The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA

Abstract #50551

Donald Fast, MPH¹, Hanan Obeidi, MPH, CHES², Kathy Ouchi, PHN³, Roya Momensafaii, BS¹, Donald Cillay, MPH⁴, and Ronald R. Arias, MPA⁵. (1) Bureau of Environmental Health - Lead Program, City of Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services, 2525 Grand Avenue, Suite 220, Long Beach, CA 90815-1765, 562-570-8875, dofast@ci.long-beach.ca.us, (2) Preventive Health Bureau, City of Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services, 2525 Grand Avenue, Long Beach, CA 90815, (3) Nursing Services Division, City of Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services, CLPPP, 2525 Grand Avenue, Long Beach, CA 90815-1765, (4) Environmental Health, City of Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services, 2525 Grand Avenue, Long Beach, CA 90815, (5) City of Long Beach, Department of Health & Human Services, 2525 Grand Avenue, Long Beach, CA 90815

This presentation will discuss the effects and impacts of over $10 million in State and Federal grant funds awarded to a local health jurisdiction to provide primary and secondary childhood lead poisoning prevention programs – from 1993 through the present. These programs, in their 10th year of implementation, were facilitated by increased public awareness of childhood lead poisoning, public support, partnering, and input with individuals, local health care providers, neighborhood associations, private industry, and community members. The health department created a Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program (CLPPP) receiving over $2½ million from State grant funds to provide child lead screening, Elevated Blood Levels (EBLs) case-management, education, and community outreach. The HUD Lead Grant Program funding provided $8 million for lead hazard control of high-risk affordable housing units in targeted areas, blood testing of children, education, and outreach. An evaluation of the occurrence and incidence of childhood lead poisoning, average blood lead levels (BLLs), average age, case-associations with possible hazards (housing-based, diet, toys), and financial impact – that could be associated as outcomes of these programs – will be presented. Preliminary evaluation of data indicates significant positive trends in earlier identification of lead poisoned and lead burdened children, and lowering of incidence in target areas. Cost-benefit comparisons will also be presented. Data obtained from this evaluation will produce baseline information for directing future HUD Lead Grant and CLPPP activities.

Learning Objectives:

• Describe the various primary and secondary prevention components of a comprehensive, coordinated nursing and environmental health-based community childhood lead poisoning control program
• Assess the changes in child health morbidity over time, including trends in community screening, total identified cases and lead-burdened children, case-associations with possible lead hazards, blood lead levels, and age at identification
• Understand the beneficial health, learning, and economic impacts of early lead screening, case-management, identification and control / abatement of lead hazard in the living environment of low-income children

Keywords: Lead, Prevention

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.