Reflections on Lupus and the Environment in an Urban African American Community

Abstract

Exposure to environmental hazards is hypothesized to play an important role in the development of autoimmune diseases such as lupus. The Buffalo Lupus Project examined the relationship between a high incidence of disease and exposure to a toxic waste site in a poor, urban minority neighborhood in Buffalo, New York, U.S.A. The purpose of this study is to explore patients' experiences and concerns with their living environment and their perceptions of environmental effects on their health and disease status in an urban African American community with a high burden of lupus and other autoimmune diseases. To this end, we conducted two focus groups with a total of 13 community participants diagnosed with lupus. Participants were recruited through mail invitations and a semi-structured interview guide was used to gather information. Data analysis followed a theory-driven immersion-crystallization approach. Findings shed light on the following issues: 1) Environmental impact on illness; 2) Exposure to environmental hazards; 3) Community awareness about lupus; 4) Environmental determinants of lupus; and 5) Strategies for environmental action. The participants' experiences highlighted areas for improvement in environmental conditions as well as strategies for raising awareness of lupus and other autoimmune diseases in at-risk urban minority communities.