Nurse Faculty Scholars - Environmental Health

Barriers and facilitators to the incorporation of environmental health into public health nursing practice.

lsharp — Wed, 20 Oct 2010 11:29:12 +0000

Published Date:

Mon, 2010-03-01 (All day)

OBJECTIVES: To describe the environmental health (EH) demands placed on public health nurses (PHNs) as well as the barriers and facilitators to incorporating EH into PHN practice.

DESIGN AND SAMPLE: A cross-sectional multimode (Web and pencil/paper) survey was used to collect data from PHNs in 1 rural western state. Research participants included 141 PHNs from a total of 228 survey invitations (61% response).

MEASURES: A 39-item questionnaire was developed to measure the frequency of EH demands experienced by PHNs as well as the barriers and facilitators to the incorporation of EH into PHN practice and standard demographics.

RESULTS: Significant numbers of PHNs reported less than baccalaureate preparation (29%), suggesting that EH competencies cannot be assumed. PHNs are often asked for basic EH information and cite lack of time and lack of interest on the part of the populations being cared for as barriers to incorporating EH into their practice. Facilitators included free or inexpensive continuing education programs offered via the Internet and additional Internet resources or staff resource people.

CONCLUSION: PHNs represent a significant portion of the public health workforce and have implied and explicit mandates to address EH issues in their practice. Resources should be directed toward helping PHNs become better prepared to address the current and future EH needs of populations.

OBJECTIVES: To describe the environmental health (EH) demands placed on public health nurses (PHNs) as well as the barriers and facilitators to incorporating EH into PHN practice.
DESIGN AND SAMPLE: A cross-sectional multimode (Web and pencil/paper) survey was used to collect data from PHNs in 1 rural western state. Research participants included 141 PHNs from a total of 228 survey invitations (61% response).

Psychosocial stress and social support as mediators of relationships between income, length of residence and depressive symptoms among African American women on Detroit's eastside

nfs — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 11:55:44 +0000

Published Date:

Sat, 2005-01-01 (All day)

Patterns of mental health are clearly associated with life circumstances, including educational and economic opportunities, access to safe and supportive neighborhoods, socially structured exposures to stressors and to supportive relationships. In this article, we examine the social and economic correlates of depressive symptoms among African American women residing within a predominantly African American urban neighborhood in Detroit, USA, with relatively few economic resources. We identify distinct stressors associated with financial strain, neighborhood social disorder (concern about police responsiveness, safety stress), and experiences of discrimination. We test the extent to which each of these stressors mediates relationships between household income, length of residence in the neighborhood, social support and depressive symptoms. Our results suggest that for women in this racially segregated area with a high concentration of poverty, relationships between household income and symptoms of depression are partially mediated by financial stress and social support, but that stressors associated with neighborhood disorder and discrimination influence depressive symptoms independent of household income. Furthermore, we find that length of residence in the neighborhood is negatively associated with financial stress and positively associated with police stress and social support, with no significant net effect on symptoms of depression. We conclude that higher household income may help reduce symptoms of depression by reducing financial stress and strengthening social support even within neighborhoods with high concentrations of poverty. However, increased household income does not protect African American women residing in a high poverty community from distress associated with neighborhood disorder or experiences of discrimination.

Rural community leaders' perceptions of environmental health risks: improving community health.

nfs — Tue, 28 Sep 2010 14:51:51 +0000

Published Date:

Wed, 2006-03-01 (All day)

Qualitative description was used to explore how rural community leaders frame, interpret, and give meaning to environmental health issues affecting their constituents and communities. Six rural community leaders discussed growth, vulnerable families, and the action avoidance strategies they use or see used in lieu of adopting health-promoting behaviors. Findings suggest intervention strategies should be economical, use common sense, be sensitive to regional identity, and use local case studies and "inside leadership." Occupational health nurses addressing the disparate environmental health risks in rural communities are encouraged to use agenda-neutral, scientifically based risk communication efforts and foster collaborative relationships among nurses, planners, industry, and other community leaders.

Rural parents' perceptions of risks associated with their children's exposure to radon.

nfs — Tue, 28 Sep 2010 14:49:33 +0000

Published Date:

Fri, 2006-09-01 (All day)

DESIGN: A cross-sectional design was used in which questionnaire data and household analytic data for radon levels were collected from a nonprobabilistic sample of rural households.

SAMPLE: Thirty-one rural households with 71 adults and 60 children participated in the study. Primary household respondents were female (100%), Caucasian (97%), and primarily (94%) between 21 and 40 years of age.

MEASUREMENT: Questionnaire data consisted of knowledge and risk perception items about radon and all homes were tested for the presence of radon.

RESULTS: The prevalence of high airborne radon (defined as> or=4 pCi/l) was 32%. More than a third of the sample underestimated the seriousness of health effects of radon exposure, 39% disagreed that being around less radon would improve the long-term health of their children, and 52% were unsure whether radon could cause health problems. After adjusting for chance, only 21% of the subjects correctly understood their risk status.

CONCLUSIONS: This study provides preliminary evidence that low-income rural citizens do not understand their risk of radon exposure or the deleterious consequences of exposure.

OBJECTIVES: To examine the level of awareness of radon issues, correlates of elective testing behaviors, and the accuracy of risk perception for radon exposures among rural residents receiving public health services.
DESIGN: A cross-sectional design was used in which questionnaire data and household analytic data for radon levels were collected from a nonprobabilistic sample of rural households.

Mapping the future of environmental health and nursing: strategies for integrating national competencies into nursing practice.

nfs — Tue, 28 Sep 2010 14:46:51 +0000

Published Date:

Fri, 2005-07-01 (All day)

Nurses are increasingly the primary contact for clients concerned about health problems related to their environment. In response to the need for nursing expertise in the field of environmental health, the Institute of Medicine (IOM), Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), and National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR) have designed core competencies for the nursing profession. The IOM competencies focus on four areas: (1) knowledge and concepts; (2) assessment and referral; advocacy, ethics, and risk communication; and (4) legislation and regulation. The competencies establish a baseline of knowledge and awareness in order for nurses to prevent and minimize health problems associated with exposure to environmental agents. To address the known difficulties of incorporating new priorities into established practice, nurses attending an environmental health short course participated in a nominal group process focusing on the question, "What specific actions can we take to bring environmental health into the mainstream of nursing practice?" This exercise was designed to bring the concepts of the national initiatives (IOM, NINR, ATSDR) to the awareness of individual nurses involved in the direct delivery of care. Results include 38 action items nurses identified as improving awareness and utilization of environmental health principles. The top five ideas were: (1) get environmental health listed as a requirement or competency in undergraduate nursing education; (2) improve working relationships with interdepartmental persons-a team approach; (3) strategically place students in essential organizations such as NIOSH, ATSDR, or CDC; (4) educate nurse educators; and (5) create environmental health awards in nursing. The 38 original ideas were also reorganized into a five-tiered conceptual model. The concepts of this model include: (1) developing partnerships; (2) strengthening publications; (3) enhancing continuing education; (4) updating nursing practice; and (5) strengthening schools of nursing. The model serves as a road map for action in building environmental health capacity within mainstream nursing.

Householder Status and Residence Type as Correlates of Radon Awareness and Testing Behaviors

nfs — Mon, 27 Sep 2010 11:45:09 +0000

Published Date:

Mon, 2009-08-24 (All day)

Objectives: The primary aim of this research was to assess radon awareness and testing across 2 housing types.

Design and Sample: Cross-sectional prevalence study with time trends. National, probabilistic sample of 18,138 and 29,632 respondents from the 1994 and 1998 National Health Interview Surveys, respectively.

Results: Odds ratio (OR) estimates confirmed that occupants of single family homes/townhomes were twice as likely to have ever heard of radon (1994: OR=2.18; confidence intervals [CI]=2.01–2.36) (1998: OR=2.26; CI=2.09–2.44) and also more likely to know if their household air had been tested for radon (1994: OR=2.04; CI=1.57–2.65) (1998: OR=1.38; CI=1.19–1.59) as occupants of apartments/condominiums. Time trend analyses revealed that radon awareness improved from 69.4% to 70.7% and home testing among those with knowledge of radon increased from 9.7% to 15.5% over the 4-year period.

Conclusions: Housing type provided fairly stable estimates of radon awareness and testing. Findings demonstrate that housing status may be a useful variable to differentiate risk for radon awareness and testing. Public health nurses should consider their client's housing type when assessing families for environmental risks.

Objectives: The primary aim of this research was to assess radon awareness and testing across 2 housing types.
Design and Sample: Cross-sectional prevalence study with time trends. National, probabilistic sample of 18,138 and 29,632 respondents from the 1994 and 1998 National Health Interview Surveys, respectively.