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Ecological Grief in The Fernald Community Cohort: A Pilot Study

Fitzpatrick, Sarah
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5350-4232
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1652359674292303

Abstract Details

2022, MPH, University of Cincinnati, Medicine: Environmental Public Health.
Background: Ecological grief is a psychological response to environmental loss caused by natural and man-made events. The prevalence of ecological grief has been found to be especially pronounced in people who hold close relationships with the environment. The Fernald site, near Cincinnati, Ohio, is a former US Department of Energy nuclear fuel processing plant. During its operation from 1951-1989, releases from the site resulted in environmental contamination of radon, uranium, and various other organic and inorganic chemicals. The air, water, and soil were all found to be contaminated which consequently impacted the health and safety of people living on or in close proximity to the site and also challenged the long-term emotional wellbeing of nearby residents. The Fernald Community Cohort (FCC) was a cohort of 9,782 people who participated in the Fernald Medical Surveillance Program from 1990-2008. The purpose of this study was to examine the degree of ecological grief reported by the participants of the FCC and to discern the degree of ecological grief among this community by residential proximity to the plant, level of uranium exposure, and cancer diagnosis. Methods: As part of the ongoing FCC surveying, in 2020, participants were invited to complete a brief questionnaire of four questions to assess the impact of ecological grief among FCC participants. Data that was collected from the FCC was utilized in this study for variables such as demographics, cancer diagnosis, uranium exposure, and proximity to the Feed Material Production Center (FMPC). Descriptive statistics were calculated for demographic and main study variables using IMB SPSS (v. 28). Results: In the sample, 55.3% of respondents reported moderate to severe ecological grief. The model (n=3,737) was tested with one degree of freedom, with the program variable of uranium concentration accounting for most (2.8%) of the variance, followed by ecological grief (2.1%), and ever having a cancer diagnosis (0.04%). Established criteria (CMIN; 2.00-5.00; p<0.05) for chi-square goodness of fit index was used to determine the fit of the data to the hypothesized model. With increased residential proximity from the FMPC (1), uranium concentration decreased (0.14; p < 0.001). With increased uranium concentration (1), cancer diagnoses increased (0.03; p < 0.001). With increased residential proximity from the FMPC (1), ecological grief decreased (0.34; p < 0.001). The relationship between uranium concentration and ecological grief was not significant (p=0.91). With increased cancer diagnoses (1), ecological grief increased (0.44; p < 0.011). Conclusion: The FCC presented a unique opportunity to study ecological grief in persons impacted by environmental uranium contamination. In this study, the strongest predictor of ecological grief was cancer diagnosis. This contamination impacted the health of persons living on or near the site and challenged their long-term emotional wellbeing. Given the widespread emotional distress associated with ecological grief and the health impact of environmental contamination, findings from this research warrant future study to mitigate the psychological impact of environmental loss at the FCC contamination site.
Rachael Nolan, Ph.D. M.P.H. (Committee Member)
Tiina Reponen, Ph.D. (Committee Member)
27 p.
Public Health
ecological grief; environmental contamination; uranium exposure; cancer; environmental public health

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Fitzpatrick, S. (2022). Ecological Grief in The Fernald Community Cohort: A Pilot Study [Master's thesis, University of Cincinnati]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1652359674292303

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Fitzpatrick, Sarah. Ecological Grief in The Fernald Community Cohort: A Pilot Study. 2022. University of Cincinnati, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1652359674292303.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Fitzpatrick, Sarah. "Ecological Grief in The Fernald Community Cohort: A Pilot Study." Master's thesis, University of Cincinnati, 2022. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1652359674292303

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

ucin1652359674292303
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