Grantee Research Project Results
Community Outreach and Translation Core
EPA Grant Number: R834513C004Subproject: this is subproject number 004 , established and managed by the Center Director under grant R834513
(EPA does not fund or establish subprojects; EPA awards and manages the overall grant for this center).
Center: Center for the Health Assessment of Mothers and Children of Salinas - UC Berkeley School of Public Health: CHAMACOS Office, Berkeley, CA
Center Director: Eskenazi, Brenda
Title: Community Outreach and Translation Core
Investigators: Eskenazi, Brenda
Current Investigators: Eskenazi, Brenda , Rosas, Lisa Goldman , Salvatore, Alicia L. , Bradman, Asa , Barlow, Janice , Minkler, Meredith
Institution: University of California - Berkeley
Current Institution: University of California - Berkeley , Stanford University , University of Oklahoma , ZERO Breast Cancer
EPA Project Officer: Hahn, Intaek
Project Period: August 1, 2009 through July 31, 2014 (Extended to July 31, 2017)
RFA: Children's Environmental Health and Disease Prevention Research Centers (with NIEHS) (2009) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: Children's Health , Human Health
Objective:
COTC activities are vital to our Community-University partnership. The COTC permits Center scientists and community partners to communicate study findings in a culturally-appropriate manner, to raise awareness of children’s environmental health within and beyond the Salinas Valley, and to mobilize groups toward actions that will improve the health of low-income Latino residents in Monterey County. The specific aims for the COTC remain unchanged.
Approach:
Note: This report covers the project period 8/1/2010-5/31/2011
- To disseminate Center research findings to study participants, the Salinas Valley community, and other stakeholders.
Over the past year, we have conducted several activities to achieve this aim:- Community forum: Our annual community forum to disseminate new research findings to study participants was held on December 4, 2010. As part of the third Center grant, we are now including the participating children, as well as their parents, in our forum to return study results. The theme of this year’s forum was puberty, reflecting our current study activities and the age of our participants. Presentations for the CHAMACOS child participants included an age-appropriate discussion of puberty presented by health educators from Planned Parenthood.
- Newsletter: In addition to presenting results at the community forum, we also developed and disseminated our annual Center newsletter to participants, community partners, and other stakeholders in the community focusing on study results from the last year. The newsletter also included educational information on puberty, dental health, methyl iodide exposure, manganese exposure, and upcoming COTC activities for children participating in the study.
- Electronic Newsletter: We have recently initiated an electronic newsletter for researchers and community members to keep current with Center publications. When a new paper from the center is published, we send out a message to our email list. Our list currently comprises over 250 people, including researchers, students, farmworkers, advocates, health professionals, growers, and other community members.
- Dissemination to larger community and targeted groups: We continued our efforts to share Center research findings with the Salinas Valley community through targeted meetings with community groups and key stakeholders, participation in community events, and media interviews about our work. In the Salinas Valley, we conducted 47 meetings with targeted groups in the community to discuss recent Center findings and other environmental health issues. Center staff also participated in several local health-related events such as health fairs and town hall meetings to talk about Center research. We presented the latest scientific findings to our Community Advisory Board, which includes representatives from the health, agriculture, and farmworker communities, and began the process of developing an Agricultural Council (see below). We have also worked with both English- and Spanish-language media to disseminate our results. This spring, our publications examining PBDE flame retardant exposure and the association of prenatal exposure to organophosphate pesticides with IQ in 7-year-olds received local, state, national, and international media attention. Dr. Brenda Eskenazi was interviewed on national television (Good Morning America) and national radio programs (NPR) while Ms. Celina Trujillo was interviewed by National Spanish television (Univision). Hundreds of internet and print media sources also provided coverage. In many of these interviews Drs. Eskenazi, Harley, and Bradman and Ms. Trujillo presented research findings and suggested methods to reduce pesticide and PBDE exposure.
- Dissemination to the scientific community: A list of pertinent scientific publications is listed for each Core in their respective progress reports, along with a list of presentations at scientific meetings. In addition, the Center hosted a quarterly seminar series on Children’s Environmental Health, featuring prominent international scientists and widely advertised to Bay Area scientists. Topics included gene-environment interaction and effects of PFOS/PFOA on onset of puberty (see Core 2). We have also presented our findings at other local meetings and universities, including briefings with senior scientific and management staff at the California Department of Pesticide Regulation. We have also hosted our yearly Science Day where all Center faculty and staff, including Field Office staff, are updated on current research findings.
- Website: We have recently developed a new website: www.cerch.org. This web site will broadly present work by the Center, including information on the CHAMACOS study, with pages for specific audience groups including parents, families, young children and teens, community groups, and health professionals. We are developing an online resource center to enable access to extensive environmental health education materials and other resources.
- To increase awareness about children’s environmental health among low-income Latino communities, clinicians, and service providers through widespread dissemination of innovative outreach and educational programs.
- Outreach to pregnant women: In the past, we developed the Prenatal Environmental Health Kiosk to educate low-income Latina pregnant women about environmental health during pregnancy and the early childhood period. We have converted the software that was previously only available on a Macintosh platform to both PC and web formats, which will facilitate wider dissemination. The prenatal kiosk is currently available on the following website (chamacos.nne.net) and will be included in the new CERCH website.
- Outreach to childcare providers: In collaboration with the California Childcare Health Program (CCHP), we continue to conduct our workshop on healthy environments in childcare settings. We have presented seven such trainings in Alameda and Monterey counties. Dr. Bradman also presented a workshop on environmental health in child care for the Los Angeles Office of Education, which provides Head Start preschool services to 28,000 children. We also worked with CCHP to publish an Integrated Pest Management Toolkit and curriculum for California childcare providers. See http://www.ucsfchildcarehealth.org/html/pandr/trainingcurrmain.htm.
- Outreach to social service organizations: Over the past year, Center staff has participated in monthly meetings with our community partner, California Rural Legal Assistance, to promote “Healthy Homes” principles in rural communities in California. A rural housing quality forum is planned for October, 2011.
- Outreach to farmworkers: On February 12, 2011, we reconvened the Farmworker Council to discuss outreach strategies, and facilitate farmworker input into Center research and health promotion activities.
- Outreach to growers and the agricultural industry: We have also established an Agricultural Council which includes local, state, and national organizations involved in agricultural production, research, regulation, and marketing. We met with this group on November 23, 2010, and will follow-up with additional meetings in June, 2011, and beyond. Meetings to date have focused on CHAMACOS methods and results.
- To build the capacity of Salinas Valley youth to promote healthy environmental policies in their community.
We established a Youth Community Council (YCC) to build youth capacity to promote healthy environmental policies in Salinas. Youth were recruited and selected from a local high school and the first meeting took place in October, 2010. Since then, we have conducted 12 meetings aimed at educating youth about environmental issues in their community and building skills to address these issues. Strategies have included interactive discussions, games, field trips to Center offices at UC Berkeley to learn about research, and a “toxics tour” with environmental health experts in the San Francisco Bay Area.
- To educate policy makers at the local, state, and national levels about Center research findings and children’s environmental health priorities.
We were invited to present the CHAMACOS Study findings of pesticides and children’s health to the Salinas City Council on two occasions (Ms. Trujillo on January 25, 2011 and Dr. Harley on May 24, 2011). Salinas City Council members, Gloria de la Rosa and Sergio Sanchez, and Monterey County Supervisor, Simon Salinas, each also requested individual meetings with Center investigators to learn more about the CHAMACOS Study research.
Our plans over the next year include:
- Dissemination of Center research findings: We plan to hold our annual community forum, continue targeted outreach to community groups, and respond to invitations for presentations. We will also continue our dissemination to the scientific community.
- Education on children’s environmental health: Over the next year, we plan to set up the Prenatal Environmental Health Kiosk for use in additional health clinics and social service agencies. Environmental education to childcare providers and community groups will continue.
- Youth Community Council: Over the summer, the YCC will work on a Photovoice Project where they will use cameras to record the positive and negative health impacts of their local environment. After the project is complete they will present their work to a community audience and their art will be posted in a public space.
- Policy Makers: We will continue to present our research to policy makers as requested. The Tri-County Association of Latino Elected Officials, a regional group, has invited us to describe the CHAMACOS studies and findings.
- The COTC core has submitted a proposal to US EPA to expand outreach activities.
Publications and Presentations:
Publications have been submitted on this subproject: View all 334 publications for this subproject | View all 697 publications for this centerJournal Articles:
Journal Articles have been submitted on this subproject: View all 8 journal articles for this subproject | View all 169 journal articles for this centerRelevant Websites:
Progress and Final Reports:
Main Center Abstract and Reports:
R834513 Center for the Health Assessment of Mothers and Children of Salinas - UC Berkeley School of Public Health: CHAMACOS Office, Berkeley, CA Subprojects under this Center: (EPA does not fund or establish subprojects; EPA awards and manages the overall grant for this center).
R834513C001 CHAMACOS Cohort Project: Pesticides and PBDE on Neurobehavior and Puberty
R834513C002 Project B: Exposure Project: Mn, DDT/E and PBDE Exposure to Farmworker Children
R834513C003 Epigenetics Project
R834513C004 Community Outreach and Translation Core
The perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.
Project Research Results
- Final
- 2016
- 2015 Progress Report
- 2014 Progress Report
- 2013 Progress Report
- 2012 Progress Report
- 2011 Progress Report
- 2010
8 journal articles for this subproject
Main Center: R834513
697 publications for this center
169 journal articles for this center