title: Complexities of holistic community-based participatory research for a low income, multi-ethnic population exposed to multiple built-environment stressors in Worcester, Massachusetts.
abstract: Low income, multi-ethnic communities in Main South/Piedmont neighborhoods of Worcester, Massachusetts are exposed to cumulative, chronic built-environment stressors, and have limited capacity to respond, magnifying their vulnerability to adverse health outcomes. "Neighborhood STRENGTH", our community-based participatory research (CBPR) project, comprised four partners: a youth center; an environmental non-profit; a community-based health center; and a university. Unlike most CBPR projects that are single topic-focused, our 'holistic', systems-based project targeted five priorities. The three research-focused/action-oriented components were: (1) participatory monitoring of indoor and outdoor pollution; (2) learning about health needs and concerns of residents through community-based listening sessions; (3) engaging in collaborative survey work, including a household vulnerability survey and an asthma prevalence survey for schoolchildren. The two action-focused/research-informed components were: (4) tackling persistent street trash and illegal dumping strategically; and (5) educating and empowering youth to promote environmental justice. We used a coupled CBPR-capacity building approach to design, vulnerability theory to frame, and mixed methods: quantitative environmental testing and qualitative surveys. Process and outcomes yielded important lessons: vulnerability theory helps frame issues holistically; having several topic-based projects yielded useful information, but was hard to manage and articulate to the public; access to, and engagement with, the target population was very difficult and would have benefited greatly from having representative residents who were paid at the partners' table. Engagement with residents and conflict burden varied highly across components. Notwithstanding, we built enabling capacity, strengthened our understanding of vulnerability, and are able to share valuable experiential knowledge.
authors.affiliation: Environmental Science and Policy Program, Department of International Development, Community and Environment (IDCE), Clark University, Worcester, MA 01610, USA. TDowns@clarku.edu
authors.forename: Timothy J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Downs
authors.forename: Laurie
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ross
authors.forename: Suzanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Patton
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rulnick
authors.forename: Deb
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sinha
authors.forename: Danielle
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mucciarone
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Calvache
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Parmenter
authors.forename: Rajendra
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Subedi
authors.forename: Donna
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wysokenski
authors.forename: Erin
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Anderson
authors.forename: Rebecca
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Dezan
authors.forename: Kate
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Lowe
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bowen
authors.forename: Amee
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tejani
authors.forename: Kelly
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Piersanti
authors.forename: Octavia
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Taylor
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Goble
mesh_terms: D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000633:toxicity*; D005006:Ethnicity; D006694:Holistic Health; D006801:Humans; D008404:Massachusetts; D011203:Poverty; D012106:Research
chemical_list: D004785:Environmental Pollutants