Directory Profile

Julie Postma

Julie Postma

Associate Dean for Research, SpokaneProfessorDEI Advocate 509-324-7287 College of Nursing 103 E. Spokane Falls Blvd. https://nursing.wsu.edu/directory/directory-profile/?nid=jpostma

Dr. Postma is the Associate Dean for Research and a Professor in the College of Nursing.

She maintains two programs of research, both of which aim to promote health through population health nursing. The first line of inquiry builds on interdisciplinary partnerships to decrease the impact of wildfire smoke on people with asthma. Wildfires are increasing internationally, and air pollution is known to exacerbate respiratory disease. Dr. Postma’s current grant will test the feasibility and preliminary impact of air quality (AQ) alerts on objective measures of risk reduction behavior and lung function among young adults with asthma. This collaboration with the Environmental Protection Agency will inform a larger clinical trial that optimizes smartphone applications to monitor air quality and respiratory symptoms to increase perceived susceptibility among people with asthma in order to prevent asthma exacerbations, and urgent care use.

While wildfire smoke may be indiscriminate, structural inequities in housing differentially impact environmental exposures faced by families who live in sub-standard housing. Her second line of research aims to measure and increase parents’ self-efficacy (confidence) in reducing children’s environmental health risks. Dr. Postma works alongside community-based participatory research scholars, including community members, public health professionals, clinicians and other nursing scientists to create and test assessment tools and learning modalities to help families assess and reduce their children’s environmental health risks.

Education

  • BSN, University of Michigan School of Nursing, Ann Arbor, MI
  • PhD, University of Washington School of Nursing, Seattle, WA
  • Post doctoral fellowship, University of Washington School of Nursing, Seattle, WA

Funded Research

  • “Monitoring and Communicating Wildfire Smoke Hazards in the Agricultural Workplace.” Postma, J. Washington State University Institute for Research and Education to Advance Community Health, Faculty Seed Grant, $20,000. January 2022 – June 2023. Role: PI
  • “Employer Perspectives on Wildfire Smoke Hazards in the Agricultural Workplace.” Postma, J. (mentor), Parker, Molly (PhD student). Professional Training Opportunities Program in Occupational Health, UW, $9,977
  • “Environmental Health Research Institute for Nurse and Clinician Scientists (EHRI-NCS).” Castner, J., Amiri, A.; Eldeirawi, K.; Huffling, K.; Huntington-Moskos, L.; Polivka, B.; Postma, J.; Rodriguez, J. National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences; R25; Role: Co-I
  • “NRT: Rivers, Watersheds, Communities: Training an Innovative, Cross-Sector Workforce for Equitable, Multi-Scale Decision-Making Towards Human and Ecosystem Health.” (2021) Boll, J. et al. National Science Foundation Research Traineeship (NRT). Role: Senior personnel
  • “Building capacity to reduce agricultural worker exposure to smoke and heat during wildfires.” Postma, J. Seed grant, WSU Health Equity Research Center. Role: PI
  • “The association between maternal exposure to wildfire smoke and neonatal outcomes.” Marko, T. (Sponsors: Postma, Julie & Walden, Von) National Research Service Award (F31), National Institute of Nursing Research. Role: Sponsor
  • “Promoting risk reduction among young adults with asthma during wildfire smoke events.” Postma, J., Rappold, A., Odom-Maryon, T., Amiri, S., Walden, V., Butterfield, P. National Institute of Nursing Research $382,500 (direct and indirect costs). 2020-2022.
  • “Deploying a Smart Exposure Information System: A Longitudinal Analysis of Air Quality, Children’s Health, and School Absenteeism in Spokane, Washington, US.” Amiri, S., Walden, V., Postma, J. Odom-Maryon, T. Ramboll Fonden, $110,175. 2019-2021

Research Strengths

Self-management of chronic conditions: Asthma; Wellness: Environmental health

Areas of Expertise

Asthma, Community-based participatory research, Outreach and engagement, Community health nursing, Environmental health, Experiences of immigrants, Health Behaviors, Health Disparities

Memberships

  • 2002-present Member, American Public Health Association
  • 2006-present Member, Washington State Public Health Association
  • 2008-present Member, Western Institute of Nursing Research
  • 2020-present Member, Editorial board, Public Health Nursing (Editor: Patricia J Kelly, PhD, MPH, APRN)
  • 2020-present Elected, Western Member-at-large, Association of Community Health Nurse Educators
  • 2017-2019 Grant reviewer, American Nurses Foundation, primary reviewer Round 1 and 2, 2017-2019

Honors & Awards

  • 2021 – Excellence in Research Award, WSU College of Nursing
  • 2020 – Faculty Mentor Award, WSU College of Nursing
  • 2019 – Scholar Award, Sigma Theta Tau, Delta Chi Chapter-at-Large
  • 2017 – Public Health Leadership Award, Washington State Public Health Association

Publications

Complete List of Published Work in MyNCBI:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/myncbi/18IQ5ysOKEsAx/bibliography/public/

Postma, J., Marko, T., Meyer, M., DeNike, A., Thomas, J., Walden, V., Butterfield, P. (Accepted, 2022). Assessing community response to wildfire smoke: A multi-method study using social media. Public Health Nursing. DOI:10.1111/phn.13140

Beese, S.**, Amram, O., Corylus, A., Graves, J., Postma, J., Monsivais, P. (Accepted 2022). Did Expansion of Grocery Delivery Improve Access for WA SNAP Participants Amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic? Preventing Chronic Disease, 19, 210412. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5888/pcd19.210412. **PhD student

Postma JM, Odom-Maryon T, Rappold AG, Haverkamp H, Amiri S, Bindler R, Whicker J, Walden V. Promoting risk reduction among young adults with asthma during wildfire smoke: A feasibility study. Public Health Nurs. 2021 Oct 11;. doi: 10.1111/phn.12986. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 34636066.

Postma JM, Oneal G, Odom-Maryon T, Barbosa-Leiker C, Marko T, Butterfield P. Adapting and Testing the Self-Efficacy in Environmental Risk Reduction Instrument Among Spanish-Speaking Populations. J Nurs Meas. 2021 Sep 13;. doi: 10.1891/JNM-D-19-00112. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 34518405.

Marko T, Suarez M, Todorova E, Mark C, Julie P. A Scoping Review of Nurses’ Contributions to Health-Related, Wildfire Research. Annual Review of Nursing Research. 2020 February; 38(1):73-96. doi: 10.1891/0739-6686.38.73.

Postma J. Protecting Outdoor Workers From Hazards Associated With Wildfire Smoke. Workplace Health Saf. 2020 Jan;68(1):52. doi: 10.1177/2165079919888516. Epub 2019 Dec 1. PubMed PMID: 31787030.

Trujillo A, Evans-Agnew R, Tinajera M, Alonso S, Postma JM. Measuring Our Success in Teaching Latinos about Asthma and Home Environments: Lessons Learned from an Intervention Developed through Photovoice. Prog Community Health Partnersh. 2020;14(3):381-392. doi: 10.1353/cpr.2020.0043. PubMed PMID: 33416613.

updated 11/09/2022