Skip to main content
Key Specialties
Cardiology Diabetology Endocrinology Gastroenterology Geriatrics and Gerontology Gynecology and Obstetrics Hematology Infectious Disease Internal Medicine Nephrology Neurology Oncology Pediatrics Respiratory Medicine Rheumatology Surgery
Congress Coverage
2024 ACC Congress 2023 ESMO Congress 2023 EASD Congress 2023 ERS Congress 2023 ESC Congress 2023 EHA Congress 2023 ASCO Annual Meeting
Clinical Collections
Advances in Alzheimer’s

At a glance: The ONWARDS insulin icodec trials

A round-up of the ONWARDS phase 3 clinical trials evaluating the novel weekly insulin icodec in people with diabetes.
ADVANCED SEARCH
Log in
Top
Journal of Community Health
Published in: Journal of Community Health 6/2017

01-12-2017 | Original Paper

Urban Youth Knowledge and Attitudes Regarding Lead Poisoning

Authors: Sandra Bogar, Aniko Szabo, Shane Woodruff, Sheri Johnson

Published in: Journal of Community Health | Issue 6/2017

Login to get access

Abstract

Environmental health literacy (EHL) is a promising and evolving field of research that could benefit from youth engagement. Yet studies focused on youths' environmental health awareness and concerns are limited. For example, although lead exposure remains a threat to youth development in urban environments, no published studies have measured urban youth's knowledge of lead poisoning. A CBPR partnership established a youth advisory council (YAC) who helped to design, interpret and disseminate a mixed methods study exploring environmental health perceptions among urban youths ages 10–18. Surveys assessed awareness, attitudes, and knowledge regarding lead poisoning and five environmental health issues determined by the YAC. Focus group questions further contextualized youths' lead knowledge and understanding of youths' environmental health concerns. A majority of youth could identify specific sources of lead exposure but had minimal knowledge of prevention strategies, and focus group data revealed misinformation regarding lead sources and consequences. Survey and focus group respondents' level of awareness and concern regarding YAC-selected EH issues was high in comparison to lead poisoning. In particular, job opportunities and police brutality were endorsed as both neighborhood concerns and priorities. Awareness and knowledge of environmental health issues among urban youth have not been well described. These findings reinforce the importance of addressing problems of local relevance. Moving forward, lead poisoning prevention education for youth and youth EHL partnerships may benefit from incorporating an ecological approach wherein connections to the social and economic context are made explicit.
Literature
1.
Finn, S., & O’Fallon, L. (2015). The emergence of environmental health literacy—From its roots to its future potential. Environmental Health Perspectives, 125(4), 495–501CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
2.
Colucci-Gray, L., Camino, E., Barbiero, G., & Gray, D. (2006). From scientific literacy to sustainability literacy: An ecological framework for education. Science Education, 90(2), 227–252.CrossRef
3.
Guidotti, T. L. (2013). Communication models in environmental health. Journal of Health Communication, 18(10), 1166–1179.CrossRefPubMed
4.
Nutbeam, D. (2008). The evolving concept of health literacy. Social Science & Medicine, 67(12), 2072–2078.CrossRef
5.
Doria, M. F., Abubakar, I., Syed, Q., Hughes, S., & Hunter, P. R. (2006). Perceived causes of sporadic cryptosporidiosis and their relation to sources of information. Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, 60(9), 745–750.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
6.
Arcury, T. A., Quandt, S. A., & Russell, G. B. (2002). Pesticide safety among farmworkers: Perceived risk and perceived control as factors reflecting environmental justice. Environmental Health Perspectives, 110(suppl 2), 233–240.PubMedPubMedCentral
7.
Caron, R. M., Tshabangu-Soko, T., & Finefrock, K. (2013). Childhood lead poisoning in a Somali refugee resettlement community in New Hampshire. Journal of Community Health, 38(4), 660–669.CrossRefPubMed
8.
Evans, D., Fullilove, M. T., Green, L., & Levison, M. (2002). Awareness of environmental risks and protective actions among minority women in Northern Manhattan. Environmental Health Perspectives, 110(suppl 2), 271–275.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
9.
Green, L., Fullilove, M., Evans, D., & Shepard, P. (2002). “Hey, mom, thanks!”: Use of focus groups in the development of place-specific materials for a community environmental action campaign. Environmental Health Perspectives, 110(suppl 2), 265–269.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
10.
White, B. M., Hall, E. S., & Johnson, C. (2014). Environmental health literacy in support of social action: An environmental justice perspective. Journal of Environmental Health, 77(1), 24–29.PubMed
11.
Taylor-Clark, K., Koh, H., & Viswanath, K. (2007). Perceptions of environmental health risks and communication barriers among low-SEP and racial/ethnic minority communities. Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved, 18(4 suppl), 165–183.CrossRefPubMed
12.
13.
14.
American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Environmental Health. (2003). In R. Etzel (Ed.), Pediatric environmental health (2nd ed.). Elk Grove Village, IL: American Academy of Pediatrics.
15.
World Health Organization (WHO). (2005). Children’s health and the environment: A global perspective: A resource manual for the health sector. Geneva: World Health Organization.
16.
17.
Nevin, R. (2000). How lead exposure relates to temporal changes in IQ, violent crime, and unwed pregnancy. Environmental Research, 83(1), 1–22.CrossRefPubMed
18.
Lyngbye, T., Hansen, O. N., Trillingsgaard, A., Beese, I., & Grandjean, P. (1990). Learning disabilities in children: Significance of low-level lead-exposure and confounding factors. Acta Paediatrica, 79(3), 352–360.CrossRef
19.
Needleman, H. (2004). Lead poisoning. Annual Review Medicine, 55, 209–222.CrossRef
20.
Krieger, N., Chen, J. T., Waterman, P. D., Soobader, M. J., Subramanian, S. V., & Carson, R. (2003). Choosing area based socioeconomic measures to monitor social inequalities in low birth weight and childhood lead poisoning: The public health disparities geocoding project (US). Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, 57(3), 186–199.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
21.
Lanphear, B. P., Hornung, R., Ho, M., Howard, C. R., Eberly, S., & Knauf, K. (2002). Environmental lead exposure during early childhood. The Journal of Pediatrics, 140(1), 40–47.CrossRefPubMed
22.
Lanphear, B. P., Weitzman, M., & Eberly, S. (1996). Racial differences in urban children’s environmental exposures to lead. American Journal of Public Health, 86(10), 1460–1463.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
23.
24.
Boulton, G. (2014). In Milwaukee and U.S., hospitals follow money to suburbs. Journal Sentinel.
25.
Research & polling inc. (1995). Childhood lead poisoning prevention. Albuquerque, NM: State of New Mexico Department of health survey research.
26.
Mahon, I. (1997). Caregivers’ knowledge and perceptions of preventing childhood lead poisoning. Public Health Nursing, 14(3), 169–182.CrossRefPubMed
27.
Mehta, S., & Binns, H. J. (1998). What do parents know about lead poisoning?: The Chicago lead knowledge test. Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, 152(12), 1213–1218.CrossRef
28.
Johnson, S., Cardona, D., Davis, J., et al. (2016). Using community-based participatory research to explore backyard gardening practices and soil lead concentrations in urban neighborhoods. Progress in Community Health Partnerships: Research, Education, and Action, 10(1), 9–17.CrossRef
29.
Badowski, N., Castro, C. M., Montgomery, M., Pickering, A. J., Mamuya, S., & Davis, J. (2011). Understanding household behavioral risk factors for diarrheal disease in Dar Es Salaam: A photovoice community assessment. Journal of Environmental and Public Health. doi:10.​1155/​2011/​130467.PubMedPubMedCentral
30.
Brierly, C. K. et al. (2014). Healthcare access and health beliefs of the indigenous peoples in Remote Amazonian Peru. American Journal of Tropical Medicine & Hygiene, 90(1), 180–183.CrossRef
31.
Kimani, B., Nyagero, J., & Ikamari, L. (2012). Knowledge, attitude and practices on jigger infestation among household members aged 18 to 60 years: Case study of a rural location in Kenya. The Pan African Medical Journal, 13(suppl 1), 7.PubMedPubMedCentral
32.
Polivka, B. J., & Gottesman, M. M. (2005). Parental perceptions of barriers to blood lead testing. Journal of Pediatric Health Care, 19(5), 276–284.CrossRefPubMed
33.
Etzel, R. A., Crain, E. F., Gitterman, B. A., Oberg, C., Scheidt, P., & Landrigan, P. J. (2003). Pediatric environmental health competencies for specialists. Ambulatory Pediatrics, 3(1), 60–63.CrossRefPubMed
34.
Rosner, D., & Markowitz, G. (2016). It’s not just Flint. There’s an ugly history of lead poisoning and the poor in the US. Mother Jones.
35.
36.
Gayford, C. (2002). Environmental literacy: Towards a shared understanding for science teachers. Research in Science & Technological Education, 20(1), 99–110.CrossRef
37.
McBeth, W., & Volk, T. L. (2009). The national environmental literacy project: A baseline study of middle grade students in the United States. The Journal of Environmental Education, 41(1), 55–67.CrossRef
38.
Rowe, D. (2002). Environmental literacy and sustainability as core requirements: Success stories and models. Available at Ncsonline.Org/EFS/DebraRowe.Pdf.
39.
40.
Green, E. C., & Murphy, E. (2014). Health belief model. The Wiley Blackwell Encyclopedia of Health, Illness, Behavior, and Society.
41.
Freire, P. (1972). Pedagogy of the oppressed. New York: Herder and Herder.
42.
Schulz, A., & Northridge, M. E. (2004). Social determinants of health: Implications for environmental health promotion. Health Education & Behavior: The Official Publication of the Society for Public Health Education, 31(4), 455–471. doi:10.​1177/​1090198104265598​.CrossRef
Metadata
Title
Urban Youth Knowledge and Attitudes Regarding Lead Poisoning
Authors
Sandra Bogar
Aniko Szabo
Shane Woodruff
Sheri Johnson
Publication date
01-12-2017
Publisher
Springer US
Published in
Journal of Community Health / Issue 6/2017
Print ISSN: 0094-5145
Electronic ISSN: 1573-3610
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10900-017-0378-8

Other articles of this Issue 6/2017

Journal of Community Health 6/2017 Go to the issue

Original Paper

Associations Between Parental BMI and the Family Nutrition and Physical Activity Environment in a Community Sample

Original Paper

Point-of-Sale E-cigarette Advertising Among Tobacco Stores

Original Paper

Effectiveness of Drug Camps in Treatment of Substance Abuse in Thailand

Original Paper

Race is a Strong Predictor of Receipt of a Written Survivorship Care Plan: Results from the National Health Interview Survey

Original Paper

Improving STD Screening Rates on a University Campus

Original Paper

Exploring Racial, Gender, and Insurance Disparities in Patients with Osteoporotic Fractures