in public health. I have work experience in maternal and child health.
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.