Key Role on the Path to Becoming Environmental Health Literate: Public Health Nurse

Öz

Environmental factors can be the cause of many diseases. Environmental health problems can have serious consequences. Healthy environments can prevent almost a quarter of the global burden of disease. Environmental health literacy refers to the understanding and use of information about potentially harmful environmental exposures and how these exposures affect health. It includes a range of knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors that influence how individuals and communities use environmental information to make health-related decisions. Increasing environmental health literacy ensures that people can make decisions about the effects of the environment on their health. Increasing a community’s environmental health literacy can increase its capacity to recognize and address environmental hazards, thereby minimizing negative health outcomes as well as addressing environmental injustices. Public health nurses focus on improving community health by intervening in multiple determinants of health and emphasizing prevention. The roles of public health nurses in environmental health literacy have not been clearly defined in the literature. This review aims to raise awareness about environmental health literacy and to draw attention to the key roles of public health nurses in increasing environmental health literacy. Environmental health literacy is discussed in the context of changing and developing roles of public health nurses.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Environmental health
• Environment and public health
• Public health
• Public health nursing

Çevre Sağlığı Okuryazarı Olma Yolunda Anahtar Bir Rol: Halk Sağlığı Hemşiresi

Öz

Çevresel faktörler pek çok hastalığın sebebi olabilmektedir. Çevre sağlığı sorunları ciddi sonuçlara yol açabilmektedir. Çevresel ortamların sağlıklı olması, küresel hastalık yükünün neredeyse dörtte birini önleyebilmektedir. Çevre sağlığı okuryazarlığı, potansiyel olarak zararlı çevresel maruziyetler ve bu maruziyetlerin sağlığı nasıl etkilediği hakkındaki bilgilerin anlaşılması ve kullanılması anlamına gelmektedir. Bu kavram bireylerin ve toplulukların sağlıkla ilgili kararlar alırken çevresel bilgileri nasıl kullandıklarını etkileyen bir dizi bilgi, tutum ve davranışı içerir. Çevre sağlığı okuryazarlığının arttırılması, insanların çevrenin kendi sağlıkları üzerindeki etkileri konusunda kararlar verme becerisine sahip olmalarını sağlamaktadır. Bir toplumun çevre sağlığı okuryazarlığını artırmak, o toplumun çevresel tehlikeleri tanıma ve ele alma kapasitesini artırabilmekte, böylece olumsuz sağlık sonuçlarını en aza indirmenin yanı sıra çevresel adaletsizlikleri de giderebilmektedir. Halk sağlığı hemşireleri sağlığın birden fazla belirleyicisine müdahale ederek ve önlemeyi vurgulayarak toplum sağlığını iyileştirmeye odaklanmaktadır. Literatürde halk sağlığı hemşirelerinin çevre sağlığı okuryazarlığına yönelik rolleri açık bir şekilde belirlenmemiştir. Bu derlemede çevre sağlığı okuryazarlığı konusunda farkındalık oluşturmak ve çevre sağlığı okuryazarlığını arttırmada halk sağlığı hemşiresinin anahtar rollerine dikkat çekmek amaçlanmıştır. Halk sağlığı hemşirelerinin değişen ve gelişen rolleri bağlamında çevre sağlığı okuryazarlığı ele alınmıştır.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Çevre sağlığı
• Çevre ve halk sağlığı
• Halk sağlığı
• Halk sağlığı hemşireliği
• Sağlık Okuryazarlığı

Kaynakça

1. American Nurses Association (ANA) (2013). Public health nursing: Scope and standards of practice. https://cir.nii.ac.jp/crid/1130000795975235840
2. American Public Health Association (APHA). (2013). The definition and practice of public health nursing: A statement of the public health nursing section. Washington, DC: American Public Health Association. https://www.apha.org/~/media/files/pdf/membergroups/phn/nursingdefinition.ashx
3. Berkman, N. D., Davis, T. C., & McCormack, L. (2010). Health literacy: what is it? Journal of Health Communication, 15(S2), 9-19. https://www.10.1080/10810730.2010.499
4. Berman, A., Snyder, S., & Frandsen, G. (2022). Community nursing and care continuity. In A. Berman, S. Snyder, & G. Frandsen (Eds.), Kozier & Erb’s Fundamentals of Nursing Concepts, Process, and Practice (pp. 131-145). Pearson Education Limited.
5. Binder, A. R., May, K., Murphy, J., Gross, A., & Carlsten, E. (2022). Environmental health literacy as knowing, feeling, and believing: analyzing linkages between race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status and willingness to engage in protective behaviors against health threats. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(5): 2701; 1-17. https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/19/5/2701
6. Bittlingmayer, U.H., Harsch, S. and Islertas, Z. (2020). Health literacy in the context of health inequality– a framing and a research overview, In Saboga-Nunes, L., Bittlingmayer, U., Okan, O. and Sahrai, D. (Eds.), New Approaches to health literacy: Linking different perspectives (pp.11-43) Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-658-30909-1_2
7. Brewer, D., Bellamy, H., Hoover, A., Koempel, A., & Gaetke, L. (2019). Nutrition and environmental pollution extension curriculum ımproved diet-related behaviors and environmental health literacy. Environmental Health Insights, 13, 1-11. https://doi.org/10.1177/1178630219836992
8. Brown, C.L. (2017). Linking public health nursing competencies and service‐learning in a global setting. Public Health Nursing, 34(5), 485-492. https://doi.org/10.1111/phn.12330

9. Brown, P., Clark, S., Zimmerman, E., Valenti, M., & Miller, M.D. (2019). Health professionals’ environmental health literacy. In Finn, S., O'Fallon, L (Eds.), Environmental health hiteracy (pp. 195-227). Springer, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-94108-0_8
10. Butterfield, P.G., Hill, W., Postma, J., Butterfield, P.W., & Odom-Maryon, T. (2011). Effectiveness of a household environmental health intervention delivered by rural public health nurses. American Journal of Public Health, 101(1), 262–270. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2011.300164
11. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (2019). CDC research on SDOH: Neighborhood and the built environment. https://www.cdc.gov/socialdeterminants/neighborhood/
12. Davis, L.F., Ramirez-Andreotta, M.D., McLain, J.E.T., Kilungo, A., Abrell, L., & Buxner, S. (2018). Increasing environmental health literacy through contextual learning in communities at risk. International Journal of Environmental Research Public Health, 15(10), 2203; 1-23. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph15102203
13. Edwards, J.R., Davey, J., & Armstrong, K. (2013). Returning to the roots of culture: A review and re-conceptualisation of safety culture. Safety Science, 55, 70-80. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssci.2013.01.004
14. European Environment Agency (EEA). (2023a). Environmental health impacts. https://www.eea.europa.eu/en/topics/in-depth/environmental-health-impacts?activeTab=07e50b68-8bf2-4641-ba6b-eda1afd544be
15. European Environment Agency (EEA). (2023b). EEA single programming document 2024-2026. https://www.eea.europa.eu/publications/eea-single-programming-document-2024-2026
16. European Environment Agency (EEA). (2023c). The case for public participation in sustainability transitions. https://www.eea.europa.eu/publications/the-case-for-public-participation
17. Finn, S., & O’Fallon, L. (2017). The emergence of environmental health literacy—from its roots to its future potential. Environmental Health Perspectives, 125(4), 495-501. https://doi.org/10.1289/ehp.1409337
18. Fitzpatrick-Lewis, D., Yost, J., Ciliska, D., & Krishnaratne, S. (2010). Communication about environmental health risks: A systematic review. Environmental Health, 9(1), 1-15. https://doi.org/10.1186/1476-069X-9-67
19. Gray, K.M. (2018). From content knowledge to community change: A review of representations of environmental health literacy. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 15(3), 466. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph15030466
20. Gray, K.M., Triana, V., Lindsey, M., Richmond, B., Hoover, A.G., & Wiesen, C. (2021). Knowledge and beliefs associated with environmental health literacy: A case study focused on toxic metals contamination of well water. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(17), 9298. https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/17/9298
21. Hoover, A.G. (2019). Defining environmental health literacy. In Finn, S., O'Fallon, L (Eds.), Environmental health hiteracy (pp. 3-18). Springer, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-94108-0_8
22. Kalaitzidis, E., & Jewell, P. (2015). The concept of advocacy in nursing: A critical analysis. The Health Care Manager, 34(4), 308-315. https://doi.org/10.1097/HCM.0000000000000292
23. Karthika, S. (2017). Role of communıty health nurse as a change agent. International Journal of Current Advanced Research, 6(3), 2534-2538. http://dx.doi.org/10.24327/ijcar.2017.2538.0044
24. Korfmacher, K., & Kuholski, K. (2008). Rochester's healthy home: A community-based innovation to promote environmental health action. Environmental Practice, 10(3), 94-106. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1466046608080241
25. Lichtveld, M.Y., Covert, H.H., Sherman, M., Shankar, A., Wickliffe, J.K., & Alcala, C.S. (2019). Advancing environmental health literacy: validated scales of general environmental health and environmental media-specific knowledge, attitudes and behaviors. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 16(21), 4157; 1-12. https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/16/21/4157
26. Livingood, W. C., Bilello, L. A., Choe, U., & Lukens-Bull, K. (2018). Enhancing the science of discovery in public health systems and services research through participatory research methods. Population Health Management, 21(2), 155-162. https://doi.org/10.1089/pop.2017.0042
27. Madrigal, D.S., Minkler, M., Parra, K.L., Mundo, C., Gonzalez, J.E.C., Jimenez, R., Vera, C., & Harley, K. G.(2016). Improving latino youths' environmental health literacy and leadership skills through participatory research on chemical exposures in cosmetics: The HERMOSA study. International Quarterly of Community Health Education, 36(4), 231-240. https://doi.org/10.1177/0272684x16657734
28. Mankikar, D., Campbell, C., & Greenberg, R. (2016). Evaluation of a home-based environmental and educational ıntervention to ımprove health in vulnerable households: southeastern pennsylvania lead and healthy homes program. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 13(9), 900. https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/13/9/900
29. Marsili, D., Comba, P., & Castro, P.D. (2015). Environmental health literacy within the Italian Asbestos Project: Experience in Italy and Latin American contexts. Annali Dell'ıstituto Superiore Di Sanita, 51(3), 180-182. https://doi.org/10.4415/ANN_15_03_02
30. Marsili, D., Pasetto, R., Iavarone, I., Fazzo, L., Zona, A., & Comba, P. (2021). Fostering environmental health literacy in contaminated sites: national and local experience in Italy from a public health and equity perspective. Frontiers in Communication, 6, 697547. https://doi.org/10.3389/fcomm.2021.697547
31. Milton, C.L. (2018). Will nursing continue as the most trusted profession? An ethical overview. Nursing Science Quarterly, 31(1), 15-16. https://doi.org/10.1177/0894318417741099
32. Murdaugh, C.L., Parsons, M.A., & Pender, N.J. (2019). Health promotion in nursing practice (8th ed.). NJ: Prentice Hall.
33. Nutbeam, D. (2008). The evolving concept of health literacy. Social Science & Medicine, 67(12), 2072-2078. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2008.09.050
34. Parker, R.M., Ratzan, S.C., & Lurie, N. (2003). Health literacy: A policy challenge for advancing high-quality health care. Health Affairs, 22(4), 147-153. https://doi.org/10.1377/hlthaff.22.4.147
35. Polivka, B.J., & Chaudry, R.V. (2018). A scoping review of environmental health nursing research. Public Health Nursing, 35(1), 10-17. https://doi.org/10.1111/phn.12373
36. Prüss-Üstün, A., Wolf, J., Corvalán, C., Bos, R., & Neira, M. (2016). Preventing disease through healthy environments: A global assessment of the burden of disease from environmental risks. World Health Organization. https://iris.who.int/bitstream/handle/10665/204585/9789241565196_eng.pdf?sequence=1
37. Ramirez-Andreotta, M. (2018). Engaging with ethnically diverse community groups. In Finn, S., O'Fallon, L (Eds.), Environmental health hiteracy (pp. 67-96). Springer, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-94108-0_8
38. Raufman, J., Blansky, D., Lounsbury, D.W., Mwangi, E.W., Lan, Q., Olloquequi, J., & Hosgood, H.D. (2020). Environmental health literacy and household air pollution-associated symptoms in Kenya: A cross-sectional study. Environmental Health, 19(1), 1-6. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12940-020-00643-5
39. Santana, S., Brach, C., Harris, L., Ochiai, E., Blakey, C., Bevington, F., Kleinman, D., & Pronk, N. (2021). Practice full report: Updating health literacy for healthy people 2030: Defining its importance for a new decade in public health. Journal of Public Health Management and Practice, 27(6), S258-S264. https://doi.org/10.1097/PHH.0000000000001324
40. Simonds, V.W., Kim, F.L., LaVeaux, D., Pickett, V., Milakovich, J., & Cummins, J. (2019). Guardians of the living water: Using a health literacy framework to evaluate a child as change agent ıntervention. Health Education & Behavior, 46(2), 349-359. https://doi.org/10.1177/1090198118798676
41. Society for Public Health Education (SOPHE). (2007). National health education planning guide. https://sophe.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/HP2020_final.pdf
42. T.C. Resmî Gazete. (2011). Hemşirelik Yönetmeliğinde Değişiklik Yapılmasına Dair Yönetmelik. Sayı. https://www.resmigazete.gov.tr/eskiler/2011/04/20110419-5.htm
43. Todd, D. (2022). Public health nursing in the community. In C. Rector & M. Stanley (Eds.), Community and public health nursing promoting the public’s health (10 ed., pp. 142-194). Wolters Kluwer.
44. U.S. Department of Health Human Services. (2020). Health Literacy in Healthy People 2030. https://health.gov/healthypeople/priority-areas/health-literacy-healthy-people-2030
45. Wakefield, M., Williams, D. R., & Le Menestrel, S. (2021). The future of nursing 2020-2030: Charting a path to achieve health equity. National Academy of Sciences. https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/25982/the-future-of-nursing-2020-2030-charting-a-path-to
46. World Health Organization (WHO). (2017). Promoting health in the SDGs: Report on the 9th Global conference for health promotion, Shanghai, China, 21–24 November 2016: all for health, health for all. https://iris.who.int/bitstream/handle/10665/259183/WHO-NMH-PND-17.5-eng.pdf?sequence=1
47. World Health Organization (WHO). (2020). Social Determinants of Health. https://www.who.int/health-topics/social-determinants-of-health#tab=tab_1
48. World Health Organization (WHO). (2023). Top 10 Causes of Death from the Environmenr. https://cdn.who.int/media/images/default-source/environmental-health/phe-prevention-diseases-infographic-en-2-1200px.png?sfvrsn=6a94c147_16
49. World Health Organization (WHO). (2024). Estimating environmental health impacts. https://www.who.int/activities/environmental-health-impacts