Oral

It is a challenge to communicate environmental health risk to a wide audience. Yet a greater understanding of the health risk is essential for community involvement, which will put pressure on policy decision makers to support stronger regulation. This session will discuss public perceptions, knowledge, and opinions related to environmental health. This includes a presentation on new tools to inform future communication and outreach activities with the community. The speakers will illustrate successful techniques to empower scientists, community-based leaders, public health and health care professionals to promote science-based health standards and policy. Along with the successes, presenters will outline the challenges faced throughout each of their projects. An example of one of the community organizing practices includes the use interactive environmental mapping and social media to guide informed decision-making on environmental issues. Environmental health risk topics to be covered include nuclear waste cleanup and mitigation, environmental justice , testing of endocrine disrupting chemicals, monitoring of air-pollution, incorporating preconception and pre-natal environmental exposures into risk-assessment, diesel emissions, food security/ safety, and natural gas extraction.

Session Objectives: 1. Describe public perceptions, knowledge, and opinions related to environmental health in order to inform future communication and outreach activities with the community. 2. Demonstrate how to empower scientists, community-based leaders, public health and health care professionals to promote science-based health standards in government and industry. 3. Design a health impact assessment (HIA) in a rural setting and the use of interactive mapping/social media to guide informed decision-making on environmental issues.

CE Credits: Medical (CME), Health Education (CHES), Nursing (CNE), Public Health (CPH) , Masters Certified Health Education Specialist (MCHES)