Engaging the Community in Coalition Efforts to Address Childhood Asthma Jane W. Peterson, PhD, RN Laurie L. Lachance, PhD, MPH Frances D. Butterfoss, PhD, MEd Christy R. Houle, MPH Elisa A. Nicholas, MD, MSPH Lisa A. Gilmore, MBA, MSW Marielena Lara, MD, MPH Amy R. Friedman, MPH C hronic diseases such as asthma are multifactorial, with individual expression based on a complex interaction of biological factors, the environment, and self-management behaviors. Although much progress has been made in identifying critical levels of preventive, therapeutic, and pharmacological care for childhood asthma, morbidity has been increasing in recent years, especially for urban minority children (Clark et al., 1999; Evans, 1992; Malveaux & Fletcher-Vincent, 1995; Mannino et al., 2002; Weiss & Wagener, 1990). With support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foun- dation (RWJF), seven Allies Against Asthma (Allies) community-based coalitions developed comprehensive community action plans (CAPs) to improve the commu- nity’s ability to support effective asthma management. For health improvement efforts to effectively address community needs, community members must be engaged in planning and implementing public health initiatives. For Allies Against Asthma’s coalitions, the community included not only the subpopulation of individuals who suffer disproportionately from asthma but also the individuals and institutions that surround them. Through a quantitative self-assessment survey, infor- mal discussion among coalition leadership, and inter- views with key informants, data relevant to community engagement identified a number of important ways the Allies coalitions approached community involvement. Respondents’ comments made clear that the way the coalitions conduct their work is often as important as what they do. Across coalitions, factors that were identified as important for community involvement included (a) establishing a commitment to community involvement, (b) building trust, (c) making participa- tion feasible and comfortable, (d) responding to com- munity identified needs, (e) providing leadership development opportunities, and (f) building a shared commitment to desired outcomes. Keywords: community engagement; community; coali- tion; asthma Health Promotion Practice Supplement to April 2006 Vol. 7, No. 2, 56S-65S DOI: 10.1177/1524839906287067 ©2006 Society for Public Health Education Editors’ Note: This article is part of a special supplement of Health Promotion Practice that describes the development and implementation of the Allies Against Asthma (Allies) initiative. Funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation with direction and technical assistance provided by the University of Michigan School of Public Health, Allies provides support to seven community-based coalitions nationwide to develop, implement, and sustain comprehensive asthma management programs. Through Allies, each coalition received grants totaling approximately US $1.5 million to support the coalition, its targeted activities, and evaluation for 1 year of planning and 3 to 4 years of implementa- tion. The supplement describes the first phase of the initiative, during which coalitions designed and implemented a range of activities including improved access to and quality of medical services, education, family and community support, and environ- mental and policy initiatives. More information about the initia- tive and tools and materials developed by the coalitions can be found at www.AlliesAgainstAsthma.net. 56S by guest on April 14, 2016 hpp.sagepub.com Downloaded from