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Leach C, Schulz AJ, Schroeck N, Lawrence S, Sand S, Williams G, Bewaji OA, Fuchs-Young R. Multi-directional communication between decision makers and environmental health researchers: a qualitative inquiry. ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS (AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS) 2023; 23:225-240. [PMID: 38881750 PMCID: PMC11177721 DOI: 10.1080/17477891.2023.2256727] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2022] [Accepted: 09/03/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2024]
Abstract
It has been three decades since key leaders gathered to pave a path toward healthier and more just environments and recommendations were made to improve communication between scientists and community stakeholders who can influence decision making. Since that time, community engaged research has flourished while building the capacity of researchers to engage in the work of making change to those environments has lagged. The purpose of this study was the development of guidelines to inform interactions between researchers and decision makers and influencers who participate in the policy change process. This community engaged, pragmatic and iterative inquiry includes insight from a review of existing resources and key informant interviews. Resulting guidelines were piloted, and formative evaluation by community stakeholders informed and resulted in refinement to the guidelines. Strategies for communicating and disseminating scientific evidence are presented as well as tactics that sensitise researchers to the nuances of policy makers' realities so they may serve as a resource for dealing with complex information and decisions. We provide tactics and archived resources in an on-line toolkit that we have cultivated over time to foster effective communication between scientists and those who have a stake in ensuring that decisions are evidence informed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carrie Leach
- Center for Urban Responses to Environmental Stressors, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA
- Institute of Gerontology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Amy J. Schulz
- University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Nicholas Schroeck
- Center for Urban Responses to Environmental Stressors, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA
- University of Detroit Mercy School of Law, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Susie Lawrence
- Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Sharon Sand
- University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Guy Williams
- Detroiters Working for Environmental Justice, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Oluwatosin A. Bewaji
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Medicine, Texas A&M University Health Science Center, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Robin Fuchs-Young
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Medicine, Texas A&M University Health Science Center, College Station, TX, USA
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Leach C, Schroeck N, Blessman J, Rorai V, Cooper-Sargent M, Lichtenberg PA, Trentacosta CJ. Engaged communication of environmental health science: Processes and outcomes of urban academic-community partnerships. APPLIED ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION AND COMMUNICATION (PRINT) 2022; 21:7-22. [PMID: 35479260 PMCID: PMC9037758 DOI: 10.1080/1533015x.2021.1930609] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Those who bear the greatest environmental burdens often have the least access to information, and explanations for engaging communities to develop solutions are lacking. We describe, and use a case study to depict, a participatory process of urban academic and community members to co-produce educational and communication tools. Over five years, we interfaced with 763 individuals at eleven events and three times that (n=2,273) through attendees' networks at 109 small group events using snowball methods. The resulting communication tools, paired resources, and mobile dissemination were responsive to residents' circumstances and enhanced their ability to access health protecting information and resources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carrie Leach
- Center for Urban Responses to Environmental Stressors, Wayne State University, Detroit, US,Institute of Gerontology, Wayne State University, Detroit, US,Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Carrie Leach, Center for Urban Responses to Environmental Stressors & Institute of Gerontology, Wayne State University, 87 East Ferry Street, Detroit, MI 48202.
| | - N. Schroeck
- Center for Urban Responses to Environmental Stressors, Wayne State University, Detroit, US,University of Detroit Mercy School of Law, Detroit, US
| | - J. Blessman
- Center for Urban Responses to Environmental Stressors, Wayne State University, Detroit, US,Family Medicine and Public Health Sciences, Wayne State University, Detroit, US
| | - V. Rorai
- Institute of Gerontology, Wayne State University, Detroit, US
| | | | | | - C. J. Trentacosta
- Center for Urban Responses to Environmental Stressors, Wayne State University, Detroit, US,Department of Psychology, Wayne State University, Detroit, US
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3
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Racial disparities in occupational risks and lung cancer incidence: Analysis of the National Lung Screening Trial. Prev Med 2021; 143:106355. [PMID: 33301822 DOI: 10.1016/j.ypmed.2020.106355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2020] [Revised: 11/25/2020] [Accepted: 12/04/2020] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
The relationship between racial disparities in occupational risk and lung cancer diagnosis is not well defined. We examined occupational exposure to asbestos, silica, and other workplace chemicals, fumes, or dusts as reported in the National Lung Screening Trial (NLST). Descriptive analyses and multivariate logistic regression models were performed. Among the NLST study cohort, 3.9% were diagnosed with lung cancer. African-Americans had a higher rate of lung cancer diagnosis than White individuals (4.3% vs. 3.9%). About 28% reported at least one occupational exposure, including 6.5% exposed to silica and 4.7% to asbestos. African-Americans reported occupational exposure more frequently than White participants, including exposures to asbestos and silica. In a multivariate model, the interactions of all measures of occupational exposures and smoking status were significant. Current smokers with occupational exposures had higher odds of lung cancer diagnosis (aOR = 2.01, 95% CI = 1.76-2.30 for any exposure as well as higher odds after silica (aOR = 2.35, 95% CI = 1.89-2.91) or asbestos (aOR = 1.97, 95% CI = 1.52-2.56) exposure compared to former smokers without any exposures. African-Americans had higher odds of lung cancer diagnosis than White individuals (aOR = 1.24 to 1.25, 95% CI = 1.01-1.54). Our findings indicate that we need more effective public health prevention programs, especially for minorities who may have disproportionately greater occupational exposures due to socioeconomic constructs and barriers. Interventions may include education about occupational risks and lung cancer screening or instituting workplace policies for smoke-free environments with tobacco cessation support.
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Grineski SE, W. Collins T, Rubio R. Distributional Environmental Injustices for a Minority Group without Minority Status: Arab Americans and Residential Exposure to Carcinogenic Air Pollution in the US. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2019; 16:ijerph16244899. [PMID: 31817268 PMCID: PMC6950280 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph16244899] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2019] [Revised: 11/25/2019] [Accepted: 11/27/2019] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Distributional environmental injustices in residential exposure to air pollution in Arab American enclaves have not been examined. We conducted our investigation at the census tract-level across the continental United States using a set of socio-demographic variables to predict cancer risk from hazardous air pollutant (HAP) exposure. Arab enclaves had a mean cancer risk score of 44.08, as compared to 40.02 in non-enclave tracts. In terms of the specific origin groups, Moroccan enclaves had the highest cancer risk score (46.93), followed by Egyptian (45.33), Iraqi (43.13), Jordanian (41.67), and Lebanese (40.65). In generalized estimating equations controlling for geographic clustering and other covariates, Arab enclaves had significantly higher cancer risks due to HAPs (p < 0.001) than non-enclaves. When looking at specific ethnic origins, Iraqi, Palestinian, and Lebanese enclaves had significantly higher cancer risks due to HAPs (all p < 0.01) than non-enclaves. Results reveal significant environmental injustices for Arab American enclaves that should be examined in future studies. Results suggest that environmental injustice may be another way in which Arab Americans are disadvantaged as a racialized minority group without minority status.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara E. Grineski
- Department of Sociology/Environmental and Sustainability Studies, University of Utah, 480 S 1530 E, Room 0310, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA;
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +801-581-6153
| | - Timothy W. Collins
- Department of Geography/Environmental and Sustainability Studies, University of Utah, 332 1400 E, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA;
| | - Ricardo Rubio
- Department of Sociology/Environmental and Sustainability Studies, University of Utah, 480 S 1530 E, Room 0310, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA;
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Cordner A, Poudrier G, DiValli J, Brown P. Combining Social Science and Environmental Health Research for Community Engagement. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2019; 16:E3483. [PMID: 31546760 PMCID: PMC6766000 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph16183483] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2019] [Revised: 09/02/2019] [Accepted: 09/15/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Social science-environmental health (SS-EH) research takes many structural forms and contributes to a wide variety of topical areas. In this article we discuss the general nature of SS-EH contributions and offer a new typology of SS-EH practice that situates this type of research in a larger transdisciplinary sensibility: (1) environmental health science influenced by social science; (2) social science studies of environmental health; and (3) social science-environmental health collaborations. We describe examples from our own and others' work and we discuss the central role that research centers, training programs, and conferences play in furthering SS-EH research. We argue that the third form of SS-EH research, SS-EH collaborations, offers the greatest potential for improving public and environmental health, though such collaborations come with important challenges and demand constant reflexivity on the part of researchers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alissa Cordner
- Sociology Department, Whitman College, Walla Walla, WA 99362, USA.
| | - Grace Poudrier
- Department of Sociology and Anthropology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
| | - Jesse DiValli
- Department of Sociology and Anthropology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
| | - Phil Brown
- Department of Sociology and Anthropology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
- Department of Health Sciences, Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
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Vera LA, Walker D, Murphy M, Mansfield B, Siad LM, Ogden J. When Data Justice and Environmental Justice Meet: Formulating a Response to Extractive Logic through Environmental Data Justice. INFORMATION, COMMUNICATION AND SOCIETY 2019; 22:1012-1028. [PMID: 31787840 PMCID: PMC6884364 DOI: 10.1080/1369118x.2019.1596293] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2018] [Accepted: 03/08/2019] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Environmental data justice (EDJ) emerges from conversations between data justice and environmental justice while identifying the limits and tensions of these lenses. Through a reflexive process of querying our entanglement in non-innocent relations, this paper develops and engages EDJ by examining how it informs the work of the Environmental Data & Governance Initiative (EDGI), a distributed, consensus-based organization that formed in response to the 2016 US presidential election. Through grassroots archiving of data sets, monitoring federal environmental and energy agency websites, and writing rapid-response reports about how federal agencies are being undermined, EDGI mobilises EDJ to challenge the 'extractive logic' of current federal environmental policy and data infrastructures. 'Extractive logic' disconnects data from provenance, privileges the matrix of domination, and whitewashes data to generate uncertainty. We use the dynamic EDJ framework to reflect on EDGI's public comment advising against the US Environmental Protection Agency's proposed rule for Transparent Science. Through EDJ, EDGI aspires to create new environmental data infrastructures and practices that are participatory and embody equitable, transparent data care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lourdes A. Vera
- Sociology and Anthropology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Dawn Walker
- Faculty of Information, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Michelle Murphy
- History and Women and Gender Studies, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | | | - Ladan Mohamed Siad
- Faculty of Design, Ontario College of Art and Design, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Jessica Ogden
- Sociology, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - EDGI
- Environmental Data and Governance Initiative
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7
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Community Science as a Pathway for Resilience in Response to a Public Health Crisis in Flint, Michigan. SOCIAL SCIENCES-BASEL 2019. [DOI: 10.3390/socsci8030094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
While the story of the Flint water crisis has frequently been told, even sympathetic analyses have largely worked to make invisible the significant actions of Flint residents to protect and advocate for their community. Leaving the voices of these stakeholders out of narratives about the crisis has served to deepen distrust in the community. Our project responds to these silences through a community-driven research study aimed explicitly at elevating the frame of Flint residents in and around the Flint water crisis. This paper describes the coming together of the research team, the overall project design for each of the three research efforts, and lessons learned. The three sub-projects include: (1) a qualitative analysis of community sentiment provided during 17 recorded legislative, media, and community events, (2) an analysis of trust in the Flint community through nine focus groups across demographic groups (African American, Hispanic, seniors, and youth) of residents in Flint, and (3) an analysis of the role of the faith-based community in response to public health crises through two focus groups with faith based leaders from Flint involved with response efforts to the water crisis. Our study offers insight for understanding trust in crisis, which could be valuable to other communities and researchers seeking to address similar situations. The project offers community science as a model for considering community engagement in research as part of the process of resilience.
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Davis LF, Ramirez-Andreotta MD, McLain JET, Kilungo A, Abrell L, Buxner S. Increasing Environmental Health Literacy through Contextual Learning in Communities at Risk. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2018; 15:E2203. [PMID: 30304865 PMCID: PMC6210322 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph15102203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2018] [Revised: 10/03/2018] [Accepted: 10/05/2018] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Environmental health literacy (EHL) has recently been defined as the continuum of environmental health knowledge and awareness, skills and self-efficacy, and community action. In this study, an interdisciplinary team of university scientists, partnering with local organizations, developed and facilitated EHL trainings with special focus on rainwater harvesting and water contamination, in four communities with known environmental health stressors in Arizona, USA. These participatory trainings incorporated participants' prior environmental health risk knowledge and personal experiences to co-create training content. Mixed methods evaluation was conducted via pre-post participant surveys in all four trainings (n = 53). Participants who did not demonstrate baseline environmental science knowledge pre-training demonstrated significant knowledge increase post-training, and participants who demonstrated low self-efficacy (SE) pre-training demonstrated a significant increase in SE post-training. Participants overall demonstrated a significant increase in specific environmental health skills described post-training. The interdisciplinary facilitator-scientist team also reported multiple benefits, including learning local knowledge that informed further research, and building trust relationships with community members for future collaboration. We propose contextual EHL education as a valuable strategy for increasing EHL in environmental health risk communities, and for building academia-community partnerships for environmental health research and action.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leona F Davis
- Department of Teaching, Learning and Sociocultural Studies, University of Arizona, 1430 E. Second St, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA.
| | - Mónica D Ramirez-Andreotta
- Department of Soil, Water and Environmental Science, University of Arizona, 1177 E. Fourth St, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA.
| | - Jean E T McLain
- Department of Soil, Water and Environmental Science, University of Arizona, 1177 E. Fourth St, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA.
- Water Resources Research Center, University of Arizona, 350 N. Campbell Ave, Tucson, AZ 85719, USA.
| | - Aminata Kilungo
- Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, Health Promotion Sciences Department, University of Arizona, 1295 N. Martin Ave, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA.
| | - Leif Abrell
- Department of Soil, Water and Environmental Science, University of Arizona, 1177 E. Fourth St, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA.
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA.
| | - Sanlyn Buxner
- Department of Teaching, Learning and Sociocultural Studies, University of Arizona, 1430 E. Second St, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA.
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Vega CMV, Brown P, Murphy C, Figueroa A, Cordero J, Alshawabkeh A. Community Engagement and Research Translation in Puerto Rico's Northern Karst Region: The PROTECT Superfund Research Program. New Solut 2016; 26:475-495. [PMID: 30081770 PMCID: PMC6083881 DOI: 10.1177/1048291116667715] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
We describe here the social science-environmental health collaboration in PROTECT, the Puerto Rico Testsite for Exploring Contamination Threats, which is one of eighteen Superfund Research Program centers funded by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. This collaboration has multiple facets: (1) create a holistic, unified research program that addresses the complexity of environmental contamination, (2) offer research participants an engaged and respectful interaction with the research team, (3) provide cross-training, in which the team's social scientists learn environmental health and the environmental health scientists learn social science, and (4) provide training for graduate students and post-docs in multiple disciplines in this burgeoning form of collaboration.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Phil Brown
- Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | - Abigail Figueroa
- Recinto de Ciencias Medicas, Universidad de Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico
| | - Jóse Cordero
- University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico
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Matz J, Brown P, Brody JG. Social Science-Environmental Health Collaborations: An Exciting New Direction. New Solut 2016; 26:349-358. [PMID: 27554110 DOI: 10.1177/1048291116664501] [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] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
The Social Science-Environmental Health Collaborations Conference in May 2016 was a unique gathering of scholars from the social sciences and environmental health sciences, government agency professionals, community organizers and activists, and students. Conference participants described the research and practice of environmental public health as done through a transdisciplinary lens and with a community-based participatory research/community-engaged research model. NIEHS' role in supporting such work has helped create a growing number of social and environmental health scientists who cross boundaries as they work with each other and with community-based organizations.
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Finn S, Collman G. The Pivotal Role of the Social Sciences in Environmental Health Sciences Research. New Solut 2016; 26:389-411. [PMID: 27605565 DOI: 10.1177/1048291116666485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Environmental health sciences research seeks to elucidate environmental factors that put human health at risk. A primary aim is to develop strategies to prevent or reduce exposures and disease occurrence. Given this primary focus on prevention, environmental health sciences research focuses on the populations most at risk such as communities of color and/or low socioeconomic status. The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences research programs incorporate the principles of Community-Based Participatory Research to study health disparities. These programs promote community engagement, culturally appropriate communications with a variety of stakeholders, and consideration of the social determinants of health that interact with environmental factors to increase risk. Multidisciplinary research teams that include social and behavioral scientists are essential to conduct this type of research. This article outlines the history of social and behavioral research funding at National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and offers examples of National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences-funded projects that exemplify the value of social science to the environmental health sciences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Symma Finn
- 1 National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Gwen Collman
- 1 National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Durham, NC, USA
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Ramirez-Andreotta MD, Lothrop N, Wilkinson ST, Root RA, Artiola JF, Klimecki W, Loh M. Analyzing Patterns of Community Interest at a Legacy Mining Waste Site to Assess and Inform Environmental Health Literacy Efforts. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES AND SCIENCES 2016; 6:543-555. [PMID: 27595054 PMCID: PMC5007004 DOI: 10.1007/s13412-015-0297-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
Understanding a community's concerns and informational needs is crucial to conducting and improving environmental health research and literacy initiatives. We hypothesized that analysis of community inquiries over time at a legacy mining site would be an effective method for assessing environmental health literacy efforts and determining whether community concerns were thoroughly addressed. Through a qualitative analysis, we determined community concerns at the time of being listed as a Superfund site. We analyzed how community concerns changed from this starting point over the subsequent years, and whether: 1) communication materials produced by the USEPA and other media were aligned with community concerns; and 2) these changes demonstrated a progression of the community's understanding resulting from community involvement and engaged research efforts. We observed that when the Superfund site was first listed, community members were most concerned with USEPA management, remediation, site-specific issues, health effects, and environmental monitoring efforts related to air/dust and water. Over the next five years, community inquiries shifted significantly to include exposure assessment and reduction methods and issues unrelated to the site, particularly the local public water supply and home water treatment systems. Such documentation of community inquiries over time at contaminated sites is a novel method to assess environmental health literacy efforts and determine whether community concerns were thoroughly addressed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monica D. Ramirez-Andreotta
- Department of Soil, Water and Environmental Science, The University of Arizona. Tucson, Arizona 85721
- Corresponding author: Department of Soil, Water and Environmental Science, University of Arizona, 1177 E Fourth Street, Rm. 429, Tucson, Arizona 85721, Phone Number: 520-621-7228, Fax Number: 520-621-1647,
| | - Nathan Lothrop
- Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, The University of Arizona. Tucson, Arizona 85721
| | - Sarah T. Wilkinson
- Superfund Research Program, The University of Arizona. Tucson, Arizona 85721
| | - Robert A. Root
- Department of Soil, Water and Environmental Science, The University of Arizona. Tucson, Arizona 85721
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, The University of Arizona. Tucson, Arizona 85721
| | - Janick F. Artiola
- Department of Soil, Water and Environmental Science, The University of Arizona. Tucson, Arizona 85721
| | - Walter Klimecki
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, The University of Arizona. Tucson, Arizona 85721
| | - Miranda Loh
- Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, The University of Arizona. Tucson, Arizona 85721
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Williams EM, Terrell J, Anderson J, Tumiel-Berhalter L. A Case Study of Community Involvement Influence on Policy Decisions: Victories of a Community-Based Participatory Research Partnership. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2016; 13:E515. [PMID: 27213418 PMCID: PMC4881140 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph13050515] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2015] [Revised: 05/06/2016] [Accepted: 05/13/2016] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
The Buffalo Lupus Project was a community-university partnership that investigated associations between exposure to a local waste site and high rates of lupus and other autoimmune diseases. The partnership's major accomplishment was successful advocacy for containment and clean-up of the site. As a result of community education, the remediation plan suggested by the community was adopted. Additionally, when a local childhood lead poisoning testing program was canceled, community members signed a letter to legislators urging them to replace the funding, which was restored within one week. This demonstrated how coordinated community-based capacity-building efforts can influence health policy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edith M Williams
- Department of Public Health Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC), 135 Cannon Street, Charleston, SC 29425, USA.
| | - Julien Terrell
- The Brotherhood/Sister Sol (Bro/Sis), 512 West 143rd Street, New York, NY 10031, USA.
| | - Judith Anderson
- Environmental Justice Action Group (EJAG) of Western NY, Buffalo, NY 14203, USA.
| | - Laurene Tumiel-Berhalter
- Primary Care Research Institute, University at Buffalo, UB Gateway Building, 77 Goodell St, Suite 220, Buffalo, NY 14203, USA.
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Choi G, Heo S, Lee JT. Assessment of environmental injustice in Korea using synthetic air quality index and multiple indicators of socioeconomic status: A cross-sectional study. JOURNAL OF THE AIR & WASTE MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION (1995) 2016; 66:28-37. [PMID: 26720773 DOI: 10.1080/10962247.2015.1107657] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
UNLABELLED Despite the existence of the universal right to a healthy environment, the right is being violated in some populations. The objective of the current study is to verify environmental discrimination associated with socioeconomic status in Korea, using synthetic air quality index and multiple indicators of socioeconomic status. The concentrations of NO₂(nitrogen dioxide), CO (carbon monoxide), SO₂(sulfur dioxide), PM10 (particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter <10 μm), and O₃(ozone) in ambient air were integrated into a synthetic air quality index. Socioeconomic status was measured at individual level (income, education, number of household members, occupation, and National Basic Livelihood status) and area level (neighborhood index). The neighborhood index was calculated in the finest administrative unit (municipality) by performing standardization and integration of municipality-level data of the following: number of families receiving National Basic Livelihood, proportion of people engaged in an elementary occupation, population density, and number of service industries. Each study participant was assigned a neighborhood index value of the municipality in which they reside. Six regression models were generated to analyze the relationship between socioeconomic status and overall air pollution. All models were adjusted with sex, age, and smoking status. Stratification was conducted by residency (urban/rural). Moran's I was calculated to identify spatial clusters, and adjusted regression analysis was conducted to account for spatial autocorrelation. Results showed that people with higher neighborhood index, people living with smaller number of family members, and people with no education lived in municipalities with better overall air quality. The association differed by residency in some cases, and consideration of spatial autocorrelation altered the association. This study gives strength to the idea that environmental discrimination exists in some socioeconomic groups in Korea, and that residency and spatial autocorrelation must be considered in order to fully understand environmental disparities. IMPLICATIONS This is the first study that provides the possible evidence of the environmental injustice in Korea using air quality index. The findings suggested that air quality index was negatively correlated with several important socioeconomic status measured at either individual or area level. The main implication of this paper, therefore, is to provide another insight to environmental policy makers to consider environmental injustice problem into community intervention for resolving the public health problems by air pollution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giehae Choi
- a Department of Public Health Science , Graduate School, Korea University , Seoul , Korea
| | - Seulkee Heo
- a Department of Public Health Science , Graduate School, Korea University , Seoul , Korea
| | - Jong-Tae Lee
- a Department of Public Health Science , Graduate School, Korea University , Seoul , Korea
- b Division of Health Policy and Management , College of Health Science, Korea University , Seoul , Korea
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15
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Hoover E, Renauld M, Edelstein MR, Brown P. Social Science Collaboration with Environmental Health. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES 2015; 123:1100-6. [PMID: 25966491 PMCID: PMC4629748 DOI: 10.1289/ehp.1409283] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2014] [Accepted: 05/08/2015] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Social science research has been central in documenting and analyzing community discovery of environmental exposure and consequential processes. Collaboration with environmental health science through team projects has advanced and improved our understanding of environmental health and justice. OBJECTIVE We sought to identify diverse methods and topics in which social scientists have expanded environmental health understandings at multiple levels, to examine how transdisciplinary environmental health research fosters better science, and to learn how these partnerships have been able to flourish because of the support from National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS). METHODS We analyzed various types of social science research to investigate how social science contributes to environmental health. We also examined NIEHS programs that foster social science. In addition, we developed a case study of a community-based participation research project in Akwesasne in order to demonstrate how social science has enhanced environmental health science. RESULTS Social science has informed environmental health science through ethnographic studies of contaminated communities, analysis of spatial distribution of environmental injustice, psychological experience of contamination, social construction of risk and risk perception, and social impacts of disasters. Social science-environmental health team science has altered the way scientists traditionally explore exposure by pressing for cumulative exposure approaches and providing research data for policy applications. CONCLUSIONS A transdisciplinary approach for environmental health practice has emerged that engages the social sciences to paint a full picture of the consequences of contamination so that policy makers, regulators, public health officials, and other stakeholders can better ameliorate impacts and prevent future exposure. CITATION Hoover E, Renauld M, Edelstein MR, Brown P. 2015. Social science collaboration with environmental health. Environ Health Perspect 123:1100-1106; http://dx.doi.org/10.1289/ehp.1409283.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth Hoover
- American Studies and Ethnic Studies, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
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Ramirez-Andreotta MD, Brusseau ML, Artiola J, Maier RM, Gandolfi AJ. Building a co-created citizen science program with gardeners neighboring a superfund site: The Gardenroots case study. INTERNATIONAL PUBLIC HEALTH JOURNAL 2015; 7:13. [PMID: 25954473 PMCID: PMC4420190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
UNLABELLED A research project that is only expert-driven may ignore the role of local knowledge in research, give low priority to the development of a comprehensive communication strategy to engage the community, and may not deliver the results of the study to the community in an effective way. OBJECTIVE To demonstrate how a research program can respond to a community research need, establish a community-academic partnership, and build a co-created citizen science program. METHODS A place-based, community-driven project was designed where academics and community members maintained a reciprocal dialogue, and together, we: 1) defined the question for study, 2) gathered information, 3) developed hypotheses, 3) designed data collection methodologies, 4) collected environmental samples (soil, irrigation water, and vegetables), 5) interpreted data, 6) disseminated results and translated results into action, and 7) discussed results and asked new questions. RESULTS The co-created environmental research project produced new data and addressed an additional exposure route (consumption of vegetables grown in soils with elevated arsenic levels). Public participation in scientific research improved environmental health assessment, information transfer, and risk communication efforts. Furthermore, incorporating the community in the scientific process produced both individual learning outcomes and community-level outcomes. CONCLUSIONS This approach illustrates the benefits of a community-academic co-created citizen-science program in addressing the complex problems that arise in communities neighboring a contaminated site. Such a project can increase the community's involvement in risk communication and decision-making, which ultimately has the potential to help mitigate exposure and thereby reduce associated risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monica D Ramirez-Andreotta
- Department of Soil, Water and Environmental Science, The University of Arizona, Touson, Arizona, United States of America
| | - Mark L Brusseau
- Department of Soil, Water and Environmental Science, The University of Arizona, Touson, Arizona, United States of America
- Department of Hydrology and Water Resources Department and The University of Arizona, Touson, Arizona, United States of America
| | - Janick Artiola
- Department of Soil, Water and Environmental Science, The University of Arizona, Touson, Arizona, United States of America
| | - Raina M Maier
- Department of Soil, Water and Environmental Science, The University of Arizona, Touson, Arizona, United States of America
| | - A Jay Gandolfi
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, The University of Arizona, Touson, Arizona, United States of America
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Ramirez-Andreotta MD, Brusseau ML, Artiola JF, Maier RM, Gandolfi AJ. Environmental Research Translation: enhancing interactions with communities at contaminated sites. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2014; 497-498:651-664. [PMID: 25173762 PMCID: PMC4186773 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2014.08.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2014] [Revised: 08/07/2014] [Accepted: 08/08/2014] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
The characterization and remediation of contaminated sites are complex endeavors fraught with numerous challenges. One particular challenge that is receiving increased attention is the development and encouragement of full participation by communities and community members affected by a given site in all facets of decision-making. Many disciplines have been grappling with the challenges associated with environmental and risk communication, public participation in environmental data generation, and decision-making and increasing community capacity. The concepts and methods developed by these disciplines are reviewed, with a focus on their relevance to the specific dynamics associated with environmental contamination sites. The contributions of these disciplines are then synthesized and integrated to help develop Environmental Research Translation (ERT), a proposed framework for environmental scientists to promote interaction and communication among involved parties at contaminated sites. This holistic approach is rooted in public participation approaches to science, which includes: a transdisciplinary team, effective collaboration, information transfer, public participation in environmental projects, and a cultural model of risk communication. Although there are challenges associated with the implementation of ERT, it is anticipated that application of this proposed translational science method could promote more robust community participation at contaminated sites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monica D Ramirez-Andreotta
- Soil, Water and Environmental Science Department, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, United States.
| | - Mark L Brusseau
- Soil, Water and Environmental Science Department, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, United States; Hydrology and Water Resources Department, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, United States
| | - Janick F Artiola
- Soil, Water and Environmental Science Department, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, United States
| | - Raina M Maier
- Soil, Water and Environmental Science Department, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, United States
| | - A Jay Gandolfi
- Pharmacology & Toxicology Department, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, United States
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Baron SL, Beard S, Davis LK, Delp L, Forst L, Kidd-Taylor A, Liebman AK, Linnan L, Punnett L, Welch LS. Promoting integrated approaches to reducing health inequities among low-income workers: applying a social ecological framework. Am J Ind Med 2014; 57:539-56. [PMID: 23532780 PMCID: PMC3843946 DOI: 10.1002/ajim.22174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 105] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/22/2013] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Nearly one of every three workers in the United States is low-income. Low-income populations have a lower life expectancy and greater rates of chronic diseases compared to those with higher incomes. Low- income workers face hazards in their workplaces as well as in their communities. Developing integrated public health programs that address these combined health hazards, especially the interaction of occupational and non-occupational risk factors, can promote greater health equity. METHODS We apply a social-ecological perspective in considering ways to improve the health of the low-income working population through integrated health protection and health promotion programs initiated in four different settings: the worksite, state and local health departments, community health centers, and community-based organizations. RESULTS Examples of successful approaches to developing integrated programs are presented in each of these settings. These examples illustrate several complementary venues for public health programs that consider the complex interplay between work-related and non work-related factors, that integrate health protection with health promotion and that are delivered at multiple levels to improve health for low-income workers. CONCLUSIONS Whether at the workplace or in the community, employers, workers, labor and community advocates, in partnership with public health practitioners, can deliver comprehensive and integrated health protection and health promotion programs. Recommendations for improved research, training, and coordination among health departments, health practitioners, worksites and community organizations are proposed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sherry L Baron
- Division of Surveillance, Hazard Evaluations, and Field Studies, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Cincinnati, Ohio
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Korfmacher KS, Elam S, Gray KM, Haynes E, Hughes MH. Unconventional natural gas development and public health: toward a community-informed research agenda. REVIEWS ON ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH 2014; 29:293-306. [PMID: 25204212 PMCID: PMC4399636 DOI: 10.1515/reveh-2014-0049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2014] [Accepted: 08/12/2014] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
Unconventional natural gas development (UNGD) using high-volume horizontal hydraulic fracturing ("fracking") has vastly increased the potential for domestic natural gas production in recent years. However, the rapid expansion of UNGD has also raised concerns about its potential impacts on public health. Academics and government agencies are developing research programs to explore these concerns. Community involvement in activities such as planning, conducting, and communicating research is widely recognized as having an important role in promoting environmental health. Historically, however, communities most often engage in research after environmental health concerns have emerged. This community information needs assessment took a prospective approach to integrating community leaders' knowledge, perceptions, and concerns into the research agenda prior to initiation of local UNGD. We interviewed community leaders about their views on environmental health information needs in three states (New York, North Carolina, and Ohio) prior to widespread UNGD. Interviewees emphasized the cumulative, long-term, and indirect determinants of health, as opposed to specific disease outcomes. Responses focused not only on information needs, but also on communication and transparency with respect to research processes and funding. Interviewees also prioritized investigation of policy approaches to effectively protect human health over the long term. Although universities were most often cited as a credible source of information, interviewees emphasized the need for multiple strategies for disseminating information. By including community leaders' concerns, insights, and questions from the outset, the research agenda on UNGD is more likely to effectively inform decision making that ultimately protects public health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katrina Smith Korfmacher
- Corresponding author: Katrina Smith Korfmacher, Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester, 601 Elmwood Ave, Box EHSC Rochester, New York 14642, USA, Phone: + (585) 273-4304,
| | - Sarah Elam
- College of Medicine, Department of Environmental Health, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Kathleen M. Gray
- Institute for the Environment, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Erin Haynes
- College of Medicine, Department of Environmental Health, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Megan Hoert Hughes
- Institute for the Environment, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
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“…you earn money by suffering pain:” Beliefs About Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Among Latino Poultry Processing Workers. J Immigr Minor Health 2013; 17:791-801. [PMID: 24363119 DOI: 10.1007/s10903-013-9967-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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Beck AF, Simmons JM, Sauers HS, Sharkey K, Alam M, Jones C, Kahn RS. Connecting at-risk inpatient asthmatics to a community-based program to reduce home environmental risks: care system redesign using quality improvement methods. Hosp Pediatr 2013; 3:326-34. [PMID: 24435190 DOI: 10.1542/hpeds.2013-0047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Connecting patients admitted with asthma to community-based services could improve care and more efficiently allocate resources. We sought to develop and evaluate an intervention to mitigate in-home environmental hazards (eg, pests, mold) for such children. METHODS This was a controlled, quality improvement study on the inpatient units of an urban, academic children's hospital. Clinicians and public health officials co-developed processes to identify children with in-home risks and refer them for assessment and remediation. Processes assessed were the rate at which those identified as eligible were offered referrals, those referred received inspections, and primary care physicians (PCPs) were notified of risks and referrals. Consecutively occurring and seasonally matched intervention (n = 30) and historical control (n = 38) subcohorts were compared with respect to postdischarge mitigating actions (eg, discussions with landlords, PCPs), remaining risks, and morbidity (symptom-free days in previous 2 weeks and Child Asthma Control Test scores). RESULTS In the first year, the percentage of eligible children offered referrals increased to a sustained rate of ∼90%; ∼65% of referrals led to in-home inspections (n = 50); and hazards were abated in 30 homes. PCP notification increased from 50% to ∼80%. After discharge, referred parents were more likely to discuss concerns with landlords, the health department, attorneys, and PCPs than patients admitted preimplementation (all P < .05). Referred households were more likely to report reduced presence of ≥2 exposures (P < .05). No differences in asthma morbidity were observed. CONCLUSIONS We integrated environmental hazard mitigation into inpatient care. Community-engaged care delivery that reduces risks for poor asthma outcomes can be initiated within the hospital.
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Klaiman T, Higdon M, Galarce E. Coordinating research and practice: challenges testing messages to increase medical reserve corps participation in local health department activities. J Community Health 2013; 38:392-6. [PMID: 23124582 DOI: 10.1007/s10900-012-9629-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
Local health departments (LHDs) increasingly depend on volunteers, often Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) volunteers, to assist with a variety of functions. While LHDs have extensive lists of volunteers, only about 10 % are actively involved in LHD activities. Psychological literature has shown that well-designed messages can motivate behavior among individuals. Key to this theory is the concept of "framing," defined as the influence the characterization of an issue can have on its understanding. Research has been conducted on how to frame and disseminate both political and public health messages to alter individual behavior. We aimed to design and test appropriate evidence-based messages to increase volunteer participation rates in LHD flu clinics. After inviting over 900 MRC units to participate during the 2011-2012 influenza season, five were able to collect and report data to the research team. Using a randomized trial design, we tested messages among the five participating MRC units consisting of a total of 2,020 volunteers. Chi Square analysis showed no difference in attendance between those who received either of the test messages versus the control message (p = .305). Our small sample size of MRC units likely biased our sample and reduced the external validity of our study. Our experience in conducting research with MRC coordinators and volunteers highlights the challenges of conducting research with practitioners who lack the time, infrastructure and resources necessary to work with researchers. There is a strong need for more supportive infrastructure for conducting research with practitioners.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamar Klaiman
- Department of Health Policy and Public Health, University of the Sciences in Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
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Beck AF, Klein MD, Schaffzin JK, Tallent V, Gillam M, Kahn RS. Identifying and treating a substandard housing cluster using a medical-legal partnership. Pediatrics 2012; 130:831-8. [PMID: 23090340 DOI: 10.1542/peds.2012-0769] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE There is a documented connection between the home environment and health. Medical-legal partnerships (MLPs) can address social and environmental determinants of health. Our objective was to describe a cluster of substandard housing identified and treated by an MLP based in a pediatric primary care setting. METHODS Potential cases of poor-quality housing were identified during outpatient primary care. A case was defined as any rented housing unit with a reported unaddressed housing risk within a defined building portfolio (owned by a single developer) in which ≥ 1 child lived. An on-site MLP offered affected families legal services including ordinance enforcement and connection to resources. They also initiated portfolio-wide advocacy. Legal advocates reported case outcomes. Medical history and household demographics were collected from the medical record and compared with clinic-wide data by using Fisher's exact test or χ(2) statistics. RESULTS After identification of a single case, an additional 15 cases were identified. Pest infestation was the most common initial risk identified. Of 14 units with outcome data, repairs were completed in 10 (71%). Of the 19 building complexes with the same owner, 11 received significant systemic repairs. Of the 45 children living within the 16 identified case units, 36% had asthma, 33% had developmental delay or behavioral disorder, and 9% had an elevated lead level. Affected children were more likely to have one of these diagnoses than the general clinic population (all P < .01). CONCLUSIONS An MLP identified and improved home environmental conditions for children living in a cluster of substandard housing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew F Beck
- Division of General and Community Pediatrics and Hospital Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio 45229, USA.
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Methods in public health services and systems research: a systematic review. Am J Prev Med 2012; 42:S42-57. [PMID: 22502925 DOI: 10.1016/j.amepre.2012.01.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2011] [Revised: 11/28/2011] [Accepted: 01/18/2012] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
CONTEXT Public Health Services and Systems Research (PHSSR) is concerned with evaluating the organization, financing, and delivery of public health services and their impact on public health. The strength of the current PHSSR evidence is somewhat dependent on the methods used to examine the field. Methods used in PHSSR articles, reports, and other documents were reviewed to assess their methodologic strengths and challenges in light of PHSSR goals. EVIDENCE ACQUISITION A total of 364 documents from the PHSSR library met the inclusion criteria as empirical and based in the U.S. After additional exclusions, 327 of these were analyzed. EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS A detailed codebook was used to classify articles in terms of (1) study design; (2) sampling; (3) instrumentation; (4) data collection; (5) data analysis; and (6) study validity. Inter-coder reliability was assessed for the codebook; once it was found reliable, the available empirical documents were coded. CONCLUSIONS Although there has been a dramatic increase in the amount of published PHSSR recently, methods used remain primarily cross-sectional and descriptive. Moreover, although appropriate for exploratory and foundational work in a new field, these approaches are limiting progress toward some PHSSR goals. Recommendations are given to advance and strengthen the methods used in PHSSR to better meet the goals and challenges facing the field.
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Brown P, Brody JG, Morello-Frosch R, Tovar J, Zota AR, Rudel RA. Measuring the success of community science: the northern California Household Exposure Study. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES 2012; 120:326-31. [PMID: 22147336 PMCID: PMC3295345 DOI: 10.1289/ehp.1103734] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2011] [Accepted: 12/06/2011] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Environmental health research involving community participation has increased substantially since the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) environmental justice and community-based participatory research (CBPR) partnerships began in the mid-1990s. The goals of these partnerships are to inform and empower better decisions about exposures, foster trust, and generate scientific knowledge to reduce environmental health disparities in low-income, minority communities. Peer-reviewed publication and clinical health outcomes alone are inadequate criteria to judge the success of projects in meeting these goals; therefore, new strategies for evaluating success are needed. OBJECTIVES We reviewed the methods used to evaluate our project, "Linking Breast Cancer Advocacy and Environmental Justice," to help identify successful CBPR methods and to assist other teams in documenting effectiveness. Although our project precedes the development of the NIEHS Evaluation Metrics Manual, a schema to evaluate the success of projects funded through the Partnerships in Environmental Public Health (PEPH), our work reported here illustrates the record keeping and self-reflection anticipated in NIEHS's PEPH. DISCUSSION Evaluation strategies should assess how CBPR partnerships meet the goals of all partners. Our partnership, which included two strong community-based organizations, produced a team that helped all partners gain organizational capacity. Environmental sampling in homes and reporting the results of that effort had community education and constituency-building benefits. Scientific results contributed to a court decision that required cumulative impact assessment for an oil refinery and to new policies for chemicals used in consumer products. All partners leveraged additional funding to extend their work. CONCLUSIONS An appropriate evaluation strategy can demonstrate how CBPR projects can advance science, support community empowerment, increase environmental health literacy, and generate individual and policy action to protect health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Phil Brown
- Department of Sociology and Center for Environmental Studies, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island 02912, USA.
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Cordner A, Ciplet D, Brown P, Morello-Frosch R. Reflexive Research Ethics for Environmental Health and Justice: Academics and Movement-Building. SOCIAL MOVEMENT STUDIES 2012; 11:161-176. [PMID: 22690133 PMCID: PMC3370411 DOI: 10.1080/14742837.2012.664898] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Community-engaged research on environmental problems has reshaped researcher-participant relationships, academic-community interaction, and the role of community partners in human subjects protection and ethical oversight. We draw on our own and others' research collaborations with environmental health and justice social movement organizations to discuss the ethical concerns that emerge in community-engaged research. In this paper we introduce the concept of reflexive research ethics: ethical guidelines and decision-making principles that depend on continual reflexivity concerning the relationships between researchers and participants. Seeing ethics in this way can help scientists conduct research that simultaneously achieves a high level of professional conduct and protects the rights, well-being, and autonomy of both researchers and the multiple publics affected by research. We highlight our research with community-based organizations in Massachusetts, California, and Alaska, and discuss the potential impacts of the community or social movement on the research process and the potential impacts of research on community or social movement goals. We conclude by discussing ways in which the ethical concerns that surface in community-engaged research have led to advances in ethical research practices. This type of work raises ethical questions whose answers are broadly relevant for social movement, environmental, and public health scholars.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - David Ciplet
- Sociology Department, Brown University, Providence, USA
| | - Phil Brown
- Sociology Department, Brown University, Providence, USA
| | - Rachel Morello-Frosch
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management and School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, USA
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Azaroff LS, Nguyen HM, Do T, Gore R, Goldstein-Gelb M. Results of a community-university partnership to reduce deadly hazards in hardwood floor finishing. J Community Health 2011; 36:658-68. [PMID: 21267640 DOI: 10.1007/s10900-011-9357-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
A community-university partnership used community-based participatory research (CBPR) to design, implement, and evaluate a multi-cultural public health campaign to eliminate flammable products and reduce use of products high in volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in hardwood floor finishing in Massachusetts. Leading participants were Vietnamese-American organizations and businesses. Following the public health campaign, a multi-lingual survey of self-reported experiences with fires, product use, exposure to outreach activities, and changes made, was conducted with floor finishers. One hundred nine floor finishers responded. Over 40% reported fires at their companies' jobs, mostly caused by lacquer sealers. Over one third had heard radio or TV shows about health and safety in floor finishing, and over half reported making changes as a result of outreach. Exposure to various outreach activities was associated with reducing use of flammable products, increasing use of low-VOC products, and greater knowledge about product flammability. However, most respondents still reported using flammable products. Outreach led by community partners reached large proportions of floor finishers, was associated with use of safer products, and adds to recent work on CBPR with immigrant workers. Continued use of flammable products supports the belief that an enforceable ban was ultimately necessary to eradicate them.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lenore S Azaroff
- Work Environment Department, University of Massachusetts Lowell, One University Avenue, Lowell, MA 01854, USA.
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Caban-Martinez AJ, Clarke TC, Davila EP, Fleming LE, Lee DJ. Application of handheld devices to field research among underserved construction worker populations: a workplace health assessment pilot study. Environ Health 2011; 10:27. [PMID: 21453552 PMCID: PMC3078837 DOI: 10.1186/1476-069x-10-27] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2010] [Accepted: 04/01/2011] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Novel low-cost approaches for conducting rapid health assessments and health promotion interventions among underserved worker groups are needed. Recruitment and participation of construction workers is particularly challenging due to their often transient periods of work at any one construction site, and their limited time during work to participate in such studies. In the present methodology report, we discuss the experience, advantages and disadvantages of using touch screen handheld devices for the collection of field data from a largely underserved worker population. METHODS In March 2010, a workplace-centered pilot study to examine the feasibility of using a handheld personal device for the rapid health assessment of construction workers in two South Florida Construction sites was undertaken. A 45-item survey instrument, including health-related questions on tobacco exposure, workplace safety practices, musculoskeletal disorders and health symptoms, was programmed onto Apple iPod Touch® devices. Language sensitive (English and Spanish) recruitment scripts, verbal consent forms, and survey questions were all preloaded onto the handheld devices. The experience (time to survey administration and capital cost) of the handheld administration method was recorded and compared to approaches available in the extant literature. RESULTS Construction workers were very receptive to the recruitment, interview and assessment processes conducted through the handheld devices. Some workers even welcomed the opportunity to complete the questionnaire themselves using the touch screen handheld device. A list of advantages and disadvantages emerged from this experience that may be useful in the rapid health assessment of underserved populations working in a variety of environmental and occupational health settings. CONCLUSIONS Handheld devices, which are relatively inexpensive, minimize survey response error, and allow for easy storage of data. These technological research modalities are useful in the collection and assessment of environmental and occupational research data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alberto J Caban-Martinez
- Department of Epidemiology & Public Health, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL USA
| | - Tainya C Clarke
- Department of Epidemiology & Public Health, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL USA
| | - Evelyn P Davila
- Department of Epidemiology & Public Health, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL USA
| | - Lora E Fleming
- Department of Epidemiology & Public Health, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL USA
| | - David J Lee
- Department of Epidemiology & Public Health, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL USA
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Buck AJ, Vena JE, McGuinness BM, Cooney MA, Louis GM. Communicating serum chemical concentrations to study participants: follow up survey. Environ Health 2010; 9:20. [PMID: 20441591 PMCID: PMC2881911 DOI: 10.1186/1476-069x-9-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2010] [Accepted: 05/04/2010] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND A considerable literature now supports the importance of effective communication with study participants, including how best to develop communication plans focusing on the uncertainty of health risks associated with particular environmental exposures. Strategies for communicating individual concentrations of environmental chemicals in human biological samples in the absence of clearly established safe or hazardous levels have been discussed from a conceptual basis and to a lesser extent from an empirical basis. We designed and evaluated an empirically based communication strategy for women of reproductive age who previously participated in a prospective study focusing on persistent environmental chemicals and reproductive outcomes. METHODS A cohort of women followed from preconception through pregnancy or up to 12 menstrual cycles without pregnancy was given their individual serum concentrations for lead, dichloro-2,2-bisp-chlorophenyl ethylene, and select polychlorinated biphenyl congeners. Two versions of standardized letters were prepared depending upon women's exposure status, which was characterized as low or high. Letters included an introduction, individual concentrations, population reference values and guidance for minimizing future exposures. Participants were actively monitored for any questions or concerns following receipt of letters. RESULTS Ninety-eight women were sent letters informing them of their individual concentrations to select study chemicals. None of the 89 (91%) participating women irrespective of exposure status contacted the research team with questions or concerns about communicated exposures despite an invitation to do so. CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest that study participants can be informed about their individual serum concentrations without generating unnecessary concern.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra J Buck
- University at Buffalo Law School, University at Buffalo, State of New York, John Lord O'Brian Hall, Buffalo, New York 14260, USA
| | - John E Vena
- Department of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, College of Public Health, University of Georgia, 132 A Paul D. Coverdell Center, Athens, Georgia 30602, USA
| | - Bridget M McGuinness
- Department of Social & Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health & Health Professions, University at Buffalo, 270 Farber Hall, Buffalo, New York 14214, USA
| | - Maureen A Cooney
- Division of Epidemiology, Statistics and Prevention Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health & Human Development, 6100 Executive Blvd., Rockville, Maryland 20852, USA
| | - Germaine M Louis
- Division of Epidemiology, Statistics and Prevention Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health & Human Development, 6100 Executive Blvd., Rockville, Maryland 20852, USA
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Birnbaum LS, Zenick H, Branche CM. Environmental justice: a continuing commitment to an evolving concept. Am J Public Health 2009; 99 Suppl 3:S487-9. [PMID: 19890144 DOI: 10.2105/ajph.2009.179010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
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