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

Abstract #74150

Kate McPhaul, RN, MPH¹, Cassandra Okechukwu, MSN, MPH¹, and Jane Lipscomb, RN, PhD². (1) School of Nursing, University of Maryland, 655 Lombard Street, Room 665, Baltimore, MD 21201, 4107064907, mcphaul@son.umaryland.edu, (2) Department of Behavioral and Community Nursing, University of Maryland, Baltimore School of Nursing, 655 W. Lombard St, Baltimore, MD 21201

The data don’t always speak for themselves; therefore occupational health clinicians and researchers need to embrace activism to give voice to working conditions, research findings, and, often, the absence of and need for improved data collection systems. Occupational health is the public health discipline devoted to promoting health and preventing injury and disease among working people. Yet, the public health infrastructure is so inadequate that many view OH surveillance systems as the “tip of the iceberg” of actual injury, illness and, even mortality from occupational causes. Occupational sentinel health event systems are in place for select conditions, but “exposure surveillance” is minimal. Examples of clinical and scholarly activism from 1988 to present will be used to illustrate the interrelationship of advocacy and research in occupational health.

Learning Objectives:

• Discuss mechanisms for use of occupaitonal health research findings to influence public policy.
• Describe inadequacies in public health infrastructure with respect to occupational illness and injury surveillance.
• List two examples of scholar activism in occupational health.

Keywords: Advocacy, Occupational Health

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.