Healthcare-Seeking Behavior in A Toxic Landscape: Investigating Cancer Care Awareness in Louisiana's Cancer Alley
Year: 2024
Type: article
Abstract: The fossil fuel and petrochemical sector in the Louisiana region, known as "Cancer Alley," has a devastating impact not only on the environment but also on the health and lives of the local population. Extreme pollution from the petrochemical industry not only elevated cancer rates in this region but also maternal, reproductive, and newborn health harms, respiratory diseases, and other complex health issues. This study examined the healthcare-seeking behavior of some residents and their awareness of cancer facilities within a 100-mile radius of their homes and identified key challenges, such as proximity of cancer care and accessibility, financial constraints, and mistrust of the healthcare system that influenced their capability to seek medical care. This study found residents’ need for accessible information about available healthcare in proximity as well as the importance of grassroots communication efforts by the healthcare organization, such as bringing together the local communities and mobilizing the information at the local level. A clear gap in the literature review on healthcare-seeking behavior in an environmentally polluted region such as Cancer Alley allows this study to make a novel contribution to the growing body of research. This was not only an addition to the public health disparities, healthcare, and information-seeking literature but also to scientific and social understanding of these issues. Another important contribution of this research is that the findings offer actionable insights that can lead to communication interventions and improved access, ultimately helping to empower underserved communities and potentially leading to earlier detection of and better outcomes for cancer and other pollution-related health issues. The study's results are also able to guide interventions aimed at addressing health inequities in regions of Louisiana affected by industrial pollution, which is not limited to Cancer Alley.
Source: Civil War Book Review
Author: Roy, Moumita
Institution: Louisiana State University
Language: English
Subfield: Oncology
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W6982224325