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Gray KM, Blanchard MR, LePrevost CE. Educator beliefs and organizational constraints: Factors that influence informal education about fish consumption advisories in a southeastern US state. SUSTAINABLE ENVIRONMENT 2023; 9:2259716. [PMID: 38031579 PMCID: PMC10686613 DOI: 10.1080/27658511.2023.2259716] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2023]
Abstract
All US states, and many countries around the world, have waterways with environmental health advisories intended to protect individuals from harmful chemicals in fish, yet little is known about how informal science educators, even those who engage anglers along waterways, incorporate advisory information into their educational activities. This study, grounded in environmental health literacy, investigated the practices, knowledge, and beliefs of 24 informal educators housed in varied agencies and organizations in a southeastern US state. Participants described a range of educational activities and identified organizational constraints on their education about fish consumption advisories, which varied by organization type. Their knowledge of relevant environmental health concepts was incomplete, and they described health and teaching beliefs consistent with limited focus on advisory education. Local government and nonprofit educators were well positioned to educate anglers about advisories, due to their freedom to design and deliver instruction and their regular contact with anglers. Educators in wildlife agencies had more contact with anglers and were identified as potential conduits given their interactions, but organizational constraints (such as educators' ability to choose content/pedagogy and conflicting missions of agencies) would need to be addressed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathleen M. Gray
- Institute for the Environment, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
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Coffin-Schmitt JL, Clements N, Marshall G, Liu L, Trombitas A, Wang Z, Yuan S, Safi AG, Hanson KL, Fiorella KJ. Wild and backyard food use during COVID-19 in upstate New York, United States. Front Nutr 2023; 10:1222610. [PMID: 37731401 PMCID: PMC10507697 DOI: 10.3389/fnut.2023.1222610] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2023] [Accepted: 08/10/2023] [Indexed: 09/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction COVID-19 acutely shocked both socio-economic and food systems in 2020. We investigated the impact of COVID-19 on production and consumption of gardened produce, backyard poultry, wild game and fish, and foraged mushrooms, berries, and other plants in New York State, aiming to understand crisis influenced food choice and motivations, including food security. Methods We conducted an online, cross-sectional survey in October-December 2020 with a convenience sample of participants (n = 505) with an interest in gardening, poultry rearing, foraging, hunting, and/or fishing from six counties in upstate New York. We recruited through the New York Department of Environmental Conservation, Cornell Cooperative Extension, and other relevant email and social media pages. Results Across the wild and backyard food production strategies, 4.0-14.3% of respondents reported engaging for the first time and 39.6-45.7% reported increased production (a little or a lot more), and 31.6-42.7% of respondents' production was the same as the previous year. Consumption of foods produced was widespread, including fruit and vegetables (97.6% of producers also consumed), backyard eggs (92.7%), and foraged foods (93.8%). For meats, a majority consumed backyard poultry meat (51.2%), wild-caught fish (69.7%), and wild game they hunted (80.1%). The frequency of consumption of fruit and vegetables (average of 13.5 times/month) and eggs (16.4 times/month) was very high, while average consumption of poultry meat, foraged foods, fish, and wild game ranged from 3.1 to 5.8 times/month. The number of respondents who reported "have more control over food availability" as motivation to produce all wild and backyard foods increased from 2019 to 2020 (p < 0.05 - p < 0.001). There was also a significant relationship between experiences of COVID-19 related hardship (i.e., food insecurity, income loss) with gardening and poultry-rearing (p ≤ 0.05), but not with other production methods or with consumption of wild and backyard foods. Discussion Our findings help to locate wild and backyard foods within COVID-19 impacted food environments, and describe food security as a particularly relevant motivation, among others, reported by respondents in 2020. Given this, New York State service providers can use these findings to tailor current future support for households exerting control over their own food environments with wild and backyard foods, allowing the state to be better prepared for future crises.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeanne L. Coffin-Schmitt
- Department of Natural Resources and Environment, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States
- Department of Public and Ecosystem Health, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States
| | - Nia Clements
- Department of Public and Ecosystem Health, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States
| | - Grace Marshall
- Department of Public and Ecosystem Health, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States
| | - Lu Liu
- Department of Public and Ecosystem Health, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States
| | - Aly Trombitas
- Department of Public and Ecosystem Health, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States
| | - Zi Wang
- Department of Public and Ecosystem Health, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States
| | - Shuai Yuan
- Department of Public and Ecosystem Health, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States
| | - Amelia Greiner Safi
- Department of Public and Ecosystem Health, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States
| | - Karla L. Hanson
- Department of Public and Ecosystem Health, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States
| | - Kathryn J. Fiorella
- Department of Public and Ecosystem Health, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States
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He X, Raymond M, LaHue N, Tomasallo C, Anderson H, Meiman J. Fish consumption and advisory awareness in the Great Lakes basin. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 827:153974. [PMID: 35218843 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.153974] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2021] [Revised: 02/08/2022] [Accepted: 02/14/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Fish is a dietary staple in the United States. Risk of exposure to persistent contaminants through fish consumption is a significant health concern. Great Lakes basin states, along with the US Environmental Protection Agency and the Great Lakes Consortium for Fish Consumption Advisories, have developed and continuously updated fish consumption advisories specifically for the Great Lakes basin residents. OBJECTIVES To characterize Great Lakes basin residents' fish consumption and advisory awareness, we conducted a point-in-time survey to describe fish consumption habits and awareness of state and EPA/FDA fish advisories. METHODS We used a randomized, address-based sampling approach to recruit respondents from the eight Great Lakes basin states. Weighted survey analysis procedures were used to estimate population prevalence of fish consumption habits, state and EPA/FDA advisory awareness, and demographic and background characteristics. Logistic regression models were used to assess the associations between demographic and background factors and fish consumption and awareness of advisories, respectively. RESULTS About 92% of respondents, representing an estimated 61 million adults, reported eating fish in the last 12 months. About 64% of respondents only consumed commercial fish, and an estimated 5 million fish consumers exceeded the EPA/FDA recommended limit for fish meals. Minorities were more likely to exceed the EPA/FDA recommended limit. About half of the respondents were aware of state or EPA/FDA advisories; however, minorities and women were less aware of the EPA/FDA advisory. After adjusting for demographic characteristics, sportfish consumption was significantly associated with state advisory awareness; commercial fish consumption was significantly associated with EPA/FDA awareness. DISCUSSION Most respondents only consumed commercial fish, but an estimated 18.6 million adults consumed sportfish. While half of the fish consumers were aware of state or EPA/FDA advisories, minorities and women continue to be less aware of fish advisories. Improved outreach strategies are needed to inform them about safe fish-consumption guidelines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaofei He
- Wisconsin Department of Health Services, Bureau of Environmental and Occupational Health, 1 West Wilson, Madison, WI 53703, United States of America
| | - Michelle Raymond
- Wisconsin Department of Health Services, Bureau of Environmental and Occupational Health, 1 West Wilson, Madison, WI 53703, United States of America
| | - Nathaniel LaHue
- Wisconsin Department of Health Services, Bureau of Environmental and Occupational Health, 1 West Wilson, Madison, WI 53703, United States of America
| | - Carrie Tomasallo
- Wisconsin Department of Health Services, Bureau of Environmental and Occupational Health, 1 West Wilson, Madison, WI 53703, United States of America
| | - Henry Anderson
- University of Wisconsin Madison, School of Medicine and Public Health, 750 Highland Ave, Madison, WI 53726, United States of America
| | - Jonathan Meiman
- Wisconsin Department of Health Services, Bureau of Environmental and Occupational Health, 1 West Wilson, Madison, WI 53703, United States of America.
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Gray KM, LePrevost CE, Cope WG. Anglers' Views on Using Signs to Communicate Fish Consumption Advisories. FISHERIES 2020; 45:307-316. [PMID: 34305274 PMCID: PMC8297682 DOI: 10.1002/fsh.10463] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2019] [Accepted: 05/15/2020] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The purpose of this case study was to examine signs as a means of communicating fish consumption advisory information to English- and Spanish-speaking anglers in North Carolina. This study involved a group of stakeholders, including representatives from local and state agencies, non-governmental organizations, and academia, as well as 38 anglers in focus group discussions to learn about their knowledge and beliefs in the context of fishing in polluted waterways, including what they knew about fish consumption advisories and their perceptions of prototype signs. Across groups, participants identified two confusing elements of signs: the allowable number of servings of fish under advisory and distinct consumption recommendations for different subgroups. They recommended streamlined messaging and the use of visuals, lay terms, and locally relevant languages as ways to improve prototype signs. Additionally, participants identified the state wildlife agency as a common source of information about fish safety, more so than signs. These results suggest opportunities for improved communication of advisories, especially to the most at-risk populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathleen M Gray
- Center for Public Engagement with Science, University of North Carolina Institute for the Environment, CB 1105, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-1105, USA
| | | | - W Gregory Cope
- North Carolina State University, Department of Applied Ecology, Raleigh, NC, USA
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Fair PA, White ND, Wolf B, Arnott SA, Kannan K, Karthikraj R, Vena JE. Persistent organic pollutants in fish from Charleston Harbor and tributaries, South Carolina, United States: A risk assessment. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2018; 167:598-613. [PMID: 30172193 PMCID: PMC6262760 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2018.08.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2018] [Revised: 07/25/2018] [Accepted: 08/02/2018] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
Fish consumption is an important route of exposure to persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in dolphins as well as humans. In order to assess the potential risks associated with these contaminants, 39 whole fish and 37 fillets from fish representing species consumed by dolphins and humans captured from Charleston Harbor and tributaries, South Carolina, USA, were measured for a suite of POPs. Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were the predominant contaminant with concentrations ranging from 5.02 to 232.20 ng/g in whole fish and 5.42-131.95 ng/g in fillets (weight weight ww) followed by total organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs). Total POPs levels varied by location and species with general trends indicating significantly higher levels in fish from the Cooper (93.4 ng/g ww) and Ashley Rivers (56.2 ng/g ww) compared to Charleston Harbor (31.6 ng/g ww). Mullet and spot were found to have significantly higher PCBs, OCPs and total POPs, 2-3 times higher than red drum; mullet were also significantly higher in OCPs compared to seatrout. PCB concentrations in whole fish and fillets exceeded EPA human screening values for cancer risk in all fish sampled. For PCBs in fillets, all samples had values of maximum allowable meals per month that were less than the EPA, FDA guidelines for recommended fish meals per month, suggesting lower (more stringent) allowable fish meals per month. All fish exceeded PBDE wildlife values and all fish except two exceeded the level where 95% of the dolphin population would have tissue levels below the health effect threshold. Considering that POP concentrations in fish potentially consumed by humans exceed human health effect thresholds levels, consumption advisories should be considered as a prudent public health measure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patricia A Fair
- Department of Public Health Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29412, USA; NOAA's Ocean Service, National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science, Charleston, SC 29412, USA.
| | - Natasha D White
- NOAA's Ocean Service, National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science, Charleston, SC 29412, USA
| | - Beth Wolf
- Department of Public Health Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29412, USA
| | - Stephen A Arnott
- Marine Resources Research Institute, South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, Charleston, SC 29412, USA
| | - Kurunthachalam Kannan
- Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Empire State Plaza, PO Box 509, Albany, NY 12201-0509, USA
| | - Rajendiran Karthikraj
- Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Empire State Plaza, PO Box 509, Albany, NY 12201-0509, USA
| | - John E Vena
- Department of Public Health Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29412, USA
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Lauber TB, Connelly NA, Niederdeppe J, Knuth BA. Effects of an Advisory Brochure on Fish Consumption of Urban Anglers in the Great Lakes Region. RISK ANALYSIS : AN OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE SOCIETY FOR RISK ANALYSIS 2018; 38:1405-1421. [PMID: 29266340 DOI: 10.1111/risa.12953] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2016] [Revised: 09/22/2017] [Accepted: 10/13/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Past research has suggested that urban anglers are a group at high risk of being exposed to contaminants from fish consumption. Fish consumption advisories have been used in many regions to encourage healthy fish-eating behaviors, but few studies have been designed to assess whether these advisories actually influence behavior as intended. We conducted a large-scale, randomized experiment to test the influence of an advisory brochure on urban anglers' fish consumption. We collected detailed information on anglers' fish consumption in three urban counties in the Great Lakes region in the summers of 2014 and 2015. We provided a treatment group with fish consumption guidelines in an advisory brochure before the summer of 2015 and compared their change in fish consumption to a control group. The brochure led to a reduction in fish consumption for anglers who ate the most fish; these anglers reduced their consumption of high-contaminant purchased fish (by ≥0.2 meals/summer for those in 72nd percentile of fish consumption or above), high-contaminant sport-caught fish (by ≥0.4 meals/summer for those in 87th percentile and above), and low-contaminant sport-caught fish (by ≥0.3 meals/summer by those in 76th percentile and above). The brochure also reduced sport-caught fish consumption among those anglers who exceeded the advisories in 2014 (by 2.0 meals/summer). In addition, the brochure led to small increases in sport-caught fish consumption (0.4-0.6 meals/summer) in urban anglers who ate very little sport-caught fish (≤1 meal/summer).
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Affiliation(s)
- T Bruce Lauber
- Department of Natural Resources, Fernow Hall, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Nancy A Connelly
- Department of Natural Resources, Fernow Hall, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Jeff Niederdeppe
- Department of Communication, Mann Library, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Barbara A Knuth
- Department of Natural Resources, Fernow Hall, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
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Eagles-Smith CA, Silbergeld EK, Basu N, Bustamante P, Diaz-Barriga F, Hopkins WA, Kidd KA, Nyland JF. Modulators of mercury risk to wildlife and humans in the context of rapid global change. AMBIO 2018; 47:170-197. [PMID: 29388128 PMCID: PMC5794686 DOI: 10.1007/s13280-017-1011-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 193] [Impact Index Per Article: 32.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
Environmental mercury (Hg) contamination is an urgent global health threat. The complexity of Hg in the environment can hinder accurate determination of ecological and human health risks, particularly within the context of the rapid global changes that are altering many ecological processes, socioeconomic patterns, and other factors like infectious disease incidence, which can affect Hg exposures and health outcomes. However, the success of global Hg-reduction efforts depends on accurate assessments of their effectiveness in reducing health risks. In this paper, we examine the role that key extrinsic and intrinsic drivers play on several aspects of Hg risk to humans and organisms in the environment. We do so within three key domains of ecological and human health risk. First, we examine how extrinsic global change drivers influence pathways of Hg bioaccumulation and biomagnification through food webs. Next, we describe how extrinsic socioeconomic drivers at a global scale, and intrinsic individual-level drivers, influence human Hg exposure. Finally, we address how the adverse health effects of Hg in humans and wildlife are modulated by a range of extrinsic and intrinsic drivers within the context of rapid global change. Incorporating components of these three domains into research and monitoring will facilitate a more holistic understanding of how ecological and societal drivers interact to influence Hg health risks.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ellen K. Silbergeld
- Johns Hopkin Bloomberg School of Public Health, 615 N. Wolfe Street, E6644, Baltimore, MD 21205 USA
| | - Niladri Basu
- McGill University, 204-CINE Building, Montreal, QC H9X 3V9 Canada
| | - Paco Bustamante
- University of La Rochelle, laboratory of Littoral Environment and Societies, Littoral Environnement et Sociétés (LIENSs), LIENSs UMR 7266 CNRS-Université de La Rochelle, 2 rue Olympe de Gouges, 17000 La Rochelle, France
| | - Fernando Diaz-Barriga
- Center for Applied Research in Environment and Health at, Universidad Autonoma de San Luis Potosi, Avenida Venustiano Carranza No. 2405, Col Lomas los Filtros Código Postal, 78214 San Luis Potosí, SLP Mexico
| | - William A. Hopkins
- Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation, 310 West Campus Drive Virginia Tech, Cheatham Hall, Room 106 (MC 0321), Blacksburg, VA 24061 USA
| | - Karen A. Kidd
- Department of Biology & School of Geography and Earth Sciences, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street W., Hamilton, ON L8S 4K1 Canada
| | - Jennifer F. Nyland
- Department of Biological Sciences, 1101 Camden Ave, Salisbury, MD 21801 USA
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Rideout K, Kosatsky T. Fish for Dinner? Balancing Risks, Benefits, and Values in Formulating Food Consumption Advice. RISK ANALYSIS : AN OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE SOCIETY FOR RISK ANALYSIS 2017; 37:2041-2052. [PMID: 28314053 DOI: 10.1111/risa.12769] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2015] [Revised: 11/16/2016] [Accepted: 12/22/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Many and complex factors underlie seemingly simple decisions about what to eat. This is particularly so for foods such as fish, which present consumers with both risks and benefits. Advice about what type of and how much fish to consume is abundant, but that advice is often confusing or contradictory, reflecting the differing mandates and orientations of those advising. We survey a range of issues that can and should be incorporated into dietary advice, and offer tools for health agencies tasked with providing it. We argue that risks and benefits should not be limited to direct physical health. Rather, socioeconomic and community factors, unintended or indirect effects, and nonhuman-health outcomes such as animal welfare and planetary health should also be considered and weighed. We provide examples of existing fish consumption guidance to highlight the conflicting messages that emerge when different sources of advice with singular aims of avoiding risk, gaining nutritional benefit, or sustaining fish populations are juxtaposed. We then offer tools borrowed from health and other fields to guide health agencies toward developing more comprehensive advice and targeting that advice for specific populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen Rideout
- British Columbia Centre for Disease Control, Environmental Health Services, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- National Collaborating Centre for Environmental Health, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Tom Kosatsky
- British Columbia Centre for Disease Control, Environmental Health Services, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- National Collaborating Centre for Environmental Health, Vancouver, BC, Canada
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Lagerkvist CJ, Okello J. Using the integrative model of behavioral prediction and censored quantile regression to explain consumers’ revealed preferences for food safety: Evidence from a field experiment in Kenya. Food Qual Prefer 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.foodqual.2015.11.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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A cross-sectional study about knowledge and attitudes toward multidrug-resistant and extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis in a high-burden drug-resistant country. Int J Mycobacteriol 2016; 5:128-34. [PMID: 27242222 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijmyco.2015.12.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2015] [Revised: 12/28/2015] [Accepted: 12/31/2015] [Indexed: 10/22/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE/BACKGROUND Tuberculosis (TB) is a leading cause of death worldwide, with new threats of multidrug-resistant (MDR) and extensively drug-resistant (XDR) TB. Pakistan is the fifth highest among high-burden TB countries and the fourth highest among high-burden drug-resistant-TB countries. Pakistan is the sixth most populous country in the world, and Pakistani youth is the highest population group in Pakistan and second in the world. This study was aimed at assessing the understanding, awareness, and mindset of university students toward TB, MDR TB, and XDR TB in Lahore. METHODS A cross-sectional questionnaire-based study was performed on 1137 individuals from three major public-sector universities in Lahore, Pakistan. Information regarding their knowledge and attitude toward MDR and XDR TB was gathered using a structured questionnaire. Data collected was analyzed using SPSS version 20. RESULTS Male (531) and female (606) students were asked about different aspects of MDR and XDR TB. Although 80.47% students had good knowledge about simple TB, a very small fraction had awareness and appropriate knowledge about MDR/XDR-TB. Considering TB as a stigma, only 9.3% students disclosed that they had household TB contact. Only 25% students knew about XDR TB. CONCLUSION Our results indicated that a small fraction of people knew the exact definition and treatment duration of MDR TB and XDR TB in our society. There is a need to increase the awareness and knowledge status of university students about MDR and XDR TB.
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Perkinson MT, Faith TD, Vahey GM, Vena JE, Williams EM. Quantifying the Seafood Consumption Patterns of Recreational Anglers in Charleston and Berkeley Counties, South Carolina. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH INSIGHTS 2016; 10:201-210. [PMID: 27891049 PMCID: PMC5113856 DOI: 10.4137/ehi.s40668] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2016] [Revised: 10/03/2016] [Accepted: 10/06/2016] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
This study was designed to provide self-reported data on the frequency of fish consumption and shellfish consumption in Charleston and Berkeley (CB) counties, South Carolina. While commercial fishing and recreational fishing have played an important role in the culture and history of the area, information on the specific patterns of consumption by recreational anglers has been previously unavailable. The pilot data presented here will help determine the feasibility of a large-scale survey of seafood consumption in coastal South Carolina. The study's sampling frame consisted of CB county anglers who had purchased a recreational saltwater fishing license for the 2005/2006 year with oversampling in North Charleston. Survey recipients were asked to provide information on fish consumption and shellfish consumption, general angling habits, perception of water and fishing quality, and demographics. Of the 2500 individuals who were sent questionnaires, about one-fourth responded. Respondents were generally white, middle, or upper class and highly educated. The majority fished by boat and most often ate flounder, spotted sea trout, and red drum. Most respondents ate shrimp several times a month and also supplemented their recreational catch with seafood purchased from grocery stores, markets, and restaurants. Almost all respondents had eaten some seafood in the last year, and more than one-fourth ate seafood twice a week or more. Most anglers responded positively about the area's fishing and water qualities, but many referred to areas where they would hesitate to eat their catch. Further research may need to incorporate direct distribution of surveys to underrepresented groups and financial incentives to encompass a more diverse population of anglers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew T. Perkinson
- Marine Resources Research Institute, South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Trevor D. Faith
- Department of Public Health Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Grace M. Vahey
- Department of Public Health Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - John E. Vena
- Department of Public Health Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Edith M. Williams
- Department of Public Health Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
- CORRESPONDENCE:
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