The purpose of this study is to build on our equitable, eight-year Tribal-academic partnership with the Ramapough Nation of northern NJ to advance tradition-centered farming practices and management strategies supporting sustainable food systems to relieve local food insecurity and nutritional deficiency, prevent disease and promote health. Furthermore, assessing the extent of environmental contamination, individual toxicant burdens and micronutrient levels and health disorders in Ramapough Tribal members of both sexes as outlined in the following: * Collect in-person/online survey information on demographics, health and food intake, nutrition, food security, and psychosocial stressors, and perform core anthropometric measurements (i.e., height, weight, body mass index, body circumference and blood pressure) at enrollment on Tribal members to inform health promotion strategies and community actions. * Determine individual-level contaminant burdens and micronutrient concentrations (e.g., iron, calcium, folate, vitamins) in urine and blood from surveyed (sub-aim 1a) Ramapough Turtle Clan volunteers. * Test soil, plants and surface water where Turtle Clan residents live, recreate and attend church in Ringwood, NJ using a community-based, citizen scientist approach.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
NA
Purpose
SCREENING
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
400
The intervention will build on the 11-year Tribal-academic partnership with the Ramapough Nation of northern NJ to advance tradition-centered farming practices and management strategies supporting sustainable food systems to relieve local food insecurity. Working with the Ramapough-leased Munsee Three Sisters Medicinal farm (growing produce/crops on clean soil) will provide the tribe with nutrition-rich foods and recipes for nutritious cooking. The interventions aims to return healthy soil on the farm allowing for healthy plant production.
NYU Langone Health
New York, New York, United States
RECRUITINGProportion of individuals with heavy metal contaminants in home water samples
Outcome measures will be collected using home water samples.
Time frame: through study completion, an average 2 years
Proportion of individuals with heavy metal and metalloid contaminations in blood biospecimens
Outcomes measures will be evaluated using blood samples from the Ramapough Lunaape Tribe.
Time frame: through study completion, an average 2 years
Proportion of individuals with heavy metal and metalloid contaminations in urine biospecimens
Outcomes measures will be evaluated using urine samples from the Ramapough Lunaape Tribe.
Time frame: through study completion, an average 2 years
Proportion of individuals with insufficient blood serum micronutrient levels
Outcome measures will be evaluated using blood serum from the Ramapough Lunaape tribe.
Time frame: through study completion, an average 2 years
Proportion of individuals with health disorders
Health status will be assessed using anthropometric measures including blood pressure, body weight, waist circumference, height and Body Mass Index (BMI).
Time frame: through study completion, an average 2 years
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