chapter 18 ppt

Copyright © 2012 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

Chapter 18: Environmental Health


Question

Is the following statement True or False?

Environmental health is the branch of public health science that focuses on how the environment influences chronic disease.


Answer

False

Rationale: Environmental health is the branch of public health science that focuses on how the environment influences human health, not chronic disease.


Human Health and the Environment

• Environmental health is the branch of public health science that focuses on how the environment influences human health.

• Exposure occurs when there is contact between people and an environmental contaminant.


History of Environmental Health

• People did not often clearly understand the links between environment and health and did not recognize that humans influenced their environment.

• Quality of the environment became a popular topic in the mid- to late 20th century.


Questions about Environmental Health

• How certain contaminants affect human health?

• How to assess exposures to contaminants?

• How the environment influences health?

• How to live as a population while maintaining a healthy environment?


The Community Environment

• Environment and its effect on human health is often considered in the following two ways:

– How contaminants in the environment, such as asbestos, lead, or radon, influence human health.

– How the entire environment surrounding the community, such as neighborhood safety, climate, access to grocery stores, and community design, affects health.


Question


The precautionary principle maintains that if something has the potential to cause harm to the environment or humans, then precautionary measures should be taken if there is a lack of scientific evidence concerning cause and effect.


Answer

True

Rationale: Many groups have called for the use of the precautionary principle when it comes to the use of contaminants that find their way into the environment and humans. The precautionary principle maintains that if something has the potential to cause harm to the environment or humans, then precautionary measures should be taken if there is a lack of scientific evidence concerning cause and effect.


Precautionary Principle

• Maintains that if something has the potential to cause harm to the environment or humans, then precautionary measures should be taken if there is a lack of scientific evidence concerning cause and effect


Genetic and Behavioral Factors

• Hereditary

• Individual human behaviors


Nursing and Environmental Health

• ANA’s Principles of Environmental Health for Nursing Practice with Implementation Strategies

• Help nurses incorporate principles of environmental health into nursing practice


Assessment

• Assessing contaminants in the environment

• Exposure pathway

– Source of contamination

– Environmental media and transport

– Point of exposure

– Route of exposure

– Receptor population


Exposure Pathway


QuestionWhat is bioavailability?

A. Study of the adverse effects of chemical, physical, or biological agents on people, animals, and the environment.

B. An exposure estimate determines a person’s level of exposure to a contaminant.

C. Amount of a contaminant that actually ends up in the systemic circulation.

D. Process of using medical tests such as blood or urine collection to determine if a person has been exposed to a contaminant and how much exposure has received.


Answer C. Amount of a contaminant that actually ends up in the

systemic circulation.

Rationale: Bioavailability is the amount of a contaminant that actually ends up in the systemic circulation. Toxicology is the study of the adverse effects of chemical, physical, or biological agents on people, animals, and the environment. An exposure estimate determines a person’s level of exposure to a contaminant. Biomonitoring is the process of using medical tests such as blood or urine collection to determine if a person has been exposed to a contaminant and how much exposure he or she has received.


Determining the Health Impact of a Completed Exposure Pathway

• Toxicology is the study of the adverse effects of chemical, physical, or biological agents on people, animals, and the environment.

• An exposure estimate determines a person’s level of exposure to a contaminant.

• Bioavailability is the amount of a contaminant that actually ends up in the systemic circulation.

• Biomonitoring is the process of using medical tests such as blood or urine collection to determine if a person has been exposed to a contaminant and how much exposure he or she has received.


Assessing the Environment of a Community

• Key steps

– Knowing what contaminants are in the environment

– Whether there are completed exposure pathways


Assessment of Individuals: Taking an Exposure History

• Identify current or past exposures.

• Eliminate exposures

• Try and mitigate or reduce a client’s adverse health effects from exposures.


Evaluation

• Types of questions to consider

• Has the exposure pathway been interrupted?

• What does the community think about the intervention— are people satisfied?

• How has people's health improved?

• How many people did the intervention affect?

• Can the intervention demonstrate any cost savings?

• Is the evaluation sustainable?


Environmental Epidemiology

• Epidemiology is a field of public health science that focuses on the incidence and prevalence of disease or illness in a population.

• Environmental epidemiology

– Field of public health science that focuses on the incidence and prevalence of disease or illness in a population from exposures in their environments


Major Challenges to Environmental Epidemiology

• Limited availability of data on many contaminants and their effect on health

• Limited understanding about how exposures to multiple contaminants may sicken people

• Latency between exposure and illness can be very long

• Time consuming to perform

• Resource intensive in terms of personnel and money

• Inconclusive in determining if X contaminant caused Y illness


Children’s Health and the Environment Vulnerability

• Body systems are still rapidly developing

• Eat more, drink more, and breath more in proportion to their body size than adults

• Breathing zone is closer to the ground than adults

• Bodies may be less able to break down and excrete contaminants

• Behaviors can expose them to more contaminants


Question


Environmental justice is the belief that no group of people should bear a disproportionate share of negative environmental health consequences regardless of race.


Answer

False

Rationale: Environmental justice is the belief that no group of people should bear a disproportionate share of negative environmental health consequences regardless of race, culture, or income.


Environmental Justice

• Environmental justice is the belief that no group of people should bear a disproportionate share of negative environmental health consequences regardless of the following:

– Race

– Culture

– Income


Global Environmental Health Challenges

• Clean water and sanitation

• Air quality

• Climate change

chapter 18 ppt

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