This document summarizes the development and implementation of a public health action plan in Detroit, Michigan to address air quality, health, and well-being. It describes a community-based participatory research partnership between community groups and academic researchers that quantified the health impacts of air pollution, engaged stakeholders to identify priority areas, and developed evidence-based recommendations. These included strategies like emissions controls, diesel retrofits, anti-idling campaigns, and indoor air filters. Implementation accomplishments included disseminating protocols for air filter use, promoting health impact assessments and buffers, strengthening community air monitoring capacity, and translating science into actions to reduce air pollution and mitigate health effects in Detroit.

1. Development and Implementation of a Public Health
Action Plan to Inform Policies to Promote Air Quality,
Health and Well-Being in an Urban Community*
Barbara A. Israel, DrPH
Professor, Health Behavior &
Health Education
School of Public Health,
University of Michigan
World Conference on Health
Promotion, IUHPE
Rotorua, Aotearoa, New Zealand
April 8, 2019
*With acknowledgement to my colleagues in CAPHE and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) Grant #
RO1ES022616 and the Fred A and Barbara M. Erb Family Foundation with additional support from NIEHS Grant # P30ES017885, and
Eliza Wilson-Powers for her assistance.

2. Amy J. Schulz, PhD, Professor1
Stuart Batterman, PhD, Professsor1
Kristina Rice, MSW, MUP, Project Manager1
Angela G. Reyes, MPH, Executive Director
2
Guy Williams, President and CEO
3
Co-Authors:
1. University of Michigan School of Public Health
2. Detroit Hispanic Development Corporation
3. Detroiters Working for Environmental Justice

3. Definition of Community-Based
Participatory Research (CBPR)
•Community‐based participatory research is a partnership approach to research that:
• equitably involves all partners in all aspects of the research process;
• enables all partners to contribute their expertise, with shared responsibility and
ownership;
• enhances understanding of a given phenomenon; and
• integrates the knowledge gained with interventions.

4. Community Approaches to Promoting
Healthy Environments (CAPHE)
• Builds on three longstanding community-based participatory
research (CBPR) partnerships
• Equitable engagement of community and academic
partners in all phases of research and action
• Increase knowledge about exposure to air pollution &
health effects
• Translate findings into a public health action plan
• Implement innovative policy & practice solutions to reduce
pollutant exposure & mitigate adverse health effects
• Evaluates process & impact

5. CAPHE Partners
Contact: Kristina Rice, Project Manager, klrice@umich.edu

6. Air Quality in Detroit
Michigan
Playground next to
Industrial Source in
Delray, Detroit, MI

7. CAPHE’s Overarching Goals
• To develop a multilevel, integrated
and scientifically-informed public health
action plan designed to reduce adverse effects
of air pollution on health
• To promote implementation
of components of the plan

8. Partner Roles & Leadership
Community
• Identify priority action areas
• Identify key opinion & policy leaders
• Develop community & youth leadership
• Organize & coordinate with other
environmental efforts
Academic
• Conduct background research
• Map vulnerable communities
• Quantify current health impacts
• Estimate health impacts of
selected mitigation strategies
Joint Responsibility
• Identify public health problem: air pollution and health
• Identify key priority areas for new research
• Inform strategies for compiling & synthesizing information for PHAP process
• Define components of the public health action plan
• Implement public health action plan components
• Identify funding for continued action on the plan

9. Exposure and
Health Risk

10. Quantified Health Impacts
• Each year in the Detroit Metropolitan Area, air pollution is
responsible for:
• 690 deaths
• 1800 hospitalizations and emergency room visits
• Thousands of missed school and work days
• Total monetized cost of $6.9 billion per year
These effects occur disproportionately in Detroit and surrounding
areas with high concentrations of poverty,
African American and Latino residents

11. CAPHE Resource Manual
Scientific evidence base
used throughout the CAPHE Public Health Action Planning
process to discuss and identify key air pollution mitigation
strategies with community organizations, community members,
and City, State and Federal representatives.

12. Phase 1: Engaging
the Team and
Developing
Recommendations

13. Phase 2: Engaging
Broader
Stakeholders &
Refining the
Recommendations

14. CAPHE Public Health Action Plan:
Evidence Based Recommendations
• Point source controls
• Enhanced compliance &
enforcement
• Diesel engine retrofits
• Anti-idling campaign
• Transportation control measures
• Buffers & barriers
• Indoor air filters
• Monitoring
• Renewable Energy
Available: http://caphedetroit.sph.umich.edu/

15. Implementation – Prioritized
Strategies
Filters in Schools
Vegetative Buffers
Renewable Energy
Health Impact
Assessments
Monitoring

16. Working with Policy
Makers – Press
Conference &
Policy Advocacy

17. Working with Policy
Makers – Legislative
Luncheon

18. Clean Air Matters
Bus Tour

19. Policy Advocacy
Trainings

20. Mini Grants to
Support Action by
Local Groups to
Improve Air Quality

21. Implementation of the Public Health
Action Plan: Key Accomplishments
•Developed and disseminated protocols
for use of indoor air filters
• Promoted/conducted health impact assessments (HIAs)
• Promoted use of spatial and vegetative buffers

22. Implementation of the Public Health
Action Plan: Key Accomplishments
• Strengthened community capacity to monitor air quality
• Promoted clean, renewable energy
•Translated science to action to reduce air
pollution in Detroit

23. Questions, Discussion, Concluding Remarks
www.caphedetroit.sph.umich.edu