Environmental health Flashcards
Types of disasters
Natural Disasters
Human made disasters
Bioterrorism
Epidemics
Pandemics
Categorization of environmental health factors
chemical, physical, biological, psychological, economic
Routes of entry for environmental health factors
inhalation, absorption, injection, ingestion
Environmental epidemiology
study of the effect of physical, chemical and biological factors in the external environment on human health
Most impacted by environmental health
Vulnerable & disparate groups, First Nations Communities (overcrowding, mold, unsafe drinking water), & Children (immigrants, poverty, migrant workers, visible minority homeless, single moms) differ from national average
Global health perspective
impact of environmental hazards heaviest amongst poor and vulnerable populations
What does the degree of hazard depend on?
- Nature of agent involved
- Intensity of the exposure
- duration of exposure
Things to consider of the degree of hazard
- How much of the agent required to produce effect
- The likelihood of that happening
- Rate of agent generation/emission
- Total contact time
- Any reductive measures taken or possible
Categorization of environmental factors
Physical constructs
Chemical
Biological
Psychological
Ergonomic
Physical construct (environmental factors)
Structures where people live, work, worship, play
Community systems, such as roads, transportation systems, land use, practices, waste management.
Radiation, noise, vibration, extremes in temperature/air pressure, road safety, housing quality
Chemical (environmental factors)
Chemical component associated with structures, foods, products, and waste products of these chemicals (vapors, gases, dusts, fumes, mists, household cleaners, smoke)
Biological (environmental factors)
Any living organisms causing adverse health effects (bacteria, viruses, fungi, pests, insects, animals, water safety, food safety, dusts).
Farming practices, food production & handling, agricultural dusts)
Psychological (environmental factors)
Stress/distress events impacting health (illness, death, birth, job promotion, finances, interpersonal conflict).
Ergonomic (environmental factors)
workstation design, repetitive motion
Environmental Health Inequities
- Geographic and Geopolitical Location
- Social location (place, position in society, clean environment, pop density, violence, stress, identity + access to clean environment)
- Developmental stage (children and older adults, intersectionality - indigenous)
Environmental framework to eliminate risk
- Indigenous Perspective on Health & Environment
- Intersectional Ecological-Feminist Approaches (gender within women, value-dualism, exclusiveness)
- Planetary Health Approaches
Role of CHNs
- Prevent, educate, advocate for policy change, identify risk
- lead interventions to reduce the burden of disease
- Requires multidisciplinary approach to identify modifiable environmental factors
Ethical issues that arise in environmental health descisions
Who has access to information, and when?
How complete and accurate is the information?
Who is included in decision making, and when?
What or whose values and priorities are given weight in decisions?
How are short- and long-term consequences considered?
Is there a conflict of interest?
All hazards approach
Prevention (activities, vaccinations)
Mitigation (reducing impact of disease on community)
Preparedness (efficiency of the response, training, testing, response plan)
Response (immediate action, getting supplies)
Recovery (return to acceptable situation)
Disaster preparedness
Readiness to respond and manage situation/consequences (emergency plans and warning system)
Involves education, team planning, mock disaster events (earthquake drill)
Emergency Measures Organization – develops, coordinates and manages response plans
Team Members: HCP, Police, Coroners, Firefighters, municipal planners, teachers, Universities, businesses, media, volunteer groups
Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Canada (PSEPC) – coordinate all federal departments for national security and safety
CHNs in disaster preparedness
Review the community’s disaster history
Consider how past disasters have affected health care delivery
Understand how particular organizations fit into the disaster plan
Educate community members about disaster preparedness
Help initiate or update disaster plans
Organize disaster drills
Provide updated records of vulnerable populations within a community.
Triage: initial (response phase) & ongoing (recovery phase) assessments, surveillance
Shelter management (HP, prevention, support)
