“Turning Data into Action (TDA): Fighting Air Pollution in Two Immigrant Communities” is a community-academic collaboration to reduce disparities in asthma, cardiovascular disease and infant mortality. TDA will foster community action to change policies and practices that reduce exposures to goods movement-related air pollution in Boyle Heights and Long Beach, Calif. The Los Angeles basin has some of the worst air quality in the nation, and these predominantly Latino communities are further impacted by ship, train and truck traffic-generated air pollution as commercial products move through their neighborhoods.

The project goals are to expand partnerships with local groups and agencies that are concerned with air pollution from the ports, freeways and warehouse traffic; increase awareness among community members and policymakers of the effects of goods movement-related air pollution on asthma, heart disease and infant mortality; increase community capacity to participate in land use and goods-movement policy decisions; and advance policies and practices that reduce air pollution exposures in the two communities.

The UCLA Center for Health Policy Research serves as the Central Coordinating Organization in an ongoing collaboration with The Children’s Clinic (TCC) in Long Beach, the East LA Community Corp. (ELACC) in Boyle Heights, and the UCLA Center for Occupational and Environmental Health. The Los Angeles and Long Beach health departments and the local air quality regulatory agency have committed to play active roles in the process. These partnerships will catalyze community action and strengthen ties between communities that have identified air pollution from the goods movement as a priority issue.

Turning Data into Action, TDA, is a project supported through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health for Communities Organized to Respond and Evaluate (REACH CORE). Program updates will be posted here. If you are interested in participating or getting more information contact Peggy Toy, Health DATA director, at peggytoy@ucla.edu.

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