title: Development and successful application of a "Community-First" communication model for community-based environmental health research.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Effectively communicate results from a community exposure study to meet predetermined community priorities, maintaining ethical principles of autonomy, empowerment and justice.
  
  
  METHODS
  The community established principles for the communications and a plan to inform study participants, community and other stakeholders of results and recommendations in a novel sequence: the "Community-First" communication model.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The communications resulted in positive actions including company sponsored free bottled water, accepted by 77.6% of eligible households. Over 95% of participants in a follow-up survey had made some change to residential water supplies. Serum perfluorooctanoate levels were reduced. Government agencies acted on the results.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The unique communication approach generated workable solutions to the problem investigated, raised community awareness and modified behaviors. Information generated a "free market" of community-level solutions. Each major stakeholder voluntarily adopted a "precautionary principle."
authors.affiliation: Center of Excellence in Environmental Toxicology, School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA. emmetted@mail.med.upenn.edu
authors.forename: Edward Anthony
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Emmett
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Frances Susan
authors.initials: FS
authors.lastname: Shofer
authors.forename: Nancy
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Rodway
authors.forename: Chintan
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Desai
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Freeman
authors.forename: Mary
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hufford
mesh_terms: D003142:Communication; D003153:Community Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000517:prevention & control*; D004782:Environmental Health; D005466:Fluorocarbons / Q000032:analysis / Q000633:toxicity; D006801:Humans; D009820:Ohio; D016730:Program Development; D015397:Program Evaluation; D012107:Research Design; D012308:Risk Management; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis / Q000633:toxicity; D014881:Water Supply
chemical_list: D005466:Fluorocarbons; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; C018959:hexadecafluoro-nonanoic acid