263919 Integrating culture, context, and public health practice: The Pacific's response to the NCD state of emergency

Monday, October 29, 2012 : 4:45 PM - 5:00 PM

Kimberly M. Byrne, EdD, MPH , U.S. DHHS, Region IX Office of the Regional Health Administrator, Office on Women's Health, San Francisco, CA
Kay Strawder, JD, MSW , U.S. DHHS, Region IX Office of the Regional Health Administrator, Office on Women's Heatlh, San Francisco, CA
Christina Perez, MN, FNP, RN , U.S. DHHS, Region IX Office of the Regional Health Administrator, Office of Minority Health, San Francisco, CA
John Walmsley, REHS, CAPT, US PHS , U.S. DHHS, Region IX Office of the Regional Health Administrator, Office of Pacific Health, San Francisco, CA
     
In 2010, the Pacific Island Health Officers Association (PIHOA) declared a Regional State of Health Emergency due to the epidemic of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in the US-Affiliated Pacific Islands (USAPI). This project describes the USAPI public health response to this crisis.

As part of the U.S. DHHS Action Plan for the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, the purpose of this project was to catalog promising practices being implemented in the USAPI. “Promising practices” were defined as those activities, initiatives, campaigns, and programs which address the risk factors outlined by PIHOA: high tobacco use, binge drinking, physical inactivity, and unhealthy eating.

The methods used were telephone conversations and Internet searches, both in grey literature and academic databases. Interns conducted over 50 conversations with public health officials and representatives of community organizations in the USAPI. Leads were often developed though personal relationships and word of mouth.

Main themes from the project included combining policy interventions with individual behavioral interventions to have a greater impact on NCD outcomes; formation of coalitions and partnerships to maximize resources and impact; thoughtful adaptation of best practices and evidence based models to cultural and geographic context; and imaginative solutions to improving health education and awareness outreach. Challenges to catalog preparation included cultural differences, time zones, and USAPI infrastructure.

While this is not a research project, the catalog reveals important new information about promising practices being implemented at local, state and national levels to battle NCDs. Implications for policy and advocacy will be discussed.

Learning Areas:
Advocacy for health and health education
Diversity and culture
Planning of health education strategies, interventions, and programs
Public health or related laws, regulations, standards, or guidelines
Public health or related organizational policy, standards, or other guidelines

Learning Objectives:
By the end of the session, the participant will be able to discuss at least 2 economic changes and at least 2 cultural influences that have contributed to the Non-Communicable Disease State of Emergency in the US –Affiliated Pacific Islands. By the end of the session, the participant will be able to explain the social environmental impacts of a USAPI school gardening program.

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have been co-investigator on grant-funded research focusing on tobacco and alcohol use in sexual minority communities. My dissertation research focused on Pacific Islander community organizations in San Francisco, California. The catalog project was part of my MPH program internship, and I conducted the majority of the telephone interviews. I am currently a consultant for U.S. Department of Health & Human Services Region IX Office on Women's Health continuing to work on the catalog project.
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.

Back to: 3416.0: Building community capacity for API health