Abstract
Problem Significance
In South Stockton, the influences of asthma stem from environmental factors such as poor air pollution causing adverse health inequities for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) children. This is the result of poor public policy decisions and historical injustices. Not having the proper knowledge to manage asthma with the proper tools can enhance negative attributes on children's quality of life into adulthood.
Analysis and Objectives
This project aims to decrease the incidence of asthma among children with uncontrolled asthma living in South Stockton, California. Literature review and informant interviews help to elucidate the severity of asthma for BIPOC children. It then supports the understanding of the contributory factors, such as existing knowledge of asthma management and knowledge of pollution burdens affecting the South Stockton community. These factors of asthma are in the Socio-Ecological Model.
Intervention (Solution) Proposal
Community health workers are crucial to supporting the implementation of the multi-level asthma intervention strategies. The strategies primarily target the parents/guardians (participants) of the children through health education, environmental change, and building community capacity to help mitigate the health behaviors to lower asthma symptoms in children. An external evaluator evaluates the intervention to understand how to improve or adapt the intervention.
Recommendations and Conclusions
There needs to be a lens of culturally relevant and competent community health workers to create a holistic intervention strategy. And ultimately, the South Stockton community needs to be made aware of the impacts of asthma to engage better and advocate to improve the quality of life for the next generation of children.