Doulas as Environmental Educators and Partners Study

Description

The aims of this project are: Aim 1: Determine the extent to which an environmental health literacy educational intervention designed for doulas improves their environmental health literacy of endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) in personal care products. Hypothesis 1a. Doulas who participate in an environmental health literacy course will have a higher environmental health literacy score based on quantitative questionnaire evaluation post-course compared to pre-course. Hypothesis 1b. Doulas who participate in the environmental health literacy course will have a higher environmental health literacy scores post-course compared to doulas who do not take the environmental health literacy course. Aim 2: Determine the extent to which pregnant people counseled by doulas with training in environmental health literacy have higher environmental health literacy scores and lower usage of personal care products containing EDCs following doula counseling. Hypothesis 2a. Compared to pregnant people not counseled by doulas on EDCs in personal care products, pregnant individuals counseled by doulas on these EDCs will have improved scores in environmental health literacy. Hypothesis 2b. Compared to pregnant people not counseled by doulas on EDCs in personal care products, pregnant individuals receiving counseling will use fewer personal care products associated with containing EDCs based on a validated questionnaire. Aim 3: Determine whether concentrations of EDC biomarkers decreased after the intervention for the intervention group. Hypothesis 3: Urinary phthalate metabolite concentrations will be lower post-course compared to pre-course for the intervention group.

Conditions

Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice

Study Overview

Study Details

Study overview

The aims of this project are: Aim 1: Determine the extent to which an environmental health literacy educational intervention designed for doulas improves their environmental health literacy of endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) in personal care products. Hypothesis 1a. Doulas who participate in an environmental health literacy course will have a higher environmental health literacy score based on quantitative questionnaire evaluation post-course compared to pre-course. Hypothesis 1b. Doulas who participate in the environmental health literacy course will have a higher environmental health literacy scores post-course compared to doulas who do not take the environmental health literacy course. Aim 2: Determine the extent to which pregnant people counseled by doulas with training in environmental health literacy have higher environmental health literacy scores and lower usage of personal care products containing EDCs following doula counseling. Hypothesis 2a. Compared to pregnant people not counseled by doulas on EDCs in personal care products, pregnant individuals counseled by doulas on these EDCs will have improved scores in environmental health literacy. Hypothesis 2b. Compared to pregnant people not counseled by doulas on EDCs in personal care products, pregnant individuals receiving counseling will use fewer personal care products associated with containing EDCs based on a validated questionnaire. Aim 3: Determine whether concentrations of EDC biomarkers decreased after the intervention for the intervention group. Hypothesis 3: Urinary phthalate metabolite concentrations will be lower post-course compared to pre-course for the intervention group.

Doulas as Environmental Educators and Partners Study

Doulas as Environmental Educators and Partners Study

Condition
Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice
Intervention / Treatment

-

Contacts and Locations

Boston

Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, United States, 02115

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

For general information about clinical research, read Learn About Studies.

Eligibility Criteria

  • * Doulas currently working with pregnant individuals \<30 weeks into their pregnancy
  • * Pregnant individuals working with doulas who are \<30 weeks into their pregnancy
  • * Doulas not currently working with pregnant individuals \<30 weeks into their pregnancy
  • * Pregnant individuals working with doulas who are beyond 30 weeks into their pregnancy

Ages Eligible for Study

to

Sexes Eligible for Study

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Collaborators and Investigators

Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH),

Study Record Dates

2024-10-30