Awardee: Christian Hoover
Program: MPH in Health Policy
Project Title: Connecting with the Firearm Community on Matters of Lead Exposure
Organization: The Peregrine Fund (Boston, Massachusetts)
In Massachusetts communities with the highest percentage of gun owners, children are twice as likely to have elevated blood lead levels than peers in lower-licensed communities. Taken with other evidence, this indicates that lead from guns is a transmissible exposure capable of tracking from owners into communities via shot dust (i.e., lead dust created when ammunition with lead-based primer is fired from a firearm). I used a CBPR approach to address the risks of communal exposure to firearm-related lead with a strengths-based framework. Gun owners in MA are a diverse group with many reasons for ownership. They are well informed and safety oriented. Using an iterative process and with the help of the Peregrine Fund, I conducted 90-minute interviews with local and national gun owners and advocacy groups. We determined the extent of communal knowledge on gun-related exposures, behaviors associated with lead ammunition and tracking, and barriers to safer handling. This included identifying solutions and co-developing health communications. Through this work, individual gun owners have directed the process by which their communities can become aware of the risks from firearm-related pediatric lead exposure.
Most rewarding part of the field experience
This experience was such a departure from the assumptions I had when starting the project, and I loved getting to know members of the firearm community. Most of the gun owners I met were eager and receptive to discussing matters of lead exposure, and reminded me of how low the walls can be between researchers and community members. The most exciting part, by far, was the sense that we can both conduct research on pressing matters of public health concern as well as act on them in the field through thoughtful and constructive outreach.
Advice for students doing work in the field
I have found it’s best to keep your eyes up front. Working in firearm research and injury prevention is extremely challenging. It’s so easy to feel hopeless and resentful, which we all end up feeling from time to time. But by setting reasonable and obtainable goals and just taking one step at a time, we’ll all arrive at where we need to be – hopefully in our lifetimes.
Acknowledgements
I would like to acknowledge my friends in the firearm community, both nationally and locally. Without your buy-in and patience we would never have taken such vital steps towards addressing lead exposure. I would like to thank my colleague, collaborator, mentor, and friend Dr. Aaron Specht. I would like to extend my appreciation to Chris Parrish at the Peregrine fund, who helped me truly understand the importance of language. And of course, I could not have done anything without my partner and daughter, Gabrielle and Ruairi.
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