264738 Community violence and asthma education: A psychosocial model for asthma education

Tuesday, October 30, 2012 : 5:30 PM - 5:50 PM

Stacey Denham, MSW, MPH, AE-C , Center for Minority Health and Health Disparities Research and Education, College of Pharmacy, Xavier University, New Orleans, LA
Leonard Jack Jr., PhD, Msc , Center for Minority Health and Health Disparities Research and Education, College of Pharmacy, Xavier University of Louisiana, New Orleans, LA
Kristi Isaac Rapp, PharmD, AE-C , College of Pharmacy, Xavier University of Louisiana, New Orleans, LA
Candice Wilson, MPH , College of Pharmacy, Xavier University, New Orleans, LA
Margaret Sanders, MSEd, AE-C , Center for Minority Health & Health Disparities, Xavier University, New Orleans, LA
Doryne Sunda-Meya, BS , Center for Minority Health and Health Disparities Research and Education, Xavier University of Louisiana, New Orleans, LA
Alfreda Porter , Center for Minority Health and Health Disparities, Research and Education, Xavier University of Louisiana, New Orleans, LA
Pamela Dixon , Center for Minority Health and Health Disparities, Research and Education, Xavier University of Louisiana, New Orleans, LA
Nancy Morris, PhD , Director of Contracting and Affiliations, Daughters of Charity Services New Orleans, New Orleans, LA
Floyd Malveaux, MD, PhD , Executive Director, Merck Childhood Asthma Network, Inc., Washington DC, DC
     
The association between childhood asthma and exposure to poor social environments, such as community violence, results in psychosocial stressors which increase the incidence, prevalence, and severity rates of the disease. As a result, the disparity gap and burden of disease among disadvantaged populations continues to grow. Research has established this link between exposure to violence, changes in health behaviors, and physiological responses in asthmatic children. This presentation will describe components of Head-off Environmental Asthma in Louisiana (HEAL, Phase II), a partnership between Xavier University College of Pharmacy, Daughters of Charity Services of New Orleans (DCSNO), Children's Health Fund, and the Merck Childhood Asthma Network. The HEAL, Phase II Project, through DCSNO clinics, provides pediatric care to children that often reside in New Orleans neighborhoods experiencing high rates of asthma and violence. The psychosocial stressors as a result of living in such environments include the following: emotional instability, loss of control of daily life function, lack of and access to resources, psychological trauma resulting from witnessing violence, projected caregiver stress, poor self-management of asthma, inconsistent use of controller medications, and poor compliance with primary care provider recommendations. This presentation will focus on a psychosocial model in administering asthma education to children, and their caregivers, experiencing and living in communities exposed to violence, the incorporation and assessment of exposure to violence into asthma education and counseling, as well as address the unequal distribution of the burden of this disease among the childhood asthma population in New Orleans.

Learning Areas:
Administer health education strategies, interventions and programs
Chronic disease management and prevention
Implementation of health education strategies, interventions and programs
Public health or related education
Systems thinking models (conceptual and theoretical models), applications related to public health

Learning Objectives:
1.) Identify the psychosocial stressors that may interfere with a patient's self-management of asthma. 2.) Explain the link between living in a community of violence and the increase in prevalence of asthma severity. 3.) Discuss the psychosocial approach to asthma education and counseling.

Keywords: Asthma, Violence

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have worked on multiple grant-funded community health and research projects as a program manager, project coordinator, health educator and social work/public health practitioner in the field of community health and asthma. My specific interests are the barriers to health behavior change in the chronic disease population, maternal and child health nutrition, and the development of holistic programs to promote healthy behavior change.
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: 4425.2: Social Work education around prevention and wellness