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A Population-Based Assessment of Physical Symptoms and Mental Health Outcomes Among Adults Following the Flint Water Crisis

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Abstract

Little is known about the physical and mental health outcomes of adults in the low-income, predominantly Black city of Flint, Michigan, following the city’s water crisis which began in April 2014 after austerity policies led to the city switching its water source. We investigate these dynamics using data from a longitudinal community-based cohort in Flint. Between June and November 2019, surveys were administered at nine public sites across Flint. Nested models were employed to assess relationships between respondent demographics, including race/ethnicity, and self-report of clinician-diagnosed blood lead levels (BLLs) and various physical symptoms and mental health outcomes, including depression/anxiety (PHQ-4) and psychological trauma (PC-PTSD-5). Of the 331 respondents (mean age: 47.9 + 16.5), most were women (58.6%) and Black (57.7%). In total, 10.0% self-reported elevated BLLs, with borderline significantly higher reports among Blacks (p = 0.07). Skin rashes (58.1% vs. 33.9%, p < 0.01), hair loss (45.5% vs. 30.3%, p = 0.01), and nausea (35.6% vs. 20.2%, p = 0.1) were significantly higher among Blacks versus Whites. Additionally, 29.0% and 26.3% of respondents met trauma and depression/anxiety criteria, respectively. Increasing physical symptoms was associated with psychological trauma (OR 2.1, p < 0.01) and depression/anxiety (OR 1.9, p < 0.01). In closing, Flint adults, particularly Blacks, experienced deleterious physical and mental health outcomes following the city’s water crisis that appear to represent a substantial burden of excess cases. Further research is needed on how austerity impacts community health in economically distressed urban cities and ways to generate capacity to identify and curb adverse consequences.

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Abbreviations

BLL:

Blood lead level

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Acknowledgments

We wish to thank the study participants for their time and contributions to the Flint Community Engagement Project. We also wish to thank community organizations and businesses in Flint for their collaboration and assistance in our neighborhood engagement and outreach efforts.

Funding

This work was supported by the National Science Foundation (DGE-1256260).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Africana Studies and Research Center, Cornell University, 310 Triphammer Rd, Ithaca, NY, 14850, USA

    Jerel M. Ezell

  2. Cornell Center for Health Equity, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA

    Jerel M. Ezell

  3. Department of Biostatistics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA

    Elizabeth C. Chase

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  1. Jerel M. Ezell
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Correspondence to Jerel M. Ezell.

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Ezell, J.M., Chase, E.C. A Population-Based Assessment of Physical Symptoms and Mental Health Outcomes Among Adults Following the Flint Water Crisis. J Urban Health 98, 642–653 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11524-021-00525-2

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