For example, WE ACT and Columbia center researchers collaborated on a pilot study that examined how air pollution from buses and trucks in West Harlem may be adversely affecting the respiratory health of adolescents who attend school in this community. The results suggest that adolescents in Harlem are exposed to significant amounts of diesel exhaust, which may produce or exacerbate respiratory symptoms such as asthma. Furthermore, a substantial number of youths who reported a negative history of asthma may still have asymptomatic lung dysfunction of a magnitude that warrants medical evaluation. This is important, because it might indicate that a significant number of children living in the neighborhood may be at risk for developing asthma. In addition to the important research findings of the study, the youths who were involved in the study learned valuable lessons about environmental health, environmental justice in their communities, and community leadership skills.
Community breathes life into studies.
Patrick Kinney performs spirometry as part of the assessment of lung function during the study on the effects of diesel exhaust on the respiratory health of West Harlem adolescents. The report also exemplifies the value of community-based research in empowering communities to improve their own environmental health conditions. In addition to providing input on areas of research interest, integrated community participation enhances the possibility that research findings will be used to address practical issues in environmental health. In the case of the WE ACT-Columbia study on diesel exposure in West Harlem children, the results are being used by community leaders throughout Harlem to combat the proliferation of diesel traffic in their communities. The diesel exposure study further illustrates that collaborations between community leaders and center faculty can produce scientifically sound research that can serve to advance the environmental health sciences while being relevant to community needs and concerns.