Abstract for: Community-Based System Dynamics to Address Lead Poisoning and Structural Determinants of Health

In Cleveland, lead poisoning is four times the national average. The most significant kind of lead exposure is through lead paint. 90 percent of Cleveland housing was built before the Lead-Based Paint Poisoning Prevention Act of 1971. African Americans are disproportionately impacted by lead poisoning in Cleveland. Lead exposure is a leading cause of global, chemical-pollution related deaths. Collective Citizens Organized Against Lead (CCOAL) and the Center for Community Health Integration (CHI) hosted a group model building workshop to identify pitfalls in current efforts across the lead prevention ecosystem in Cleveland. Bringing together community members helps shape future solutions in the city that would improve wellbeing. In two phases of evaluative activity, participants provided feedback on a comprehensive causal loop diagram with four feedback loops around remediation, education, testing, and community outreach. Across each of the four feedback loops, several trends emerged that emphasized the importance of understanding the sources of lead exposure, delivering timely information, running effective screening programs, and building trust through consistent engagement. Participants felt empowered coming together to discuss lead poisoning in a robust, intellectually stimulating environment. Participants came away from the workshop with new knowledge on system dynamics methodology, and how it can be used in community-based settings. The workshop demonstrated that community members with little knowledge of system dynamics can still effectively use it to collaboratively develop solutions to complex problems.