Catherine J Karr
Biographic Data
| ID | 1729160 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Catherine J Karr |
| GIVEN NAMES | Catherine J |
| FAMILY NAME | Karr |
| SIGNATURE | KARR C J |
| AFFILIATIONS | University of Washington |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-4683-2270 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 21 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 6 |
| WORKS AS AUTHOR | 21 |
| WORKS AS EDITOR | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2009 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 2 |
Indoor and outdoor fine particulate matter and carbon monoxide concentrations in homes of infants in Nairobi, Kenya
Early life exposure to air pollution is associated with adverse health outcomes in children however few studies have investigated children’s air pollution exposures in urban settings in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). We measured fine particulate matter (PM 2.5 ) and carbon monoxide (CO) in homes of infants in Nairobi, Kenya and conducted exploratory analysis of exposure factors. Questionnaires captured household characteristics and self-reported air p…
Educational attainment and self-reported environmental exposures of pregnant women living in Nairobi, Kenya
Environmental exposures experienced by pregnant women living in cities of low- and middle-income countries are poorly described. We collected information on housing characteristics, household and ambient air pollution, and work-related exposures through questionnaires in a cohort of 400 pregnant women in Nairobi, Kenya and examined exposures in relation to educational attainment, a proxy for socioeconomic status. Participants were median 26 years…
A descriptive examination of rurality in the Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes Cohort
PURPOSE: The Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Cohort has enrolled over 60,000 children to examine how early environmental factors (broadly defined) are associated with key child health outcomes. The ECHO Cohort may be well-positioned to contribute to our understanding of rural environments and contexts, which has implications for rural health disparities research. The present study examined the outcome of child obesity to …
Wildfire-specific fine particulate matter and preterm birth
Using Echo program data to develop a brief measure of caregiver support and cognitive stimulation using the home observation for measurement of the environment-infant/toddler (Home-IT)
Data from three NIH Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Program cohorts that collected the HOME-Infant-Toddler (HOME-IT age 0–3 years) version were used to examine the reliability of a brief scale of caregiver support and cognitive stimulation. Participants with HOME-IT data (N = 2518) were included in this analysis. Mean child age at HOME-IT assessment was 1.51 years, 48% of children were female, and 43% of children identifi…
Do small effects matter more in vulnerable populations? an investigation using Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (Echo) cohorts
Vulnerable sub-populations with greater baseline percentages at high risk fare worse when exposed to a small insult compared to the general population. This illustrates another facet of health disparity in vulnerable individuals
Individual and Neighborhood Level Predictors of Children’s Exposure to Residential Greenspace
Inequities in urban greenspace have been identified, though patterns by race and socioeconomic status vary across US settings. We estimated the magnitude of the relationship between a broad mixture of neighborhood-level factors and residential greenspace using weighted quantile sum (WQS) regression, and compared predictive models of greenspace using only neighborhood-level, only individual-level, or multi-level predictors. Greenspace measures inc…
Association of maternal education, neighborhood deprivation, and racial segregation with gestational age at birth by maternal race/ethnicity and United States Census region in the Echo cohorts
Background In the United States, disparities in gestational age at birth by maternal race, ethnicity, and geography are theorized to be related, in part, to differences in individual- and neighborhood-level socioeconomic status (SES). Yet, few studies have examined their combined effects or whether associations vary by maternal race and ethnicity and United States Census region. Methods We assembled data from 34 cohorts in the Environmental influ…
School and childcare facility air quality decision-makers’ perspectives on using low-cost sensors for wildfire smoke response
Interview responses provided practical implications for toolkit development, including demonstrating a need for toolkits that allow a variety of sensor preferences. In addition, participants expected to have a wide range of available time for monitoring, budget for sensors, and decision-making types. Finally, interview responses revealed a need for toolkits to address sensor uses outside of activity decisions, especially assessment of ventilation…
Intergenerational Transmission of Effects of Women's Stressors During Pregnancy
Findings from this large, sociodemographically diverse cohort suggest women's exposures to interpersonal violence and major stressful events-common for women during pregnancy-may prenatally program her child's executive functioning and externalizing problems. Women's capacity to provide high quality parenting can buffer this intergenerational risk. Implications for universal and targeted prevention and early intervention efforts to support women'…
Partnership to Develop and Deliver Curriculum Supporting Student-led Air Quality Research in Rural Washington State
This curriculum can be adapted for use with students in many different communities. It will likely be most successful and engaging if adapted to local air pollution sources and issues, and implemented through an existing programmatic structure with a high mentor to student ratio
Maternal Stressful Life Events during Pregnancy and Atopic Dermatitis in Children Aged Approximately 4–6 Years
The prevalence of atopic dermatitis (AD) in children has steadily increased over time, yet it remains largely unknown how maternal factors during pregnancy are associated with child AD. Few studies have specifically assessed the relationship between prenatal stress and child AD, with inconsistent findings. In this prospective cohort study following 426 mother-child dyads from pregnancy to middle childhood, women reported stressful life events (SL…
Private well stewardship within a rural, agricultural Latino community
The burden of well stewardship in rural, agricultural Latino communities may suggest the need for interventions at the community, county, or state levels and not at the individual level alone. Additionally, the role of landlords, neighbors on shared wells, and home repair experience in well stewardship represent important areas of exploration for researchers and public health practitioners
Maternal exposure to childhood traumatic events, but not multi-domain psychosocial stressors, predict placental corticotrophin releasing hormone across pregnancy
Maternal psychosocial stress increases the risk of adverse birth and postnatal outcomes for the mother and child, but the role of maternal exposure to childhood traumatic events (CTE) and multi-domain psychosocial stressors for the level and rise of placental Corticotrophin-Releasing Hormone (pCRH) across pregnancy has been understudied. In a sociodemographically and racially diverse sample of 1303 women (64% Black, 36% White/others) with low-med…
Guidance for Genuine Collaboration
As community engaged research (CEnR) increases in popularity and recognition, specific guidance on partnership approaches that are more likely to lead to community benefits is needed. Here, we describe a qualitative interview study aimed at better understanding community and academic perspectives on elements of genuine collaboration within a project's new community-academic partnership. This partnership involved a large, public, urban university,…
Blood Lead Levels and Risk Factors for Lead Exposure in a Pediatric Population in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Although lead recycling activities are a known risk factor for elevated blood levels in South East Asia, little is known regarding the prevalence of and risk factors for elevated blood lead levels (BLL) among the general pediatric population in Vietnam. This study is a cross-sectional evaluation of 311 children from Children's Hospital #2 in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Capillary blood lead testing was performed using the LeadCare II. Mean BLLs wer…
Implications of Combined Exposure to Household Air Pollution and HIV on Neurocognition in Children
Air pollution exposure and HIV infection can each cause neurocognitive insult in children. The purpose of this study was to test whether children with combined high air pollution exposure and perinatal HIV infection have even greater risk of neurocognitive impairment. This was a cross-sectional study of HIV-uninfected unexposed (HUU) and HIV-infected children and their caregivers in Nairobi, Kenya. We used a detailed neuropsychological battery to…
Home Use of a Pyrethroid-Containing Pesticide and Facial Paresthesia in a Toddler
Paresthesias have previously been reported among adults in occupational and non-occupational settings after dermal contact with pyrethroid insecticides. In this report, we describe a preverbal 13-month-old who presented to his primary care pediatrician with approximately 1 week of odd facial movements consistent with facial paresthesias. The symptoms coincided with a period of repeat indoor spraying at his home with a commercially available insec…
Dietary Phthalate Exposure in Pregnant Women and the Impact of Consumer Practices
Phthalates are ubiquitous endocrine-disrupting chemicals that are contaminants in food and contribute to significant dietary exposures. We examined associations between reported consumption of specific foods and beverages and first trimester urinary phthalate metabolite concentrations in 656 pregnant women within a multicenter cohort study, The Infant Development and Environment Study (TIDES), using multivariate regression analysis. We also exami…
Population-Based Comparison of Biomarker Concentrations for Chemicals of Concern Among Latino-American and Non-Hispanic White Children
Development of the Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit Network in North America
Training in environmental health in general, and pediatric environmental health in particular, is inadequate. The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry began to develop pediatric environmental health specialty units (PEHSUs) after noting the dearth of practitioners who could evaluate and manage children with exposures to environmental health hazards. The Environmental Protection Agency subsequently joined in providing support for what …
Maternal exposure to childhood traumatic events, but not multi-domain psychosocial stressors, predict placental corticotrophin releasing hormone across pregnancy
Maternal psychosocial stress increases the risk of adverse birth and postnatal outcomes for the mother and child, but the role of maternal exposure to childhood traumatic events (CTE) and multi-domain psychosocial stressors for the level and rise of placental Corticotrophin-Releasing Hormone (pCRH) across pregnancy has been understudied. In a sociodemographically and racially diverse sample of 1303 women (64% Black, 36% White/others) with low-med…
Development of the Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit Network in North America
Training in environmental health in general, and pediatric environmental health in particular, is inadequate. The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry began to develop pediatric environmental health specialty units (PEHSUs) after noting the dearth of practitioners who could evaluate and manage children with exposures to environmental health hazards. The Environmental Protection Agency subsequently joined in providing support for what …
Development of the Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit Network in North America
Training in environmental health in general, and pediatric environmental health in particular, is inadequate. The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry began to develop pediatric environmental health specialty units (PEHSUs) after noting the dearth of practitioners who could evaluate and manage children with exposures to environmental health hazards. The Environmental Protection Agency subsequently joined in providing support for what …
Dietary Phthalate Exposure in Pregnant Women and the Impact of Consumer Practices
Phthalates are ubiquitous endocrine-disrupting chemicals that are contaminants in food and contribute to significant dietary exposures. We examined associations between reported consumption of specific foods and beverages and first trimester urinary phthalate metabolite concentrations in 656 pregnant women within a multicenter cohort study, The Infant Development and Environment Study (TIDES), using multivariate regression analysis. We also exami…
Population-Based Comparison of Biomarker Concentrations for Chemicals of Concern Among Latino-American and Non-Hispanic White Children
Home Use of a Pyrethroid-Containing Pesticide and Facial Paresthesia in a Toddler
Paresthesias have previously been reported among adults in occupational and non-occupational settings after dermal contact with pyrethroid insecticides. In this report, we describe a preverbal 13-month-old who presented to his primary care pediatrician with approximately 1 week of odd facial movements consistent with facial paresthesias. The symptoms coincided with a period of repeat indoor spraying at his home with a commercially available insec…
Blood Lead Levels and Risk Factors for Lead Exposure in a Pediatric Population in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Although lead recycling activities are a known risk factor for elevated blood levels in South East Asia, little is known regarding the prevalence of and risk factors for elevated blood lead levels (BLL) among the general pediatric population in Vietnam. This study is a cross-sectional evaluation of 311 children from Children's Hospital #2 in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Capillary blood lead testing was performed using the LeadCare II. Mean BLLs wer…
Implications of Combined Exposure to Household Air Pollution and HIV on Neurocognition in Children
Air pollution exposure and HIV infection can each cause neurocognitive insult in children. The purpose of this study was to test whether children with combined high air pollution exposure and perinatal HIV infection have even greater risk of neurocognitive impairment. This was a cross-sectional study of HIV-uninfected unexposed (HUU) and HIV-infected children and their caregivers in Nairobi, Kenya. We used a detailed neuropsychological battery to…
Guidance for Genuine Collaboration
As community engaged research (CEnR) increases in popularity and recognition, specific guidance on partnership approaches that are more likely to lead to community benefits is needed. Here, we describe a qualitative interview study aimed at better understanding community and academic perspectives on elements of genuine collaboration within a project's new community-academic partnership. This partnership involved a large, public, urban university,…
Private well stewardship within a rural, agricultural Latino community
The burden of well stewardship in rural, agricultural Latino communities may suggest the need for interventions at the community, county, or state levels and not at the individual level alone. Additionally, the role of landlords, neighbors on shared wells, and home repair experience in well stewardship represent important areas of exploration for researchers and public health practitioners
Maternal exposure to childhood traumatic events, but not multi-domain psychosocial stressors, predict placental corticotrophin releasing hormone across pregnancy
Maternal psychosocial stress increases the risk of adverse birth and postnatal outcomes for the mother and child, but the role of maternal exposure to childhood traumatic events (CTE) and multi-domain psychosocial stressors for the level and rise of placental Corticotrophin-Releasing Hormone (pCRH) across pregnancy has been understudied. In a sociodemographically and racially diverse sample of 1303 women (64% Black, 36% White/others) with low-med…
Maternal Stressful Life Events during Pregnancy and Atopic Dermatitis in Children Aged Approximately 4–6 Years
The prevalence of atopic dermatitis (AD) in children has steadily increased over time, yet it remains largely unknown how maternal factors during pregnancy are associated with child AD. Few studies have specifically assessed the relationship between prenatal stress and child AD, with inconsistent findings. In this prospective cohort study following 426 mother-child dyads from pregnancy to middle childhood, women reported stressful life events (SL…
Intergenerational Transmission of Effects of Women's Stressors During Pregnancy
Findings from this large, sociodemographically diverse cohort suggest women's exposures to interpersonal violence and major stressful events-common for women during pregnancy-may prenatally program her child's executive functioning and externalizing problems. Women's capacity to provide high quality parenting can buffer this intergenerational risk. Implications for universal and targeted prevention and early intervention efforts to support women'…
Partnership to Develop and Deliver Curriculum Supporting Student-led Air Quality Research in Rural Washington State
This curriculum can be adapted for use with students in many different communities. It will likely be most successful and engaging if adapted to local air pollution sources and issues, and implemented through an existing programmatic structure with a high mentor to student ratio
Association of maternal education, neighborhood deprivation, and racial segregation with gestational age at birth by maternal race/ethnicity and United States Census region in the Echo cohorts
Background In the United States, disparities in gestational age at birth by maternal race, ethnicity, and geography are theorized to be related, in part, to differences in individual- and neighborhood-level socioeconomic status (SES). Yet, few studies have examined their combined effects or whether associations vary by maternal race and ethnicity and United States Census region. Methods We assembled data from 34 cohorts in the Environmental influ…
School and childcare facility air quality decision-makers’ perspectives on using low-cost sensors for wildfire smoke response
Interview responses provided practical implications for toolkit development, including demonstrating a need for toolkits that allow a variety of sensor preferences. In addition, participants expected to have a wide range of available time for monitoring, budget for sensors, and decision-making types. Finally, interview responses revealed a need for toolkits to address sensor uses outside of activity decisions, especially assessment of ventilation…
Using Echo program data to develop a brief measure of caregiver support and cognitive stimulation using the home observation for measurement of the environment-infant/toddler (Home-IT)
Data from three NIH Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Program cohorts that collected the HOME-Infant-Toddler (HOME-IT age 0–3 years) version were used to examine the reliability of a brief scale of caregiver support and cognitive stimulation. Participants with HOME-IT data (N = 2518) were included in this analysis. Mean child age at HOME-IT assessment was 1.51 years, 48% of children were female, and 43% of children identifi…
Do small effects matter more in vulnerable populations? an investigation using Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (Echo) cohorts
Vulnerable sub-populations with greater baseline percentages at high risk fare worse when exposed to a small insult compared to the general population. This illustrates another facet of health disparity in vulnerable individuals
Individual and Neighborhood Level Predictors of Children’s Exposure to Residential Greenspace
Inequities in urban greenspace have been identified, though patterns by race and socioeconomic status vary across US settings. We estimated the magnitude of the relationship between a broad mixture of neighborhood-level factors and residential greenspace using weighted quantile sum (WQS) regression, and compared predictive models of greenspace using only neighborhood-level, only individual-level, or multi-level predictors. Greenspace measures inc…
Educational attainment and self-reported environmental exposures of pregnant women living in Nairobi, Kenya
Environmental exposures experienced by pregnant women living in cities of low- and middle-income countries are poorly described. We collected information on housing characteristics, household and ambient air pollution, and work-related exposures through questionnaires in a cohort of 400 pregnant women in Nairobi, Kenya and examined exposures in relation to educational attainment, a proxy for socioeconomic status. Participants were median 26 years…
A descriptive examination of rurality in the Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes Cohort
PURPOSE: The Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Cohort has enrolled over 60,000 children to examine how early environmental factors (broadly defined) are associated with key child health outcomes. The ECHO Cohort may be well-positioned to contribute to our understanding of rural environments and contexts, which has implications for rural health disparities research. The present study examined the outcome of child obesity to …
Wildfire-specific fine particulate matter and preterm birth
Indoor and outdoor fine particulate matter and carbon monoxide concentrations in homes of infants in Nairobi, Kenya
Early life exposure to air pollution is associated with adverse health outcomes in children however few studies have investigated children’s air pollution exposures in urban settings in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). We measured fine particulate matter (PM 2.5 ) and carbon monoxide (CO) in homes of infants in Nairobi, Kenya and conducted exploratory analysis of exposure factors. Questionnaires captured household characteristics and self-reported air p…
Medicine (14 works) · Environmental health (11 works) · Population (6 works) · Psychology (6 works) · Pregnancy (5 works) · Air Quality and Health Impacts (4 works) · Biology (4 works) · Child Nutrition and Water Access (4 works) · Demography (4 works) · Geography (4 works)