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Needs Assessment: Understanding environmental health issues to inform community engagement in the central Midwest

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Jan. 2026- The Community Engagement Core has published a research paper in Discover Public Health.

View the paper here: Understanding environmental health issues to inform community engagement in the central Midwest (link to journal website).

PDF of article

Citation: McCabe, M.A., Curnick, J., Kuehn, T. et al. Understanding environmental health issues to inform community engagement in the central Midwest. Discov Public Health 23, 21 (2026). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12982-025-01323-w

 

Abstract

Context

This report shares the results of a novel environmental health needs assessment designed by the Environmental Health Sciences Research Center in collaboration with our community partners for the four-state region of Iowa (IA), Nebraska (NE), Missouri (MO), and Kansas (KS).

Objective

The goal of the needs assessment was to understand considerations about health and the environment among people living in the central Midwest states of Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas and Missouri, including their concerns, what they see as solutions, and what and how populations are vulnerable. These findings will inform future community engagement by the Environmental Health Sciences Research Center at the University of Iowa to improve environmental health.

Design

The assessment used a mixed-methods approach which included an online survey that collected quantitative and qualitative data and three focus groups with young adults, older rural adults, and immigrant and communities of color in eastern Iowa.

Setting

University of Iowa Environmental Health Sciences Research Center in collaboration with our community partners for the four-state region of Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas, and Missouri and focus groups in eastern Iowa.

Participants

Over 400 participants from four states.

Main outcome measure(s)

Describing residents’ perceptions of the connections between environment and health in the 4-state area and identifying notable differences between rural, urban, and suburban populations.

Result

Top issues of concern were water quality, outdoor air quality, climate change, chemical contaminants, and natural disasters. Respondents identified better policies, access to medical services, and financial resources as key components of reducing personal risk to environmental health issues. The focus group sessions highlighted concerns about housing, social capital, and the need for trusted sources of information.

Conclusions

These data suggest a holistic approach to environmental health topics, interest in policy interventions in rural communities, and potential for engagement with clinicians.

 

Call for proposals – community engaged research lightning talks

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The yearly training titled “Enhancing Your Research with Equitable Community Engagement” is seeking proposals for lightning talks (7-10 mins).

This call is open to anyone in the University of Iowa community (students, staff, faculty, post-docs, community partner) and the topic is community engagement in a Public Health project. The event will be the morning of June 25th.

Please submit your proposal using the qualtrics form by Monday April 21st. https://uiowa.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_6ljGTFz3wLtLTng

Proposal components: Title of proposed talk, describe the project (200 words or less), and describe the community engagement component (100 words or less)

People in a classroom sitting at tables with speaker presenting
The 2024 Community Engaged Research training

 

This event is sponsored by the Community Engagement Cores of the Environmental Health Sciences Research Center and Iowa Superfund Research Program.

 

Questions? Email Jackie Curnick at jcurnick@uiowa.edu

 

New fact sheet highlights the vital role that P30 EHS Core Centers play in fighting chronic disease

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Infographic showing increase in certain chronic diseases in US from 1990-2021 - 28% to 283%, depending on the disease. 133% for Parkinson's Disease, 75% for Alzheimer's and other dementias, 175% for total cancers, 283% for diabetes.Chronic diseases including cancer, diabetes, Parkinson’s Disease, chronic respiratory disease, and childhood neurodevelopmental disorders have increased dramatically in the United States over the past few decades. Research shows that these diseases are linked to environmental factors such as air pollution, microplastics, and harmful chemical exposures.

The P30 Environmental Health Sciences Core Centers supported by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), an institute in the National Institutes of Health (NIH), have released a fact sheet describing the essential role we play in combatting chronic diseases.

Click here to view the fact sheet 

 

Dr. Emma Stapleton Thornell using a pipette on a lab bench and smiling.NIEHS is at the forefront of conducting research that protects public health by revealing how environmental factors impact health and disease and supporting communities in responding to environmental disasters such as chemical spills and extreme weather events like hurricanes. NIEHS P30 environmental health research centers are at the core of this mission by advancing scientific understanding, addressing emerging public health threats, improving community health, and reducing health care costs.

NIH’s $47 billion investment in research in 2023 resulted in nearly double the economic activity, at $92 billion. NIEHS’ 2025 budget request is only 2 percent of this total, about $917 million. But the return on these dollars far exceeds this small investment. Environmental health research also informs public health policy actions, which can yield $1.25 to $39 for every $1 invested.

Click here for more details on how our environmental health research saves lives and boosts the economy.

Spring 2025 Pilot Grant RFA

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Dr. Shoshannah Eggers pipetting samples in a fume hood.The RFA for the Spring 2025 Pilot Grant Program (PGP) is now available! The PGP provides up to $40,000 for innovative, environmental health-related research proposals aligned with the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) Strategic Plan. Community engagement supplements up to $5,000 in additional funds are also available.

The expected start date for awards is April 1, 2025.

Deadlines:

  • January 15, 2025:  Preliminary communications as outlined in RFA
  • February 1, 2025:  Final Submission

2023 Iowa Climate Statement available now!

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Iowa Climate Statement 2023: It’s Time to Tap Iowa’s Vast Solar Energy Resources

Read the Iowa Climate Statement_2023

Press release Iowa Climate Statement 2023 News release

Video of news conference Oct 10, 2023 

 

Article and video by KCRG: https://www.kcrg.com/2023/10/16/iowa-climate-scientists-iowa-is-under-invested-solar-energy 

 

For questions email Nancy-Wyland@uiowa.edu

 

Previous Iowa Climate Change Statements

Iowa Climate Change Statements:

Iowa Climate Statement 2022 The Many Benefits of Our Trees

Iowa Climate Statement 2021- Strengthening Iowa’s Electric Infrastructure

Iowa Climate Statement 2020- Will COVID 19 Lessons Help Us Survive Climate Change

Iowa Climate Statement 2019- Dangerous Heat Events Will Be More Frequent and Severe

Iowa Climate Statement 2018-Extreme Weather Events

Iowa Climate Statement 2018-Designing Buildings and Communities for Iowa’s Future Climate

Iowa Climate Statement 2017-It’s not just the heat, it’s the humidity!

Iowa Climate Statement 2016-The Multiple Benefits of Climate-Smart Agriculture

Iowa Climate Statement 2015-Time for Action

Iowa Climate Statement 2014-Impacts on the Health of Iowans

Iowa Climate Statement 2013-A Rising Challenge to Iowa Agriculture

Iowa Climate Statement 2012-The Drought of 2012

Iowa Climate Statement 2011-Climate Science and Public Policy in Iowa

Iowa_Climate_Statement_2010 Impacts on Iowa

Recent COVID-19 research

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Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, EHSRC researchers have been doing important work to understand and treat this illness. Below are some recent activities by center members. Check out our  Response to COVID-19 page to read more.

Alejandro Comellas contributed to a study on post-COVID brain fog and fatigue, revealing a negative impact on daily activities, work/employment and interpersonal relationships. Post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 (PASC) is a poorly understood condition with significant impact on quality of life. This study aimed to better understand the lived experiences of patients with PASC, focusing on the impact of cognitive complaints (“brain fog”) and fatigue on (1) daily activities, (2) work/employment, and (3) interpersonal relationships. The team conducted semi-structured qualitative interviews with 15 patients of a Midwestern academic hospital’s post-COVID-19 clinic. Participants frequently used descriptive and metaphorical language to describe symptoms that were relapsing-remitting and unpredictable. Fatigue and brain fog affected all domains and identified subthemes included symptoms’ synergistic effects, difficulty with multitasking, lack of support, poor self-perception, and fear of loss of income and employment. Personal relationships were affected with change of responsibilities, difficulty parenting, social isolation, and guilt due to the burdens placed on family. Furthermore, underlying social stigma contributed to negative emotions, which significantly affected emotional and mental health. Our findings highlight PASC’s negative impact on patients’ daily lives.

 

Gary Pierce participated in a study team to evaluate the activity levels of college students during the pandemic. The Activity Questionnaire for Adults and Adolescents estimated physical activity and sedentary time before, early, and later in the pandemic. Barriers and facilitators to physical activity were assessed at early and later timepoints. Open-ended questions examined additional impacts. Comparing before vs. early/later pandemic assessments, respondents reported a significant decrease in physical activity metabolic equivalent (MET)-minutes/week and a significant increase in sedentary MET-minutes/week. The top barrier was schoolwork (47.7%). The top facilitator was social support (21.5%). Responses to open-ended questions indicated that most individuals reported sitting more during the pandemic, with variation in physical activity patterns. Adverse changes in physical activity and sedentary behavior observed early in the pandemic were sustained.

 

Paul Romitti co-authored a publication reporting a study on the relationship between trimester of SARS-CoV-2 infection, illness severity, and risk for preterm birth.  Data was analyzed for 6336 pregnant persons with SARS-CoV-2 infection in 2020 in the United States.  The study found that pregnant persons with critical COVID-19 or asymptomatic infection, compared to mild COVID-19, in the second or third trimester were at increased risk of preterm birth. Pregnant persons with moderate-to-severe COVID-19 did not show increased risk of preterm birth in any trimester.

 

Julia Klesney-Tait was part of a study to determine whether recipients of lung transplantation (LT) for COVID-19-related lung disease have comparable outcomes to other recipients with a similar level of lung dysfunction. Lung transplantation is an acceptable and potentially life-saving treatment option for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)-induced acute respiratory distress syndrome and pulmonary fibrosis.  A total of 37,333 LT candidates from all causes were compared with 334 candidates from COVID-19-related respiratory failure. COVID-19 recipients were more likely to be younger (50 vs 57 years), male (79% vs 60%), require extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (56.3% vs 4.0%), and have worse lung function (lung allocation score, 82.4 vs 47.8) at transplantation. Patients who received a transplant for COVID-19 had similar rates of mechanical ventilation, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, postoperative complications, and functional status at discharge compared with controls. There was no difference in overall survival or risk of death from COVID-19.

 

Brandi Janssen contributed to a study on how the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic affected food availability and accessibility for many older adults, especially those experiencing food insecurity. Food citizenship is a theoretical framework that encourages the use of alternate over industrial food sources and can characterize where foods are acquired and how food choices are made. The purpose of this study is to explore how Iowans aged 50 years and older made choices about what foods to acquire and where to acquire foods during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic using food citizenship as a theoretical framework.

 

Dr. Lehmler receives funding for interdisciplinary project about climate, environment, and health

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With $500,000 in funding from the OVPR Interdisciplinary Scholars awards program, an interdisciplinary team will start work on a new project at the intersection of climate, the environment, and health. The award is sponsored by the Research Development Office within the Office of the Vice President for Research.

The project team includes researchers from the College of Public Health, Carver College of Medicine, and College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Hans-Joachim Lehmler, professor of occupational and environmental health and director of the Environmental Health Sciences Research Center, leads the project.

“The Interdisciplinary Scholars program is a useful tool for fostering cross-collegiate, interdisciplinary research within the University,” said Aaron Kline, director of the Research Development Office. “Interdisciplinary approaches push the boundaries of scientific research and are vital for finding solutions to ever-pressing societal challenges. These awards provide our researchers a mechanism for ambitiously catalyzing and/or coalescing campus researchers to undertake societally impactful research together.”

The edge of a crop field is bordered by trees and low-lying vegetation on a sunny day

The team will investigate the effect of the diverse environmental stressors affected by climate change on the unique health challenges of rural people.

“Climate change compounds existing environmental health challenges and disparities facing rural populations,” said Lehmler.

Through recruitment and mentorship, the team will assemble a diverse group of scientists interested in climate change and health research. Together, they will establish an administrative structure to advance and assess thematic activities, integrate data, and translate research knowledge toward improving health in Iowa and the nation.

The project’s leadership team includes:

  • Lori Adams, associate professor of instruction, Department of Biology
  • Josep Comeron, professor, Department of Biology
  • Hans-Joachim Lehmler, professor, Department of Occupational and Environmental Health
  • Veena Prahlad, associate professor, Department of Biology
  • Donna Santillan, research associate professor, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology
  • Mark Santillan, associate professor, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology

“In the last few months, the northern hemisphere has been baking under unprecedented heat,” said Kline. “This award is an important, and timely, investment in research aimed at identifying evidence-based solutions for addressing health outcomes associated with unprecedented climate events such as extreme heat,” says Kline. “I’m excited that we are able to provide support to these types of impactful projects that seek solutions to 21st Century societal challenges.”

“Funding for this initiative was made possible through the University’s utility public-private partnership (P3),” said Marty Scholtz, vice president for research. “This program helps sustain growth in the research enterprise through strategic investments, while at the same time strengthening the University’s reputation as a destination for research and scholarship.”

The Interdisciplinary Scholars program is part of the OVPR’s Seeding Excellence Initiative (SEI), a two-year program that provides competitive pilot funding in four strategic areas: 1) community engaged research and scholarship, 2) diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), 3) early career scholars, and 4) interdisciplinary research.

Another call for proposals for the OVPR Interdisciplinary Scholars program will be announced no later than September 1, 2022. The request for proposals will also focus on the climate-environment-health nexus. The maximum award amount will be $100,000.

 

This article was written by Leslie Revaux and originally posted by the University of Iowa Office of the Vice President for Research

N95s, KN95s best mask for protecting against COVID-19 on campus, experts say

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This story was published in the Daily Iowan on February 6, 2022 by Kate Perez and features EHSRC Member Dr. Patrick O’Shuaghnessy, who is the Director of the Exposure Science Facility.
University of Iowa health experts say that the best mask to wear to protect yourself is an N95 mask. The recently distributed KN95s provide the second-best protection, and the worst are the blue surgical masks, according to Center for Disease Control and Prevention guidance.

University of Iowa health experts recommend the UI community to wear KN95 masks instead of surgical masks to offer better protection against COVID-19.

Patrick O’Shaughnessy, director of graduate studies in the UI College of Public Health Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, said N95 masks are most effective because of the tight seal formed to the face while wearing them, while the surgical masks are least effective.

“[N95 masks are] definitely the best protection. The surgical masks they’ve been passing out give the least protection,” he said. “They were designed for source control. They’re designed to protect others from you. They’re designed to catch your output from your mouth, the droplets coming out as you talk, to prevent the transmission that way.”

When the masks are looser, like the surgical ones, O’Shaughnessy said more leakage occurs out of the mask’s sides.

O’Shaughnessy said it is better to wear a KN95 mask from the university than a surgical one, as surgical masks are not supposed to be used as the main way of combating COVID-19.

“They were never designed to be a complete protection for the person wearing them,” O’Shaughnessy said. “That’s where it’s really important for the whole campus community together to be wearing the [KN95] masks.”

The UI announced on Jan. 12 that it would stock each university building health station with KN95 masks, an upgrade from the blue surgical masks given out during the first semester.

O’Shaughnessy said he ranks the KN95 masks that the UI are giving out somewhere in the middle of the other two types of masks, as they can form a tighter seal to the mouth than the surgical masks.

“Especially with the nose metal piece there, you get a better seal around your nose with the KN95,” O’Shaughnessy said. “They filter very similarly to the N95s. It really just comes down to the construction of the mask and how well it fits against your face.”

In an email to The Daily Iowan, Jeneane Beck, assistant vice president for external relations, wrote that the UI follows the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines when evaluating masks.

Lately, counterfeit masks have been spreading throughout the country, with the CDC reporting that about 60 percent of KN95 respirators the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health evaluated during the pandemic in 2020 and 2021 did not meet their requirements.

Deborah Zumbach, associate vice president and director of parking and transportation and business services at the UI, wrote in a statement to the DI that the university requests authenticity documentation before making purchases, including the distributed masks.

“The university is fortunate to have an experienced team making regular purchases for a large academic medical center,” Zumbach wrote. “This results in business relationships with a variety of reliable vendors and suppliers in the United States. When making any purchase, the team requests all available documentation regarding a product’s efficacy and authenticity.”

The KN95 masks that are being distributed are from the company Dayhelp. The Dayhelp website states that the masks are FDA Registered Class 1. However, the company is not listed on the CDC website as a NIOSH-approved manufacturer of N95 respirators.

According to the CDC, surgical masks are loose-fitting, disposable, and create a physical barrier between the nose and the mouth of the wearer. These masks, however, may not provide as much protection compared to a KN95 mask.

“While a surgical mask may be effective in blocking splashes and large-particle droplets, it does not filter or block very small particles in the air that may be transmitted by coughs, sneezes, or certain medical procedures,” the CDC website states. “Surgical masks also do not provide complete protection from germs and other contaminants because of the loose fit.”

Dan Diekema, professor of internal medicine and associate hospital epidemiologist, said in a recent post on the UI Hospitals and Clinics’ website that he recommends people wear a medical-grade mask, whether it is a surgical, KN95, or N95 mask.

“We also consider unfitted N95s and KN95s to be equivalent to a medical-grade mask because they fit snugly against the face, allowing for fewer particles to break through,” Diekema said. “The most important thing is the fit to the face to protect the person wearing the mask, as well as others.”

Dr. Ashutosh Mangalam received a Merit Award from the Department of Veteran Affairs

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Dr. Ashutosh Mangalam, member of the EHSRC, received a four-year VA Merit Award entitled, “Effect of Gut Microbiome Dysbiosis in the Pathobiology of Multiple Sclerosis”. Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic inflammatory disease of the central nervous system and affects around one million people in the US. The proposed studies will build upon recent findings from Dr. Mangalam’s laboratory showing that patients with MS have gut dysbiosis (altered gut microbiome compared to healthy controls). This study will test the hypothesis that gut dysbiosis promotes MS through enrichment of pathobionts which leads to leaky gut syndrome in addition to depletion of Equol producing gut bacteria. The latter are an important class of gut bacteria responsible for metabolizing phytoestrogen into beneficial compounds. Dr. Mangalam will utilize samples from MS patients and healthy control as well as from animal models of MS, to determine the mechanism(s) through which gut microbiome plays a role in the pathobiology of MS. Dr. Deema Fattal, a neurologist at the Iowa City VA and Dr. Kai Wang, a biostatistician in the College of Public Health are the co-investigators participating in the study. The focus of Dr. Mangalam’s team is to better understand the role of the gut microbiome in MS with a long term goal of manipulating the gut microbiome as a treatment option for MS patients.
This notice was first published by the University of Iowa Department of Pathology.

Paper: Inactivation of SARS-CoV-2 and Diverse RNA and DNA Viruses on 3D Printed Surgical Mask Materials

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Researchers for the Pulmonary Toxicology Facility and the Exposure Science Facility contributed to a paper in Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology entitled, “Inactivation of SARS-CoV-2 and Diverse RNA and DNA Viruses on 3D Printed Surgical Mask Materials”.

View the paper here:

https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/infection-control-and-hospital-epidemiology/article/inactivation-of-sarscov2-and-diverse-rna-and-dna-viruses-on-3d-printed-surgical-mask-materials/6A2318DF87290A7D0801E2AE70E51D83

Research Feature: Lowering Adolescent Pesticide Exposure

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Low-cost approach may lower adolescent pesticide exposure

Young workers in Egypt who apply pesticides adopted safer practices after low-cost intervention.

This article was written by Arif Rahman and released in July 2020 on the NIEHS Environmental Factor, see article on NIEHS website

Unsafe application of pesticides is a major health risk among young agricultural workers in low- and middle-income countries. To help address that problem, NIEHS grant recipient Diane Rohlman, Ph.D., and collaborators in Egypt developed an intervention that improved the workplace behaviors and hygiene practices of adolescent field laborers in that country. Rohlman is a professor of occupational and environmental health at the University of Iowa.

Young people are more susceptible to negative health effects of pesticides than adults, and more likely to engage in unsafe work habits, increasing their risk of exposure, according to the study. The authors noted that adolescents who spray the chemicals on crops can exhibit poor lung function and neurobehavioral problems, including attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder.

Through funding from NIEHS and the National Institutes of Health Fogarty International Center, the researchers fostered several positive changes among the teens, including the following:

  • Staying out of recently sprayed fields.
  • Using a stick instead of hands to mix pesticides.
  • Bathing and wearing clean clothes after application.
Pesticide application by adolescents has been linked to health problems such as attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, according to the study.
Pesticide application by adolescents has been linked to health problems such as attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, according to the study.

Intervention based on behavioral change theory

“In order for people to change their behavior, they have to believe that they are at risk,” said Rohlman. “They also have to know what to do to protect themselves and believe that these behaviors will protect them.”

After conducting field observations and surveys, the team placed approximately 120 participants into risk categories. Those who viewed pesticides as a major health threat and felt they could take precautions were called responsive. Adolescents who did not view pesticides as a serious risk and did not think they could improve safety were called indifferent.

Next, the researchers provided a one-hour training session on reducing pesticide exposure and enhancing hygiene. They found that after the intervention, about 90% of participants fell into the responsive group, whereas before the intervention, only about 42% were in that category.

The scientists followed up with the adolescents after eight months. Positive behavioral changes were sustained during that period, although the percentage of responsive participants dropped slightly. Rohlman said that with regular intervention, her approach can provide a low-cost way to reduce harmful exposures in a variety of agricultural and industrial settings.

Successful international partnership

“NIEHS partners with Fogarty to support collaborative research on brain and nervous system disorders,” said Kimberly Gray, Ph.D., health scientist administrator in the institute’s Population Health Branch. “Rohlman’s project contributes to the long-term goal of building sustainable research capacity in low- and middle-income countries.”

Rohlman met her Egyptian collaborators at a scientific conference in the United States. “It has been a wonderful experience working with colleagues from Menoufia University,” she said.

The researchers worked closely with the Ministry of Agriculture in Egypt, where cotton production is highly regulated. The ministry, which hires adolescents to work in fields during the summer, was actively involved in on-site training and focus group discussions with participants.

Noting that she and the research team would like to continue this initiative, Rohlman said that she hopes her intervention can be used in other countries.

Understudied health problem

Many children and teenagers work as pesticide applicators. However, most research into the chemicals focuses on unborn and newborn babies, according to Rohlman. To help fill that gap, she studies how the substances affect the adolescent brain.

High-exposure participants show neurobehavioral deficits that last months after the pesticide application season ends, noted Rohlman, who added that more research is needed.

Citation: Rohlman DS, Davis JW, Ismail A, Abdel Rasoul GM, Hendy O, Olson JR, Bonner MR. 2020. Risk perception and behavior in Egyptian adolescent pesticide applicators: an intervention study. BMC Public Health 20(1):679.

(Arif Rahman, Ph.D., is a visiting fellow in the National Toxicology Program Toxicoinformatics Group.)