Climate change – a still neglected topic in medicine and public health programs?

2020 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. 78-80
Author(s):  
Rébecca Grojsman ◽  
Stefanie Schütte ◽  
Anneliese Depoux ◽  
Antoine Flahault
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Climate Change ◽  
Health Education ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Health Programs ◽  
Next Generation ◽  
Climate Change Education ◽  
Public Health Programs ◽  
Sustainable Future ◽  
Climate And Health

AbstractHealth professionals are well placed to play a key role in educating people about climate and health. This article maps existing climate change education in medical as well as public health programs, identifies gaps and proposes possible improvements. It is essential that climate and health education enter the broader curriculum as this will also be a foundational part of education and help build the next generation of global expertise needed to create a healthier and more sustainable future.

scholarly journals Master of public health practicum: Global trends and current practices.

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hannah Gummeson ◽  
Sonika Raj Goel ◽  
Khalifa Elmusharaf
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health Education ◽  
Experiential Learning ◽  
Best Practices ◽  
Best Practice ◽  
Public Health Education ◽  
Health Programs ◽  
Public Health Programs ◽  
Master Of Public Health ◽  
Study Results

Abstract Background The field of graduate public health (GPH) education currently lacks clear, universal criteria for the integration of practice-based elements into the curriculum. The concept of the ‘practicum’ is well endorsed and there is a growing recognition that experiential learning is a crucial aspect of career development for the next generation of public health professionals, benefiting not only students, but also the profession and communities it serves. However, many leading academic institutions continue to emphasize research over experiential learning in public health, making practicums much less commonplace in education centers across the globe. Methods The purpose of this research was to review global best practices in graduate public health program design in order to identify commonalities and use the findings to inform practicum development.Data collection for this research was entirely web-based. Practicum guidelines from a globally diverse sample of graduate public health programs were reviewed. Data was compiled from universities’ websites and available online sources and collated into an Excel file. Descriptive statistics were computed for each study variable.Results We screened 108 graduate public health programs and 35 eligible programs were included in the study. Results were reported according to prerequisites & practicum scheduling, practicum contact hours & duration, credit hours & overall credit weighting, competencies, supervision, written agreement, objectives & deliverables, and approach to assessment. This research resulted in 13 recommendations intended to guide graduate public health practicum design. Based on the analysis of current best practice, the recommendations address the following four key domains: practicum design, mentorship & supervision, learning outcomes and evaluation. Conclusions This research demonstrates a global recognition of the benefit of practice experience in graduate public health education. However, the integration of practical components into curricula is inconsistent when viewed through a global lens. There is also significant variation in the structure of existing practical components. We propose that this study be utilized as a tool spark a global dialogue about best practices in graduate public health education through the identification common practices and opportunities for improvement.

scholarly journals Climate change education: the need for comprehensive climate change education in environmental public health curriculum

2021 ◽  
Vol 63 (4) ◽  
pp. 114-120
Author(s):  
Maddy Boyko ◽  
Tatianna Desak ◽  
Christy Fleming ◽  
Ken Diplock ◽  
Wendy Pons
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Climate Change ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Climate Change Impacts ◽  
Climate Change Education ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Post Secondary ◽  
Health Curriculum ◽  
Public Health Professionals ◽  
Subject Areas

Climate change is a significant issue impacting human and environmental health. Public health professionals will play an important role in responding to this crisis. This research investigated the need for enhanced climate change education for those in a Canadian Institute of Public Health Inspector (CIPHI)-accredited post-secondary program. In February 2020, a web-based survey was sent to public health professionals via the Ontario Branch of the CIPHI and the Association of Supervisors of Public Health Inspectors in Ontario listservs. The survey explored the climate change subject areas most relevant to public health work, reflections of public health professionals’ own climate change education, and opportunities for improvements in climate change education. The results showed most public health professionals are aware of climate change’s relationship to human health, recognize its impacts in their field, and believe in the value of climate change education. Understanding climate change impacts within this public health profession and the need for climate change education can influence future curricula for prospective public health professionals, resulting in professionals entering the field prepared to tackle the challenges of the future.

Risk Attitudes and Behavior Among Norwegian Adolescents

2005 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 25-38 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hilde Iversen ◽  
Torbjørn Rundmo ◽  
Hroar Klempe
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Traffic Safety ◽  
Behavior Modification ◽  
Health Programs ◽  
Risk Attitudes ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Public Health Programs ◽  
The Core ◽  
And Behavior ◽  
Attitudes And Behavior

Abstract. The core aim of the present study is to compare the effects of a safety campaign and a behavior modification program on traffic safety. As is the case in community-based health promotion, the present study's approach of the attitude campaign was based on active participation of the group of recipients. One of the reasons why many attitude campaigns conducted previously have failed may be that they have been society-based public health programs. Both the interventions were carried out simultaneously among students aged 18-19 years in two Norwegian high schools (n = 342). At the first high school the intervention was behavior modification, at the second school a community-based attitude campaign was carried out. Baseline and posttest data on attitudes toward traffic safety and self-reported risk behavior were collected. The results showed that there was a significant total effect of the interventions although the effect depended on the type of intervention. There were significant differences in attitude and behavior only in the sample where the attitude campaign was carried out and no significant changes were found in the group of recipients of behavior modification.

scholarly journals Public perceptions of Lyme disease and climate change in southern Manitoba, Canada: making a case for strategic decoupling of climate and health messages

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura Cameron ◽  
Rhéa Rocque ◽  
Kailey Penner ◽  
Ian Mauro
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Climate Change ◽  
Risk Perception ◽  
Lyme Disease ◽  
Risk Perceptions ◽  
Public Discourse ◽  
Behavioural Change ◽  
Health Messages ◽  
Urban Rural ◽  
Climate And Health

Abstract Background Despite scientific evidence that climate change has profound and far reaching implications for public health, translating this knowledge in a manner that supports citizen engagement, applied decision-making, and behavioural change can be challenging. This is especially true for complex vector-borne zoonotic diseases such as Lyme disease, a tick-borne disease which is increasing in range and impact across Canada and internationally in large part due to climate change. This exploratory research aims to better understand public risk perceptions of climate change and Lyme disease in order to increase engagement and motivate behavioural change. Methods A focus group study involving 61 participants was conducted in three communities in the Canadian Prairie province of Manitoba in 2019. Focus groups were segmented by urban, rural, and urban-rural geographies, and between participants with high and low levels of self-reported concern regarding climate change. Results Findings indicate a broad range of knowledge and risk perceptions on both climate change and Lyme disease, which seem to reflect the controversy and complexity of both issues in the larger public discourse. Participants in high climate concern groups were found to have greater climate change knowledge, higher perception of risk, and less skepticism than those in low concern groups. Participants outside of the urban centre were found to have more familiarity with ticks, Lyme disease, and preventative behaviours, identifying differential sources of resilience and vulnerability. Risk perceptions of climate change and Lyme disease were found to vary independently rather than correlate, meaning that high climate change risk perception did not necessarily indicate high Lyme disease risk perception and vice versa. Conclusions This research contributes to the growing literature framing climate change as a public health issue, and suggests that in certain cases climate and health messages might be framed in a way that strategically decouples the issue when addressing climate skeptical audiences. A model showing the potential relationship between Lyme disease and climate change perceptions is proposed, and implications for engagement on climate change health impacts are discussed.

scholarly journals Climate Change and Health Preparedness in Africa: Analysing Trends in Six African Countries

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (9) ◽  
pp. 4672
Author(s):  
Samuel Kwasi Opoku ◽  
Walter Leal Filho ◽  
Fudjumdjum Hubert ◽  
Oluwabunmi Adejumo
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Climate Change ◽  
South Africa ◽  
Human Health ◽  
Health Systems ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Basic Knowledge ◽  
African Countries

Climate change is a global problem, which affects the various geographical regions at different levels. It is also associated with a wide range of human health problems, which pose a burden to health systems, especially in regions such as Africa. Indeed, across the African continent public health systems are under severe pressure, partly due to their fragile socioeconomic conditions. This paper reports on a cross-sectional study in six African countries (Ghana, Nigeria, South Africa, Namibia, Ethiopia, and Kenya) aimed at assessing their vulnerabilities to climate change, focusing on its impacts on human health. The study evaluated the levels of information, knowledge, and perceptions of public health professionals. It also examined the health systems’ preparedness to cope with these health hazards, the available resources, and those needed to build resilience to the country’s vulnerable population, as perceived by health professionals. The results revealed that 63.1% of the total respondents reported that climate change had been extensively experienced in the past years, while 32% claimed that the sampled countries had experienced them to some extent. Nigerian respondents recorded the highest levels (67.7%), followed by Kenya with 66.6%. South Africa had the lowest level of impact as perceived by the respondents (50.0%) when compared with the other sampled countries. All respondents from Ghana and Namibia reported that health problems caused by climate change are common in the two countries. As perceived by the health professionals, the inadequate resources reiterate the need for infrastructural resources, medical equipment, emergency response resources, and technical support. The study’s recommendations include the need to improve current policies at all levels (i.e., national, regional, and local) on climate change and public health and to strengthen health professionals’ skills. Improving the basic knowledge of health institutions to better respond to a changing climate is also recommended. The study provides valuable insights which may be helpful to other nations in Sub-Saharan Africa.

scholarly journals 13.D. Workshop: SDGs in the focus of environmental and health issues

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Climate Change ◽  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Community Engagement ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
The Sustainable Development ◽  
The World ◽  
Environmental And Health Issues ◽  
The Impact

Abstract This workshop is dedicated on SDGs in the focus of environmental and health issues, as very important and actual topic. One of the characteristics of today's societies is the significant availability of modern technologies. Over 5 billion (about 67%) people have a cellphone today. More than 4.5 billion people worldwide use the Internet, close to 60% of the total population. At the same time, one third of the people in the world does not have access to safe drinking water and half of the population does not have access to safe sanitation. The WHO at UN warns of severe inequalities in access to water and hygiene. Air, essential to life, is a leading risk due to ubiquitous pollution and contributes to the global disease burden (7 million deaths per year). Air pollution is a consequence of traffic and industry, but also of demographic trends and other human activities. Food availability reflects global inequality, famine eradication being one of the SDGs. The WHO warns of the urgency. As technology progresses, social inequality grows, the gap widens, and the environment continues to suffer. Furthermore, the social environment in societies is “ruffled” and does not appear to be beneficial toward well-being. New inequalities are emerging in the availability of technology, climate change, education. The achievement reports on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), also point out to the need of reviewing individual indicators. According to the Sustainable Development Agenda, one of the goals is to reduce inequalities, and environmental health is faced by several specific goals. The Global Burden of Disease is the most comprehensive effort to date to measure epidemiological levels and trends worldwide. It is the product of a global research collaborative and quantifies the impact of hundreds of diseases, injuries, and risk factors in countries around the world. This workshop will also discuss Urban Health as a Complex System in the light of SDGs. Climate Change, Public Health impacts and the role of the new digital technologies is also important topic which is contributing to SDG3, improving health, to SDG4, allowing to provide distance health education at relatively low cost and to SDG 13, by reducing the CO2 footprint. Community Engagement can both empower vulnerable populations (so reducing inequalities) and identify the prior environmental issues to be addressed. The aim was to search for public health programs using Community Engagement tools in healthy environment building towards achievement of SDGs. Key messages Health professionals are involved in the overall process of transformation necessary to achieve the SDGs. Health professionals should be proactive and contribute to the transformation leading to better health for the environment, and thus for the human population.

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