The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA

Abstract #66718

Aziza Wright, MA¹, Neysa Dillon-Brown, MPH², Marsha Broussard, MPH³, and Loretta Jones, MA¹. (1) Healthy African American Families, 3856 Martin Luther King Blvd Suite 201, Los Angeles, CA 90008, 323-292-2002, ronandz@hotmail.com, (2) CDC Fellow, 1001 Gardenview Dr. NE, Atlanta, GA 30319, (3) Health Systems Research & Public Health, 160 Canal St., New Orleans, LA 70112

In collaboration with CDC and the Kellogg Foundation, the Healthy African-American Families (HAAF) project in Los Angeles has been a leader in developing community-driven, community-level interventions to improve health during pregnancy. This presentation will present an overview of the products and activities promoting awareness about pregnancy health and preterm delivery that HAAF developed using a community participatory approach. These products are part of a 6-component, multilevel risk communications strategy involving community partnership; mass media; community education; provider education; community advocacy; and evaluation. Each component has its own training and collaborative process that is used to create and deliver specific and credible health promotion messages to different aspects of the local community. The first prevention intervention product is a doorknob brochure and pamphlet (“Taking Care of Yourself and Your Baby: Preventing Preterm Delivery”) which is targeted to African-American women and their support networks. HAAF also has compiled a community education manual on reducing preterm labor. A “100 Acts of Kindness Towards Pregnant Women” flyer and poster for use within the community was been created. Other activities within the risk communication strategy include continuing education training for health care providers, community educational conferences, radio show announcements and other community health promotion activities. The preterm labor pamphlet and the 100 Acts of Kindness will be distributed at both the local and national levels.

Learning Objectives:

At the conclusion of this presentation, the participant (learner) will be able to:
• Describe at least 2 health promotion products for improving health during pregnancy for African American women
• Identify how each component of a multilevel risk communications strategy influences and supports the other components.

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.