Environmental Health Disparities in Ohio - Essay Example

Environmental Health Disparities in Ohio Abbreviated Research Plan On Quantitative Research Strengths a. Quantitative Research is based on objective analysis, which is more convenient to conclude and generalize than qualitative or subjective research study. b. The research plan was based on some statistical tools, e.g. hypothesis testing, which may lead to more accurate results. c. It is hard for the quantitative research method to be deviated from the main area under study. Limitations a. The sample selected for quantitative analysis may not be the true representative of the whole population, which may lead to unreliable conclusion. b. The generalization on the basis of small sample for the whole population may be incorrect. c. The hypothesis testing depends upon the significance level and the standard error of estimate, wrong calculation may lead to TYPE-1 or TYPE-2 errors. 2. Abbreviated Research Plan On Qualitative Research Strength a. Qualitative research plan regarding the environmental disparities in Ohio is based on developing cognizant regarding the perception of the people, it is more congenial to develop conclusion than the quantitative research method. b. The qualitative research was conducted using the interviews with open-ended questions, which explore those factors that were not taken into account during research design. c. Subjective judgment is normally developed after getting the responses of the people, which is more realistic. Limitation a. Subjective research is based on researcher judgement, which may be wrong. b. Qualitative research does not incorporate the facts, which are used to be incorporated in the quantitative judgements. 3. Abbreviated Research Plan On Mixed Research Strength a. Mixed research incorporates both the subjective and objective analysis. b. The conclusion developed is more reliable because it covers different ways of research. c. If quantitative analysis includes any wrong calculation it may be verified from the qualitative analysis. Limitation a. Time frame of mixed research method is more than the only qualitative or quantitative research. b. More resources are required for the mixed research. c. Larger time frame and more resource requirement may lead the researcher to compromise the quality of research. Introduction Environmental Health disparities refer to unequal distribution of health care and environmental protection facilities to the people living in the same area. Injustice in environmental protection facilities may have significant impact on the specific group of people who are more exposed to environmental problems with less protection facilities. Ohio is one of those places where we can find health disparities at a significant level. Studies indicate that the Appalachian adults in Ohio are more exposed to health disparity issues than their peers in other regions. Health disparities related to the environmental exposure pose a double injustice in terms of unequal exposure and unequal access to adequate health care. Health disparities, in general, mean that the burden of disease or environments that cause disease are mostly felt or experienced by some and not all populations. In the United States (US), health disparities are attributed to several factors including: lack of access to healthcare, socioeconomic status or educational background (Moeller, 2005). We look at health disparities from the angle of environmental health. Effects of health disparities are dismal because they include limited or no health insurance at all, which, in turn, prevents them from having access to adequate healthcare and related resources. This is a significant public health challenge which needs to be addressed by effective interventions. This Abbreviated Quantitative Research Plan (AQRP) is aimed and directed at policy makers at local and federal levels; with the aim of addressing health issues related to industrial manufacturing sites located in residential areas. The plan is also directed towards health services, federal and local public health agencies, companies with polluting businesses and other interested stakeholders. The plan explores the study’s purposes, design, methodology and other aspects of a credible research (Creswell, 2006). According to Moeller (2005), The Pollution Prevention Act of 1990, “was made into national policy to assure that pollution is prevented or reduced at its source, recycled or treated in an environmentally safe manner, and disposed of or released into the environment only as a last resort” (p.362). Evidence of improvements on human health, especially to workers, is well documented: For example by controlling use of hazardous materials and advocating use of less hazardous ones, the law has significantly improved the health of industrial workers ( Moeller, 2005) who are at a higher risk of hazardous materials due to regular and frequent handling. Also the law provided funding to promote pollution prevention programs at state level, encouraging local governments to engage in innovative pollution prevention programs (EPA, 2010). Because this Act focuses on prevention, EPA concludes that it can be highly cost effective because it deals with contaminants before they occur, thereby minimizing or eliminating the need for remediation, recycling etc. Purpose Statement The purpose of the research is to evaluate the environmental health disparities In Ohio using both the quantitative and qualitative approach. Finally using mixed methods research design. The research will be conducted by analyzing the research area under study from more general to specific level. Therefore, for quantitative analysis three different hypotheses were developed. Quantitative research study tests the hypotheses which states that in the US there are environmental health disparities. Sub-hypothesis states that the Environmental Protection Act is not protecting everyone from environmental health related diseases like asthma. Quantitative research hypotheses will also address the relationship of ambient air pollution and indoor air pollution variables with respiratory infections e.g. asthma in elementary school students at all 10 public schools in Hamilton County, Ohio. The hypothesis test was conducted by reviewing the available and authentic literature regarding the environmental health disparities and the protection level of environmental protection act along with the relationship between ambient air pollution and indoor air pollution variables.. The researches proved that there are wide environmental health disparities in US and the act is not much supportive. In order to develop more reliable research conclusion, the qualitative research study will also be conducted along with the quantitative techniques mentioned above. The research on health disparities among racial and ethnic minorities in the state of Ohio was conducted. Qualitative research method was considered to be effective since research is more subjective. In this research the emphasis will be to develop cognizant regarding environmental health disparities from the point of view or perspective of three different groups of populations in Ohio: racial and ethnic minorities, the homeless and immigrants – populations most impacted by this issue. The research tradition used was ethnographic, which studies and observes the behaviours and customs. In addition to this, qualitative interviews and observations will be used to probe more about the quantitative results obtained by exploring aspects of the air pollution (central phenomenon) with interviews from parents, guardians, and caregivers of the children who go to Hamilton county public schools. Research Plan Quantitative Research The research plan is bifurcated into quantitative and qualitative research study. As mentioned above in the purpose statement that the Quantitative research is based on hypothesis testing. The three different hypothesis that starts from the testing of environmental health disparities in US and leads to the identification of relationship between ambient air pollution and indoor air pollution variables with respiratory infections, e.g. asthma in elementary school students at all 10 public schools in Hamilton County, Ohio. This study demands high level of experiment. However, there is unequal distribution of the burden of effects of Environmental pollution in America. Existence and evidence of environmental health disparities, especially among racial and ethnic minorities shows that health benefits of the Pollution Prevention Act are not fully experienced by all. Distribution of toxic waste sites, for example, is known to affect minorities, racial and ethnic groups more than the main-stream white population (Cohen, Chavez & Chehimi, 2010). The impact on these vulnerable groups is basically magnified by poverty and/or low socioeconomic status. Because, unlike the rich families who can easily afford to relocate or move when they are faced with the situation of living close to a toxic dumping site, poor or low SES families are not able to do so. In addition, low SES families have limited access to health care, so even if they are exposed, by the time the disease is detected it may be too late. Environmental health disparity is a great challenge for public health, the Pollution Prevention Act, could do more by ensuring that people do not suffer ill-health by preventing pollution of the environment in the first place. Indoor and outdoor Air Pollution (which is a result of poor pollution prevention), for example is linked to high incidence of asthma and other respiratory and cardiovascular health issues, especially among low SES families due to the close proximity to polluting sites (Moeller, 2005) . Hamilton County Department of Health, (HCDH, 2007) has strong programs in place to prevent, promote and protect people’s health. In the area of respiratory diseases much has been accomplished including the recent Smoke Free Ohio Compliance Law (HCDH, 2007). However there still exist environmental health disparities and more work needs to be done with regards to preventing and protecting the public from respiratory diseases especially in children. The main city of Hamilton county, Cincinnati, is located close to at least three major interstate highways. In order to test the hypothesis regarding the relationship between the ambient air pollution and indoor ait pollution, pre-intervention and post-intervention data will be collected. Objective (quantitative data) data to be gathered will be toxicology data showing effects of vehicle emissions inhaled by the residents. The data will provide real numbers/bio markers that show connection (if any) of the environmental emissions in humans or residents. In a recent town-hall meeting, residents have raised concern about the need for protection of their children from respiratory diseases. This study aims to draw more attention to this issue. Research (Cohen et. al. 2010) shows that low SES people and people of color are more affected because they are trapped in inner cities where build environments do not meet standards for cleaner air. Elsewhere (NIEHS-NIH, 2010) evidence also shows that many African-Americans are exposed to unhealthy living and working conditions that trigger more asthma diagnoses than in any other race or ethnic group. Access to a pollution-free and healthy environment is a basic human right and need; therefore public health intervention is needed. In addition to the Pollution Prevention Act, Community based participatory research (CBPR) approach could be used to effectively address environmental health disparities by educating communities about these issues. These programs have been shown to work effectively in resolving similar public health issues (Cohen et al. 2010). THRIVE, for example, is a CBPR approach that would be ideal because it involves affected target groups and communities in decision making to resolve issues that affect them (Hood, 2005). Community based intervention programs are, multilevel, involve all stakeholders and are a good start towards building healthy environments for all and bridging environmental health disparity gap by making local communities part of Pollution Prevention programs that affect their lives. Qualitative Research Using a qualitative research method along with quantitative method would lead to more reliable conclusion. In this research the emphasis is trying to understand environmental health disparities from the point of view or perspective of three different groups of populations in Ohio: racial and ethnic minorities, the homeless and immigrants – populations most impacted by this issue. Therefore the ethnographic research tradition will be used. Ethnography tradition will help us meet the goal because we want to learn about the effects of environmental health disparities from the perspective of the people of affected people. We aim to get a definition of environmental health problems as the affected groups experience it and define it: 1. How they viewed environmental health disparities, 2. How they viewed different health issues associated with environmental injustices, 3. What kind of attitudes they have towards the issue. Method of data collected most suited for this study will be self-administered interviews; therefore focus group interviews with the target groups: the homeless, immigrants working on farms and racial and ethnic minorities. We plan to start with open-ended questions, and depending on responses we will be receiving (Creswell, 2009). This approach or use of less structured questions will enable us to explore the type of topics that target interviewees wanted to discuss further. For example if the homeless groups wanted to discuss specific concerns about pollution in the environments they sleep at night e.g. traffic emissions for those who sleep along pavements located close to major highways. We will take time to discuss this further and hear what they have to say. The point is to explore that issue in detail and ask them more questions about air pollution and what it how they view its effects on them (Laureate, Inc. 2008). The goal is that we might end up finding our major or as many factors as possible associated with environmental health disparities experienced by the homeless, immigrants and racial and ethnic minorities in the state of Ohio. Main role, therefore, will be as the instrument for this research. The subjective (qualitative) data will be questionnaires, which will examine their interpretation of environmental health disparities and how they are coping with corresponding health effects it produces. And, thirdly, the inter-subjective data will be collected by interview before and after the intervention. This will help in recognizing and putting aside my own biases and preconceived notions them and asked these participants about their environments. Mixed Research Method As the research method used for this paper considers all the aspects of research i.e. quantitative, as well as, qualitative, so it can be considered as the mixed research method. The hypothesis testing, regarding the relationship of ambient air pollution and indoor air pollution variables with respiratory infections e.g. asthma in elementary school students at all 10 public schools in Hamilton County, Ohio, along with the subjective (qualitative) data analysis which will be questionnaires, which will examine the interpretation of environmental health disparities and how the people of Ohio are coping with corresponding health effects that environmental health disparities are producing with the inter-subjective data that will be collected by interview before and after the intervention, have also been incorporated in the overall research plan. The research plan for the research area under study has actually combined all the qualitative and quantitative data analysis, which was previously studied in bifurcated ways. The purpose of this research plan is to evaluate the qualities of conclusions, which were derived from different research methods. 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