Awareness of environmental risks and protective actions among minority women in Northern Manhattan.

Abstract

We report findings of a survey of 555 women 18-35 years of age living in Northern Manhattan in New York City. The survey was conducted by the Columbia Center for Children's Environmental Health (CCCEH) to learn what community women knew about environmental risks to health and what they did to protect themselves and their families, to validate the findings of focus groups held with community women, and to provide information for planning the Healthy Home, Healthy Child campaign sponsored by CCCEH. Survey findings showed that overall awareness of environmental risks to children's health was high, with more than 95% of respondents identifying lead, household pests, pesticides, environmental tobacco smoke, and drugs as harmful to health. Similarly, more than 95% of respondents reported taking one or more protective actions to reduce these risks, suggesting that these factors significantly concern women living in Northern Manhattan. The reported levels of specific protective actions to reduce these risks, however, varied greatly. In each area of risk the most frequently reported actions were effective ones, but many other important protective actions were rarely mentioned, suggesting that there was room for an educational campaign to teach women new ways to protect their families. Survey respondents and CCCEH scientists differed in the priorities they placed on the importance of key protective actions, confirming earlier focus group findings and suggesting the importance of incorporating community concerns into the planning of environmental campaigns.

Examining inequities in children’s environmental health: results of a survey on the risk perceptions and protective actions of new mothers

“…By comparison, Evans et al (2002) in their study of visible minority women in New York found that most participants reported high levels of awareness of environmental risks (>95% for most identified hazards) and a similarly high percentage reported taking one or more protective actions to reduce identified exposures. The difference in findings may be explained in part by the fact that specific environmental hazards were introduced in their questionnaire, whereas in our study they were not.…”

“…One exception is a study by Evans et al (2002) examining visible minority women's awareness of environmental health risks and protective actions in New York City. Using a questionnaire asking about specific environmental risks, including lead and pesticides, and precautions taken to reduce these risks, findings include high levels of awareness for most identified hazards (>95%), and similarly high levels of precautionary actions.…”

When home is where the stress is: expanding the dimensions of housing that influence asthma morbidity

“…27 A number of housing characteristics, including floor level, presence of pests, and dampness have been associated with psychological distress, poor mental health, and lower perceived health status. [28][29][30] Noise exposure in and around housing has been associated with increased cortisol levels and higher perceived stress.…”

Social and environmental stressors in the home and childhood asthma

“…Among New York City residents, Galea et al reported that, living in a neighbourhood characterised by a poor-quality built environment (both internal and external) is associated with a greater likelihood of depression, even after accounting for individual-level socio-demographic factors and neighbourhood-level income 8. More specifically, increased noise levels in the home have been associated with higher perceived stress and increased cortisol levels,11 presence of mold dampness and the inability to keep the house warm have all been associated with both asthma symptoms and distress outcomes,2 12 13 and housing instability has been associated both with increased allergen levels such as cockroaches and dust, and with higher distress symptoms 9 14. It has been hypothesised that these associations can be explained by a lack of control over our living environment.…”