Grantee Research Project Results
2023 Progress Report: Smoke-ready communities, Creating and sustaining air quality information using targeted communication interventions
EPA Grant Number: R840363Title: Smoke-ready communities, Creating and sustaining air quality information using targeted communication interventions
Investigators: Fischer, Emily , Pierce, Jeffrey , Magzamen, Sheryl , Anderson, Ashley A , Abrams, Katie , Ford, Bonne
Institution: Colorado State University
EPA Project Officer: Chung, Serena
Project Period: March 1, 2022 through April 24, 2025
Project Period Covered by this Report: March 1, 2023 through February 29,2024
Project Amount: $992,464
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 , Early Career Awards , Air Quality and Air Toxics , Wildfires
Objective:
- Expand, quantify, and disseminate real-time sub-city-scale smoke concentrations to support accurate and actionable communication about air quality.
- Enhance capability of communities to provide and effectively disseminate more accurate and relevant information about air quality during smoke events.
- Use our monitoring and communication strategies to develop awareness, cognitive, and behavioral outcomes that lead to more smoke-ready communities.
Progress Summary:
We have completed formative research in two testbed communities: outdoor workers in the City of Fort Collins and manufactured home community residents in Boulder County. The formative research for this project has involved discussions with community members in the form of in-depth interviews and focus groups. Formative research for the first testbed community of outdoor workers has been completed, and it included 6 in-depth interviews with supervisors of outdoor workers and 3 focus groups with 18 individuals who work outside. Formative research for the second testbed community of manufactured home community (MHC) residents was completed in 2023 and 2024: 18 in-depth interviews of MHC residents and 1 focus group of 12 MHC residents.
Data analysis of the formative research focused on outdoor workers in the City of Fort Collins has been completed. We have found evidence that our campaign encourages several areas of information seeking-related perceptions and behaviors, including knowledge, risk perceptions, informational subjective norms, information seeking, and information sourcing frequency.
Data analysis of formative research of manufactured home residents in Boulder County is ongoing, with analysis of interviews complete and the focus group data analysis underway.
Future Activities:
Manuscripts are in progress for evaluative data analysis based on our intervention with outdoor workers in the City of Fort Collins demonstrating support for campaign effectiveness in information seeking-related perceptions and behaviors and adoption of health-protective action. Additional manuscripts are in progress for the formative research conducted in both our communities (outdoor workers and manufactured home residents).
Communication planning is underway to implement a communication intervention in the summer 2024 smoke season in Boulder County with manufactured home residents.
Journal Articles:
No journal articles submitted with this report: View all 8 publications for this projectSupplemental Keywords:
wildfires, smoke, health, community assets, communication, low-cost monitoringRelevant Websites:
N/A
Progress 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.