Public Health Nurse Partnerships to Advance Environmental Justice and Heart Health in a Black Community

Background: There is a robust correlation between environmental exposures and unjust cardiovascular outcomes among Black populations. Community-based public health nurses (CBPHNs) can effectively implement environmental justice interventions to promote heart health. A collaboration of interdisciplinary researchers and CBPHNs aimed to gain insights into local variables associated with these injustices for the purpose of informing CBPHN partnerships with Black residents to promote heart health. Methods: Using a community-based participatory action approach, a mixed-method survey explored the relationship between perceived environmental injustice, stress, and health among Black adults and their concerns about local environmental health hazards. Results: Community-based organizations supported the recruitment of a convenience sample (n = 203) of Black adults from small neighborhoods distributed across a midwestern city. Statistically significant relationships were found between perceived environmental injustices, self-reported stress, and health. Most participants believed that the environment affected their health. Participant concerns included their experiences of racialization and inequality, overexposure to environmental hazards, and unequal access to resources. Discussion: The determinants and effects of environmental hazards on heart health are well documented in the research literature. The implications for CBPHNs in promoting environmental justice and heart health in their practice and policy advocacy are discussed. Conclusion: The association between environmental injustice and heart health in Black communities is substantial. The findings support nurse-community partnerships to understand what is needed to promote health equity by implementing CBPHN strategies that recognize distinct factors that impact heart health among Black adults.