1 - intro Flashcards
changes in human and natural environments are deeply interrelated, ………. are all part of environmental health
actions we take
how we adapt to the environment
how we manage our relationship with the enviornment
Environmental public health occurs on many scales such as
genetic and cellular: (chemicals, agents, pathogens)
community: physical and social environmental changes
why care about EPH
human actions (largely the worlds growing human population) is causing changes in the environment due to energy consumption and waste production. if these changes persist, survival could be threatened and health services could collapse.
** increase in human population threatens to overwhelm available resources
three population dynamics
fertility
death rates
migration
four components of the project physical environment we live in
the air we breathe
the water we drink
the food we eat
the places where we live/work/play
scientific definition of environment
“the complex of physical, chemical, and biotic factors (as climate, soil, and living things) that act upon an organism or an ecological community and ultimately determine its form and survival”
what is environmental public health
protecting populations from threats to their health and safety posed by their environments
what is environmental risk transition - give examples
changes in environmental risks that happen as a consequence of economic development in the less developed regions of the world
ex: diarrhea from poor water quality and sanitation, respiratory diseases due to air pollution
environmental health (WHO definition)
the physical, chemical, and biological factors external to a person, and all the related factors impacting behaviours.
it includes the assessment and control of these factors that can potentially affect health, targeted towards preventing disease and creating health-supportive environments
what is epidemiologic transition
shift in the pattern of morbidity and mortality
can be from infections or communicable diseases or chronic and degenerative diseases
four effects of the rapid growth of worlds population
urbanization
overtaxing carrying capacity
food insecurity
loss of biodiversity
biggest factor that leads to urbanization
employment opportunities and industrialization
what are two common environmental health problems of large cities within underdeveloped countries
poverty
respiratory and enteric infections due to poor-quality housing and unregulated industrialization
what is a megacity
a megacity is an urbanized area that has 10 million or more inhabitants
ex) New York, Shanghai
carrying capacity
the population that an area will support without undergoing environmental deterioration
food insecurity
when supplies of wholesome foods are uncertain or have limited availability. may occur when carrying capacity is exceeded
impact of population growth on biodiversity
accelerated loss of biodiversity
hazards to health within the urban environment
biological pathogens or pollutants
chemical pollutants
availability, cost, and quality of natural resources
physical hazards
aspects of the built environment
natural resource degradation
national and global environmental degradation
four areas that carrying capacity will affect
human populations
animal populations
loss of biodiversity
food insecurity/famine
green infrastructure
landscape conservation strategy - produces the structure of the natural environment necessary for ecosystem functioning
