Dr. Ramírez-Andreotta was selected to be the scientific partner on a project titled: "Assessing Barriers to Testing Children for Lead”.
This effort is being led by the Cleveland Lead Advocates for Safe Housing (CLASH) and is supported by the American Geophysical Union’s Thriving Earth Exchange Program.
The project aims to identify the barriers to testing children for lead poisoning that will inform messaging to families and childcare providers and will complement the policy advocacy by CLASH. Increased testing will lead to early interventions that will minimize the toxic impacts of childhood lead exposure and will help to identify sources of lead hazards that require remediation.
Through surveys, interviews, and focus groups, the study will examine and identify perceived barriers by parents, child care providers, and health professionals to testing children for lead exposure. This research would inform subsequent CLASH messaging and outreach around child lead testing to families and parents.
In addition, conclusions would be disseminated through op-eds in local newspapers and presentations at city council meetings. CLASH will share results and insights with the Lead Safe Cleveland Coalition (LSCC) which is planning to use a public relations approach to motivating childcare providers.
For more details, please visit: https://thrivingearthexchange.org/project/cleveland-clash-oh