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The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
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The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
Daniela Niutta, MPH, Robin Lee, MPH, Carol Selman, and EHS-Net Working Group. EHSB, National Center for Environmental Health - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 4770 Buford HWY NE, MS F-28, Atlanta, GA 30341-3717
Environmental health research and practice is influence by epidemiologic findings that provide valuable information about microbial identification and insight into the possible causal association between an exposure and an adverse health outcome. The application of a systems based approach in the practice of environmental health requires collaboration of epidemiology, laboratory science, and environmental health science. This approach may provide a better understanding not only of the direct cause of illnesses, but also of the factors that precede and contribute to the cause.
This presentation describes how the systems based approach has been applied to current environmental health issues, including foodborne illnesses, indoor-air quality, and water safety. The Environmental Health Specialists Network (EHS-Net), a partnership between environmental health specialists and epidemiologists at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Food and Drug Administration, and eight states, is committed to applying systems based theory to the field of environmental health. Current EHS-Net activities involve using a systems based approach in both foodborne outbreak and nonoutbreak settings to evaluate environmental factors that lead to foodborne illnesses.
Applying a systems based approach will allow environmental health professionals to better identify and quantify environmental antecedents that affect food, water, and indoor-air quality. In nonoutbreak settings this approach potentially can improve preventive practices and ultimately lower the risk for environmentally related adverse health outcomes. The implementation of a systems based approach may change the perceptions, behaviors, practices, and interactions of public health professionals with other professionals, colleagues, and the public.
Learning Objectives:
Keywords: Environmental Health, Food Safety
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.