The parishes examined by this proposal have seen """"""""five disasters in five years"""""""" - Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, Gustav, Ike, and the DWH disaster. The mental and physical health of women of reproductive age is important not only in itself, but for the health of future generations. Previous studies of environmental disasters largely indicate that although the physical effects of environmental disasters are usually the major source of concern, psychological effects of these disasters can be more significant. Women are vulnerable to post-disaster psychopathology, and pregnant women and mothers may be particularly vulnerable. Women who experience stress during their pregnancy and who have depression or other mental health problems are also at increased risk for adverse pregnancy outcomes like low birthweight (LBW) and preterm birth (PTB). In addition, some environmental contaminants, such as lead and air pollution, have been associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes. While it has been proposed that the effects of social and environmental adversity are likely to be cumulative and perpetuate health disparities, this has been little studied. We propose to compare mental and physical health outcomes in women exposed in varying degrees to the DWH disaster. 250 pregnant and non-pregnant women each, from two affected communities, will be recruited over two years, and will be questioned about their experience of the oil spill. Hurricane Katrina, and other adversities. They will also provide blood samples to determine lead and mercury levels. Air pollution data will be collected from monitoring data. Depression and anxiety levels, as well as reproductive choices, will be examined in these women. An additional 1000 pregnant women will be recruited over four years to allow us to examine the effects of the disasters and environmental exposures on birth outcomes.
Our specific aims are 1) To determine the effect of the DWH disaster on the mental health of women of reproductive age;2) To determine the effect of the DWH disaster on reproductive outcomes (reproductive choices, fertility, LBW, PTB);3) To determine the effect of lifetime social adversity on reproductive outcomes, and 4) To determine how social and environmental adversity interact to affect reproductive outcomes. The proposed research will be innovative in bringing together the research on disaster psychology with stress and pregnancy, examining the role of lifetime social adversities on reproductive outcomes, and examining the interaction between social adversity and environmental contamination.

Public Health Relevance

The intent of this proposal is to address health issues of concern to the residents of the Gulf States affected by the Deepwater Horizon (DWH) disaster and oil spill, focusing on women of reproductive age. We will address the effects of a technological disaster, on mental health, reproductive choices, and birth outcomes in pregnant and non-pregnant women. Our project will address the effects of the social and physical environment in producing adult health.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS)
Type
Research Program--Cooperative Agreements (U19)
Project #
5U19ES020677-04
Application #
8663266
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZES1-LWJ-J)
Project Start
Project End
Budget Start
2014-05-01
Budget End
2015-04-30
Support Year
4
Fiscal Year
2014
Total Cost
$289,456
Indirect Cost
$84,262
Name
Tulane University
Department
Type
DUNS #
053785812
City
New Orleans
State
LA
Country
United States
Zip Code
70118
Harville, Emily W; Shankar, Arti; Zilversmit, Leah et al. (2018) The Gulf oil spill, miscarriage, and infertility: the GROWH study. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 91:47-56
Mundorf, Christopher; Shankar, Arti; Moran, Tracy et al. (2018) Reducing the Risk of Postpartum Depression in a Low-Income Community Through a Community Health Worker Intervention. Matern Child Health J 22:520-528
Wickliffe, Jeffrey K; Simon-Friedt, Bridget; Howard, Jessi L et al. (2018) Consumption of Fish and Shrimp from Southeast Louisiana Poses No Unacceptable Lifetime Cancer Risks Attributable to High-Priority Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons. Risk Anal 38:1944-1961
Harville, Emily W; Shankar, Arti; Dunkel Schetter, Christine et al. (2018) Cumulative effects of the Gulf oil spill and other disasters on mental health among reproductive-aged women: The Gulf Resilience on Women's Health study. Psychol Trauma 10:533-541
Mundorf, Christopher A; Lichtveld, Maureen Y (2018) Using community-based, ethnographic methods to examine risk perceptions and actions of low-income, first-time mothers in a post-spill environment. J Risk Res 21:308-322
Harville, Emily W; Shankar, Arti; Zilversmit, Leah et al. (2017) Self-Reported Oil Spill Exposure and Pregnancy Complications: The GROWH Study. Int J Environ Res Public Health 14:
Jones, Christopher W; Gambala, Cecilia; Esteves, Kyle C et al. (2017) Differences in placental telomere length suggest a link between racial disparities in birth outcomes and cellular aging. Am J Obstet Gynecol 216:294.e1-294.e8
Zilversmit, Leah; Wickliffe, Jeffrey; Shankar, Arti et al. (2017) Correlations of Biomarkers and Self-Reported Seafood Consumption among Pregnant and Non-Pregnant Women in Southeastern Louisiana after the Gulf Oil Spill: The GROWH Study. Int J Environ Res Public Health 14:
Mundorf, Christopher; Shankar, Arti; Peng, Terrance et al. (2017) Therapeutic Relationship and Study Adherence in a Community Health Worker-Led Intervention. J Community Health 42:21-29
Lichtveld, Maureen; Goldstein, Bernard; Grattan, Lynn et al. (2016) Then and now: lessons learned from community- academic partnerships in environmental health research. Environ Health 15:117

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