M2S2 Introduction To The Enviromental Determinants Of Health

Question 1

Distal health factor examples

Answer 1

physically far or away from the individual
-neighbourhood
-schools
-that settings that might interact at the community level
-more broad distal factors might include the changing climate or the existence of a natural disaster in a particular geographic area

Question 2

Proximal health examples to individual

Answer 2

Close to the individual
-housing environment or the air
-soil
-water in immediate environment

Question 3

Environmental Determinants of health aspects

Answer 3

Geography
-global location
-country
-region within a country
-urban/rural location

Natural Environment
-air
-water
-soil
-trees
-green space
-both biotic and abiotic factors

Built environment
-housing
-community structures
-roadways
-other transportation structures may be exposed to

Food systems
-food sources
-food distribution
-levels of food security or insecurity
-concepts like food deserts (area that has limited access to affordable and nutritious food)

Macro-Environmental Factors
-political
-economic
-national factors like governance structures, climate change, war and conflict zones, as well as natural disasters among other things

Question 4

Environment definition

Answer 4

-the space, objects, people and nature that surrounds any living organism
-an amalgamation of natural and human made occurrences
-all plays into mayor role of peoples health
-WHOs definition - “environmental health comprises those aspects of human health, including quality of life, that are determined by physical, chemical, biological, social, and psychosocial factors in the environment

Question 5

Key environmental health burdens

Answer 5

-poor sanitation services and lack of clean water access
-air pollution (indoor and outdoor)
-inadequate housing/shelter
-changing land use and climate affecting all aspects of life including food production and access, culture and livelihoods
-pollution and exposure to toxics in the environment

Question 6

Burden of disease associated with environmental factors

Answer 6

-some variation in how burden of disease defined or measured however by some accounts, environmental-associated diseases make up 8.4% of total burden of disease in low and middle income countries (LMICs)
Most common environmental factors associated with disease
-indoor smoke (including household use of solid fuels) - 3.7%
-unsafe water, sanitation, and hygiene - 3.2%
-urban air pollution - 1.5%

Check goodnotes for environmental factors and premature death chart

Question 7

Costs and consequences of environmental health problems

Answer 7

-there are costs and consequences of physical environmental health problems that are not shared equally across a population
-a disproportionate burden on people from lower socioeconomic (SES) status
-a negative effect on economic productivity
-a higher risk for young children