Grantee Research Project Results
Final Report: Enhancing Communication to Reduce Health Risks of Wildland Fire Smoke Exposure Due to Prescribed Burns
EPA Grant Number: R840241Title: 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 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.
Summary/Accomplishments (Outputs/Outcomes):
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.
Journal Articles:
No journal articles submitted with this report: View all 1 publications for this projectProgress and Final Reports:
Original AbstractThe 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.