Qualitative and mixed methods: informing and enhancing exposure science.

Area of Science:

• Environmental Health Sciences
• Exposure Science
• Social and Behavioral Sciences

Background:

• Complex environmental health issues require understanding social, economic, and health impacts of hazard exposure.
• Qualitative and mixed methods (QMM) are essential for uncovering sociocultural dynamics influencing environmental interactions and health outcomes.
• QMM can reveal insights often overlooked by purely quantitative approaches.

Purpose of the Study:

• To highlight the underutilization of QMM in exposure science.
• To demonstrate the value of QMM in enhancing exposure assessment, risk perception studies, and intervention evaluations.
• To encourage the adoption of QMM for more comprehensive and inclusive environmental health research.

Main Methods:

• Systematic review of studies published in the Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology (JESEE) from 2003-2023.
• Analysis of the application and impact of QMM within the exposure science literature.
• Identification of specific contributions of QMM in enhancing exposure assessment and understanding community perspectives.

Main Results:

• QMM approaches have been employed in less than 1% of JESEE studies between 2003 and 2023.
• Studies utilizing QMM have successfully enhanced exposure assessment, explored risk perceptions, and evaluated interventions.
• QMM has been particularly valuable in research involving historically marginalized populations and understanding lived experiences.

Conclusions:

• QMM approaches are underutilized but highly valuable in exposure science.
• Integrating QMM can address gaps in traditional exposure assessment and provide nuanced community perspectives.
• Adoption of QMM and interdisciplinary collaboration is encouraged for developing robust, context-sensitive environmental health solutions.