Programs  

  Nutrition/Physical Activity
  Community Food Security
  Tobacco Control
  Breast/Cervical Cancer
  Other Prevention
  Past Programs

Other Prevention Programs > Addressing Disparities in Asthma

The Health Education Council has been awarded a mini grant to collaborate with five African American churches in Sacramento County to implement an asthma education program reaching the African American community. Funding will be used to conduct culturally and linguistically appropriate educational sessions for five African American churches committed to expanding their health ministries to address this issue. Educational sessions will provide information about health disparities, environmental triggers, statistical data, and the impact asthma has on the African American community. The identified health ministry leaders will receive training on the prevention, education, and awareness of the disease. The five trained faith based leaders will then educate and provide awareness to their congregation. The selected Churches will receive ongoing training and support from the Health Education Council asthma coordinator. Many of the strategies already being employed by the church can be transferred to a successful asthma prevention, education and awareness campaign.

Asthma Disparities:

• Over 10% of African American (AA) adults and over 15% of African American children have visited the emergency room due to asthma in the past year.
• AA with asthma have almost three times the mortality rate of non-Hispanic Whites in California
• AA children with asthma under the age of fourteen have a mortality rate eight (8x) higher than Hispanics, more than seven (7x) higher than non-Hispanic Whites, and more than five (5x) higher than Asians.
• The hospitalization rate for asthma in California is more than three (3x) higher for AA children than for non-Hispanic White children.
• In Sacramento County, AA children have an asthma prevalence rate of 17.5 compared to 13.8 percent statewide.
• There is a higher prevalence rate of asthma for AA living below the poverty level, those who are uninsured, and those residing in neighborhoods without a hospital in the area.
• AA in Sacramento County accounted for 21 asthma related deaths out of a statewide total of 477.