Measuring developmental outcomes of lead exposure in an urban neighborhood: the challenges of community-based research

The Developmental Research on Attention and Memory Skills (DREAMS) Project measures developmental outcomes of approximately 330 children at risk for l ead exposure within an ethnically diverse, inner-city neighborhood. This st udy is one project of the Phillips Neighborhood Healthy Housing Collaborati ve, a 6-year-old collaboration between residents of the Phillips community in Minneapolis, university researchers, and representatives of various publ ic and private agencies. Our experience carrying out this research is used to highlight both the benefits of, and the challenges to, measuring exposur e outcomes in inner-city children using a community-based research approach . Challenges to working within a community collaborative, to studying an et hnically diverse and economically disadvantaged neighborhood, and to utiliz ing neighborhood residents as project staff are discussed. The strategies u sed to address these issues are presented to offer ideas for surmounting th e challenges inherent in community-based research. The investigation of com munity environmental health problems through a community-based research app roach can result in improved methodology, enhanced quality of data collecte d, and increased effectiveness of data dissemination. In addition, it can l ead to important findings that inform the scientific community and create p ositive community changes. It is paramount, however, that potential obstacl es be anticipated and planned for, or else be detected early and promptly r esponded to, in a manner that preserves scientific rigor while respecting c ommunity needs and values.