Pilot

University Of Arizona, Tucson AZ

Investigators

Linked publications & trials

Abstract

The goal of the Pilot Projects Core (PPC) of the Center for Indigenous Environmental Health Research (CIEHR) is to expand the ability of American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) communities nationwide to evaluate environmental exposures and to use this information to formulate approaches to reduce associated health disparities. AI/AN communities suffer from a myriad of adverse environmental exposures, including but not limited to contamination from mining, fracking, oil spills, contamination of food items in subsistence/ traditional diets, and inadequate housing conditions. While AI/AN communities have significant concerns about environmental contamination and the consequential health impacts, there is often limited infrastructure available to evaluate these exposures. In addition, many academic research teams lack experience working with the AI/AN population, and university objectives often do not match with those of the community. Without this exposure information, linked with health risk assessments, tribal leaders and health departments may be ill-equipped to protect their communities. Using a community-based participatory research (CBPR) process has proven effective in AI/AN communities. In addition, increasing community members' knowledge of environmental exposures, such as strengthening environmental health literacy (EHL), significantly enhances their ability to effectively respond, and the most effective interventions work within an individual and community resilience framework. The PPC will assist communities in addressing environmental health disparities and developing novel methods of integrating exposure assessment, improving EHL and strengthening community resilience, and informing tribal policy through completion of the following specific aims: 1) Develop research concepts and proposals based on CBPR principles; 2) Create combined community and academic teams to carry out the proposed research; and 3) Engage community resilience, improve EHL and support policy development. Anticipated outcomes of the PPC include: 1) formation of additional partnerships to conduct research with AI/AN communities; 2) expansion of the breadth of environmental exposures being evaluated, including social stressors, that may affect the health of AI/AN people; 3) development and testing of innovative research models that integrate exposure assessment and AI/AN EHL and tribal resilience; and 4) development of AI/AN policies and sustainable community programs aimed at reducing environmental health disparities.