ch 19 environmental health

Question 1

environmental health is the branch of public health science that focuses on how the environment influences acute/chronic disease

Answer 1

true

Question 2

we live in a post-industrial time

Answer 2

meaning that their may be contaminated soil/buildings that we could be exposed to

Question 3

human health and the environment

Answer 3

community environment (contaminants within)
genetic and behavioral factors (predisposal to the environment)
nursing and environmental health (promoting care around us)

Question 4

precautionary principle

Answer 4

maintains that if something has the potential to cause harm to the environment or humans then precautionary measures should be taken (BE CAREFUL)

Question 5

important principles of environment health for nursing practice

Answer 5

nurses have a right to work in an environment that is safe and healthy

nurses participate in assessing the quality of the environment in which they practice and live

nurses must be supported in advocating for and implementing environmental health principles in nursing practice

Question 6

ASSESSMENT

Answer 6

assessing contaminants in the environment

Question 7

risk assessment

Answer 7

process to determine the likelihood of illness after exposure

(risk= hazard + exposure)

Question 8

exposure pathway

Answer 8

source of contamination (droplet disease)
Environmental media and transport mechanisms (wind blowing)
point of exposure
route of exposure (inhalation, absorption)
receptor population (susceptible individual)

Question 9

common contaminants/exposures

Answer 9

lead, mercury, radon, PFAS, PCBs, PERC, mold, benzene, asbestos, pesticides, arsenic

Question 10

exposure history

Answer 10

present work
past work
home/residence
activities/hobbies
concerns

Question 11

bioavailability

Answer 11

the amount of a contaminant that actually ends up in the systemic circulation

Question 12

toxicology

Answer 12

study of the adverse effects of chemical, physical, or biologic agents on people, animals, and the environment

Question 13

exposure estimate

Answer 13

determines a person’s level of exposure to a contaminant

Question 14

biomonitoring

Answer 14

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/she has received

Question 15

proximity

Answer 15

to a contaminant/hazard is not the only factor in determining whether there is a risk to human health

Question 16

how would a contaminant pose a risk

Answer 16

there must be a completed exposure pathway

Question 17

assessing environment of a community

Answer 17

think about the whole environment to determine what components are influencing human health

Question 18

environmental justice

Answer 18

consider when looking at the impact of the environment on a community

Question 19

EXPOSURE history

Answer 19

identify current/past exposure

eliminate exposure

try to mitigate (start intervention early based on risk- EX. people wearing a mask when covid first started) or reduce a client’s adverse health effects from exposure

Question 20

interventions

Answer 20

something designed to interrupt or break the exposure pathway

Question 21

evaluation

Answer 21

has the exposure pathway been interrupted

what does the community think about the interventions

how has health improved

how many people did the intervention affect

can the intervention demonstrate any cost savings

is the intervention sustainable

Question 22

epidemiology

Answer 22

field of public health science that focuses on the incidence (new) and prevalence (new AND old- chronic) of disease or illness in a population

Question 23

environmental epidemiology

Answer 23

field of public health science that focuses on the incidence (new) and prevalence (new AND old- chronic) of disease or illness in a population from exposures in their environments

Question 24

number of prevalence contains number of incidences

Answer 24

TRUE

Question 25

major challenges in environmental epidemiology

Answer 25

limited availability of data on many contaminants and their effect on health limited understanding of how exposure to multiple contaminants may sicken people latency between exposures and illness can be very long (EX: long-term effects ---assume it's safe initially) time-consuming to perform resource intensive in terms of personnel and money inconclusive in determining if X contaminant caused Y illness (unclear conclusions)

Question 26

working toward healthy environments

Answer 26

healthy communities healthy homes

Question 27

children's health and the environment

Answer 27

vulnerability- -body systems are still rapidly developing -eat, drink, and breathe more in proportion to their body size than do adults -breathing zone is closer to the ground compared with adults -bodies may be less able to break down and excrete contaminants -behaviors can expose them to more contaminants -spending time outside the home where environmental hazards may be present

Question 28

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

Answer 28

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

Question 29

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 29

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

Question 30

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

Answer 30

regardless of race, culture, or income

Question 31

Global environmental health challenges

Answer 31

clean water and sanitation air quality chemical and contaminant exposure climate change

Question 32

KEY CONCEPT 1) The environment has a direct impact on human health

Question 33

The nursing process of using assessment, intervention, and evaluation can be used when thinking about how the environment affects human health and how health can be protected

Question 34

proximity to a contaminant or hazard is not the only risk factor in determining whether there is a risk to human health. For a contaminant to pose a risk, there must be a completed exposure pathway

Question 35

when assessing a community's environment, it helps to think about the whole environment to determine what components are influencing human health

Question 36

environmental justice is important to consider when looking at the impact of the environment to a community

Question 37

a community environment can be built to help positively influence the health of those living in the community

Question 38

globally, there are still many environmental health challenges that must be faced