Grantee Research Project Results

2023 Progress Report: Enhancing Communication to Reduce Health Risks of Wildland Fire Smoke Exposure Due to Prescribed Burns

EPA Grant Number: R840241
Title: Enhancing Communication to Reduce Health Risks of Wildland Fire Smoke Exposure Due to Prescribed Burns
Investigators: Adetona, Olorunfemi , Ihekweazu, Chioma
Institution: The Ohio State University , Battelle Memorial Institute
EPA Project Officer: Chung, Serena
Project Period: October 1, 2021 through May 8, 2025
Project Period Covered by this Report: October 1, 2022 through September 30,2023
Project Amount: $999,995
RFA: Interventions and Communication Strategies to Reduce Health Risks of Wildland Fire Smoke Exposures (2021) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: Watersheds , Endocrine Disruptors , Environmental Engineering , Air Quality and Air Toxics , Wildfires

Objective:

Understand the barriers and facilitators that institutions face in developing risk communication for surrounding community members during prescribed burn events.
Collate best practices in developing and disseminating risk communication that may be applied to prescribed burn events.
Facilitate the uptake of risk communication messaging, materials, and mechanisms that best meet the needs of both institutional and community stakeholders.

Progress Summary:

A. Outputs

Co-investigators and key research personnel continue to meet via monthly Zoom videoconferences (fourth Monday of the month at 11:00 am – 12:00 pm EST) and at other times as needed.
Quality management documents and plans were audited by the Quality Manager for the project.
Amendments to study protocol, including the addition of an expert panel and the research consulting firm that is conducting participant recruitment, were submitted to the Institutional Review Board (IRB). These amendments were approved during the reporting period.
An expert panel of four persons who practice, teach, consult on, and/or conduct communication about wildland fires was formed with the aim of consulting about the implementation of the study and providing review of preliminary study findings and guidance for future directions.
The initial stakeholder list and map were completed and reviewed by the expert panel. The list and map informed the recruitment of participants for the key informant interviews, facilitating recruitment of balanced perspectives and geographies.
The project website (https://u.osu.edu/cphp/prescribed-burn-project/) continued to be maintained and updated as appropriate during the reporting period.
A review of the peer-reviewed literature and an environmental scan of the grey literature about current best practices, barriers, and facilitators of health risk communication about prescribed burn smoke was completed.
Key informant interviews (KIIs) were completed, along with preliminary coding and analysis of associated data.
The research team attended in-person and virtually and presented at the annual EPA STAR grantee meeting in Seattle, WA (and virtually) on November 7-8, 2023.

B. Outcomes

Maintenance of the project website (https://u.osu.edu/cphp/prescribed-burn-project/) is continuing to aid transparency and access to study materials and findings.
One article synthesizing results of the literature review and environmental scan was completed and is in review at a peer-review journal.
One EPA STAR grantee meeting presentation was made.

Publications for this study are forthcoming. One manuscript titled, “Review of health risk communication related to community smoke exposure from prescribed burns”, was submitted and is under review at the International Journal of Wildland Fire.

Future Activities:

Finalize synthesis of the qualitative data gathered during the KIIs and develop a manuscript to share results with the scientific community.
Develop the health risk communication toolkit based on the information gathered from the literature review, environmental scan, and key informant interviews.
Present preliminary toolkit contents to the expert panel for review and feedback, and make modifications as recommended and agreed to by the research team.
Recruit and conduct 9 focus groups (3 of community members and 6 of stakeholder organizations) each comprising of at least 8 persons to further validate the development and dissemination of the toolkit.
Revise the toolkit based on information obtained from the focus groups.
Plan and conduct a virtual workshop to discuss project findings and to launch and disseminate the health communication toolkit.
Assess the effectiveness of the toolkit using a longitudinal survey of organizational stakeholders who attend the workshop.
Year two budget carryovers from the Ohio State University, Battelle Memorial Institute, and University of Georgia were completed. All other budget items are in line with the 3-year approved budget. No significant variations from the approved budget are anticipated except the funding of the expert panel. The funds for this activity will be obtained from carryover funds.

Journal Articles:

No journal articles submitted with this report: View all 1 publications for this project

Supplemental Keywords:

Health risk, risk communication, prescribed burn, prescribed fire, wildland fire smoke, wildfire smoke

Relevant Websites:

Center for Public Health Practice - The Ohio State University Exit

Progress and Final Reports:

Original Abstract

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.