When she was growing up, Anne Turner-Henson remembers hearing that blowing smoke into a child’s ear could help cure an ear infection. “We now know that exposure to cigarette smoke is the number-one contributor to ear infections in children,” says Turner-Henson, D.S.N., associate professor of nursing at UAB. “That old wives’ tale was just making the problem worse.”
Cigarette smoke, lead-based paint, pesticides, and household chemicals are just some of the environmental toxins that scientists now know are harmful, particularly to children. Turner-Henson is helping educate parents and the community about these hazards through her work with the Greater Birmingham Children’s Environmental Health Initiative (GBCEHI), a project funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Region IV.
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Targeting inner-city neighborhoods with known environmental hazard risks and high rates of children’s health problems, the GBCEHI is forming community and governmental partnerships to spread the word about environmental substances that can be toxic to children. Reducing the Risks “The main thing to remember about children and environmental hazards is that we can limit exposure and thus minimize the risks,” Turner-Henson says. “Unlike some chronic health problems that we currently can’t keep from happening, environmental health hazards are problems we can solve.
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| “It’s important to understand that we may not even see the effects of some environmental toxins until children have grown into adults. If we can educate children and parents to be aware of these threats, we can eliminate many problems early on.” Children are particularly vulnerable to environmental toxins, Turner-Henson says, for a variety of physiological and behavioral reasons. “Children are growing, their organs are developing, and their behavior often puts them in close contact with the ground,” she notes. “Their bodies are smaller and they breathe faster and take in more substances than adults. In addition, some young families can’t afford to live in places that are environmentally safe for their children.” The GBCEHI targets 12 zip codes in the Birmingham area, with populations that are primarily African-American and low-income. Many of these areas have high population density and high concentrations of heavy industry. The project focuses on five environmental hazards, one of which is poor indoor air quality as a contributor to asthma. “If you look at public-health statistics, one of the biggest burdens for children is asthma,” says Turner-Henson. “It’s the leading cause of school absenteeism, and it’s high on the list of causes for visits to doctors and emergency rooms.” The other four environmental hazards targeted by the GBCEHI are lead, household chemicals, environmental tobacco smoke, and radon and asbestos.
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Communicating with Communities The GBCEHI is attacking the problem of environmental hazards on several fronts. At the beginning of the study, the researchers analyzed existing data to establish baseline community needs. Then, in January 2001, they hosted a health summit, attended by more than 100 community leaders, which led to creation of community-based partnerships for addressing children’s environmental-health issues. “We had participants representing public health, education, health housing, social services, and public policy,” Turner-Henson says. “Our summit helped professionals from all of these areas find ways to link together to better serve children.”
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| GBCEHI is also training community health advisors to educate other citizens about environmental hazards. “We’ve trained eight people so far, and they’re now conducting intervention programs in the community,” Turner-Henson says. “This model has been used nationwide for a variety of public-health problems. The community health advisors come from diverse backgrounds, and they take innovative approaches. | | 
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For example, one of them puts together baskets for baby showers at her church and teaches mothers-to-be and mothers who attend the showers about environmental hazards. Another communicates regularly with mothers who have disabilities and need information about environmental toxins.”
Joining Turner-Henson in the project are Chanda Mobley, a doctoral student in the UAB School of Public Health, along with public-health faculty members Linda W. Goodson, R.N., and H. Kenneth Dillon, Ph.D.
In a sense, Turner-Henson says, environmental toxins are simply a byproduct of modern living. “We’ve made our houses tighter, instead of opening them up to air exchange, and that can heighten exposure to radon, as well as cigarette smoke and other harmful substances. And just think of the many chemicals most of us have in our homes. If we went back to using soap and water for cleaning and used integrated, ecologically sound pest management, we wouldn’t need all of the harmful sprays we use today. We think these chemicals give us an instant fix, but instead they’re causing harm to all of us—especially our children.” |
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