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Smarr MM, Avakian M, Lopez AR, Onyango B, Amolegbe S, Boyles A, Fenton SE, Harmon QE, Jirles B, Lasko D, Moody R, Schelp J, Sutherland V, Thomas L, Williams CJ, Dixon D. Broadening the Environmental Lens to Include Social and Structural Determinants of Women's Health Disparities. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES 2024; 132:15002. [PMID: 38227347 PMCID: PMC10790815 DOI: 10.1289/ehp12996] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2023] [Revised: 12/06/2023] [Accepted: 12/14/2023] [Indexed: 01/17/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Due to the physical, metabolic, and hormonal changes before, during, and after pregnancy, women-defined here as people assigned female at birth-are particularly susceptible to environmental insults. Racism, a driving force of social determinants of health, exacerbates this susceptibility by affecting exposure to both chemical and nonchemical stressors to create women's health disparities. OBJECTIVES To better understand and address social and structural determinants of women's health disparities, the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) hosted a workshop focused on the environmental impacts on women's health disparities and reproductive health in April 2022. This commentary summarizes foundational research and unique insights shared by workshop participants, who emphasized the need to broaden the definition of the environment to include upstream social and structural determinants of health. We also summarize current challenges and recommendations, as discussed by workshop participants, to address women's environmental and reproductive health disparities. DISCUSSION The challenges related to women's health equity, as identified by workshop attendees, included developing research approaches to better capture the social and structural environment in both human and animal studies, integrating environmental health principles into clinical care, and implementing more inclusive publishing and funding approaches. Workshop participants discussed recommendations in each of these areas that encourage interdisciplinary collaboration among researchers, clinicians, funders, publishers, and community members. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP12996.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa M. Smarr
- Division of Extramural Research and Training, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | | | | | | | - Sara Amolegbe
- Office of the Director, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Abee Boyles
- Division of Extramural Research and Training, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Suzanne E. Fenton
- Division of Translational Toxicology, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Quaker E. Harmon
- Division of Intramural Research, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Bill Jirles
- Office of the Director, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Denise Lasko
- Division of Translational Toxicology, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Rosemary Moody
- Division of Extramural Research, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - John Schelp
- Office of the Director, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Vicki Sutherland
- Division of Translational Toxicology, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Laura Thomas
- Division of Translational Research, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Carmen J. Williams
- Division of Intramural Research, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Darlene Dixon
- Division of Translational Toxicology, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Durham, North Carolina, USA
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Korfmacher KS, Brody JG. Moving Forward with Reporting Back Individual Environmental Health Research Results. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES 2023; 131:125002. [PMID: 38095662 PMCID: PMC10720702 DOI: 10.1289/ehp12463] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2022] [Revised: 09/06/2023] [Accepted: 11/21/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The practice of reporting back individual results to participants in environmental health research has evolved significantly over the past 20 years. Research findings support the potential of report-back to enhance the ethics, quality, and impact of environmental health research. Nonetheless, implementation of environmental health report-back practices is not yet routine. OBJECTIVES We propose a framework for institutionalizing appropriate report-back to participants of their individual results across the environmental health research enterprise. We provide a brief overview of the rationales for report-back, social science research on report-back experiences over the past two decades, and recent efforts to synthesize guidance in this field. We also describe barriers to be addressed in moving toward widespread implementation of report-back. DISCUSSION Report-back of individual results is increasingly recognized as an ethical responsibility and essential component of impactful environmental health research. Experience shows that when personal results are returned with appropriate contextual information, report-back can increase environmental health literacy, promote individual actions, and enhance engagement in policy change. Therefore, report-back can promote environmental justice and reduce disparities in access to science. Despite this evidence base, report-back is not widely implemented. We recommend the collaborative development of guidelines, training, and resources to build capacity for appropriate report-back to study participants across the environmental health research enterprise, and we identify research priorities to advance the field. Development of tools and shared infrastructure for report-back holds promise for reducing barriers while ensuring high-quality personalized reports. Disseminating successful case studies could also advance excellence. We recommend including diverse scientific disciplines, community partners, representatives of study populations, clinicians, institutional review boards (IRBs), legal experts, public health professionals, and government officials in further developing this critical aspect of environmental health research. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP12463.
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Samon SM, Barton M, Anderson K, Oluyomi A, Bondy M, Armstrong G, Rohlman D. Integrating participant feedback and concerns to improve community and individual level chemical exposure assessment reports. BMC Public Health 2023; 23:1732. [PMID: 37674147 PMCID: PMC10481616 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-023-16661-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2023] [Accepted: 08/30/2023] [Indexed: 09/08/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND As exposure assessment has shifted towards community-engaged research there has been an increasing trend towards reporting results to participants. Reports aim to increase environmental health literacy, but this can be challenging due to the many unknowns regarding chemical exposure and human health effects. This includes when reports encompass a wide-range of chemicals, limited reference or health standards exist for those chemicals, and/or incompatibility of data generated from exposure assessment tools with published reference values (e.g., comparing a wristband concentration to an oral reference dose). METHODS Houston Hurricane Harvey Health (Houston-3H) participants wore silicone wristbands that were analyzed for 1,530 organic compounds at two time-points surrounding Hurricane Harvey. Three focus groups were conducted in separate neighborhoods in the Houston metropolitan area to evaluate response to prototype community and individual level report-backs. Participants (n = 31) evaluated prototype drafts using Likert scales and discussion prompts. Focus groups were audio-recorded, and transcripts were analyzed using a qualitative data analysis program for common themes, and quantitative data (ranking, Likert scales) were statistically analyzed. RESULTS Four main themes emerged from analysis of the transcripts: (1) views on the report layout; (2) expression of concern over how chemicals might impact their individual or community health; (3) participants emotional response towards the researchers; and (4) participants ability to comprehend and evaluate environmental health information. Evaluation of the report and key concerns differed across the three focus groups. However, there was agreement amongst the focus groups about the desire to obtain personal exposure results despite the uncertainty of what the participant results meant. CONCLUSIONS The report-back of research results (RBRR) for community and individual level exposure assessment data should keep the following key principles in mind: materials should be accessible (language level, data visualization options, graph literacy), identify known information vs unknown (e.g., provide context for what exposure assessment data means, acknowledge lack of current health standards or guidelines), recognize and respect community knowledge and history, and set participant expectations for what they can expect from the report.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha M Samon
- Department of Environmental & Molecular Toxicology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA
| | - Michael Barton
- Pacific Northwest Center for Translational Environmental Health Research, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA
| | - Kim Anderson
- Department of Environmental & Molecular Toxicology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA
| | - Abiodun Oluyomi
- Section of Epidemiology and Population Sciences, Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Gulf Coast Center for Precision Environmental Health, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Melissa Bondy
- Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, Stanford School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Georgina Armstrong
- Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, Stanford School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Diana Rohlman
- College of Health, Weniger Hall 223, 103 SW Memorial Place, Corvallis, OR, 97331, USA.
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Boronow KE, Cohn B, Havas L, Plumb M, Brody JG. The Effect of Individual or Study-Wide Report-Back on Knowledge, Concern, and Exposure-Reducing Behaviors Related to Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES 2023; 131:97005. [PMID: 37682721 PMCID: PMC10489892 DOI: 10.1289/ehp12565] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2022] [Revised: 08/04/2023] [Accepted: 08/10/2023] [Indexed: 09/10/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND To make informed decisions about endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs), people need functional understanding of exposures and health and an ability to act on their knowledge. The return of biomonitoring results is an opportunity to educate people about EDCs and motivate exposure reduction. OBJECTIVES This study investigates environmental health knowledge about EDCs, concerns about health effects, and exposure-reducing behaviors before and after the return of individual-level exposure results or only study-wide results. METHODS Women in the Child Health and Development Studies who were biomonitored for 42 EDCs were randomly assigned to receive a report with personal chemical results or only study-wide findings. We interviewed participants before and after report-back about their knowledge and concerns about EDCs and how frequently they performed exposure-related behaviors. We investigated baseline differences by education and race and examined changes after report-back by race and report type. RESULTS Participants (n = 135 ) demonstrated general understanding of exposure pathways and health impacts of EDCs. For 9 out of 20 knowledge questions, more than 90% of participants (n ≥ 124 ) gave correct responses at baseline, including for questions about chemicals' persistence in the body and effects of early-life exposure. Most participants held two misconceptions-about chemical safety testing in the United States and what doctors can infer from EDC results-although errors decreased after report-back. Initially, concern was higher for legacy pollutants, but report-back increased concern for consumer product chemicals. After report-back, participants took some actions to reduce exposures, particularly to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, and total behavior was associated with knowledge and concern but not race, education, or report type. DISCUSSION This study demonstrated that participants had foundational knowledge about EDCs and that report-back further built their environmental health literacy. We conclude that future communications should target misconceptions about chemicals regulation in the United States, because information about regulations is crucial for people to evaluate risks posed by consumer product chemicals and decide whether to engage with public policy. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP12565.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Barbara Cohn
- Public Health Institute, Oakland, California, USA
| | - Laurie Havas
- Participant Advisory Council, Child Health and Development Studies, Public Health Institute, Oakland, California, USA
| | - Marj Plumb
- Plumbline Coaching and Consulting, Omaha, Nebraska, USA
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Harper T, Kuohung W, Sayres L, Willis MD, Wise LA. Optimizing preconception care and interventions for improved population health. Fertil Steril 2023; 120:438-448. [PMID: 36516911 DOI: 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2022.12.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2022] [Revised: 11/18/2022] [Accepted: 12/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
There is growing literature indicating that optimal preconception health is associated with improved reproductive, perinatal, and pediatric outcomes. Given that preconception care is recommended for all individuals planning a pregnancy, medical providers and public health practitioners have a unique opportunity to optimize care and improve health outcomes for reproductive-aged individuals. Knowledge of the determinants of preconception health is important for all types of health professionals, including policy makers. Although some evidence-based recommendations have already been implemented, additional research is needed to identify factors associated with favorable health outcomes and to ensure that effective interventions are made in a timely fashion. Given the largely clinical readership of this journal, this piece is primarily focused on clinical care. However, we acknowledge that optimizing preconception health for the entire population at risk of pregnancy requires broadening our strategies to include population-health interventions that consider the larger social systems, structures, and policies that shape individual health outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teresa Harper
- Division of Maternal and Fetal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado.
| | - Wendy Kuohung
- Division of Reproductive Endocrinology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Lauren Sayres
- Division of Maternal and Fetal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado
| | - Mary D Willis
- Department of Epidemiology, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Lauren A Wise
- Department of Epidemiology, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts
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Ohayon JL, Rasanayagam S, Rudel RA, Patton S, Buren H, Stefani T, Trowbridge J, Clarity C, Brody JG, Morello-Frosch R. Translating community-based participatory research into broadscale sociopolitical change: insights from a coalition of women firefighters, scientists, and environmental health advocates. Environ Health 2023; 22:60. [PMID: 37649086 PMCID: PMC10466827 DOI: 10.1186/s12940-023-01005-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2023] [Accepted: 07/17/2023] [Indexed: 09/01/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND We report on community-based participatory research (CBPR) initiated by women firefighters in order to share successful elements that can be instructive for other community-engaged research. This CBPR initiative, known as the Women Worker Biomonitoring Collaborative (WWBC) is the first we are aware of to investigate links between occupational exposures and health outcomes, including breast cancer, for a cohort of exclusively women firefighters. METHODS In order to be reflective of the experiences and knowledge of those most intimately involved, this article is co-authored by leaders of the research initiative. We collected leaders' input via recorded meeting sessions, emails, and a shared online document. We also conducted interviews (N = 10) with key research participants and community leaders to include additional perspectives. RESULTS Factors contributing to the initiative's success in enacting broadscale social change and advancing scientific knowledge include (1) forming a diverse coalition of impacted community leaders, labor unions, scientists, and advocacy organizations, (2) focusing on impacts at multiple scales of action and nurturing different, yet mutually supportive, goals among partners, (3) adopting innovative communication strategies for study participants, research partners, and the broader community, (4) cultivating a prevention-based ethos in the scientific research, including taking early action to reduce community exposures based on existing evidence of harm, and (5) emphasizing co-learning through all the study stages. Furthermore, we discuss external factors that contribute to success, including funding programs that elevate scientist-community-advocacy partnerships and allow flexibility to respond to emerging science-policy opportunities, as well as institutional structures responsive to worker concerns. CONCLUSIONS While WWBC shares characteristics with other successful CBPR partnerships, it also advances approaches that increase the ability for CBPR to translate into change at multiple levels. This includes incorporating partners with particular skills and resources beyond the traditional researcher-community partnerships that are the focus of much CBPR practice and scholarly attention, and designing studies so they support community action in the initial stages of research. Moreover, we emphasize external structural factors that can be critical for CBPR success. This demonstrates the importance of critically examining and advocating for institutional factors that better support this research.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sharima Rasanayagam
- California Breast Cancer Research Program, University of California, Office of the President, Oakland, CA, USA
| | - Ruthann A Rudel
- Silent Spring Institute, 320 Nevada Street, Suite 302, Newton, MA, 02460, USA
| | - Sharyle Patton
- Commonweal Biomonitoring Resource Center, Bolinas, CA, USA
| | | | - Tony Stefani
- San Francisco Firefighters Cancer Prevention Foundation, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Jessica Trowbridge
- School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Cassidy Clarity
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Julia Green Brody
- Silent Spring Institute, 320 Nevada Street, Suite 302, Newton, MA, 02460, USA
| | - Rachel Morello-Frosch
- School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA.
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA.
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Wolf SM, Green RC. Return of Results in Genomic Research Using Large-Scale or Whole Genome Sequencing: Toward a New Normal. Annu Rev Genomics Hum Genet 2023; 24:393-414. [PMID: 36913714 PMCID: PMC10497726 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-genom-101122-103209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/14/2023]
Abstract
Genome sequencing is increasingly used in research and integrated into clinical care. In the research domain, large-scale analyses, including whole genome sequencing with variant interpretation and curation, virtually guarantee identification of variants that are pathogenic or likely pathogenic and actionable. Multiple guidelines recommend that findings associated with actionable conditions be offered to research participants in order to demonstrate respect for autonomy, reciprocity, and participant interests in health and privacy. Some recommendations go further and support offering a wider range of findings, including those that are not immediately actionable. In addition, entities covered by the US Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) may be required to provide a participant's raw genomic data on request. Despite these widely endorsed guidelines and requirements, the implementation of return of genomic results and data by researchers remains uneven. This article analyzes the ethical and legal foundations for researcher duties to offer adult participants their interpreted results and raw data as the new normal in genomic research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susan M Wolf
- Law School and Medical School, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA;
| | - Robert C Green
- Genomes2People Research Program, Harvard Medical School, Mass General Brigham, Broad Institute, and Ariadne Labs, Boston, Massachusetts, USA;
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Yelton S, George A, Tomlinson MS, Bommarito PA, Fry RC, Gray KM. Communicating Results of Drinking Water Tests From Private Wells: Designing Report-Back Materials to Facilitate Understanding. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH 2023; 85:8-14. [PMID: 37621302 PMCID: PMC10448603] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/26/2023]
Abstract
This evaluation assessed the effectiveness of graphic-based (i.e., pictorial) report-back materials in communicating the presence of toxic metals in private well water and soil samples. It also explored associations between recommendations in the report-back materials and appropriate actions to protect health taken by a subset of participants in an environmental monitoring pilot study. Overall, 39 residents of Stokes County, North Carolina, participated in the Well Empowered pilot study, which included water and soil testing and analysis. All participants received materials explaining the extent to which toxic metals were present in their well water and soil. A subset of participants (n = 14) responded to a follow-up evaluation, which showed that many found at least one component of their test results "very easy to understand." The existence of a federal standard for comparison appeared to influence participant recall of results, which was more accurate for contaminants with a federal maximum contaminant level. Our evaluation results suggest that a simple pictorial format, in combination with more detailed supporting text, can be useful in highlighting results that require action.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Yelton
- Institute for the Environment, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
| | - Andrew George
- Institute for the Environment, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
| | - Martha Scott Tomlinson
- Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
| | - Paige A Bommarito
- Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
| | - Rebecca C Fry
- Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
| | - Kathleen M Gray
- Institute for the Environment, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
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Cardona Cordero NR, Lafarga Previdi I, Torres HR, Ayala I, Boronow KE, Santos Rivera A, Meeker JD, Alshawabkeh A, Cordero JF, Brody JG, Brown P, Vélez Vega CM. Mi PROTECT: A personalized smartphone platform to report back results to participants of a maternal-child and environmental health research cohort program in Puerto Rico. PLOS DIGITAL HEALTH 2023; 2:e0000172. [PMID: 36812649 PMCID: PMC9931308 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pdig.0000172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2022] [Accepted: 11/29/2022] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The PROTECT Center is a multi-project initiative that studies the relationship between exposure to environmental contaminants and preterm births during the prenatal and postnatal period among women living in Puerto Rico. PROTECT's Community Engagement Core and Research Translation Coordinator (CEC/RTC) play a key role in building trust and capacity by approaching the cohort as an engaged community that provides feedback about processes, including how personalized results of their exposure to chemicals should be reported back. The goal of the Mi PROTECT platform was to create a mobile-based application of DERBI (Digital Exposure Report-Back Interface) for our cohort that provides tailored, culturally appropriate information about individual contaminant exposures as well as education on chemical substances and approaches to exposure reduction. METHODS Participants (N = 61) were presented with commonly used terms in environmental health research related to collected samples and biomarkers, followed by a guided training on accessing and exploring the Mi PROTECT platform. Participants evaluated the guided training and Mi PROTECT platform answering a Likert scale in separated surveys that included 13 and 8 questions, respectively. RESULTS Participants provided overwhelmingly positive feedback on the clarity and fluency of presenters in the report-back training. Most participants reported that the mobile phone platform was both accessible and easy to navigate (83% and 80%, respectively) and that images included in the platform facilitated comprehension of the information. Overall, most participants (83%) reported that language, images, and examples in Mi PROTECT strongly represented them as Puerto Ricans. CONCLUSIONS Findings from the Mi PROTECT pilot test informed investigators, community partners and stakeholders by demonstrating a new way to promote stakeholder participation and foster the "research right-to-know."
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Affiliation(s)
- Nancy R. Cardona Cordero
- Department of Social Sciences, School of Public Health, Medical Sciences Campus, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico
| | - Irene Lafarga Previdi
- Center for Collaborative Research in Health Disparities, Medical Sciences Campus, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico
| | - Héctor R. Torres
- College of Engineering, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Ishwara Ayala
- College of Engineering, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | | | - Amailie Santos Rivera
- College of Engineering, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - John D. Meeker
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America
| | - Akram Alshawabkeh
- College of Engineering, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - José F. Cordero
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at the University of Georgia’s College of Public Health, Athens, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Julia Green Brody
- Silent Spring Institute, Newton, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Phil Brown
- Social Science Environmental Health Research Institute, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Carmen M. Vélez Vega
- Department of Social Sciences, School of Public Health, Medical Sciences Campus, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico
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Dodson RE, Setzer RW, Spengler JD, Brody JG, Rudel RA, Cedeño Laurent JG. Influence of living in the same home on biomonitored levels of consumer product chemicals. JOURNAL OF EXPOSURE SCIENCE & ENVIRONMENTAL EPIDEMIOLOGY 2022; 32:885-891. [PMID: 34257390 PMCID: PMC9731902 DOI: 10.1038/s41370-021-00368-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2020] [Revised: 07/01/2021] [Accepted: 07/01/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Individuals living in the same home may share exposures from direct contact with sources or indirectly through contamination of the home environment. OBJECTIVE We investigated the influence of sharing a home on urine levels of ten phenolic chemicals present in some consumer products. METHODS We used data from Silent Spring Institute's Detox Me Action Kit (DMAK), a crowdsourced biomonitoring program in the US. Of the 726 DMAK participants, 185 lived in the same home with one or more other DMAK participants (n = 137 pairs, up to six participants in a home). The concentration distributions included values below the detection limit so we used statistical methods that account for left-censored data, including non-parametric correlation estimation and hierarchical Bayesian regression models. RESULTS Concentrations were significantly positively correlated between pair-members sharing a home for nine of the ten chemicals. Concentrations of 2,5-dichlorophenol were the most strongly correlated between pair-members (tau = 0.46), followed by benzophenone-3 (tau = 0.31) and bisphenol A (tau = 0.21). The relative contribution of personal product use reported product use of other household members (up to 5 others), and the residual contribution from a shared household, including exposures not asked about, varied by chemical. Paraben concentrations were largely influenced by personal behaviors whereas dichlorophenol and bisphenol concentrations were largely influenced by shared home exposures not related to reported behaviors. SIGNIFICANCE Measuring the influence of personal and household practices on biomonitoring exposures helps pinpoint major sources of exposure and highlights chemical-specific intervention strategies to reduce them.
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Oksas C, Brody JG, Brown P, Boronow KE, DeMicco E, Charlesworth A, Juarez M, Geiger S, Schantz SL, Woodruff TJ, Morello-Frosch R, Padula AM. Perspectives of peripartum people on opportunities for personal and collective action to reduce exposure to everyday chemicals: Focus groups to inform exposure report-back. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2022; 212:113173. [PMID: 35351450 PMCID: PMC9244766 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2022.113173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2021] [Revised: 02/15/2022] [Accepted: 03/22/2022] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
Participants in biomonitoring studies who receive personal exposure reports seek information to reduce exposures. Many chemical exposures are driven by systems-level policies rather than individual actions; therefore, change requires engagement in collective action. Participants' perceptions of collective action and use of report-back to support engagement remain unclear. We conducted virtual focus groups during summer 2020 in a diverse group of peripartum people from cohorts in the Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Program (N = 18). We assessed baseline exposure and collective action experience, and report-back preferences. Participants were motivated to protect the health of their families and communities despite significant time and cognitive burdens. They requested time-conscious tactics and accessible information to enable action to reduce individual and collective exposures. Participant input informed the design of digital report-back in the cohorts. This study highlights opportunities to shift responsibility from individuals to policymakers to reduce chemical exposures at the systems level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine Oksas
- University of California San Francisco School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA, USA.
| | | | - Phil Brown
- Department of Sociology and Anthropology and Department of Health Sciences, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA.
| | | | - Erin DeMicco
- Program for Reproductive Health and the Environment, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
| | - Annemarie Charlesworth
- Program for Reproductive Health and the Environment, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
| | - Maribel Juarez
- Program for Reproductive Health and the Environment, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
| | - Sarah Geiger
- Department of Kinesiology and Community Health, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL, USA.
| | - Susan L Schantz
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL, USA.
| | - Tracey J Woodruff
- Program for Reproductive Health and the Environment, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
| | - Rachel Morello-Frosch
- School of Public Health and Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA.
| | - Amy M Padula
- Program for Reproductive Health and the Environment, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
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Miller AL. Environmental contaminants and child development: Developmentally-informed opportunities and recommendations for integrating and informing child environmental health science. New Dir Child Adolesc Dev 2022; 2022:173-193. [PMID: 36040401 PMCID: PMC9804544 DOI: 10.1002/cad.20479] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Child environmental health (CEH) science has identified numerous effects of early life exposures to common, ubiquitous environmental toxicants. CEH scientists have documented the costs not only to individual children but also to population-level health effects of such exposures. Importantly, such risks are unequally distributed in the population, with historically marginalized communities and the children living in these communities receiving the most damaging exposures. Developmental science offers a lens and set of methodologies to identify nuanced biological and behavioral processes that drive child development across physical, cognitive, and socioemotional domains. Developmental scientists are also experts in considering the multiple, hierarchically-layered contexts that shape development alongside toxicant exposure. Such contexts and the individuals acting within them make up an overarching "child serving ecosystem" spanning systems and sectors that serve children directly and indirectly. Articulating how biobehavioral mechanisms and social-ecological contexts unfold from a developmental perspective are needed in order to inform CEH translation and intervention efforts across this child-serving ecosystem. Developmentalists can also benefit from integrating CEH science findings in their work by considering the role of the physical environment, and environmental toxicants specifically, on child health and development. Building on themes that were laid out by Trentacosta and Mulligan in 2020, this commentary presents recommendations for connecting developmental and CEH science and for translating such work so that it can be used to promote child development in an equitable manner across this child-serving ecosystem. These opportunities include (1) Using Developmentally-Informed Conceptual Models; (2) Applying Creative, Sophisticated, and Rigorous Methods; (3) Integrating Developmentally-Sensitive Intervention Considerations; and (4) Establishing Interdisciplinary Collaborations and Cross-Sector Partnerships.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alison L. Miller
- School of Public HealthUniversity of MichiganAnn ArborMichiganUSA
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Nicole W. Show Your Work: Increasing Engagement through Personalized Participant Report-Back. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES 2022; 130:24001. [PMID: 35129373 PMCID: PMC8820340 DOI: 10.1289/ehp10558] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2021] [Accepted: 11/18/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
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14
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Brody JG, Cirillo PM, Boronow KE, Havas L, Plumb M, Susmann HP, Gajos KZ, Cohn BA. Outcomes from Returning Individual versus Only Study-Wide Biomonitoring Results in an Environmental Exposure Study Using the Digital Exposure Report-Back Interface (DERBI). ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES 2021; 129:117005. [PMID: 34766835 PMCID: PMC8589017 DOI: 10.1289/ehp9072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Study participants want to receive their biomonitoring results for environmental chemicals, and ethics guidelines encourage reporting back. However, few studies have quantitively assessed participants' responses to individual exposure reports, and digital methods have not been evaluated. OBJECTIVES We isolated effects of receiving personal results vs. only study-wide findings and investigated whether effects differed for Black participants. METHODS We randomly assigned a subset of 295 women from the Child Health and Development Studies, half of whom were Black, to receive a report with personal environmental chemical results or only study-wide (aggregate) findings. Reports included results for 42 chemicals and lipids and were prepared using the Digital Exposure Report-Back Interface (DERBI). Women were interviewed before and after viewing their report. We analyzed differences in website activity, emotional responses, and intentions to participate in future research by report type and race using Wilcoxon rank sum tests, Wilcoxon-Pratt signed ranks tests, and multiple regression. RESULTS The personal report group spent approximately twice as much time on their reports as the aggregate group before the post-report-back interview. Among personal-report participants (n=93), 84% (78) viewed chemical group information for at least one personal result highlighted on their home page; among aggregate-report participants (n=94), 66% (62) viewed any chemical group page. Both groups reported strong positive feelings (curious, informed, interested, respected) about receiving results before and after report-back and mild negative feelings (helpless, scared, worried). Although most participants remained unworried after report-back, worry increased by a small amount in both groups. Among Black participants, higher post report-back worry was associated with having high levels of chemicals. CONCLUSIONS Participants were motivated by their personal results to access online information about chemical sources and potential health effects. Report-back was associated with a small increase in worry, which could motivate appropriate action. Personal report-back increased engagement with exposure reports among Black participants. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP9072.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Laurie Havas
- Participant Advisory Council, Child Health and Development Studies, Public Health Institute, Oakland, California, USA
| | - Marj Plumb
- Plumbline Coaching and Consulting, Omaha, Nebraska, USA
| | - Herbert P. Susmann
- Department of Biostatistics, School of Public Health and Health Science, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Krzysztof Z. Gajos
- Computer Science, Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
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Rodgers KM, Bennett D, Moran R, Knox K, Stoiber T, Gill R, Young TM, Blum A, Dodson RE. Do flame retardant concentrations change in dust after older upholstered furniture is replaced? ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2021; 153:106513. [PMID: 33770624 PMCID: PMC8154740 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2021.106513] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2020] [Revised: 03/05/2021] [Accepted: 03/08/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Upholstered furniture has been a major source of chemical flame retardant (FR) exposures in US homes since the 1970s. FRs are a large group of chemicals, many of which are associated with adverse health effects, including cancer, reproductive toxicity, and neurotoxicity. California homes have some of the highest dust concentrations of FRs, due to Technical Bulletin 117 (TB117), California's outdated flammability standard for furniture foam that was generally followed across the US and Canada. In 2014, this standard was updated to a smolder standard for furniture fabric called TB117-2013, and it is no longer reliant on FRs. This update provided an opportunity to measure differences in FR dust levels in California homes before and after residents replaced older upholstered furniture, or its foam, with products that met the new standard and were expected to be FR-free. We collected dust from homes of participants who had plans to replace older upholstered furniture, or furniture foam, with FR-free options. We returned for follow-up dust collection six, 12, and 18 months following replacement. Concentrations of three polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) (BDE-47, BDE-99, BDE-100), three chlorinated organophosphate ester FRs (tris(2-chloroethyl) phosphate (TCEP), tris(2-chloroisopropyl) phosphate (TCIPP), and tris(1,3-dichloroisopropyl) phosphate (TDCIPP)), and one aryl organophosphate ester FR triphenyl phosphate (TPHP), were widely detected in participant homes. All measured FRs decreased in nearly all homes after the older upholstered furniture was replaced. The decreases in FRs were significant in both homes that replaced entire pieces of furniture and those that replaced only the furniture foam. This study demonstrates that replacing older upholstered furniture or foam significantly reduces concentrations of a range of FRs in the home. Foam replacement offers a potentially more economic alternative that produces a lower volume of waste.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn M Rodgers
- Silent Spring Institute, 320 Nevada Street, Newton, MA 02460, United States.
| | - Deborah Bennett
- University of California, Davis Department of Public Health Sciences, One Shields Ave, Davis, CA 95616, United States
| | - Rebecca Moran
- University of California, Davis Department of Public Health Sciences, One Shields Ave, Davis, CA 95616, United States
| | - Kristin Knox
- Silent Spring Institute, 320 Nevada Street, Newton, MA 02460, United States
| | - Tasha Stoiber
- Environmental Working Group, Washington, DC 20009, United States
| | - Ranjit Gill
- California Department of Toxic Substances Control, Berkeley, CA 94710, United States
| | - Thomas M Young
- University of California, Davis Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, One Shields Ave, Davis, CA 95616, United States
| | - Arlene Blum
- Green Science Policy Institute, Berkeley, CA 94709, United States
| | - Robin E Dodson
- Silent Spring Institute, 320 Nevada Street, Newton, MA 02460, United States
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16
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Polka E, Childs E, Friedman A, Tomsho KS, Claus Henn B, Scammell MK, Milando CW. MCR: Open-Source Software to Automate Compilation of Health Study Report-Back. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:6104. [PMID: 34198866 PMCID: PMC8201126 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18116104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2021] [Revised: 05/23/2021] [Accepted: 06/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Sharing individualized results with health study participants, a practice we and others refer to as "report-back," ensures participant access to exposure and health information and may promote health equity. However, the practice of report-back and the content shared is often limited by the time-intensive process of personalizing reports. Software tools that automate creation of individualized reports have been built for specific studies, but are largely not open-source or broadly modifiable. We created an open-source and generalizable tool, called the Macro for the Compilation of Report-backs (MCR), to automate compilation of health study reports. We piloted MCR in two environmental exposure studies in Massachusetts, USA, and interviewed research team members (n = 7) about the impact of MCR on the report-back process. Researchers using MCR created more detailed reports than during manual report-back, including more individualized numerical, text, and graphical results. Using MCR, researchers saved time producing draft and final reports. Researchers also reported feeling more creative in the design process and more confident in report-back quality control. While MCR does not expedite the entire report-back process, we hope that this open-source tool reduces the barriers to personalizing health study reports, promotes more equitable access to individualized data, and advances self-determination among participants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin Polka
- Department of Environmental Health, Boston University School of Public Health, 715 Albany St., Boston, MA 02118, USA; (E.P.); (A.F.); (B.C.H.); (M.K.S.)
| | - Ellen Childs
- Abt Associates, Division of Health and the Environment, 6130 Executive Blvd, Rockville, MD 20852, USA;
- Department of Health Policy and Law, Boston University School of Public Health, 715 Albany St., Boston, MA 02118, USA
| | - Alexa Friedman
- Department of Environmental Health, Boston University School of Public Health, 715 Albany St., Boston, MA 02118, USA; (E.P.); (A.F.); (B.C.H.); (M.K.S.)
| | - Kathryn S. Tomsho
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, 677 Huntington Ave., Boston, MA 02115, USA;
| | - Birgit Claus Henn
- Department of Environmental Health, Boston University School of Public Health, 715 Albany St., Boston, MA 02118, USA; (E.P.); (A.F.); (B.C.H.); (M.K.S.)
| | - Madeleine K. Scammell
- Department of Environmental Health, Boston University School of Public Health, 715 Albany St., Boston, MA 02118, USA; (E.P.); (A.F.); (B.C.H.); (M.K.S.)
| | - Chad W. Milando
- Department of Environmental Health, Boston University School of Public Health, 715 Albany St., Boston, MA 02118, USA; (E.P.); (A.F.); (B.C.H.); (M.K.S.)
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17
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Participant Experiences in a Human Biomonitoring Study: Follow-Up Interviews with Participants of the Flemish Environment and Health Study. TOXICS 2021; 9:toxics9040069. [PMID: 33800558 PMCID: PMC8066005 DOI: 10.3390/toxics9040069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2021] [Revised: 03/19/2021] [Accepted: 03/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Communicating individual human biomonitoring results to study participants has been the subject of debate for some time. This debate is dominated by ethical considerations from a researchers’ perspective on whether or not to communicate, thereby overlooking more practice-based questions from a participants’ perspective on what and how to communicate. We conducted a small scale follow-up study based on eleven face-to-face interviews with mothers participating in the third cycle of the Flemish Environment and Health Study (FLEHS III 2012–2015) to investigate how they experienced and interpreted individual biomonitoring results. Key findings indicate that respondents were generally satisfied with participating in the biomonitoring study, but the report-back process especially lacked contextualized information and interactive communication options to better comprehend and cope with personal results. These findings also argue in favor of a more tailored approach in which report-back methods, formats and content are diversified according to the type of results and the preferences of participants. A reflexive research practice with active engagement in follow-up research is crucial to improve participants’ understanding and use of personal biomonitoring results.
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18
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Lebow-Skelley E, Yelton S, Janssen B, Erdei E, Pearson MA. Identifying Issues and Priorities in Reporting Back Environmental Health Data. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2020; 17:ijerph17186742. [PMID: 32947900 PMCID: PMC7557638 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17186742] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2020] [Revised: 09/11/2020] [Accepted: 09/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Experts recommend reporting environmental exposure results back to research participants and communities, yet environmental health researchers need further guidance to improve the practice of reporting back. We present the results of a workshop developed to identify pertinent issues and areas for action in reporting back environmental health research results. Thirty-five attendees participated, brainstorming responses to the prompt: “What are some specific issues that are relevant to reporting back research results to individuals or the larger community?”, and then grouping responses by similarity and rating their importance. Based on a combined theoretical foundation of grounded theory and qualitative content analysis, we used concept mapping to develop a collective understanding of the issues. Visual maps of the participants’ responses were created using nonmetric multidimensional scaling and hierarchical cluster analysis. The resulting concept map provided a spatial depiction of five issue areas: Effective Communication Strategies, Community Knowledge and Concerns, Uncertainty, Empowering Action, and Institutional Review and Oversight (listed from highest to lowest rating). Through these efforts, we disentangled the complex issues affecting how and whether environmental health research results are reported back to participants and communities, by identifying five distinct themes to guide recommendations and action. Engaging community partners in the process of reporting back emerged as a unifying global theme, which could improve how researchers report back research results by understanding community context to develop effective communication methods and address uncertainty, the ability to act, and institutional concerns about beneficence and justice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin Lebow-Skelley
- HERCULES Exposome Research Center, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA;
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-404-712-8795
| | - Sarah Yelton
- Institute for the Environment, UNC Superfund Research Program, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA;
| | - Brandi Janssen
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52246, USA;
| | - Esther Erdei
- College of Pharmacy & Mountain West Clinical and Translational Research-Infrastructure Network, UNM Health Sciences Center, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA;
| | - Melanie A. Pearson
- HERCULES Exposome Research Center, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA;
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19
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Consumer behavior and exposure to parabens, bisphenols, triclosan, dichlorophenols, and benzophenone-3: Results from a crowdsourced biomonitoring study. Int J Hyg Environ Health 2020; 230:113624. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijheh.2020.113624] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2020] [Revised: 08/19/2020] [Accepted: 08/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
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20
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Environmental Influences on Mammographic Breast Density in California: A Strategy to Reduce Breast Cancer Risk. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2019; 16:ijerph16234731. [PMID: 31783496 PMCID: PMC6926682 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph16234731] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2019] [Revised: 11/21/2019] [Accepted: 11/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
State legislation in many U.S. states, including California, mandates informing women if they have dense breasts on screening mammography, meaning over half of their breast tissue is comprised of non-adipose tissue. Breast density is important to interpret screening sensitivity and is an established breast cancer risk factor. Environmental chemical exposures may play an important role in this, especially during key windows of susceptibility for breast development: in utero, during puberty, pregnancy, lactation, and the peri-menopause. There is a paucity of research, however, examining whether environmental chemical exposures are associated with mammographic breast density, and even less is known about environmental exposures during windows of susceptibility. Now, with clinical breast density scoring being reported routinely for mammograms, it is possible to find out, especially in California, where there are large study populations that can link environmental exposures during windows of susceptibility to breast density. Density scores are now available throughout the state through electronic medical records. We can link these with environmental chemical exposures via state-wide monitoring. Studying the effects of environmental exposure on breast density may provide valuable monitoring and etiologic data to inform strategies to reduce breast cancer risk.
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21
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Terry MB, Michels KB, Brody JG, Byrne C, Chen S, Jerry DJ, Malecki KMC, Martin MB, Miller RL, Neuhausen SL, Silk K, Trentham-Dietz A. Environmental exposures during windows of susceptibility for breast cancer: a framework for prevention research. Breast Cancer Res 2019; 21:96. [PMID: 31429809 PMCID: PMC6701090 DOI: 10.1186/s13058-019-1168-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 128] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The long time from exposure to potentially harmful chemicals until breast cancer occurrence poses challenges for designing etiologic studies and for implementing successful prevention programs. Growing evidence from animal and human studies indicates that distinct time periods of heightened susceptibility to endocrine disruptors exist throughout the life course. The influence of environmental chemicals on breast cancer risk may be greater during several windows of susceptibility (WOS) in a woman’s life, including prenatal development, puberty, pregnancy, and the menopausal transition. These time windows are considered as specific periods of susceptibility for breast cancer because significant structural and functional changes occur in the mammary gland, as well as alterations in the mammary micro-environment and hormone signaling that may influence risk. Breast cancer research focused on these breast cancer WOS will accelerate understanding of disease etiology and prevention. Main text Despite the plausible heightened mechanistic influences of environmental chemicals on breast cancer risk during time periods of change in the mammary gland’s structure and function, most human studies of environmental chemicals are not focused on specific WOS. This article reviews studies conducted over the past few decades that have specifically addressed the effect of environmental chemicals and metals on breast cancer risk during at least one of these WOS. In addition to summarizing the broader evidence-base specific to WOS, we include discussion of the NIH-funded Breast Cancer and the Environment Research Program (BCERP) which included population-based and basic science research focused on specific WOS to evaluate associations between breast cancer risk and particular classes of endocrine-disrupting chemicals—including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, perfluorinated compounds, polybrominated diphenyl ethers, and phenols—and metals. We outline ways in which ongoing transdisciplinary BCERP projects incorporate animal research and human epidemiologic studies in close partnership with community organizations and communication scientists to identify research priorities and effectively translate evidence-based findings to the public and policy makers. Conclusions An integrative model of breast cancer research is needed to determine the impact and mechanisms of action of endocrine disruptors at different WOS. By focusing on environmental chemical exposure during specific WOS, scientists and their community partners may identify when prevention efforts are likely to be most effective.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mary Beth Terry
- Department of Epidemiology, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, 722 West 168th Street, Room 1611, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Karin B Michels
- Department of Epidemiology, Fielding School of Public Health, University of California, 650 Charles E. Young Drive South, CHS 71-254, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | | | - Celia Byrne
- Department of Preventive Medicine and Biostatistics, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, 4301 Jones Bridge Road A-1039F, Bethesda, MD, 20814, USA
| | - Shiuan Chen
- Department of Cancer Biology, Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, 1450 E. Duarte Road, Duarte, CA, 91010, USA
| | - D Joseph Jerry
- Pioneer Valley Life Sciences Institute and Department of Veterinary & Animal Sciences, University of Massachusetts Amherst, 661 North Pleasant St., Amherst, MA, 01003, USA
| | - Kristen M C Malecki
- Department of Population Health Sciences and the Carbone Cancer Center, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 610 Walnut St., WARF Room 605, Madison, WI, 53726, USA
| | - Mary Beth Martin
- Departments of Oncology and Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Georgetown University Medical Center, E411 New Research Building, Washington, DC, 20057, USA
| | - Rachel L Miller
- Departments of Medicine, Pediatrics, Environmental Health Sciences; Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, PH8E-101B, 630 W. 168th St, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Susan L Neuhausen
- Department of Population Sciences, Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, 1450 E. Duarte Road, 1500 E. Duarte Road, Duarte, CA, 91010, USA
| | - Kami Silk
- Department of Communication, University of Delaware, 250 Pearson Hall, 125 Academy St, Newark, DE, 19716, USA
| | - Amy Trentham-Dietz
- Department of Population Health Sciences and Carbone Cancer Center, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 610 Walnut St., WARF Room 307, Madison, WI, 53726, USA.
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Boronow KE, Brody JG, Schaider LA, Peaslee GF, Havas L, Cohn BA. Serum concentrations of PFASs and exposure-related behaviors in African American and non-Hispanic white women. JOURNAL OF EXPOSURE SCIENCE & ENVIRONMENTAL EPIDEMIOLOGY 2019; 29:206-217. [PMID: 30622332 PMCID: PMC6380931 DOI: 10.1038/s41370-018-0109-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2018] [Revised: 10/18/2018] [Accepted: 10/23/2018] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are used in a wide range of consumer products for their water- and grease-resistant properties, but few studies have explored this exposure route. We used multiple regression to investigate associations between six self-reported behaviors hypothesized to influence PFAS exposure and serum concentrations of six PFAS chemicals in 178 middle-aged women enrolled in the Child Health and Development Studies, about half of whom are African American. Blood samples were collected in 2010-2013, and participants were interviewed about behavior in 2015-2016. Results showed that African American women had lower levels of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorohexanesulfonic acid (PFHxS) compared with non-Hispanic white women. In African Americans, but not others, frequent consumption of prepared food in coated cardboard containers was associated with higher levels of four PFASs. Flossing with Oral-B Glide, having stain-resistant carpet or furniture, and living in a city served by a PFAS-contaminated water supply were also associated with higher levels of some PFASs. Product testing using particle-induced γ-ray emission (PIGE) spectroscopy confirmed that Oral-B Glide and competitor flosses contained detectable fluorine. Despite the delay between blood collection and interview, these results strengthen the evidence for exposure to PFASs from food packaging and implicate exposure from polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE)-based dental floss for the first time.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Laurie Havas
- Child Health and Development Studies Participant Advisory Council, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Barbara A Cohn
- Child Health and Development Studies, Public Health Institute, Berkeley, CA, USA
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23
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Affiliation(s)
- Susan M Wolf
- Law School, Medical School, Consortium on Law and Values in Health, Environment & the Life Sciences, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
| | - Barbara J Evans
- Law Center, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Center on Biotechnology and Law, University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA
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24
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Sandhaus S, Kaufmann D, Ramirez-Andreotta M. Public Participation, Trust and Data Sharing: Gardens as Hubs for Citizen Science and Environmental Health Literacy Efforts. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SCIENCE EDUCATION. PART B. COMMUNICATION AND PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT 2018; 9:54-71. [PMID: 31485378 PMCID: PMC6726431 DOI: 10.1080/21548455.2018.1542752] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2018] [Accepted: 10/28/2018] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Gardenroots: A Citizen Science Project (2015) is the product of a needs assessment, revealing environmental quality concerns of gardeners living near hazardous waste or resource extraction activities. Participants were trained, collected garden samples for analysis, and later received their data visualized (individual and aggregated) via community events or mail. This article describes participant motivations, changes in knowledge and efficacy, and whether these depend on the mode of data sharing and visualization. Motivations were internal, and self-efficacy increased, while knowledge and satisfaction were higher in event attendees due to increased researcher contact. This reveals importance of data-sharing events, data visualizations, and participatory research processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shana Sandhaus
- Department of Soil, Water, and Environmental Science,
University of Arizona
| | | | - Monica Ramirez-Andreotta
- Department of Soil, Water, and Environmental Science,
University of Arizona
- College of Public Health’s Division of Community,
Environment, & Policy, University of Arizona
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25
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Giannini CM, Herrick RL, Buckholz JM, Daniels AR, Biro FM, Pinney SM. Comprehension and perceptions of study participants upon receiving perfluoroalkyl substance exposure biomarker results. Int J Hyg Environ Health 2018; 221:1040-1046. [PMID: 30025914 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijheh.2018.07.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2018] [Revised: 06/26/2018] [Accepted: 07/02/2018] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Measurement of environmental biomarkers in biomedia is increasingly used as a method of exposure characterization in human population studies. Reporting the results of biomarker measurements back to study participants has been controversial, including questions of ethics and whether the study participants would want to receive and would understand the results. METHODS Recently we mailed individual measurements of two serum biomarkers, perfluorooctanoate (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) to participants in three exposure studies of persons living in the Ohio River Valley, of whom 60 were parents of children who had been sampled. Many had serum concentrations of PFOA above the US population 95th percentile value. Reporting forms used in the three studies were somewhat different (either tables or charts for comparison to US population values) and varied in complexity. With all reports, we included information about concentrations of PFOA and PFOS in the general population, and a survey designed to ascertain the opinions of the study participants about the information they received. RESULTS Approximately 33% (273/821) returned the survey, and of those, 96% reported that they were pleased that we had sent them the report. Most (86%) responded that the results were easy to understand and the enclosed fact sheet was helpful in answering questions (87%). Regarding the amount of information, most felt that we provided the "right amount" (78%) but some "too much" (7%) and some "too little" (15%). The majority (53%) were surprised at their serum concentrations. Of those with serum values > 13.0 ng/mL, 74% responded that they thought their serum concentration was "high", but only 22% of those with serum concentrations ≤5.6 responded that their concentration was "low". Surprisingly, many talked to no one about their levels; those who did were most likely to discuss the report with family members. CONCLUSIONS Reporting back individual environmental biomarker results is generally well received by study participants, and those with high concentrations perceived them to be high. Questions remain as to why study participants did not discuss their results with others.
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Affiliation(s)
- Courtney M Giannini
- Department of Environmental Health, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, United States
| | - Robert L Herrick
- Department of Environmental Health, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, United States
| | - Jeanette M Buckholz
- Department of Environmental Health, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, United States
| | - Alex R Daniels
- Department of Environmental Health, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, United States
| | - Frank M Biro
- Division of Adolescent Medicine, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, United States; Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, United States
| | - Susan M Pinney
- Department of Environmental Health, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, United States.
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Perovich LJ, Ohayon JL, Cousins EM, Morello-Frosch R, Brown P, Adamkiewicz G, Brody JG. Reporting to parents on children's exposures to asthma triggers in low-income and public housing, an interview-based case study of ethics, environmental literacy, individual action, and public health benefits. Environ Health 2018; 17:48. [PMID: 29784007 PMCID: PMC5963109 DOI: 10.1186/s12940-018-0395-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2017] [Accepted: 05/11/2018] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Emerging evidence about the effects of endocrine disruptors on asthma symptoms suggests new opportunities to reduce asthma by changing personal environments. Right-to-know ethics supports returning personal results for these chemicals to participants, so they can make decisions to reduce exposures. Yet researchers and institutional review boards have been reluctant to approve results reports in low-income communities, which are disproportionately affected by asthma. Concerns include limited literacy, lack of resources to reduce exposures, co-occurring stressors, and lack of models for effective reporting. To better understand the ethical and public health implications of returning personal results in low-income communities, we investigated parents' experiences of learning their children's environmental chemical and biomonitoring results in the Green Housing Study of asthma. METHODS The Green Housing Study measured indoor chemical exposures, allergens, and children's asthma symptoms in "green"-renovated public housing and control sites in metro-Boston and Cincinnati in 2011-2013. We developed reports for parents of children in the study, including results for their child and community. We observed community meetings where results were reported, and metro-Boston residents participated in semi-structured interviews in 2015 about their report-back experience. Interviews were systematically coded and analyzed. RESULTS Report-back was positively received, contributed to greater understanding, built trust between researchers and participants, and facilitated action to improve health. Sampling visits and community meetings also contributed to creating a positive study experience for participants. Participants were able to make changes in their homes, such as altering product use and habits that may reduce asthma symptoms, though some faced roadblocks from family members. Participants also gained access to medical resources, though some felt that clinicians were not responsive. Participants wanted larger scale change from government or industry and wanted researchers to leverage study results to achieve change. CONCLUSIONS Report-back on environmental chemical exposures in low-income communities can enhance research benefits by engaging residents with personally relevant information that informs and motivates actions to reduce exposure to asthma triggers. Ethical practices in research should support deliberative report-back in vulnerable communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura J. Perovich
- MIT Media Lab, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA USA
- Silent Spring Institute, Newton, MA USA
| | - Jennifer Liss Ohayon
- Silent Spring Institute, Newton, MA USA
- Social Science Environmental Health Research Institute, Northeastern University, Boston, MA USA
| | - Elicia Mayuri Cousins
- Department of Sociology and Anthropology and Social Science Environmental Health Research Institute, Northeastern University, Boston, MA USA
| | - Rachel Morello-Frosch
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management and School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA USA
| | - Phil Brown
- Social Science Environmental Health Research Institute, Northeastern University, Boston, MA USA
| | - Gary Adamkiewicz
- Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard University, Boston, MA USA
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