Our environment, our health: a community-based participatory environmental health survey in Richmond, California

Health Educ Behav. 2012 Apr;39(2):198-209. doi: 10.1177/1090198111412591. Epub 2011 Jul 8.

Abstract

This study presents a health survey conducted by a community-based participatory research partnership between academic researchers and community organizers to consider environmental health and environmental justice issues in four neighborhoods of Richmond, California, a low-income community of color living along the fence line of a major oil refinery and near other industrial and mobile sources of pollution. The Richmond health survey aimed to assess local concerns and perceptions of neighborhood conditions, health problems, mobile and stationary hazards, access to health care, and other issues affecting residents of Richmond. Although respondents thought their neighborhoods were good places to live, they expressed concerns about neighborhood stressors and particular sources of pollution, and identified elevated asthma rates for children and long-time Richmond residents. The Richmond health survey offers a holistic, community-centered perspective to understanding local environmental health issues, and can inform future environmental health research and organizing efforts for community-university collaboratives.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Asthma / chemically induced
  • California
  • Community-Based Participatory Research
  • Environment
  • Environmental Exposure / statistics & numerical data*
  • Environmental Pollution / statistics & numerical data*
  • Female
  • Health Services Accessibility / statistics & numerical data
  • Health Status
  • Health Surveys / statistics & numerical data*
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Poverty / statistics & numerical data*
  • Quality of Life
  • Residence Characteristics / statistics & numerical data*
  • Social Justice / statistics & numerical data
  • Socioeconomic Factors