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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Nicole Ellis¹, Towanda Williams¹, Antonyo Parker¹, Darrel Beasly¹, Norman Yancey¹, Emmanuel Price¹, and Penny Rechkemmer². (1) Urban Youth Corps, Community Building in Partnership, 1135 North Gilmor, Baltimore, MD 21217, 410-728-8607, nyancey@verizon.net, (2) Johns Hopkins University, Bloomberg School of Public Health, 615 N Wolfe St, Baltimore, MD 21205

In order to gather environmental health information and educate the residents of the Sandtown-Winchester neighborhood about environmental health issues in Baltimore, MD the Urban Youth Corps (UYC) conducted an environmental health survey as well as indoor and outdoor air monitoring during December 2005. The goals of this project were to 1) develop a well-trained, community-based group of people who know and understand environmental monitoring and community assessment, 2) gather information regarding residents attitudes, perceptions and beliefs about environmental health issues in their community, and 3) develop outreach and educational material based on the data collected. To achieve these goals it was necessary to engage the community at all levels of the research process, therefore this project followed the principles of community-based participatory research (CBPR) and has two phases. During phase one, the young, at-risk, African American adults (ages 18-25) participating in the UYC program were trained and worked as partners with Johns Hopkins University School of Public Health researchers on how to conduct surveys, and indoor/outdoor air monitoring for particulate matter. The UYC participants conducted over 150 surveys, 20 indoor air samplings, and 5 outdoor air samplings in a predominantly African American, economically challenged community in Baltimore, MD. For phase two, the UYC participants involved in the advisory committee for the project have been entering the data from the surveys, and using the data to develop a marketing and educational plan. The goal is to have the material complete and back into the community by summer 2006.

Learning Objectives:

• Participants should be able to identify key components of CBPR and apply them to their own research.

Keywords: Community Involvement, Environmental Health

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Not Answered