Cultural Consensus and Environmental Risk Behavior: Using Transdisciplinary Research to Investigate Health Risk Behaviors of First-Time Mothers

Women in Gulf Coast communities face acute and chronic environmental stressors, and a historic burden of inadequate access to healthcare.  Health risks may arise from differential appraisals of environmental stressors, and subsequent health behaviors.  While culture undoubtedly influences this process, few studies have applied sophisticated methods from anthropology to public health to assess this phenomenon.  This study uses mixed methods and theories from cognitive anthropology to examine the cultural models about environmental risk perception, and health behavior among first-time mothers living in culturally diverse communities on the Gulf Coast.  Using a cultural domain analysis (n=20) approach, separate cultural models were constructed concering risk perception.  Three questionnaires were then developed from the collected data, and a Cultural Consensus Analysis (n=200) provided a rigorous test of the degree to which these perceptions were shared.  A culturally-relevant answer key to each survey questions was then generated.  Analysis also revealed the level of cultural agreement among mothers. Cultural beliefs were then examined to determine how first-time mothers in the Gulf Coast perceive different environmental hazards, deploy behaviors to mitigate those risks, and access sources of support and information in the community. A more detailed explanation of the cultural influences on vital risk appraisals among these mothers will allow for locally-tailored interventions. Culture drives risk behavior and perception, and incorporating theories and practices from multiple academic disciplines will help to apply innovative solutions to the health risks of first-time mothers.