Community Based Research on Autoimmune Disease and Asthma

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The investigators propose that the Environment and Society Institute (ESI) and the Department of Social and Preventive Medicine of the University of Buffalo (UB) continue community participatory research projects currently underway in two targeted communities in Buffalo, New York. Their plan is to strengthen the infrastructural and organizational requirements for the operation of a community environmental health response team which will improve research quality and relevance and maintain the community outreach that will engender community participation at all levels of the research process, including dissemination of the findings. The community and scientist partners have developed and are implementing an outcome-based research agenda focusing on two targeted geographic areas: 1) a community on the east-side of Buffalo concerned with pollution from toxic waste sites and point sources of pollution and a cluster of autoimmune disease, and 2) the westside of Buffalo near a high-traffic corridor with elevated exposures to diesel exhaust and documented higher prevalence of asthma. The research teams in place consist of investigators and staff from the University at Buffalo and an active steering committee with working groups for each community-based study. Specific tasks outlined in the methodology are (1) further implementation of the research agenda, (2) development of communication and dissemination strategies, (3) evaluation of the participatory process, and (4) evaluation of the completion of the research objectives. These steering committees and workgroups provide a forum where science is integrated with decision-making processes. The research teams in place will serve as a scientific and educational resource for the community and will facilitate integration of activities related to health assessment, risk communication, and action. A partnership will be strengthened by the activities proposed herein between research scientists, primary care providers, and citizens, in two high-risk, underserved, poor, minority populations that appear to be adversely impacted by environmental insults. Over the five-year period in each of the study areas, research objectives will include further documentation of the prevalence of disease, validation of diagnosis and organization of exposure assessment protocols, design and implementation of analytic studies, establishment of surveillance systems, dissemination of findings and the development and implementation of interventions.