331601
Paving the road from science to public policy to protect children's health
Tuesday, November 3, 2015
: 9:10 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.
Patrice Sutton, MPH,
Program on Reproductive Health and the Environment, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA
Juleen Lam, PhD, MHS, MS,
Program on Reproductive Health and the Environment, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA
Natalyn Daniels,
Program on Reproductive Health and the Environment, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA
Hazel Tesoro,
Program on Reproductive Health and the Environment, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CT
Jason Harless,
Program on Reproductive Health and the Environment, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA
Naomi Stotland, MD,
Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA
Marya Zlatnik, MD, MMS,
Department of Obsterics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA
David Tuller, DrPH,
Graduate School of Journalism, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA
Preventing exposure to toxic environmental chemicals among women and men of reproductive age is a science-based strategy to improve children’s health outcomes. However, toxic chemicals are ubiquitous in the environment and many exposures, such as air and water pollution, cannot be prevented by individual action alone. Thus, improved public policy must be a key component of any efforts to identify and prevent harmful exposures. As one of the Children's Environmental Health and Disease Prevention Research Centers of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and Environmental Protection Agency, the UCSF Pregnancy Exposures to Environmental Chemicals Center’s Community Outreach and Translation Core implemented a strategy to translate the science linking prenatal exposure to environmental chemicals into policies that promote the health of children, adults, and future generations. Methods: In collaboration with a wide range of clinical and environmental health scientists, academic, government and non-government partners we: (1) developed a communication strategy to disseminate the science to a broad range of constituents and the media; (2) advanced understanding and uptake of the science among reproductive health professionals; and (3) developed the Navigation Guide systematic review methodology to transparently integrate the available scientific evidence into a concise and reproducible “bottom line” about a chemical’s toxicity. Results: Our collaboration: (1) utilized a variety of tools to create and to disseminate patient-centered educational materials to increase knowledge and awareness among constituencies for policy action; (2) engaged leading national and international health professional societies in prevention-oriented policy efforts; and (3) demonstrated proof of concept of the Navigation Guide methodology through five case studies. Conclusions: Reproductive health professionals and their patients can have significant impact on public policy related to children’s health. Improved methods of evidence integration are fully achievable and, if institutionalized, would provide a concrete mechanism for linking science to timely action to prevent harm.
Learning Areas:
Environmental health sciences
Public health or related public policy
Learning Objectives:
Discuss the relationship between prenatal health and children's health
Analyze the role of reproductive health professionals in protecting children's health
Demonstrate novel methods for evidence integration to speed the translation of the science linking exposure to toxic environmental chemicals into improved public policy
Keyword(s): Reproductive Health, Public Health Policy
Presenting author's disclosure statement:Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have over 25 years of public health research and practice related to environmental health and research translation. I have published many articles and made many presentations on the topics covered by this presentation and I am the Director of the UCSF PEEC Center's Community Outreach and Translation Core.
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.
