Analysis of e-waste recycling behavior based on survey at a Midwestern US University.

The United States lacks a set of unified electronic waste recycling laws, contributing in part to the observed low rate of e-waste recycling behaviors among consumers. Individual factors of consumers contributing to the low recycling rates are not well understood. The objective of this study was to evaluate consumer behaviors, including barriers, surrounding e-waste recycling at a large Midwestern university in the United States. A survey was administered to faculty, graduate students, undergraduate students, and staff to determine their personal recycling habits, knowledge, and beliefs. The results indicate that free access to disposal, lack of consumer knowledge about products and disposal sites, and access to a recycling facility within a reasonable distance are all important factors in consumer decisions. Policy-makers and waste management professionals should focus on promotion of e-waste recycling behaviors through increased access to free or low-cost recycling as well as through the creation of recycling incentives.

Mobile Health Technology Can Objectively Capture Physical Activity (PA) Targets Among African-American Women Within Resource-Limited Communities-the Washington, D.C. Cardiovascular Health and Needs Assessment.

BACKGROUND: Little is understood about using mobile health (mHealth) technology to improve cardiovascular (CV) health among African-American women in resource-limited communities. METHODS: We conducted the Washington, D.C. CV Health and Needs Assessment in predominantly African-American churches in city wards 5, 7, and 8 with the lowest socioeconomic status based on community-based participatory research (CBPR) principles. The assessment measured CV health factors: body mass index (BMI), fasting blood glucose and cholesterol, blood pressure, fruit/vegetable (F/V) intake, physical activity (PA), and smoking. Participants were trained to use a PA monitoring wristband to measure 30 days of PA, wirelessly upload the PA data to hubs at the participating churches, and access their data from a church/home computer. CV health factors were compared across weight classes. RESULTS: Among females (N = 78; 99 % African-American; mean age = 59 years), 90 % had a BMI categorized as overweight/obese. Across weight classes, PA decreased and self-reported sedentary time (ST) increased (p ≤ 0.05). Diastolic blood pressure and glucose increased across weight classes (p ≤ 0.05); however, cholesterol, glucose, and BP were near intermediate CV health goals. CONCLUSIONS: Decreased PA and increased ST are potential community intervention targets for overweight and obese African-American women in resource-limited Washington D.C. areas. mHealth technology can assist in adapting CBPR intervention resources to improve PA for African-American women in resource-limited communities.