A University of Washington Epidemiology researcher, Anna Harrington, presents findings showing that communities near Seattle-Tacoma International Airport have higher rates of preterm births and are home to a disproportionate share of King County's people of color and low-income residents. The presentation proposes a qualitative research study to explore how airport community stakeholders perceive the public health risks of SeaTac air pollution on pregnant people, and what barriers they face in reducing that exposure. The study aims to understand whether risk perceptions and mitigation strategies differ based on the racial identity and income level of pregnant individuals.Open full document
Notes
This presentation from the University of Washington School of Public Health outlines racial and economic inequities in birth outcomes in King County, noting higher preterm birth rates in airport communities near Sea-Tac Airport. It proposes qualitative research study questions examining stakeholder perceptions of air pollution risk during pregnancy and barriers to risk mitigation strategies, with attention to how these vary by race and income level.