title: Improving Latino Youths' Environmental Health Literacy and Leadership Skills Through Participatory Research on Chemical Exposures in Cosmetics: The HERMOSA Study.
abstract: To increase environmental health literacy (EHL) and leadership skills in Latino youth in Salinas, CA., we worked from 2012-2015 with 15 members of the CHAMACOS Youth Community Council (YCC), an outreach arm of a longitudinal study of impacts of environmental chemicals on children's health. The YCC program provided hands-on research experiences related to Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals (EDCs) in cosmetics and their possible health effects. We use participatory research principles and Bloom's Taxonomy of Educational Objectives to describe the development of EHC and leadership in the youth co-researchers. Using data from multiple qualitative sources, we explore the youths' engagement in a wide range of research and action processes. Promising outcomes, including perceptions of improved youth self-esteem, EHL, leadership, and career orientation are discussed, as are challenges, such as time constraints and high priority youth concerns not addressed by the study. Implications for other youth-engaged participatory science and leadership programs are presented.
authors.affiliation: 1 Center for Environmental Research and Child Health (CERCH), University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Daniel S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Madrigal
authors.affiliation: 2 School of Public Health, UC Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Meredith
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Minkler
authors.affiliation: 3 Clinica de Salud del Valle de Salinas, Salinas, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Kimberly L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Parra
authors.affiliation: 4 CHAMACOS Youth Council, Salinas, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Carolina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mundo
authors.affiliation: 4 CHAMACOS Youth Council, Salinas, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Jesus Enrique Cardenas
authors.initials: JEC
authors.lastname: Gonzalez
authors.affiliation: 4 CHAMACOS Youth Council, Salinas, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Ramon
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Jimenez
authors.affiliation: 4 CHAMACOS Youth Council, Salinas, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Vera
authors.affiliation: 1 Center for Environmental Research and Child Health (CERCH), University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Kim G
authors.initials: KG
authors.lastname: Harley
keywords: adolescent; community based participatory research; cosmetics; environmental health