About the Center

Methylmercury Risk and Awareness in American Indian Women of Childbearing Age

Sandra Kuntz, PhD, RN
Principal Investigator
Montana State University-Bozeman
College of Nursing, Missoula Campus
skuntz@montana.edu

| Team | Dissemination |

Overview:

Purpose: The purpose of the proposed study is to construct and adapt culturally appropriate instrumentation and methods to assess risk for methylmercury exposure in American Indian women of childbearing age living on rural reservations. In addition to risk for exposure, instrumentation will be developed to assess preferred risk communication modes among this population.

Aims: The specific aims of the project are to: (a) review the Montana data collected through the Anderson (2004) study (data available from the author and the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services) to better understand the risk characterization for American Indian populations, (b) explore fish advisory messages and risk communication strategies currently in place on rural reservations in Montana, (c) evaluate, adapt, and modify the methods used in the Anderson study and develop a culturally sensitive, participatory approach and instrument to measure risk for exposure and preferred risk communication messages for American Indian women enrolled in tribal Women, Infant, and Children (WIC) programs in the State of Montana, and (d) pilot instrumentation and methods on one American Indian Reservation in the State of Montana.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey research design will be used to obtain information from American Indian WIC program participants regarding awareness of methylmercury risk and preferred risk communication modes. To develop the instrument, modification of the survey questionnaire used in the Anderson (2004) 12-state fish advisory study will be performed after a reanalysis of data from this study to prioritize salient issues in Montana. Instrument modification will be conducted under guidance provided by two American Indian consultants and the Environmental Public Health Tracking Special Interest Group on Methylmercury. This study targets a population highly vulnerable to the chronic neurobehavioral effects of methylmercury exposure who may be additionally disadvantaged by an absence of appropriate fish advisory messages. At the end of the pilot project, the research team will be prepared to launch a widespread survey of methylmercury awareness and assessment of risk in rural American Indian women in the Northwest and should eventually lead to a risk communication program to prevent chronic disease.

Team:

	Wade Hill, PhD, RN Co-Investigator Montana State University-Bozeman College of Nursing whill@montana.edu

	Susan King, PhD Montana State University College of Engineering susank@coe.montana.edu

	Jeff Linkenbach EdD Montana State University College of Education, Health, and Human Development jwl@montana.edu

	Gary Lande, MD Montana State University College of Education, Health, and Human Development glande@montana.edu

Dissemination:

Presentations

Kuntz. S., Hill, W., King, S., Linkenbach, J. & Lande, G. (2006, August). Methylmercury risk and awareness in American Indian women of child-bearing age[poster]. The International Conference of Mercury as a Global Pollutant, Madison, WI.
Kuntz. S., Hill, W., King, S., Linkenbach, J. & Lande, G. (2006, April). Methylmercury risk and awareness in American Indian women: A pilot study [poster]. 39th Annual Communicating Nursing Research Conference, Western Institute of Nursing, Albuquerque, NM.