PRACTICE LAB: THE INTEGRATED LEAD POISONING PREVENTION ASSIGNMENT

Background and context for the practice lab.

EXCERPT-from-MPH-613-Spring-2022-Class-13-Cultural-Comp-EJ-Compatibility-Mode

  1. Title
    • PRACTICE LAB: The Integrated Lead Poisoning Prevention Assignment
  2. Background
    • This practice lab was an scenario-based exercise to complete an Integrated Lead Poisoning Prevention Assignment. We were given a mock community with multiple potential lead sources and a diverse population. The pdf file above shows the details of the mock community, Happytown. This assignment combined knowledge of lead and lead poisoning with risk communication and cultural competency. From this, this assignment tasked the student with designing a community lead poisoning education and prevention effort.
  3. Key components
    • Identify and briefly explain six potential lead sources that could affect people’s health in the mock community.
    • Identify and briefly explain three conditions/characteristics/practices/activities in the mock community that could affect people’s risk of lead poisoning.
    • Why are cultural factors in the mock community important for effectively communicating lead poisoning information
  4. Findings
    • There are multiple potential sources of lead in the Happytown community. While there are more obvious sources, some potential sources are a bit less known. For example, a potential source of lead poisoning is the sweet Chapulines from Oaxaca, Mexico. According to a news release from the County of Los Angeles Public Health Department, chapulines from Oaxaca may contain as much as 2,300 micrograms of lead per gram of product (County of Los Angeles Public Health, n.d.)
    • Furthermore, the toys from the Happytown Fun Fair event are a potential source of lead poisoning. The 18-piece INNOCHEER musical instrument set had paint on the maracas, xylophone, and carrying case that contained lead levels that exceed the US federal lead paint ban (U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, 2019). The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission issued a safety recall of this product in 2019 and no incidents or injuries have been reported. It is unfortunate that Happytown’s efforts to provide children with toys and educational kits also put children at risk for lead poisoning
    • A potential source of lead poisoning that affects more than just children is the housing makeup in Happytown. In Happytown, there are plenty of low-cost apartments from the 1940s and 50s as well as many single-family homes from the 1930s. A significant amount of white house paint made before 1955 was 50% lead and 50% linseed oil. Lead-based paint, before 1950, was used on interior and exterior applications in most homes. The danger of lead-based paint is that it can chip and when painted surfaces rub together, it can create dust. The chips can be ingested by children and pets. The lead paint dust can be suspended in the air close to the ground making it easy to be inhaled. It can also contaminate the soil around the house making any disturbance of the soil a hazardous undertaking.
    • A risk communication strategy for reaching older adults and elderly members is potentially sending pamphlets in the mail and running TV commercials that talk about lead exposure and include a hotline and link to refer to. Older adults and the elderly are less likely to use the internet and information spread solely over the web may not reach them.
    • Another risk communication strategy would be to provide all information on lead exposure and poisoning in as many of the languages spoken and understood in Happytown as possible. Happytown, much like the rest of the US, is a diverse society and Happytown is welcoming to all including new immigrants.
    • A third risk communication strategy to reach younger people would be to have a social media presence for the lead education program. People use their phones to stay in touch with friends and family on social media, it would be perfect to partner with the community and have them involved through social media.
  5. Public health significance
    • Identifying public health hazards and threats is a key task of public health professionals. However, communicating that risk with populations that are diverse in terms of age, race, religion, culture is incredibly important. Cultural compentecy is a crucial part of the work that public health professionals do in working with the public. Public health professionals must serve the community and engage the public as active partners in order to improve health outcomes.
  6. Compentencies
    • MPH 8:  Apply awareness of cultural values and practices to the design or implementation of public health policies or programs
      • Identify cultural values and practices in a community that could have relevance to the design or implementation of an environmental public health program.
    • MPH 18: Select communication strategies for different audiences and sectors
      • Identify the communication needs and preferences of different audiences and sectors in a community.
    • MPH 20: Describe the importance of cultural competence in communicating public health content
      • Identify cultural factors in a community that could have relevance for how public health content is communicated.
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