title: Pollution Prevention through Peer Education: A Community Health Worker and Small and Home-Based Business Initiative on the Arizona-Sonora Border.
abstract: Government-led pollution prevention programs tend to focus on large businesses due to their potential to pollute larger quantities, therefore leaving a gap in programs targeting small and home-based businesses. In light of this gap, we set out to determine if a voluntary, peer education approach led by female, Hispanic community health workers (promotoras) can influence small and home-based businesses to implement pollution prevention strategies on-site. This paper describes a partnership between promotoras from a non-profit organization and researchers from a university working together to reach these businesses in a predominately Hispanic area of Tucson, Arizona. From 2008 to 2011, the promotora-led pollution prevention program reached a total of 640 small and home-based businesses. Program activities include technical trainings for promotoras and businesses, generation of culturally and language appropriate educational materials, and face-to-face peer education via multiple on-site visits. To determine the overall effectiveness of the program, surveys were used to measure best practices implemented on-site, perceptions towards pollution prevention, and overall satisfaction with the industry-specific trainings. This paper demonstrates that promotoras can promote the implementation of pollution prevention best practices by Hispanic small and home-based businesses considered "hard-to-reach" by government-led programs.
authors.affiliation: Superfund Research Program, The University of Arizona, Saguaro Hall Room 325, 1110 East South Campus Drive, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA. dmoreno@pharmacy.arizona.edu.|Department of Soil, Water and Environmental Science, 1177 East 4th Street, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA. dmoreno@pharmacy.arizona.edu.
authors.forename: Denise Moreno
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Ramírez
authors.affiliation: Department of Soil, Water and Environmental Science, 1177 East 4th Street, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA. mdramire@email.arizona.edu.
authors.forename: Mónica D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Ramírez-Andreotta
authors.affiliation: Sonora Environmental Research Institute, Inc., 3202 East Grant Road, Tucson, AZ 85716, USA. marasys@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Lourdes
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Vea
authors.affiliation: Superfund Research Program, The University of Arizona, Saguaro Hall Room 325, 1110 East South Campus Drive, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA. mdramire@email.arizona.edu.|Department of Soil, Water and Environmental Science, 1177 East 4th Street, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA. mdramire@email.arizona.edu.
authors.forename: Rocío
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Estrella-Sánchez
authors.affiliation: Sonora Environmental Research Institute, Inc., 3202 East Grant Road, Tucson, AZ 85716, USA. aawolf@seriaz.org.
authors.forename: Ann Marie A
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Wolf
authors.affiliation: Sonora Environmental Research Institute, Inc., 3202 East Grant Road, Tucson, AZ 85716, USA. akilungo@seriaz.org.
authors.forename: Aminata
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kilungo
authors.affiliation: Agnese Nelms Haury Program in Environment and Social Justice, The University of Arizona, 1064 East Lowell Street, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA. aspitz@email.arizona.edu.
authors.forename: Anna H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Spitz
authors.affiliation: Superfund Research Program, The University of Arizona, Saguaro Hall Room 325, 1110 East South Campus Drive, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA. better@email.arizona.edu.|Department of Atmospheric Sciences, The University of Arizona, 1118 East 4th Street, P.O. Box 210081, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA. better@email.arizona.edu.
authors.forename: Eric A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Betterton
mesh_terms: D001130:Arizona; D003150:Community Health Workers / Q000193:education*; D004787:Environmental Pollution / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005260:Female; D015386:Hazardous Substances; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006630:Hispanic or Latino; D006801:Humans; D009938:Organizations; D010379:Peer Group; D058012:Small Business / Q000193:education*
chemical_list: D015386:Hazardous Substances
keywords: home-based businesses; minority; peer education; pollution prevention; promotoras; small businesses