Introduction to Environmental Health Flashcards
What is the environment?
- complex of
- physical, chemical, and biotic factors
- that act upon an organism or an ecological community
- & ultimately define its form and survival
What is health?
- state
- of complete physical, mental, and social well-being
- NOT merely absence of disease
What is environmental health?
- considers & addresses
- physical, biological, chemical, social, and psychosocial factors in the envi
- note: anthropocentric
How is envi health pseudo-separate from medicicne
med: focuses on individual
envi health: what’s happening outside individual
What are the objectives of envi health?
- control & prevent envi hazards
- promote health & well-being through environmentally-targeted actions and strategies
basically, prevent hazards by applying strategies to the environment instead of curing the individual
How does DDT show systems approach?
Why is a healthy biodiversity important?
3 P’s that determine health
Pollution, Population, Poverty
How are the 3 P’s that determine health interrelated
Pollution & population
* ↑ popu = ↑ waste generated (tas untreated pa)
* impacts health of population (so they wanna move out too)
Pollution & poverty
* high pollution → livelihoods (ex. agri, unsafe work conditions) → poverty
* people can’t afford medicine, stay sick
* people can’t afford nice, safe, environments → marginalized into dangerous areas
Poverty & Population
* different factors with poverty increase population
* ex. need more income, kids are viewed as a retirement plan, free time
How are the 3 P’s that determine health environmentally related?
- ↑ popu = need more natural resources
- When you are poor (poverty), there are systemic limitations that you can do in terms of protecting envi → pollution persists because you can’t change behavior
- You’re at the mercy of the system
- You can go against the system when you have money!
