Environmental health risk communication: Assessing levels of fish-consumption literacy among selected Southeast Asians

Limited resources have led to a lack of comprehensive state outreach strategies that are geared for non-English speaking constituencies. The investigators worked with Southeast Asian communities in Rhode Island to determine perceptions andlevels of trust with various health authorities providing health messaging about fish-consumption practices. The authors conducted a face-to-face interview tool to determine content, communication channels, and credible surveyors to relay information about environmental pollutants. Only a third reporting having ever seen fish advisories. More trust was placed in doctors and government agencies than in other sources of health information. Less than half of participants reported everhearing of mercury and polychlorinated biphenyl contamination in fish. The information collected here assisted in the modification of state outreach strategies for the local Southeast Asian community.