Evaluating Neighborhood-Level Differences in Hair Product Safety by Environmental Working Group Ratings Among Retailers in Boston, Massachusetts

Details

• Personal Author:
  Adamkiewicz G ; Chan M ; James-Todd T ; Parikh S ; Shamasunder B ; Shyr D
• Description:
  Background: Personal care products are a notable source of exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs). Racial/ethnic differences in the use of hair products containing EDCs are reported, with women and children of color more commonly using hair products that are hormonally active and contain EDCs than other racial/ethnic groups. There is limited research examining the neighborhood-level social and economic factors that may contribute to these reported disparities. Objectives: We aimed to examine the safety of hair products across sociodemographically diverse neighborhoods in Boston, Massachusetts. Methods: Eight neighborhoods were identified based on indicators of race/ethnicity and socioeconomic status (SES). We randomly selected 50 stores and collected data on the hair products for sale and their corresponding Environmental Working Group (EWG) Skin Deep hazard score. The association between neighborhood and EWG hazard category (low, moderate, high) was examined using a multinomial logistic regression. Results: A total of 14,019 hair products were identified in the eight neighborhoods. When considering products with EWG hazard scores, Roxbury, a lower income community of color, and Mission Hill, a lower income community, were reported to have a higher percentage of high-hazard hair products in comparison with Beacon Hill [12.2% (163/1,332), 11.4% (65/571) vs. 7.9% (30/382), respectively]. Differences between the safety of hair products were observed, with Roxbury and Mission Hill reporting more than a 2-fold higher risk ratio (RR) of finding hair products with high vs. low EWG scores in comparison with that of Beacon Hill [RR for Roxbury: 2.3, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.1, 4.6; RR for Mission Hill: 2.3, 95% CI: 1.0, 5.4]. Other neighborhoods were also observed to have an increased RR in comparison with Beacon Hill, however, with 95% CIs that extended beyond the null. Discussion: Retail stores in neighborhoods with a higher percentage of residents of color and lower SES were found to be more likely to sell products with high hazard scores than stores in a higher SES and predominately non-Hispanic White neighborhood. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Community Health Services Endocrine System Healthcare Disparities Occupational Health Safety
• Keywords:
  Community Health Endocrine Disruptors Hair Care Products Health Disparities Sociodemographic Factors Socioeconomics
• ISSN:
  0091-6765
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Grant
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  California ; Massachusetts ; OSHA Region 1 ; OSHA Region 9
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Volume:
  131
• Issue:
  9
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20069785
• Citation:
  Environ Health Perspect 2023 Sep; 131(9):97002
• Contact Point Address:
  Marissa Chan, Department of Environmental Health, 665 Huntington Ave., Bldg. 1, 13th Floor, Room 1303, Boston, MA 02115, USA
• Email:
  marissachan@hsph.harvard.edu
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2023
• Performing Organization:
  Harvard School of Public Health
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Start Date:
  20050701
• Source Full Name:
  Environmental Health Perspectives
• End Date:
  20280630
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:2ea62781b11b7f8b31825b616153e49d8c23f224396d9ada43042783ddd75f75887801c04707de7cd2bb6a9863451e89ba702d099560001fe32184fe38f93ee7
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/208141/cdc_208141_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 559.07 KB ]