Community-based strategies for environmental health education, outreach and training in a Mohawk community adjacent to a Superfund site will be facilitated through working partnerships and increased consultation amongst community members, their primary health care providers, and health research scientists in collaboration with a community-based Research Advisory Group. Principles of cultural relevance such as symbolic literacy, use of radio and print media with Mohawk language content and utilization of interdisciplinary and interpersonal communication channels will be integrated into the program design to foster community understanding and appropriate action on environmental health issues. Health risk perception and risk communication needs will be determined in the initial phase of the four-year program through an """"""""Akwesasne Environmental Health Survey"""""""" geared to community focus groups. Further, a comparative survey in the third year of the program will be conducted to evaluate the efficacy of communications strategies and interventions. The program will produce and air a weekly 30-minute """"""""Good Health"""""""" radio show, develop culturally appropriate educational materials, including an annual newsletter, conduct an """"""""Akwesasne Environmental Health Survey"""""""" and training workshops for clinicians and traditional practitioners to increase awareness of health impacts from environmental toxins, conduct community focus group workshops, and to develop recommendations for future activities beyond the grant period. The significance of this program is that it builds on 9 years of community-initiated health research and fills in the public health gaps identified in Health Risk Assessment studies.
| Arquette, Mary; Cole, Maxine; Cook, Katsi et al. (2002) Holistic risk-based environmental decision making: a Native perspective. Environ Health Perspect 110 Suppl 2:259-64 |
