trip report

To:                          Gloria  Emmanuel   From:                Ms.  Assistant   Date:                  November  01,  2012   Subject:        Report  on  APHA  Expo  2012       From  October  27-­‐31st,  I  traveled  to  San  Francisco,  CA  to  attend  this  year’s  APHA  Expo.  The  trip  was   successful  and  I  learned  about  new  studies  and  invaluable  expert  advice  regarding  the  following  issues:   educating  and  encouraging  cigarette-­‐  smoking  mothers  to  breastfeed  their  babies,  strategies  to  make   discriminated  populations  aware  that  they  have  access  to  healthcare,  and  how  implementing   interventions  is  the  first  step  in  preventing  cancer  and  obesity  in  Latino  and  Asian  immigrant   communities.         1. Smoking  and  Breastfeeding:  Practices  of  Low-­‐Income  Mothers  

  Contact:  Caitlin  Cross-­‐Barnet,  PhD     Discussion:  In  a  study  done  on  non-­‐Hispanic  and  black  mothers,  it  was  found  that  having  low  income   is  proportional  to  the  likelihood  of  the  mother  being  a  cigarette  smoker.    Survey  shows  that  mothers   who  are  smokers  were  five  times  more  likely  to  rely  on  milk  formula  to  sustain  their  children,  with   the  belief  that  smoking  and  breastfeeding  are  incompatible  and  harmful  to  the  baby.  Nonetheless,  it   was  concluded  that  the  benefits  of  breastfeeding  outweigh  the  harmful  effects  of  tobacco  in  infants.   Although  eliminating  smoking  is  still  the  primary  concern,  efforts  must  be  employed  in  educating   mothers  the  benefits  of  breastfeeding.         Next  step:  At  Wellness  Village,  we  must  implement  a  program  that  focuses  on  helping  and   educating  low-­‐income  mothers.  Emphasis  should  be  given  on  how  they  could  maximize  their  income   in  order  to  raise  a  happy  and  healthy  baby.  As  always,  much  focus  should  be  on  quitting  smoking   cigarettes,  but  emphasis  must  be  put  on  the  benefits  of  breastfeeding.      

2. Linking  Vulnerable  Drug  Using  Populations  to  Quality  Care  and  Services     Contact:  Dionne  J.  Jones,  PhD     Discussion:  Populations  who  are  considered  vulnerable  are  those  who  are  discriminated  upon  based   on  race,  sexual  orientation,  and  language  spoken,  young  delinquents,  men  and  women  living  with   HIV  or  STD  and  those  who  experience  social  injustices.  Although  many  are  unaware  of  the  health   care  available,  most  choose  not  to  access  it  because  of  discrimination.  Intervention  was  also   emphasized  in  dealing  with  the  drug  habit  of  adolescent  delinquent.         Next  Step:  I  have  invited  Dr.  Dionne  J.  Jones  to  attend  our  November  meeting  to  discuss  strategies   for  engaging  vulnerable  populations  of  San  Fernando  Valley  to  Wellness  Village.  She  gladly  accepted   the  invitation.  Volunteers  and  employees  of  Wellness  Village  must  attend  this  meeting,  as  the   strategies  discussed  will  be  of  invaluable  use  for  our  organization  given  the  demographics  of  the   community  we  serve.      

3. Cancer  and  Obesity  Patterns  among  Latinos  and  Asians  –  A  Continuing  Education  session       Contact:  Sylvia  Guendelman,  PhD,  LCSW  

  Discussion:    Immigrant  Latinos  and  Asians  are  projected  to  constitute  the  US  population  by  one-­‐ third  in  2050.  The  session  focuses  on  research  done  to  relate  the  behavioral  and  immigration   patterns  of  Latinos  and  Asians  to  their  likelihood  of  developing  obesity  and  cancer.  Data  was   presented  relating  socioeconomic  status  and  length  of  living  in  the  United  States  to  developing   cancer  and  obesity.  Since  this  is  a  continuing  study,  more  research  was  needed,  and  the  session   recommended  the  development  of  intervention  programs  that  specifically  cater  to  Latino  and  Asian   communities.       Next  Step:  Wellness  Village  must  play  a  role  in  setting  up  intervention  programs  for  our  Latino  and   Asian  clients.  I  am  meeting  with  our  volunteers  this  week  in  order  to  brainstorm  possibilities  on  how   this  program  can  be  set  up,  such  as  whether  two  programs  should  be  created  –  one  for  the  Latino   population  and  the  other  for  the  Asian  population.