The Eyewitness Community Survey: An Engaging Citizen Science Tool to Capture Reliable Data while Improving Community Participants’ Environmental Health Knowledge and Attitudes

Melinda Butsch Kovacic (), Shereen Elshaer, Theresa A. Baker, Vincent Hill, Edith Morris, Keren Mabisi, Ian Snider, Susan Gertz, Susan Hershberger and Lisa J. Martin
Additional contact information
Melinda Butsch Kovacic: Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
Shereen Elshaer: Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
Theresa A. Baker: Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
Vincent Hill: Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
Edith Morris: Evaluation Services Center, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
Keren Mabisi: Evaluation Services Center, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
Ian Snider: Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
Susan Gertz: Center for Chemistry Education, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Miami University, Oxford, OH 45056, USA
Susan Hershberger: Center for Chemistry Education, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Miami University, Oxford, OH 45056, USA
Lisa J. Martin: Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA

IJERPH, 2023, vol. 20, issue 14, 1-16

Abstract: Many youths and young adults have variable environmental health knowledge, limited understanding of their local environment’s impact on their health, and poor environmentally friendly behaviors. We sought to develop and test a tool to reliably capture data, increase environmental health knowledge, and engage youths as citizen scientists to examine and take action on their community’s challenges. The Eyewitness Community Survey (ECS) was developed through several iterations of co-design. Herein, we tested its performance. In Phase I, seven youths audited five 360° photographs. In Phase II, 27 participants works as pairs/trios and audited five locations, typically 7 days apart. Inter-rater and intra-rater reliability were determined. Changes in participants’ knowledge, attitudes, behaviors, and self-efficacy were surveyed. Feedback was obtained via focus groups. Intra-rater reliability was in the substantial/near-perfect range, with Phase II having greater consistency. Inter-rater reliability was high, with 42% and 63% of Phase I and II Kappa, respectively, in the substantial/near-perfect range. Knowledge scores improved after making observations ( p ≤ 0.032). Participants (85%) reported the tool to be easy/very easy to use, with 70% willing to use it again. Thus, the ECS is a mutually beneficial citizen science tool that rigorously captures environmental data and provides engaging experiential learning opportunities.

Keywords: reliability; environmental health; citizen science; knowledge; attitudes (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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