Introduction to Environmental Public Health

7/30/2019 Introduction to Environmental Public Health

1/35

Introduction to Environmental Public Health


2/35

Objectives

Describe environmental public health

Discuss environmental public health

surveillance Describe types of environmental publichealth data

Discuss laws and regulations onenvironment and health data


3/35

Preview

Environmental Health Overview

Role of Environmental Health in Public

Health Monitoring Environmental Public Health

Career Opportunities


4/35

What is Environmental Health?

The discipline thatfocuses on: the interrelationships

between people andtheir environment,

promotes humanhealth and well-being,

and fosters a safe andhealthful environment


5/35

NCEH/ATSDR: Your Health, Your Environmenthttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDeRtJ-LiCc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDeRtJ-LiCchttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDeRtJ-LiCchttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDeRtJ-LiCchttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDeRtJ-LiCc


6/35

Role of the Environment inPublic Health


7/35

Example: Erin Brockovich

Erin Brockovich helpeduncover the pollution thatseeped into the groundwaterin Hinkley, CA after a plantused hexavalent chromiumto fight corrosion in thecooling towers

The pollutants were

suspected to have increasedcancer rates in the area
http://www.awesomestories.com/assets/erin-brockovichhttp://ephtracking.cdc.gov/showWaterLandingSolution.actionhttp://www.awesomestories.com/assets/erin-brockovich


8/35

Environmental Hazards

A substance that can cause an adversehealth event

Physical, chemical, or biological factors Natural or man-made


9/35

Health Effects

Some effects are known Lead paint and child development Air quality and asthma

Others are suspected and more research is needed


10/35

ACTIVITY

Research your disease: What is known or being studied about theenvironments connection?


11/35

Important Factors

The impact of theenvironment onindividuals is affected

by: Risk or toxicology

Exposure

Demographics andsocio-economic status


12/35

Why is Understanding the Environment-Health Connection Important?

Protecting publichealth Policies

Education

Public healthinterventions


13/35

Example: Health Impact of Air Pollution

Fine Particles in Air


14/35

MONITORING ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH


15/35

Monitoring Environmental Health

Epidemiology: The Science of Public Health

Public Health Surveillance

Biomonitoring Health Data

Hazard Data

Laws Career opportunities


16/35

Epidemiology The science of public health Gathering data about a health issue to determine its causes and

characteristics Epidemiologists in Environmental Health:

Identify the number of persons who have a particular disease or illness Measure or estimate whether those persons have come in contact with

an environmental hazard Compare the number of persons who have a health problem to their

potential exposure Study the same kinds of health problems in people who have not come

in contact with an environmental hazard and compare results to thosewho have not been exposed


17/35

Sample StudiesEpidemiology

Emergency-response investigation: Chloramine indrinking water from a public water system:

http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/hsb/cwh/water_response.htm

Planned research: 4 Villages: Investigation ofUnregulated Water Use and a Household Surveyin 4 Rural Alaskan Villages

http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/hsb/cwh/water_research.htm

Community Assessment for Public HealthEmergency Response: http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/hsb/disaster/activities.htm
http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/hsb/cwh/water_response.htmhttp://www.cdc.gov/nceh/hsb/cwh/water_response.htmhttp://www.cdc.gov/nceh/hsb/cwh/water_research.htmhttp://www.cdc.gov/nceh/hsb/cwh/water_research.htmhttp://www.cdc.gov/nceh/hsb/disaster/activities.htmhttp://www.cdc.gov/nceh/hsb/disaster/activities.htmhttp://www.cdc.gov/nceh/hsb/disaster/activities.htmhttp://www.cdc.gov/nceh/hsb/disaster/activities.htmhttp://www.cdc.gov/nceh/hsb/cwh/water_research.htmhttp://www.cdc.gov/nceh/hsb/cwh/water_research.htmhttp://www.cdc.gov/nceh/hsb/cwh/water_research.htmhttp://www.cdc.gov/nceh/hsb/cwh/water_research.htmhttp://www.cdc.gov/nceh/hsb/cwh/water_response.htmhttp://www.cdc.gov/nceh/hsb/cwh/water_response.htmhttp://www.cdc.gov/nceh/hsb/cwh/water_response.htmhttp://www.cdc.gov/nceh/hsb/cwh/water_response.htm


18/35

Quantifying DiseaseEpidemiology

Example: Incidence ofLeukemia; Annual Number ofCases, 2008

Disease counts Disease rates

Incidence: new cases of a disease in a population Prevalence: total number of cases of disease in apopulation


19/35

Public Health Surveillance

The continuous, systematic collection, analysis, andinterpretation of health-related data needed for the planning,implementation, and evaluation of public health practice


20/35

ACTIVITY

Research a public heath surveillance systemand report back to the class Provide an overview of the system

What data does it provide? What are the data sources? How are the datacollected?

What is the value to public health? How are the

data used? Is there an example study that has beenpublished using these data?


21/35

Exposure Data: Biomonitoring Measures the amount of chemicals or theirmetabolites in humans


22/35

Health Data Data available on a variety of health conditions Sources

Census Demographics, socioeconomics

Electronic medical records National surveys

National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES),Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS)

Surveillance systems (state and national) Disease registries, immunization records

Vital statistics Births, deaths


23/35

Hazard Data Types

Site-specific inspection/investigation data

Facility data

Environmental

monitoring data Modeling data

National Park Service scientist conducts anequipment check prior to a night of air datacollection. Photo by NPS/Kate Magargal.


24/35

Environmental Hazard Data

Air quality

Water quality

Soil contamination Homes and community design

Weather and climate


25/35

National Environmental Public HealthTracking Network Health and environment data in one place Health effect data

Asthma, birth defects, cancer, CO poisoning, childhood leadpoisoning, developmental disabilities, heart attacks,reproductive, and birth outcomes

Environment data Climate change, community design, homes, outdoor air, water

Other data Population characteristics, biomonitoring (exposure)


26/35

Laws and Regulations

Environment and healthdata are collected under anumber of different statutes

and regulations, bothfederal and state

Examples include: EPA

Clean Air Act Safe Drinking Water Act

Clean Water Act


27/35

ACTIVITY

Find another federal environment orhealth data law and share it with theclass


28/35

Stakeholders

Federal government CDC/ATSDR, EPA, NIH/National Institute for

Environmental Health Sciences

State and local government

Health officials at state and local health departments Advocacy

Non-profit organizations, professional organizations,community-based organizations

Elected officials

Congress, state legislatures, city and county councils Citizens


29/35

Career Opportunities

Sciences

Social sciences Clinical practice


30/35

DISCUSSION: Headlines

EXAMPLE


31/35

Homework: Option 1

Whats your issue? Choose an environmental health issue you careabout

Research and read one recent news or journalarticle about a study related to this issue Oral assignment: Summarize article, why is itimportant to know about this topic, and itsimpact on public health

Writing assignment: Three-to-four paragraphsummary with analysis


32/35

Homework: Option 2

What does science tell us about Cr-6? Research studies and articles in journals andthe news media throughout recent years and

write an executive summary about yourfindings

Include data and evidence when possible


33/35

Resources

Federal Government Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR):

www.atsdr.cdc.gov CDCs National Environmental Public Health Tracking Network:

http://ephtracking.cdc.gov/showHome.action CDCs National Center for Environmental Health: www.cdc.gov/nceh

EPA: www.epa.gov NIHs National Institute of Environmental Health Science:www.niehs.nih.gov

Journals Journal of Environmental Health: http://www.neha.org/JEH/ Environmental Health Perspectives:

http://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/home.action Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health:

http://jech.bmj.com/
http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/http://ephtracking.cdc.gov/showHome.actionhttp://ephtracking.cdc.gov/showHome.actionhttp://www.cdc.gov/ncehhttp://www.epa.gov/http://www.niehs.nih.gov/http://www.niehs.nih.gov/http://www.neha.org/JEH/http://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/home.actionhttp://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/home.actionhttp://jech.bmj.com/http://jech.bmj.com/http://jech.bmj.com/http://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/home.actionhttp://www.neha.org/JEH/http://www.niehs.nih.gov/http://www.epa.gov/http://www.cdc.gov/ncehhttp://ephtracking.cdc.gov/showHome.actionhttp://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/


34/35

Resources

Associations National Environmental Health Association, www.neha.org

Explore job descriptions: http://www.neha.org/job_center.html

American Public Health Association: http://www.apha-environment.org/

National Association of County and City Health Officials:

http://www.naccho.org/topics/environmental/ Association of State and Territorial Health Officials:

http://www.astho.org/programs/environmental-health/ American Nurses Association: www.nursingworld.org

Standards on Environmental Health Nursing Care and the PrecautionaryPrinciple

Studies and reports CDCs National Report on Human Exposure to Environmental

Chemicals: www.cdc.gov/exposurereport CDCs National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey:

www.cdc.gov/nchs/nhanes.htm
http://www.neha.org/http://www.neha.org/job_center.htmlhttp://www.apha-environment.org/http://www.apha-environment.org/http://www.apha-environment.org/http://www.naccho.org/topics/environmental/http://www.naccho.org/topics/environmental/http://www.astho.org/programs/environmental-health/http://www.astho.org/programs/environmental-health/http://www.nursingworld.org/http://www.cdc.gov/exposurereporthttp://www.cdc.gov/exposurereporthttp://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nhanes.htmhttp://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nhanes.htmhttp://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nhanes.htmhttp://www.cdc.gov/exposurereporthttp://www.nursingworld.org/http://www.astho.org/programs/environmental-health/http://www.astho.org/programs/environmental-health/http://www.astho.org/programs/environmental-health/http://www.astho.org/programs/environmental-health/http://www.naccho.org/topics/environmental/http://www.naccho.org/topics/environmental/http://www.apha-environment.org/http://www.apha-environment.org/http://www.apha-environment.org/http://www.apha-environment.org/http://www.neha.org/job_center.htmlhttp://www.neha.org/


35/35

For additional details on CDCsNational Tracking Network, visit

www.cdc.gov/eph tracking

The findings and conclusions in this presentation have not been

formally disseminated by the CDC and should not be construed to

represent any agency determination or policy.

Thank You!
http://www.cdc.gov/ephtrackinghttp://www.cdc.gov/ephtracking

Introduction to Environmental Public Health

Documents

Transcript of Introduction to Environmental Public Health