College of Social Work, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43222, USA.
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020 Mar 12;17(6):1831. doi: 10.3390/ijerph17061831.
Low-income urban communities, and the individuals that live within them, continue to face disproportionate interconnected social, economic, and environmental challenges related to their built, natural, and social environments. The aim of our phenomenological research study was to elevate the experiences of residents living in low-income urban neighborhoods in terms of their communities' environmental challenges. Our objectives were to (1) identify challenges across neighborhoods, (2) identify ways individuals and communities are addressing those challenges, and (3) assess the individual and collective efficacy and engagement of communities to lead environmental improvements in neighborhoods. This study brings forward the voices that are often ignored or misunderstood in these communities and uses an ecological-social perspective. We conducted focus groups (N = 68) in four low-income urban neighborhoods across two Ohio cities in the United States. Participants described five key challenges in their communities: Pollution, abandoned buildings with associated crime, low food access and health concerns, trash and illegal dumping, and lack of trees. We assessed engagement and efficacy using two frameworks focused on individual and community readiness to engage in and lead community change. Policymakers should acknowledge the valuable contributions and leadership capacity of residents in low-income communities to implement environmental initiatives.
低收入城市社区及其居民，在其建筑、自然和社会环境方面，继续面临与其相关的不成比例的、相互关联的社会、经济和环境挑战。我们的现象学研究旨在提升居住在低收入城市社区居民的体验，探讨其社区面临的环境挑战。我们的目标是：(1) 识别社区面临的挑战；(2) 确定个人和社区解决这些挑战的方法；(3) 评估社区在领导社区环境改善方面的个人和集体效能和参与度。本研究提出了这些社区中经常被忽视或误解的声音，并采用了生态-社会视角。我们在美国两个俄亥俄州城市的四个低收入城市社区进行了焦点小组讨论（N = 68）。参与者描述了他们社区中的五个关键挑战：污染、废弃建筑物及其相关犯罪、食品获取和健康问题、垃圾和非法倾倒、以及树木缺乏。我们使用两个框架评估了参与度和效能，这两个框架侧重于个人和社区参与和领导社区变革的准备情况。政策制定者应该认识到低收入社区居民的宝贵贡献和领导能力，以实施环境倡议。
