What Does Environmental Health Mean?
Environmental health is a branch of public health that deals with the physical and environmental aspects of our lives. In other words, environmental health examines how the environment and built environment affect our health. It also addresses the needs of a healthy environment. Here are some terms you will need to know: Analytic epidemiology and Molecular epidemiology, Toxicology and Environmental health tracking.
Environmental health tracking
Environmental health tracking involves the ongoing collection, analysis, and dissemination of data about the health effects of various environmental factors. Its purpose is to protect the public’s health and communities from environmental hazards. This information is used by federal, state, and local agencies to develop and implement public health policies and actions. Monitoring environmental health can help protect public safety by identifying trends, patterns, and linking environmental hazards to illnesses and diseases.
Environmental health tracking projects are based on scientific research that has been conducted on the health effects of air and water quality. The CDC, ASTHO and other organizations have partnered together to develop tools to aid non-government health agencies in the development of environmental health tracking programmes. This website provides non-governmental organizations with guidance and showcases success stories.
Analytic epidemiology
Analytic epidemiology is a branch of study that studies the causes and consequences of environmental factors. It is often used to investigate outbreaks of infectious diseases. Analytic epidemiology doesn’t prove causality, but it does provide data which can be used to develop control measures. Cohort and case-control studies are two of the most popular methods for analytic epidemiology.
The field of environmental epidemiology is a logical extension of epidemiology. It studies the interaction between biological, chemical, and physical factors that impact the health of a population. Its primary purpose is to identify risk factors and decrease them in order to improve public healthcare.
Molecular epidemiology
While both environmental health and molecular epidemiology share many common characteristics, there are key differences between the two fields. First, they require different inference processes. Both methods require a sample from a population to be studied. Then, appropriate inferences should also be drawn from the results. To avoid selection bias, it is important to ensure that data are representative of a population in both fields.
Molecular epidemiology studies how diseases are distributed and what factors influence them. Molecular epidemiology is an interdisciplinary field that combines genetics and epidemiology and incorporates transcriptomic and metabolomic technologies.
Toxicology
The Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health is a peer-reviewed journal in public health that focuses on environmental toxicology. Established in 1975, the journal is divided into two parts: Part A covers Current Issues and Part B covers Critical Reviews. Both sections include scientific and opinion articles about toxicology and environmental health.
There is a growing amount of information available online on toxicology, environmental health, and other topics. The US National Library of Medicine has a large database on toxicology and environmental health. This database includes bibliographies, databases, and tutorials. The US National Institutes of Health also produces a number of resources and publications.
Professionals working in state and municipal public health departments, federal agency health educators and public health clinics can benefit from toxicology and information about environmental health. Every person has different information needs. The types of toxicology and environmental resources they require may depend on their job responsibilities, education, and training.
Public health surveillance
Public health surveillance is a multifaceted process that evaluates the effectiveness of public health interventions. Its primary purpose is assessing the health status of a population. A set of indicators is usually developed to measure the main components of health. These indicators can then be linked to public health interventions or risk factors.
Surveillance systems are often based on networks of people and organisations. Public health surveillance systems include important components such as the role of health-care providers. Public health agencies are responsible both for collecting data and responding promptly to reports of disease. Depending on the type and severity of the problem, surveillance may have multiple objectives. One of these objectives may be to monitor the temporal trend of a specific disease or condition, while another objective may be to identify the source of the disease.
Public health surveillance involves the ongoing systematic collection, analysis and interpretation of data to support public health programs. It includes the monitoring of communicable diseases and their risk factors. It also includes injuries and poisoning, as well as non-communicable conditions.