 | The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA |
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| The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA |
Vicki Ann Alexander, MD, MPH, Director, Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health, City of Berkeley, Public Health Department, 2344 Sixth Street, Berkeley, CA 94710, (510) 981-5301, valexander@ci.berkeley.ca.us
In 1999 the Berkeley Health Status Report compared low birth weight percentages in Berkeley with other cities of comparable size. For the years 1993-1995 Berkeley had the largest racial disparity gap of any city in the U.S. of 100,000 or more residents. The rate of low birth weight births among White Berkeley residents was 42 per every 1,000 live births while among African Americans the rate was 166. The ratio of African American to White low birth weight was 4:1. To address this disparity, aggressive communication, fundraising and program development resulted in the Berkeley Black Infant Health Program, Centering Pregnancy prenatal care program, Expanded WIC Breastfeeding Program, and a substance abuse training program for City staff and Berkeley providers. An overall decrease in low birth weight rates for 1999-2001 and decreases in the number of low birth weight babies in all racial groups, may be directly attributable to the effectiveness of these programs. A unique community empowerment model to build Community Action Teams in South and West Berkeley was developed engaging residents, particularly those most vulnerable for poor health outcomes, to develop strategies to eliminate disparities. Utilizing the assets of the residents, members share knowledge and skills to develop long-term leadership for change.
Learning Objectives:
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.