A Community-Based Approach to Developing a Mobile Device for Measuring Ambient Air Exposure, Location, and...

Area of Science:

• Environmental Health
• Community-Based Participatory Research
• Toxicology

Background:

• Residents in industrial areas face disproportionate air pollution exposure and higher asthma rates.
• Concerns over unconventional natural gas drilling have raised air quality issues in some communities.
• Existing monitoring methods may not adequately address community-specific environmental health concerns.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate a prototype mobile device for measuring personal chemical exposure, location, and respiratory function.
• To ensure the device meets the specific needs of environmental justice (EJ) communities.
• To assess the feasibility and community acceptance of the device as an environmental health tool.

Main Methods:

• Development of a prototype mobile device in collaboration with EJ communities.
• Evaluation of the prototype through three community focus groups (n=25).
• Qualitative analysis of focus group feedback to refine the device and study design.

Main Results:

• Community feedback led to eight specific alterations and additions to the device's software and instructional materials.
• Focus group participants expressed strong support for the device, deeming it a valuable environmental health tool.
• Community-based research strategies successfully refined the device and identified relevant research questions for EJ communities.

Conclusions:

• Community-based participatory research is effective in developing relevant and user-centered environmental health tools.
• The refined prototype demonstrates potential for empowering EJ communities to address local air quality and health concerns.
• Engaging communities in the research process ensures the development of tools that meet their unique needs and priorities.