Greater Cincinnati Occupational Health Center

Partnerships to Educate on Environmental Genetic Issues

Laverne Mayfield
gcohc@fuse.net

Project Description

Interactions with a range of community groups have indicated that there is a great interest among minority families to learn more about potential environmental hazards and how genetics and environment interact. Due to employment and/or residence near polluted and deteriorated sites, these groups may reap future benefits from environmental genetic discoveries or face hardships, such as workplace bias and/or denial of insurance, arising from genetic discrimination. Therefore, a partnership composed of the GCOHC and University of Cincinnati's Departments of Environmental Health and Anthropology propose to develop educational processes and materials concerning the role of environmental and genetic factors in disease. This educational program is designed to communicate and convey essential knowledge regarding environmental health and genetics to residents in greater Cincinnati and other areas in the tri-state area. The focus will be to promote public understanding of the impact of genetic diversity on responses to environmental agents and the induction of human diseases. Specifically, the objectives are to, 1) assess awareness and knowledge concerning environmental genetics among communities in polluted areas or deteriorated waste sites; 2) modify and develop an educational program on gene-environment interactions relevant to the needs of communities impacted by highly polluted industrialized areas; 3) implement gene-environment educational programs through community organizations; and 4) evaluate the effectiveness of educational materials and programs and to determine the impact on communities in enhancing their awareness and understanding of ethical issues and challenges related to environmental genetics and health.