A geography of residents' worry about the disruptive effects of contaminated sites

Prior, JH; Gorman-Murray, A; McIntyre, E; Connon, I; Adams, J; Madden, B

A geography of residents' worry about the disruptive effects of contaminated sites

Prior, JH

Gorman-Murray, A McIntyre, E

Connon, I

Adams, J

Madden, B

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Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: Geographical Research, 2019, 57 (1), pp. 52 - 66
Issue Date:: 2019-02-01

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Prior, JH https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6145-5207	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Gorman-Murray, A	en_US
dc.contributor.author	McIntyre, E https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3970-9979	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Connon, I https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7770-2172	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Adams, J https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9901-5717	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Madden, B https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9167-8535	en_US
dc.date.available	2020-05-25T19:18:00Z
dc.date.issued	2019-02-01	en_US
dc.identifier.citation	Geographical Research, 2019, 57 (1), pp. 52 - 66	en_US
dc.identifier.issn	1745-5863	en_US
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/134770
dc.description.abstract	© 2018 Institute of Australian Geographers While the links between contaminated sites and adverse effects on human health and well-being are being increasingly recognised, some argue that the magnitude of the health problem is inadequately addressed because it is largely invisible. Health geographies literature has sought to highlight this invisibility by focusing on the link between contaminated sites and health. This study adds to health geographies by presenting unique insights into the geography of residents' worry about the disruptive effect of environmental contamination on health and well-being. It analyses a sample of residents (n = 485) living near 13 contaminated sites across Australia. Ordinal logistic regression analysis of closed-format survey questions was combined with coding of open-ended survey questions to reveal the geography of residents' worry about contamination from nearby sites. First, the study explores some of the main relationships between residents, their environs, and contaminants from nearby source sites, which determines their levels of worry: residents' demographics, residents' proximity to sites, contaminant boundaries and borders, and type of contaminant. Second, the study investigates how worry affects residents' health and well-being, ranging from effects on their personal functioning through to their sense of ontological security, which depends in part upon their perceptions of contaminants' impacts. Despite having identified a range of diverse and negative effects of worry about contamination on residents, we found that worry for contamination can also prompt coping strategies and problem-solving, reinforcing the need for more research on this subject.	en_US
dc.relation.ispartof	Geographical Research	en_US
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.1111/1745-5871.12312	en_US
dc.subject.classification	Geography	en_US
dc.title	A geography of residents' worry about the disruptive effects of contaminated sites	en_US
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.citation.volume	1	en_US
utslib.citation.volume	57	en_US
utslib.for	1604 Human Geography	en_US
pubs.embargo.period	Not known	en_US
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/DVC (Research)
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/DVC (Research)/Institute For Sustainable Futures
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/e-Press
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Health
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Strength - CHSP - Health Services and Practice
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Strength - ISF - Institute for Sustainable Futures
utslib.copyright.status	open_access
pubs.issue	1	en_US
pubs.publication-status	Published	en_US
pubs.volume	57	en_US

Abstract:

© 2018 Institute of Australian Geographers While the links between contaminated sites and adverse effects on human health and well-being are being increasingly recognised, some argue that the magnitude of the health problem is inadequately addressed because it is largely invisible. Health geographies literature has sought to highlight this invisibility by focusing on the link between contaminated sites and health. This study adds to health geographies by presenting unique insights into the geography of residents' worry about the disruptive effect of environmental contamination on health and well-being. It analyses a sample of residents (n = 485) living near 13 contaminated sites across Australia. Ordinal logistic regression analysis of closed-format survey questions was combined with coding of open-ended survey questions to reveal the geography of residents' worry about contamination from nearby sites. First, the study explores some of the main relationships between residents, their environs, and contaminants from nearby source sites, which determines their levels of worry: residents' demographics, residents' proximity to sites, contaminant boundaries and borders, and type of contaminant. Second, the study investigates how worry affects residents' health and well-being, ranging from effects on their personal functioning through to their sense of ontological security, which depends in part upon their perceptions of contaminants' impacts. Despite having identified a range of diverse and negative effects of worry about contamination on residents, we found that worry for contamination can also prompt coping strategies and problem-solving, reinforcing the need for more research on this subject.

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http://hdl.handle.net/10453/134770