Bi-directional links between the environment and healthcare

Question 1

Give 3 examples of types of conditions that are caused by air pollution and other environmental pollutants?

Answer 1

Heart disease

Respiratory disease

Cancer

Question 2

What is the relationship between individuals who have lower incomes and conditions caused by air pollution?

Answer 2

These conditions are prevalent in individuals with lower income, as they are more likely to live in more polluted areas.

Question 3

Do environmental pollutants affect men, women and children equally?

Answer 3

No, they can cause conditions that have higher chance of affecting women and children than men

Question 4

Give 4 examples of conditions that women are at higher risk of developing, due to exposure to environmental pollutants?

Answer 4

Miscarriage

Adverse birth outcomes

Infertility

Increased risk of breast cancer

Question 5

Give 2 examples of conditions that children are at higher risk of developing, due to exposure to environmental pollutants?

Answer 5

Asthma

Lung growth and function deficits

Question 6

Give 2 health benefits of having green space?

Answer 6

Improves mental health

Increases physical activity level (which also has mental health benefits)

Question 7

What is the correlation between availability of green space in areas, and the health of individuals living in that area?

Answer 7

Individuals who live in areas with less green space are more likely to have poorer physical and mental health

Question 8

Even though transport and traffic collisions generally effect health, are there any inequalities between areas?

Answer 8

Large inequalities in impact of transport with children in most deprived areas being 4x more likely to be hit by car

Question 9

What other environmental effect can transport contribute to?

Answer 9

Increases air pollution

Question 10

Give 2 health benefits of traffic interventions?

Answer 10

Reduce road accidents

Increase physical activity level

Question 11

How can low income and deprived areas be result in poor diet?

Answer 11

They are barriers to accessing healthy food, which is needed for good diet

Question 12

Give 2 ways in which bad housing conditions can especially affect children?

Answer 12

More likely to have mental health problems such as anxiety or depression

More likely to have other ill health effects

Question 13

Give 3 examples of types of conditions that are affected by cold housing conditions?

Answer 13

Increases respiratory conditions such as asthma

Increase risk of heart disease and cardiac events

Worsens musculoskeletal conditions such as arthritic conditions

Question 14

According to evidence, what 3 factors of a patient’s wellbeing are significantly improved by low-income household condition improvements?

Answer 14

Social functioning

Physical wellbeing

Emotional wellbeing

Question 15

In areas of multiple deprivation, what other 2 psychological factors apart from social isolation are very common?

Answer 15

Stress

Depression

Question 16

What is the correlation between social isolation, loneliness and mortality?

Answer 16

Social isolation in low levels can cause loneliness, these factors together significantly increase mortality

Question 17

Define climate change?

Answer 17

Long-term shifts in temperature and weather patterns

Question 18

Give 3 ways in which rising global temperature affects water resources?

Answer 18

Changes rainfall patterns

Increases water evaporation

More snow falls as rain

Question 19

How can water security affected by rising global temperatures, have an effect on farming?

Answer 19

Flooding, unpredictable rain and evaporation create insufficient conditions for crop and livestock farming

Question 20

What effect do rising temperatures have on air pollutants and allergens?

Answer 20

Increase in allergens and harmful air pollutants

Question 21

What affect does rising temperatures have on wildlife, and how can this impact air quality?

Answer 21

Increased risk of wildfires which result in lower air quality and increased smoke exposure

Question 22

How can rising temperatures increase the spread of pathogens, and what type of pathogen is especially affected?

Answer 22

Pathogens that were previously confined to warmer regions can spread to more distant regions, increasing spread

Especially vector-borne pathogens as they have increased chance of survival and breeding

Question 23

How can extreme weather events caused by climate change affect infectious disease spread?

Answer 23

Produces ideal conditions for infectious disease spread such as cholera

Question 24

What can be disrupted by climate change, which will have social and economic impacts?

Answer 24

Infrastructure

Question 25

What percentage of total global greenhouse gas emissions were produced by the healthcare sector?

Answer 25

~5%

Question 26

What are the 3 ways in which healthcare systems contribute to total global greenhouse gas emissions?

Answer 26

Electricity purchased by healthcare facilities

Indirect emissions eg. from supply chains

Direct emissions eg. fleet vehicles

Question 27

What percentage of England’s total carbon emissions were caused by NHS England?

Answer 27

6.3%

Question 28

What percentage of England’s total air pollution were caused by NHS England?

Answer 28

5%

Question 29

What percentage of NHS England’s total carbon emissions were caused by supply chains?

Answer 29

66%

Question 30

What plan did NHS England implement to reduce their carbon footprint, and in what year was this?

Answer 30

Net-zero health system in 2020

Question 31

Give 4 methods included in the NHS England plan to become a Net-zero health system?

Answer 31

Net-zero hospitals constructed

Adding net-zero fleet vehicles to NHS fleet

Using LED light bulbs

Optimitising care locations so
that patients travel less distance and produce less emissions

Question 32

Why is there a bi-directional link between environment and healthcare?

Answer 32

They have effects on each other