Development of an Environmental Health Literacy Mobile Application to Reduce Toxic Environmental Exposures in Black Communities

ABSTRACT Exposures to endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs), including bisphenols, phthalates, and parabens, have been linked to chronic diseases,1–5 and infertility.6,7 Unfortunately, minority and marginalized populations are disproportionately exposed to and affected by EDCs, due to differences in product use, demographics, occupations, and lifestyle, largely stemming from social inequalities.8,9 Mobile phone applications are powerful tools for education and behavior changes, especially with the incorporation of gamification and instant feedback.10,11 Currently, there are few mobile apps for raising EDC awareness and reducing environmental exposures. The goal of this proposal is to develop the FIRST mobile application (app) and education program, MEET, by providing Minority-focused Environmental health Education and Tracking on topics pertaining to environmental exposures targeted to a minority population, assessing this population’s routine exposures via an app-based mobile exposure journal which documents lifestyle, diet, and product use and provide personalized exposure reduction recommendations, and tracking environmental health literacy (EHL) and lifestyle improvements over time. Our app will provide real-time feedback in response to user entries, so that individuals can make effective, evidence-based changes. We will achieve these goals by implementing the following three aims: 1) identify lifestyle behaviors and products in a minority population that may contribute to harmful exposures through focus groups and interviews; 2) develop culturally appropriate educational EDC EHL materials and recommendations to reduce exposures by collaborating with community members to add to and adapt Million Marker’s (MM) existing extensive online educational resources and recommendations; and 3) integrate developed educational materials and targeted recommendations into the existing MM app and test the usability of the app as well as changes in EHL, readiness to change, and products and practices using in a cohort of 100 community members. Completion of this project will allow MM to empower individuals in minority communities to increase their EHL and reduce their harmful exposures. This Phase I SBIR funding will allow us to develop and begin testing the feasibility of our minority population- targeted app, and improve MM’s products and services. If the aims are achieved, we will be ready for Phase II to further evaluate the efficacy of this program, and scale and adapt it to multiple minority/marginalized populations.