A Personalized Intervention to Increase Environmental Health Literacy and Readiness to Change in a Northern Nevada Population: Effects of Environmental Chemical Exposure Report-Back

Johanna R. Rochester, Carol F. Kwiatkowski, Iva Neveux, Shaun Dabe, Katherine M. Hatcher, Michael Kupec Lathrop, Eric J. Daza, Brenda Eskenazi, Joseph J. Grzymski and Jenna Hua ()
Additional contact information
Johanna R. Rochester: Million Marker Wellness, Inc., Berkeley, CA 94704, USA
Carol F. Kwiatkowski: Million Marker Wellness, Inc., Berkeley, CA 94704, USA
Iva Neveux: Healthy Nevada Project, Renown Health, Reno, NV 89557, USA
Shaun Dabe: Healthy Nevada Project, Renown Health, Reno, NV 89557, USA
Katherine M. Hatcher: Million Marker Wellness, Inc., Berkeley, CA 94704, USA
Michael Kupec Lathrop: Million Marker Wellness, Inc., Berkeley, CA 94704, USA
Eric J. Daza: Million Marker Wellness, Inc., Berkeley, CA 94704, USA
Brenda Eskenazi: Million Marker Wellness, Inc., Berkeley, CA 94704, USA
Joseph J. Grzymski: Healthy Nevada Project, Renown Health, Reno, NV 89557, USA
Jenna Hua: Million Marker Wellness, Inc., Berkeley, CA 94704, USA

IJERPH, 2024, vol. 21, issue 7, 1-22

Abstract: Background: Interventions are needed to help people reduce exposure to harmful chemicals from everyday products and lifestyle habits. Report-back of individual exposures is a potential pathway to increasing environmental health literacy (EHL) and readiness to reduce exposures. Objectives: Our objective was to determine if report-back of endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) can reduce EDC exposure, increase EHL, and increase readiness to change (i.e., to implement EDC exposure-reduction behaviors). Methods: Participants in the Healthy Nevada Project completed EHL and readiness-to-change surveys before ( n = 424) and after ( n = 174) a report-back intervention. Participants used mail-in kits to measure urinary biomarkers of EDCs. The report-back of results included urinary levels, information about health effects, sources of exposure, and personalized recommendations to reduce exposure. Results: EHL was generally very high at baseline, especially for questions related to the general pollution. For questions related to chemical exposures, responses varied across several demographics. Statistically reliable improvements in EHL responses were seen after report-back. For readiness to change, 72% were already or planning to change their behaviors. Post-intervention, women increased their readiness ( p = 0.053), while men decreased ( p = 0.007). When asked what challenges they faced in reducing exposure, 79% cited not knowing what to do. This dropped to 35% after report-back. Participants with higher propylparaben were younger ( p = 0.03) and women and participants who rated themselves in better health had higher levels of some phthalates ( p = 0.02–0.003 and p = 0.001–0.003, respectively). After report-back, monobutyl phthalate decreased among the 48 participants who had valid urine tests before and after the intervention ( p < 0.001). Conclusions: The report-back intervention was successful as evidenced by increased EHL behaviors, increased readiness to change among women, and a decrease in monobutyl phthalate. An EHL questionnaire more sensitive to chemical exposures would help differentiate high and low literacy. Future research will focus on understanding why men decreased their readiness to change and how the intervention can be improved for all participants.

Keywords: endocrine-disrupting chemicals; bisphenols; phthalates; parabens; environmental health literacy; exposure intervention (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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