The Chickahominy T.R.U.T.H. (Trust, Research, Understand, Teach, and Heal) Project—A Tribal Community–Academic Partnership for Understanding the Impact of Structural Factors on Perceived Cancer Risk in Rural Virginia

Katherine Y. Tossas (), Bianca D. Owens, Savannah Reitzel, Jacqueline Knight Wilt, Paula Tatiana Rivera Mejía, Rachel Hunley, Haley Groesbeck, Hillary Boucher, Katelyn Schifano, Susann L. Brown, Dana Adkins, Stephen Adkins and Maria D. Thomson
Additional contact information
Katherine Y. Tossas: Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, School of Population Health, Virginia Commonwealth University, 830 East Main Street, Richmond, VA 23219, USA
Bianca D. Owens: Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, School of Population Health, Virginia Commonwealth University, 830 East Main Street, Richmond, VA 23219, USA
Savannah Reitzel: Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, School of Population Health, Virginia Commonwealth University, 830 East Main Street, Richmond, VA 23219, USA
Jacqueline Knight Wilt: Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, School of Population Health, Virginia Commonwealth University, 830 East Main Street, Richmond, VA 23219, USA
Paula Tatiana Rivera Mejía: Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, School of Population Health, Virginia Commonwealth University, 830 East Main Street, Richmond, VA 23219, USA
Rachel Hunley: Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center, Virginia Commonwealth University, 417 North 11th Street, Richmond, VA 23219, USA
Haley Groesbeck: Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center, Virginia Commonwealth University, 417 North 11th Street, Richmond, VA 23219, USA
Hillary Boucher: Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center, Virginia Commonwealth University, 417 North 11th Street, Richmond, VA 23219, USA
Katelyn Schifano: Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center, Virginia Commonwealth University, 417 North 11th Street, Richmond, VA 23219, USA
Susann L. Brown: Chickahominy Indian Tribe Inc., 8200 Lott Cary Road, Providence Forge, VA 23140, USA
Dana Adkins: Chickahominy Indian Tribe Inc., 8200 Lott Cary Road, Providence Forge, VA 23140, USA
Stephen Adkins: Chickahominy Indian Tribe Inc., 8200 Lott Cary Road, Providence Forge, VA 23140, USA
Maria D. Thomson: Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, School of Population Health, Virginia Commonwealth University, 830 East Main Street, Richmond, VA 23219, USA

IJERPH, 2024, vol. 21, issue 3, 1-11

Abstract: In 2022, the Virginia Chickahominy Indian Tribe partnered with Virginia Commonwealth University Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center to investigate concerns about a potential cancer cluster near a local landfill. While investigating cancer clusters is complex due to long latency and multifactorial causes, the community’s concerns about structural factors driving cancer risk warrant exploration. Thus, the Chickahominy T.R.U.T.H. (Trust, Research, Understand, Teach, and Heal) Project was created as a community–academic partnership to (1) identify structural factors and barriers associated with perceived cancer risk and care; (2) assess cancer knowledge, care access gaps, and perceived risks, including testing private and community water sources; (3) develop and deploy culturally tailored cancer education and resource navigation, including groundwater safety education, policies, and remediation. We will conduct 150 in-person interviews and water tests among residents within a four-mile radius of the landfill, and deploy 1000 structured questionnaires among Charles City County residents. In this paper, we provide an overview of the ongoing project design, development, and progress in support of the project’s objectives. This collaborative investigation aims to address cancer health disparities, enhance research and health policy advocacy, and honor the sacred knowledge of an underserved community, laying the groundwork for a long-term partnership to guide future research questions.

Keywords: cancer risk disparities; landfill leachates; Native American cancer risk; community–academic partnership; structural violence; Policies, Systems, and Environments (PSE); well-water contamination; cancer education outreach; community health disparities; environmental justice (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/21/3/262/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/21/3/262/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:21:y:2024:i:3:p:262-:d:1345040

Access Statistics for this article

IJERPH is currently edited by Ms. Jenna Liu

More articles in IJERPH from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().