Chapter 14 Environmental Health Flashcards
“all the physical, chemical, and biological factors external to a person, and all related behavior, but excluding those natural environments that cannot reasonably be modified”
Works to advance policies and programs to reduce chemical and other environmental exposures in air, water, soil, and food to protect residents and provide communities with healthier environments
Purpose is assure the conditions of human health and provide healthy environments for people to live, work, and play through risk assessment, prevention, and intervention
Overview of enviornmental health
Critical Theory Approach
Benefits of an environmental health history
A critical theory approach to environmental health
Uses “thinking upstream” framework
Raises questions about oppressive situations
Involves community members in the definition and solution of problems
Facilitates interventions that reduce health-damaging effects of environments
Critical Theory Approach
Definition – buildings, spaces, and products that are created or modified by people, including homes, schools, workplaces, parks/recreation areas, greenways, business areas, and transportation systems
Built environment consists of the connections among people, communities, and their surrounding environments that affect health behaviors and habits, interpersonal relationships, cultural values, and customs
Things in Phys enviornment/communities - buildings, spaces, sidewalks, lighting, street signs
Directly and indirectly affects health outcomes and disease rates
Gives ability connect with each other and options to leave homes and way to get to parks so safely get there
Walk around safely in community - reduces risk obesity because getting exercise; not getting exercise more hormones released that causes stress and anxiety so more instances of both in community
Examples of problems:
Look at this for overall health and lot moving parts
Built environment
Drunk driving
Second-hand smoke exposure
Noise exposure
Urban crowding
Technological hazards
Examples of problems: - Built environment
Other things for people who decide to drink socially - only option get back into vehicle and drive home
No safe route walk home, no Ubers, no buses; bring sources may see this decrease
Drunk driving
Look at household but also at ordinances and what allowed within community buildings
Decreased sig now
Second-hand smoke exposure
How much green space in communities; lots trees dampen noise from highways/trains
Noise exposure
Overcrowding - what kind of housing available; lot people crowding together in smaller space because if pool money that is what afford but now lot people crammed in space but if one gets sick all get sick
Urban crowding
Definition - occupational exposure to environmental hazards that can cause illness or injury
Can happen as a result of poor working conditions and can lead to potential injury or illness
Examples of problems:
Prevention of work-related health problems requires integrated action to improve job safety and the working environment
Conscious of this so protect self against - body fluids; chemo; X-rays; mental health environment or major head injuries or drank too much - may be violent; not know doing it
All exposed to these
Adv: OSHA mandates how employers supposed protect employees; on online platform for employees that is a MDS book - goes through all chemicals in hospital: what is, level exposure, vector (how spread), how clean up, what do if exposed; stuck by needle - report it, run appropriate testing and treat if exposure to needle stick
Work-related exposures
Asbestos exposure
Agricultural accidents
Excessive exposure to x-rays
Examples of problems: - Work-related exposures
Definition - the protectiveness of the atmospheric layers, the risks of severe weather, and the purity of the air for breathing purposes
Refers to the purity of the air and the presence of air pollution (13th leading cause of mortality worldwide)
Six major air pollutants
Examples of problems:
Ton pollutants in air
Air pollution leading to global warming/climate change
Do have an air quality guide - tells air quality for the day; matters because in crowded big city, dirty city - overtime if only breathe that air and not leave environment which happens often causes health issues; allergies for pats and self; pats with resp issues - exacerbations in maroon - struggle to breathe and get exacerbation and if go outside might end up in hospital; imp edu that look at air quality index if have preexisting conditions
Air quality guide
Outdoor Air quality
Ozone – most common pollutant and is the primary component of smog
Carbon monoxide
Nitrogen dioxides
Sulfur dioxide
Particular matter
Lead
Six major air pollutants
Gaseous pollutants
Greenhouse effect
Destruction of the ozone layer
Aerial spraying of herbicides and pesticides
Acid rain
Nuclear facility emissions
Examples of problems: - Outdoor Air quality
Good
Moderate
Unhealthy for sensitive groups
Unhealthy
Very unhealthy alert
Air quality guide
0-50
None
Good
51-100
Unusually sensitive people should consider reducing prolonged/heavy exertion
Moderate
101-150
People with heart/lung disease, older adults, children should reduce prolonged/heavy exertion
Unhealthy for sensitive groups
151-200
People with heart/lung disease, older adults, children should avoid prolonged/heavy exertion; everyone else should reduce prolonged/heavy exertion
Unhealthy
201-300
People with heart/lung disease, older adults, children should avoid all phys activity outdoors; everyone else should avoid prolonged/heavy exertion
Very unhealthy alert
Definition - the availability, safety, structural strength, cleanliness, and location of shelter, including public facilities and family dwellings; includes indoor air quality
Examples of problems:
Not looking at just home - handles for people who struggle walking, rugs that prevent falls, sidewalks in tact, crime rate to make home safe; be aware if home health nurse but also if discharging pat to home - look at all factors in home environment to make sure able do it and if not/do not know ask them
Someone to help them
Transportation present
Healthy home
Homelessness
Rodent and insect infestation
Presence of lead-based paint
Sick building syndrome
Unsafe neighborhoods
Radon gas seepage in homes and schools – radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer, after active smoking, and the leading cause among nonsmokers
Examples of problems: - Healthy home
Definition - the availability of and accessibility to a clean water supply, the mineral content levels, pollution by toxic chemicals, and the presence of pathogenic microorganisms
Consists of the balance between water contaminants and existing capabilities to purify water for human use and plant and wildlife sustenance
Examples of problems:
Not just looking if water coming in but quality of it; how treated; contaminants dumped into water
Water quality
Contamination of drinking supply by human waste
Oil spills in the world’s waterways
Pesticide or herbicide infiltration of groundwater
Aquifer contamination by industrial pollutants
Heavy metal poisoning of fish
Examples of problems: - Water quality
