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POH 100 - Professional Practice Mid-Term Exam 1 Review - Study Notes

POH 100 - Professional Practice Mid-Term Exam 1 Review

UNIT 1: What is Public Health?

  • Definition of Public Health:

    • Public health is described as the organized effort of society to maintain the health of individuals, prevent injury, illness, and premature death. It constitutes a combination of programs, services, and policies designed to safeguard and enhance the health of all Canadians.
    • Source: Canadian Public Health Association.

  • Occupational Health:

    • Occupational health focuses on safeguarding the well-being of workers. It involves preventive measures, regulations, and training aimed at reducing workplace hazards, injuries, and illnesses.
    • Key Components of Effective Occupational Health and Safety Programs:
      • A) Risk Assessment: Identifying potential hazards and evaluating the risks associated with them.
      • B) Hazard Control: Implementing measures to eliminate or at least minimize identified risks.
      • C) Employee Engagement: Involving workers in health and safety initiatives to foster a safer working environment.
    • Proper management of workers' physical and mental well-being is essential in supporting job performance and economic health.

UNIT 2: What is Environmental Public Health?

  • Influence of Environment on Health:

    • The health of Canadians is significantly affected by both natural and built environments where they live, work, and engage in leisure activities. These environmental factors form a part of the social determinants of health, influencing healthcare quality and health disparities in society.
    • Environmental risks throughout life manifest through the quality of water, air, and food consumption.

  • Impact of Environmental Exposures:

    • Unhealthy environmental conditions contribute to diseases, disabilities, and mortality, significantly affecting specific vulnerable populations like pregnant women, children, seniors, Aboriginal peoples, and immunocompromised individuals.

  • World Health Organization (WHO) on Environmental Health:

    • Healthier environmental conditions could avert nearly 25% of the global burden of disease. The COVID-19 pandemic underscored the critical relationship between human health and environmental health.
    • Essential conditions for good health include:
      • Clean air, stable climate, adequate water supply, sanitation and hygiene, safe chemical usage, protection from radiation, secure workplaces, supportive agricultural practices, and preservation of natural habitats.

  • Statistics (2016):

    • Deaths due to Modifiable Environmental Risks: 13.7 million deaths were recorded globally amounting to 24% of all annual deaths, indicating that nearly 1 in 4 deaths are connected to environmental conditions.

  • Disease Agents and Exposure Pathways:

    • Numerous agents and exposure pathways exist; harmful environmental conditions are linked to various disease categories.
    • Prevalent Noncommunicable Diseases include ischaemic heart disease, chronic respiratory diseases, and cancers.
    • Other conditions include injuries, respiratory infections, and strokes, which also share common environmental determinants.

  • Ecosystems and Biodiversity:

    • Healthy communities depend on robust ecosystems that provide essential resources such as clean air, safe drinking water, medicines, and food security.
    • Definition of Biodiversity:
      • Refers to the biological variety of life on Earth, encompassing genetic diversity of organisms to cultural diversity.

  • Link Between Biodiversity and Human Health:

    • Dependency on biodiversity is often invisible but crucial for daily life and human health.
    • Ecosystem products and services (e.g., fresh water, food, fuel sources) are fundamental for health and economic productivity.
    • Loss of biodiversity can significantly impair human health if ecosystem services diminish. Indirect effects include shifts in livelihoods, income, migration, and potential for political conflicts.

  • Human Activities Impacting Biodiversity:

    • Human-induced disturbances alter ecosystems, disrupt species abundance, and change interactions between organisms and their environments.
    • Key processes affecting diseases through biodiversity include:
      • Deforestation, land-use changes, water management, pesticide resistance, climate variability, migration, trade, and pathogen introduction.

  • Importance of Biodiversity for Nutrition:

    • Critical role in ensuring food production sustainability, soil productivity, and provision of genetic resources for crops and livestock. Access to a variety of nutrients is essential for health.
    • Nutrition-Biodiversity Connection:
      • Interaction occurs at ecosystem levels, species levels, and genetic diversity levels within species.
      • Intensified agricultural production practices can harm biodiversity, adversely affecting human nutritional status.

  • Understanding Biodiversity and Health:

    • Biodiversity loss induces a myriad of health crises, notably through impacts on food security and health systems. Vulnerable populations disproportionately face the repercussions of biodiversity loss.
    • Decline in biodiversity further affects agricultural resilience, necessitating greater chemical usage which harms health and environmental stability.

UNIT 4: Waste Management

  • Waste Production and Management:

    • The evolution towards industrial societies has seen a surge in waste generation, necessitating effective waste management solutions.
    • Classification of Waste:
      • Combustible: Waste that can be burned.
      • Sewage: Wastewater that requires treatment.
      • Solid (Municipal): General waste from households.
      • Hazardous: Waste that poses substantial risks to health or the environment.

  • Health Concerns Related to Waste:

    • Risks include:
      • Infectious diseases stemming from poorly managed waste disposal.
      • Contamination of drinking water sources.
      • Gas migration and hazardous leachate from landfills.
      • Pollution emissions from waste incinerators.
      • Potential food contamination from hazardous chemicals.

  • Definition of Pollution:

    • Pollution is identified as the introduction of harmful contaminants to the environment. Pollutants can exist in various forms:
      • Chemicals (e.g., metals, organics), pathogens, noise.

  • Environmental Burden of Disease in Canada:

    • Approximately 13% of preventable diseases are attributable to environmental causes. Annually estimated environmental contaminants cost CAD$ 3.6 - 9.1 billion in healthcare expenditures.

  • Understanding Hazards vs. Risks:

    • Health Hazard: Defined under the Ontario Health Protection and Promotion Act as a condition that could potentially harm health (source: substances or environmental conditions).
    • Risk: The likelihood of an adverse health outcome from exposure, determined by the probability and severity of the hazard.

  • Point vs. Non-Point Pollution Sources:

    • Point Sources:
      • Specific, localized contamination sources (e.g., spills).
    • Non-Point Sources:
      • Widespread pollution related to land uses (e.g., urban runoff). These sources create larger pollution areas but with lower concentration, presenting challenges for management.

  • Environmental Health Inequities:

    • Certain communities disproportionately experience environmental health hazards:
      • Biologically vulnerable groups (e.g., children and elderly).
      • Resource-reliant communities near industries (e.g., mining).
      • Low-income and urban ethnic groups.
      • Indigenous populations.
    • Socioeconomic factors strongly influence environmental health outcomes.

UNIT 5: Climate Change and Health

  • Health Threats Posed by Climate Change:

    • Major health risks are instigated by climate-induced hazards related to extreme weather events, disrupting food supply, vector-borne disease transmission, and mental health issues.

  • Extreme Weather Events:

    • Extreme Heat Events:

      • Risks include heat-related health conditions (heatstroke, dehydration), worsening chronic ailments, and fatalities related to unsustainable indoor temperatures. High burdens are experienced by cautious groups lacking safe indoor access.

    • Flooding Issues:

      • Direct hazards involve injuries and fatalities, indirect consequences arise through mental health effects, increased infectious disease risks, and compromised indoor air quality due to mold.
      • Disruption of traditional agricultural practices worsens food security risks.

    • Wildfires:

      • More frequent and severe with extended seasons.
      • Impact on air quality due to smoke, contributing to respiratory and cardiovascular conditions.

  • Mental Health Impacts:

    • The consequences of climate change, coupled with its physical hazards, yield major mental health challenges, inducing conditions such as eco-anxiety, stress, and trauma associated with displacement or losing cultural landmarks due to climate impacts.

  • Inequities in Climate Impact:

    • While climate change affects all Canadians, the impact is not uniformly felt. Low socioeconomic status, lack of access to supportive resources, and systemic discrimination exacerbate vulnerabilities.

  • Executive Summary on Climate Change and Public Health:

    • A call for urgent responses to view climate change as a crucial public health issue, based on expert analyses.
    • Key findings emphasize the role of public health systems in adapting to climate impacts and advocating for necessary mitigation efforts across government frameworks, emphasizing systemic justice and equity.

UNIT 6: WHMIS (Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System)

  • Overview of WHMIS:

    • WHMIS is a structured system delivering safety information regarding hazardous materials in Canadian workplaces.
    • Alignment with the Globally Harmonized System (GHS) enhances classification comprehensiveness, allowing consistent understanding of hazards without ambiguity.

  • Key Components of WHMIS:

    • Hazard Identification and Product Classification: Distinguishes hazardous materials based on risk.
    • Labeling: Provides essential hazard information.
    • Safety Data Sheets (SDS): Detailed instructions on materials in use.
    • Worker Education and Training: Informs employees of potential hazards and safe handling practices.

  • Legal Foundations:

    • Legal implementation of WHMIS initiated in 1988, further enhanced with GHS integration in 2015, with recent amendments taking effect in December 2022.
    • Definition of Key Roles:
      • Supplier: A seller or importer of hazardous products.
      • Manufacturer: A supplier who produces or processes hazardous products.
      • Importer: An entity that brings hazardous products into Canada.
      • Distributor: A re-seller of hazardous products, modifying them qualifies them as a manufacturer.

  • WHMIS Regulations and Enforcement:

    • Enforced via coordinated federal, provincial, and territorial laws. In Ontario, oversight falls to the Ministry of Labour, Training, and Skills Development.

UNIT 6: Food Safety

  • Definition of Food Safety:

    • Encompasses the science of managing, preparing, and storing food to mitigate foodborne illnesses rooted in contamination by pathogens or chemicals.
    • Common bacteria linked to foodborne illnesses in Ontario include: Campylobacter, Listeria, Salmonella, E. coli, and Yersinia.

  • Public Health Measures:

    • Health units in Ontario execute mandatory food safety protocols consisting of:
      • Routine inspections of food establishments.
      • Training and certification of food handlers.
      • Public education on food safety in various settings.
      • Investigation of foodborne outbreaks or unsafe practices.

  • Importance of Safe Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH):

    • Fundamental for health promotion, WASH mitigates disease and assists in community resilience, underpining education and dignity.
    • Contaminated water sources prompt diarrhea and other health burdens, with chemical contaminants posing additional risks.

Conclusion

  • The detailed examination of Public Health, Environmental Health, Climate Change, WHMIS, and Food Safety highlights the complex interlinkages affecting health outcomes at individual and population levels. Effective interventions rest on robust environmental understanding, safety regulation adherence, and proactive public health initiatives.