Coalition-based approaches for addressing environmental issues in childhood asthma
Elisa A Nicholas1, Maura Dwyer, Amy Murphy
1Long Beach Alliance for Children with Asthma (LBACA), The Children's Clinic, Serving Children and Their Families in Long Beach, CA, USA.
Health Promotion Practice
|April 26, 2006
Summary
Childhood asthma is worsened by indoor and outdoor air pollution. Community coalitions worked to reduce exposure through education, remediation, and policy changes, highlighting the importance of partnerships for success.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Health
- Pediatric Respiratory Medicine
- Public Health Policy
Background:
- Childhood asthma is frequently exacerbated by indoor and outdoor environmental triggers.
- Exposure to air pollution in both home and school environments poses significant risks.
- Existing interventions often face challenges related to housing affordability and policy reform.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe the strategies employed by Allies Against Asthma coalitions to mitigate childhood asthma triggers.
- To identify key factors contributing to the success of asthma environmental intervention programs.
- To explore the challenges encountered during the implementation of these initiatives.
Main Methods:
- Coalition-based interventions focused on indoor trigger education and remediation.
- Healthcare provider education on environmental asthma triggers.
- Policy advocacy for improved indoor and outdoor air quality in homes and schools.
- Public awareness campaigns regarding environmental asthma triggers.
Main Results:
- Interventions included education, trigger remediation, and policy efforts targeting indoor and outdoor asthma triggers.
- Successful implementation was contingent upon addressing housing barriers and resource allocation for policy change.
- Coordination, partnerships, consistent messaging, and a unified voice were crucial for policy success.
Conclusions:
- Collaborative, multi-faceted approaches are effective in reducing childhood asthma triggers.
- Addressing systemic issues like housing and policy is essential for comprehensive asthma management.
- Strong partnerships and advocacy are vital for improving children's environmental health and asthma outcomes.
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