The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA

Abstract #46886

Amy D. Kyle, PhD MPH, Environmental Health Sciences Division, University of California Berkeley School of Public Health, 322 Cortland Ave, PMB-226, San Francisco, CA 94110-5536, 510 642 8847, adkyle@socrates.berkeley.edu, A. Christine Eppstein, LLB LLM, Environmental Council of the States, 444 N. Capitol Street, Suite 445, Washington, DC 20001, Kristin J. Ryan, MS, Department of Environmental Conservation, State of Alaska, 555 Cordova Street, Anchorage, AK 99501, Fun Shimabukuro, MS, Full time student, 12625 Layhill Road #101, Silver Spring, MD 20906, and Patricia I. Elliott, JD MPH, Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO), 1275 K St NW, Suite 800, Washington, DC 20005.

Environmental health problems are necessarily interdisciplinary. Increasing attention is being given to the need to integrate data, knowledge, and capabilities from health disciplines and agencies with those of environmental disciplines and agencies. In 2001, state health and environment agencies, in conjunction with the Environmental Council of the States and the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials, developed a set of goals to address asthma in children and began to develop an action agenda to work together to achieve these goals. The state health and environment agencies are continuing their work to develop more specific action plans during the current year. Topics include integration and development of data sources and systems; management of indoor and outdoor asthma triggers; development of coalitions of partners to address asthma; and development and implementation of programs to address school and child care environments. The results reflect an integration of the disciplines and capabilities of the fields of health and environment and may provide useful lessons for initiatives on other environmental health problems.

Learning Objectives:

• Participants will recognize the interdiscplinary nature of environmental health problems and the role that health and environment agencies can play in solving them.
• Participants will learn about opportunities that come with integrating the resources and data of health and environment agencies in designing strategies to reduce the impact of asthma on children, as well as the significant obstacles to such integration in practice.

Keywords: Asthma, Children's Health

Related Web page: www.sso.org/ecos/projects/Child%20Health/ASTHMA.html

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: Environmental Council of the States
I have a significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.
Relationship: I worked as a consultant to the Environmental Council of the States on this project.