Social Science Collaboration with Environmental Health

Area of Science:

• Social science research
• Environmental health science
• Environmental justice

Background:

• Social science research is crucial for understanding community environmental exposures and their consequences.
• Collaboration between social scientists and environmental health experts improves knowledge of environmental health and justice issues.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify diverse social science methods and topics that advance environmental health understanding.
• To examine how transdisciplinary research in environmental health improves scientific outcomes.
• To understand how National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) support fosters successful partnerships.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of various social science research types to determine their contribution to environmental health.
• Examination of NIEHS programs that support social science engagement.
• Case study of a community-based participatory research project to illustrate social science's role in environmental health.

Main Results:

• Social science informs environmental health through studies on contaminated communities, spatial analysis of environmental injustice, psychological impacts of contamination, risk perception, and disaster consequences.
• Team science in environmental health has shifted traditional exposure assessment towards cumulative approaches.
• Social science research provides data crucial for policy applications in environmental health.

Conclusions:

• A transdisciplinary approach integrating social sciences provides a comprehensive understanding of contamination consequences.
• This integrated approach aids policymakers, regulators, and public health officials in mitigating impacts and preventing future exposures.