Deborah Young
Director of the Center for Integrated Pest Management
Colorado State University
Colorado State University
Community
Readiness for
Improved Indoor Air
Quality
OUR TEAM
 Susan
Colorado State University
Tungate, Director of Field
Education Program, School of Social
Work, Colorado State University
 Ryan Davis, Insect Diagnostician, Utah
State University
 Kristen Carman, M.S.W. student, School
of Social Work, Colorado State University
 Esther Chapman, M.S.W. student, School
of Social Work, Colorado State University
OUTCOMES OF THIS
PRESENTATION
 increase
Colorado State University
awareness of pests, pest allergens
and pesticides as they affect indoor air
quality
 introduce stakeholder interviews as tool to
determine community readiness
 suggest strategies to influence policy and
social change
FUNDING
 U.
Colorado State University
S. Environmental Protection Agency
 Colorado State University
 Utah State University
 U. S. Department of Agriculture
INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT
(IPM)
Colorado State University
a sustainable approach to managing pests by
combining biological, cultural, physical and
chemical tools in a way that minimizes
economic, health, and environmental risks
Colorado State University
to improve health and safety
by reducing exposure to
pesticides, pest-related
allergens and other
environmental agents
PARTNERS
 Colorado
Colorado State University
State University
 Utah State University
 National Environmental Health Association
 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
 Colorado & Utah Departments of Agriculture
 Colorado Department of Public Health and
Environment, Utah Department of Health
 Colorado Department of Education
 school districts
 private pest control professionals
HEALTH RISKS IN SCHOOLS &
HOUSING
 Cockroaches
Colorado State University
and mouse urine are
associated with increased asthma.
 Wasp stings and black widow spider
bites may be life-threatening to
susceptible individuals.
 Children are more susceptible to
pesticides and deserve special protection
from exposure.
COMMUNITY READINESS
MODEL -- MODIFIED
 designed
Tri-Ethnic Center for Prevention Research at CSU
Colorado State University
to create community-specific and
culturally-relevant interventions
PROCESS FOR CONDUCTING
COMMUNITY READINESS
ASSESSMENT (1)
two
•Define the “community”
• Conduct key respondent
three interviews
Colorado State University
one
•Identify issue
PROCESS FOR CONDUCTING
COMMUNITY READINESS
ASSESSMENT (2)
five
six
•Develop strategies
• Change!
Colorado State University
four
•Determine community
readiness
METHODS USED
1.
3.
4.
Colorado State University
2.
2012 survey of school districts in
Colorado and Utah
Pilot schools and pest audits
Stakeholder interviews
Training and education
SURVEY – IDENTIFY ISSUE
Colorado State University
→ what are
current pest
management
practices employed
by public school
districts in
Colorado and
Utah?
COMMON PESTS
Colorado State University
TOP REASONS THAT SCHOOLS USE
IPM
Colorado State University
PILOT SCHOOLS
Colorado State University
SCHOOL AUDITS
 Common
Colorado State University
problems
 Pest vulnerable conditions
 Pest management practices
STAKEHOLDERS IN SCHOOLS
 Custodians
and facility managers
 Teachers
 Kitchen/nutrition
 Grounds
 Nurses
and health aides
 Pest control professionals
 Students/parents
Colorado State University
 Principals/administrators
STAKEHOLDERS IN HOUSING
 Custodians
and facility managers
 Residents
housing authority
 Grounds managers
 Community health workers
 Pest control professionals
 Special interest groups
 Others?
Colorado State University
 Owners/
TELEPHONE INTERVIEWS
Ten
Colorado State University
pest management
professionals (PMP)
Faculty and staff from six school
districts in Colorado and Utah
50+ interviews
INTERVIEW QUESTIONS –
EXAMPLE
Colorado State University
On a scale of “1” to “5”, with
“1” indicating you’ve never
heard of Integrated Pest
Management and “5”
indicating that you know and
understand IPM, how familiar
are you with IPM?
STAKEHOLDER INTERVIEWS TELL US - how
Colorado State University
communication flows
or is impeded
 where decisions are made
 information and training
needs
 potential obstacles
 approaches to provide
support for integrated
pest management
ANALYZE DATA
By
Colorado State University
dimension
(A – F)
By readiness
score (1 – 9)
EACH QUESTION RELATED TO ONE OR
MORE KEY DIMENSIONS
A. Current
efforts
E.
Knowledge
of issue/topic
B.
Knowledge
of efforts
C. Support
of
leadership
D.
Community
climate
Colorado State University
F. Resources
1. No awareness
2. Denial/resistance
3. Vague awareness
4. Preplanning
5. Preparation
6. Initiation
7. Stabilization
8.
Confirmation/expansion
9. High level of community
ownership
Colorado State University
Nine
stages of
readiness
STAGES OF READINESS
3. Vague awareness -- a few community
members have heard about local efforts, but
know little about them.
4. Preplanning -- some community
members have at least heard about local
efforts.
5. Preparation -- most community members
have at least heard of local efforts.
6. Initiation -- most community members
have at least basic knowledge of local efforts.
DATA ANALYSIS
By job title and
by school
district
Significant differences among
groups
PEST CONTROL PROFESSIONALS
 Professionals
Colorado State University
who have
contracts with school districts
 Very familiar with IPM

on a scale of “1” to “5”)
AVERAGE READINESS SCORE: PMP
PMPs
Most are aware of IPM but know little about the
details.
Perceive that PMPs have greater IPM knowledge
than school districts.
PMP community more ready to practice IPM
than districts.
4.9
PEST CONTROL PROFESSIONALS
 How
• Zero
• Pretty
illiterate
• Not very –
pulling teeth
to teach IPM
approaches
Colorado State University
knowledgeable
is leadership, or
those you coordinate
with in the school
district, with regard
to integrated pest
management
approaches?
SCHOOL DISTRICTS
Districts
 According to PMPs, most school districts
are aware of IPM but know little about
the details.
 PMP community more ready to practice
IPM than districts.
3.4
TO IMPROVE ADOPTION OF IPM
Focus
education programs on
administrators and facility
managers
Conduct pilot programs to show
success
Base bid process on approach (and
money), not just the bottom line
PMP STRATEGIES
 Increase
educational efforts to
clientele; educate housing managers
or school districts to allow PMPs to
properly do their job
 Create an urban IPM certification
license category
 Provide more hands-on training for
PMPs
CUSTODIANS & FACILITY MANAGERS
 IPM was a
somewhat familiar
concept to most, but
they were “not
experts.”
 Current effort = 6
STRATEGIES FOR CUSTODIANS &
FACILITY MANAGERS
 Wide
range of expertise – training
and education
Colo
rado
State
Univ
ersit
y
NURSES & HEALTH WORKERS
 Have never heard of IPM. They speculate
on what it is, but are not familiar with its
implementation.
 Knowledge of issue = 2 (denial or
resistance)
NURSES/HEALTH STRATEGIES
 Importance
cost
 communication
 government red tape

Colorado State University
of health and safety
 Provide training about pests and
pesticides
 Obstacles to implement IPM
ADMINISTRATORS/PRINCIPALS
 Knowledge of issue = 2.73; knowledge of
efforts = 3.23
 Pest issues are on a need to know basis
 Not on their radar
STRATEGIES FOR ADMINISTRATORS
 Connect
IPM to
 Academic achievement
 Economics -- responsibility for
public funds
 Child safety issues
Colo
rado
State
Univ
ersit
y
IMPROVE COMMUNICATION FLOW
PRINCIPAL
CUSTODIAN
DISTRICT
PARENT/STUDENT
NURSE
Colorado State University
TEACHER
KITCHEN
DELIVERY
Keep in short
o Different message for different
audiences
o Connect to learning outcomes
o Connect to health & safety
o
Colorado State University
USE MULTIPLE APPROACHES
Colorado State University
Be sure to include
face to face
training!
Colorado State University
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Colorado Center for Integrated Pest Management
Colorado State University
Fort Collins, CO 80523-1177
970-491-1377
deborah.young@colostate.edu
http://ipm.agsci.colostate.edu/
Colorado State University
Deborah J. Young, Ph.D.