Colorado Asian Health Education and Promotion

12561 Swansea Drive
Parker, CO 80134

The overall goal of the Health Education and Promotion for Asian Pacific Islander Americans in Colorado project is to help improve the quality of life for Asian Pacific Islander American (APIA) populations by improving their health. The project is designed to overcome ethnic and cultural barriers while empowering communities to undertake health education, training and testing for disease. Activities focus on the high risk Asian populations of Colorado, specifically Vietnamese, Indian, Filipino, Thai, Chinese and Lao-Hmong.

Project efforts focus on increasing awareness and educational knowledge of asthma and diabetes, and changing behavior in the target populations. This is accomplished through dissemination of health education, maintenance of a database of successful strategies in reducing the incidence and severity of asthma and diabetes, development of culturally-sensitive and age-appropriate curricula for educating APIA community health care providers, and establishment of relationships with state and local health departments, medical centers, and other agencies that view themselves as stakeholders in improving APIA health outcomes. Educational materials are developed and translated for each target community, as well as training protocol, based on results of risk assessments. Project staff participate in health and cultural fairs, health screenings, and other outreach activities; conduct educational seminars that promote healthy life styles; and provide assistance in accessing health care services. Trained community leaders and community health care providers also provide health care education in a culturally appropriate manner that emphasizes disease prevention and health promotion. Educational and training materials are made available through various formats, including hard copies, video presentations, and the project web site.