Development and Successful Application of a “Community-First” Communication Model for Community-based Environmental Health Research

OBJECTIVES: Effectively communicate results from a community exposure study to meet predetermined community priorities, maintaining ethical principles of autonomy, empowerment and justice. METHODS: The community established principles for the communications and a plan to inform study participants, community and other stakeholders of results and recommendations in a novel sequence: the "Community-First" communication model. RESULTS: The communications resulted in positive actions including company sponsored free bottled water, accepted by 77.6% of eligible households. Over 95% of participants in a follow-up survey had made some change to residential water supplies. Serum perfluorooctanoate levels were reduced. Government agencies acted on the results. CONCLUSIONS: The unique communication approach generated workable solutions to the problem investigated, raised community awareness and modified behaviors. Information generated a "free market" of community-level solutions. Each major stakeholder voluntarily adopted a "precautionary principle."