IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v19y2022i24p16686-d1001116.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

“They Kept Going for Answers”: Knowledge, Capacity, and Environmental Health Literacy in Michigan’s PBB Contamination

Author

Listed:
  • Erin Lebow-Skelley

    (HERCULES Exposome Research Center, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, 1518 Clifton Rd NE, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA)

  • Brittany B. Fremion

    (Department of History, World Languages and Cultures, Central Michigan University, 1200 S. Franklin St., Mt. Pleasant, MI 48859, USA)

  • Martha Quinn

    (Department of Health Behavior and Health Education, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, 1415 Washington Heights, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA)

  • Melissa Makled

    (Department of Health Behavior and Health Education, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, 1415 Washington Heights, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA)

  • Norman B. Keon

    (Mid-Michigan District Health Department, 151 Commerce Dr, Ithaca, MI 48847, USA
    PBB Leadership Team, Alma, MI 48801, USA)

  • Jane Jelenek

    (PBB Leadership Team, Alma, MI 48801, USA
    Pine River Superfund Citizen Task Force, P.O. Box 172, St. Louis, MI 48880, USA)

  • Jane-Ann Crowley

    (PBB Leadership Team, Alma, MI 48801, USA
    Pine River Superfund Citizen Task Force, P.O. Box 172, St. Louis, MI 48880, USA
    PBB Citizens Advisory Board, Alma, MI 48801, USA)

  • Melanie A. Pearson

    (HERCULES Exposome Research Center, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, 1518 Clifton Rd NE, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA)

  • Amy J. Schulz

    (Department of Health Behavior and Health Education, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, 1415 Washington Heights, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA)

Abstract

The Michigan PBB Oral History Project documented community residents’ descriptions of a large-scale chemical contamination—the PBB contamination—that occurred in Michigan in 1973. These oral histories document residents’ and others’ experiences during and after the contamination. We conducted a grounded theory qualitative analysis of 31 oral histories to examine the experiences of community members, researchers, lawyers, and others who actively sought out and contributed essential information about the contamination and its impacts. Our findings highlight several challenges encountered in the development of this knowledge including four central themes—contested knowledge, community skills, inaction, and uncertainty. Integrating environmental health literacy, community capacity, and contested illness frameworks, we examine the contributions of community residents, scientists (from inside and outside the community), and others to the development of knowledge to inform decisions and sustain action regarding this large-scale contamination. We close with a discussion of lessons learned regarding efforts to build environmental health knowledge within uncertain and often contested contexts and for promoting environmental health and action related to large-scale chemical contaminations. Our findings suggest the importance of integrated frameworks for examining and promoting the critical role of community skills, leadership, participation, sense of community, and community power in promoting environmental health.

Suggested Citation

  • Erin Lebow-Skelley & Brittany B. Fremion & Martha Quinn & Melissa Makled & Norman B. Keon & Jane Jelenek & Jane-Ann Crowley & Melanie A. Pearson & Amy J. Schulz, 2022. "“They Kept Going for Answers”: Knowledge, Capacity, and Environmental Health Literacy in Michigan’s PBB Contamination," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(24), pages 1-26, December.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:24:p:16686-:d:1001116
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/19/24/16686/pdf
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/19/24/16686/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Freudenberg, N. & Pastor, M. & Israel, B., 2011. "Strengthening community capacity to participate in making decisions to reduce disproportionate environmental exposures," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 101(SUPPL. 1), pages 123-130.
    2. Cacari-Stone, L. & Wallerstein, N. & Garcia, A.P. & Minkler, M., 2014. "The promise of community-based participatory research for health equity: A conceptual model for bridging evidence with policy," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 104(9), pages 1615-1623.
    3. Kathleen M. Gray, 2018. "From Content Knowledge to Community Change: A Review of Representations of Environmental Health Literacy," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(3), pages 1-17, March.
    4. Reich, M.R., 1983. "Environmental politics and science: the case of PBB contamination in Michigan," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 73(3), pages 302-313.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Shereen Elshaer & Lisa J. Martin & Theresa A. Baker & Erin Roberts & Paola Rios-Santiago & Ross Kaufhold & Melinda Butsch Kovacic, 2023. "Environmental Health Knowledge Does Not Necessarily Translate to Action in Youth," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(5), pages 1-14, February.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Shatalov, Stanislav, 2014. "Responsibility of Legal and Factual Corporate Executives to the Creditors (Foreign Experience)," Published Papers r90228, Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration.
    2. Dana H. Z. Williamson & Sheryl Good & Daphne Wilson & Na’Taki Osborne Jelks & Dayna A. Johnson & Kelli A. Komro & Michelle C. Kegler, 2023. "Using the Collaborative Problem-Solving Model: Findings from an Evaluation of U.S. EPA’s Environmental Justice Academy," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(20), pages 1-24, October.
    3. Jayajit Chakraborty & Timothy W. Collins & Sara E. Grineski & Marilyn C. Montgomery & Maricarmen Hernandez, 2014. "Comparing Disproportionate Exposure to Acute and Chronic Pollution Risks: A Case Study in Houston, Texas," Risk Analysis, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 34(11), pages 2005-2020, November.
    4. Na’Taki Osborne Jelks & Timothy L. Hawthorne & Dajun Dai & Christina H. Fuller & Christine Stauber, 2018. "Mapping the Hidden Hazards: Community-Led Spatial Data Collection of Street-Level Environmental Stressors in a Degraded, Urban Watershed," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(4), pages 1-15, April.
    5. Erin Lebow-Skelley & Sarah Yelton & Brandi Janssen & Esther Erdei & Melanie A. Pearson, 2020. "Identifying Issues and Priorities in Reporting Back Environmental Health Data," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(18), pages 1-19, September.
    6. Brenda D. Koester & Stephanie Sloane & Elinor M. Fujimoto & Barbara H. Fiese & Leona Yi-Fan Su, 2021. "What Do Childcare Providers Know about Environmental Influences on Children’s Health? Implications for Environmental Health Literacy Efforts," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(10), pages 1-11, May.
    7. Jeni Hebert-Beirne & Jennifer K. Felner & Teresa Berumen & Sylvia Gonzalez & Melissa Mosley Chrusfield & Preethi Pratap & Lorraine M. Conroy, 2021. "Community Resident Perceptions of and Experiences with Precarious Work at the Neighborhood Level: The Greater Lawndale Healthy Work Project," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(21), pages 1-18, October.
    8. Amy W. Ando & Titus O. Awokuse & Nathan W. Chan & Jimena González-Ramírez & Sumeet Gulati & Matthew G. Interis & Sarah Jacobson & Dale T. Manning & Samuel Stolper, 2024. "Environmental and Natural Resource Economics and Systemic Racism," Review of Environmental Economics and Policy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 18(1), pages 143-164.
    9. Arturs Kalnins & Glen Dowell, 2017. "Community Characteristics and Changes in Toxic Chemical Releases: Does Information Disclosure Affect Environmental Injustice?," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 145(2), pages 277-292, October.
    10. Andrew R. Binder & Katlyn May & John Murphy & Anna Gross & Elise Carlsten, 2022. "Environmental Health Literacy as Knowing, Feeling, and Believing: Analyzing Linkages between Race, Ethnicity, and Socioeconomic Status and Willingness to Engage in Protective Behaviors against Health ," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(5), pages 1-17, February.
    11. Alana M. W. LeBrón & Ivy R. Torres & Enrique Valencia & Miriam López Dominguez & Deyaneira Guadalupe Garcia-Sanchez & Michael D. Logue & Jun Wu, 2019. "The State of Public Health Lead Policies: Implications for Urban Health Inequities and Recommendations for Health Equity," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(6), pages 1-28, March.
    12. Andrew Binet & Vedette Gavin & Leigh Carroll & Mariana Arcaya, 2019. "Designing and Facilitating Collaborative Research Design and Data Analysis Workshops: Lessons Learned in the Healthy Neighborhoods Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(3), pages 1-15, January.
    13. Samerski, Silja, 2019. "Health literacy as a social practice: Social and empirical dimensions of knowledge on health and healthcare," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 226(C), pages 1-8.
    14. Ward, Melanie & Schulz, Amy J. & Israel, Barbara A. & Rice, Kristina & Martenies, Sheena E. & Markarian, Evan, 2018. "A conceptual framework for evaluating health equity promotion within community-based participatory research partnerships," Evaluation and Program Planning, Elsevier, vol. 70(C), pages 25-34.
    15. Marti Lindsey & Shaw-Ree Chen & Richmond Ben & Melissa Manoogian & Jordan Spradlin, 2021. "Defining Environmental Health Literacy," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(21), pages 1-15, November.
    16. Esther Min & Deric Gruen & Debolina Banerjee & Tina Echeverria & Lauren Freelander & Michael Schmeltz & Erik Saganić & Millie Piazza & Vanessa E. Galaviz & Michael Yost & Edmund Y.W. Seto, 2019. "The Washington State Environmental Health Disparities Map: Development of a Community-Responsive Cumulative Impacts Assessment Tool," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(22), pages 1-16, November.
    17. Natalie Riedel & Irene Van Kamp & Heike Köckler & Joachim Scheiner & Adrian Loerbroks & Thomas Claßen & Gabriele Bolte, 2017. "Cognitive-Motivational Determinants of Residents’ Civic Engagement and Health (Inequities) in the Context of Noise Action Planning: A Conceptual Model," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 14(6), pages 1-25, May.
    18. Christine Carmichael & Cecilia Danks & Christine Vatovec, 2019. "Green Infrastructure Solutions to Health Impacts of Climate Change: Perspectives of Affected Residents in Detroit, Michigan, USA," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(20), pages 1-15, October.
    19. Dana H. Z. Williamson, 2022. "Using the Community Engagement Framework to Understand and Assess EJ-Related Research Efforts," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(5), pages 1-26, February.
    20. Jung-Min Kwak & Ju-Hee Kim, 2022. "Psychometric Properties of the Korean Version of the Environmental Health Literacy Scale," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(7), pages 1-13, March.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:24:p:16686-:d:1001116. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.