Agnes Scott College PH 101 SU2019

This is Public Health

Month: June 2019 (Page 5 of 5)

This is Public Health

June 5, 2019 / / 0 Comments

Carlie Charles

This photo of milk was taken in my fridge in my apartment. The milk is safe to drink because proper temperature control is recorded and documented from the grocery store.  This initiative of public health is food safety. This affects the individual on the personal level to make sure that we are consuming safe foods and not getting sick from ingesting bad milk or unregulated food. In addition, the milk carton has an expiration date clearly indicated on the cartoon to provide additional information on how long the fridge can safely be consumed before expiring.

Photo Credits: Carlie Charles/Carton of Milk/06/01/2019

This is a picture of an Emergen-C supplement containing an abundance of vitamins and nutrients, more specifically Vitamin C. According to Riegleman, many sailors used to get the scurvy disease where your gums bleed, you can develop anemia and other debilitating conditions. Before vitamin C was recognized, it was treated by eating citrusy foods. Vitamin C vitamins are efficient on the personal level to assure that people are getting the proper vitamins and minerals that keep us healthy. Public Health plays a role in educating individuals about the important vitamins that we need to properly sustain our bodies. Granted, this disease is now a rare disease, public health played a crucial role in comprehending the cruciality of nutrition. With the help of scientific advancements, we can now not only add enough vitamins to our diet, but we can do that by simply adding this packet to a glass of water.

Photo Credits: Carlie Charles/Vitamin C Packet/06//2019

This is a photo of my dull wall in Avery Glen. In efforts to decreasing our exposure to lead, the walls in my apartment in Avery Glen have been coated with a fresh coat of paint. Many older buildings (including some buildings on the Agnes Scott Campus) contain lead in the paint that can be harmful to young children who may eat the paint. Since Avery Glen is a residential establishment, there may be small children who reside here and can be victims of lead poisoning. Though this is not as visually appealing as other public health accomplishments, public health’s efforts in confronting the needs of vulnerable populations (children, elderly, the immunosuppressed, etc.) fall under making sure building codes are kept up to par so that people can safely reside within them.

Photo Credits: Carlie Charles/A Plain Wall/06/01/2019

This is Public Health

June 4, 2019 / / 0 Comments
This is a fire hydrant located right outside my house. Fire hydrants serve as mechanisms for firefighters to easily access large volumes of water to put out fires in the homes. It influences public health at the individual and community level by putting out the fire at the place where it started prevents the spread of the fire to surrounding houses. Certain aspects of public health are delegated to public health agencies rather than individuals in the community (Riegelman and Kirkwood, 2015). Where I live, the local (Hillsborough County) and state government collaborate together and are responsible for the placement of fire hydrants and the maintenance of water lines.
(Morgan Gallagher, Fire Hydrant, 2 June 2019)
This is the passenger airbag off warning light inside of my car. I remember when I was younger being jealous of other kids whose parents allowed them to sit in the front seat. As I got older I realized there was a good reason for little kids not being allowed to sit in the passenger seat, the airbags. If the airbag deploys while a child is in the passenger’s seat, the airbag may cause more harm than help. This warning light makes the driver aware that the passenger’s seat airbags will not deploy, assuming that a child or infant is in that seat. Chapter 1 of Public Health 101 by Riegelman and Kirkwood discusses the various aspects of highway safety that contribute to the public’s health. The implementation of this light in cars and the enforcement of the installation of these lights through vehicle standards show this public health effort prevents the disability and death of children and infants.
(Morgan Gallagher, Passenger Airbag Off Light, 2 June 2019)
This is a photo of my garbage bin outside my house. Having a place to dispose of garbage effects us at the individual, homeplace, and community level. Having a designated place to dispose of garbage allows the homeplace and community to be more sanitary. Instead of using backyards and lakes as trash bins, people are using specific containers to collectively pile their trash so that it can be disposed of in a different location. The garbage collection system is a social intervention, an intervention that has “secondary impacts on health” (Riegelman and Kirkwood, 2015, p.15). Although the purpose of collecting garbage is simply to avoid having litter everywhere in the neighborhood, it has multiple indirect effects on improving an individual’s health. Since the homeplace and community are clean of trash, individuals benefit by having an organized, clean environment which may lead to less stress, less exposure to potentially harmful bacteria, and less chance of infestations.
(Morgan Gallagher, Garbage Bin, 2 June 2019)

This Is Public Health Photos

June 3, 2019 / / 1 Comment
This photo is a picture of my glasses and contact lenses that I use daily and was taken in my room. I am so nearsighted that I do not want to imagine what it would be like to have to live without visual aid. However, as a history major I have wondered what it would have been like living before glasses and contacts were invented and widely available to the public. In the Brown and Closser “What’s your major?” reading, the scenarios of the different girls named Anna/Ana put into perspective how many people still struggle with nearsightedness today. The reading described how health and wealth are related at the international or population level. In the example of the low income country, Ana could not continue attending school because she could not see the blackboard and her family could not afford glasses. Glasses and contacts are related to public health through this example of how they can enable education as well as other safety and independence examples. I am extremely fortunate that my family could afford glasses and contacts. Alexa Opdyke, Visual Aid, 6/3/19
This is a screenshot from my phone of the meditation app I use called Insight Timer. This app has thousands of free meditations that can help with mental health in people’s daily lives. It affects public health at the population level, as anyone who has a digital device can download it and meditate. Though it would still matter how much income you had to be able to afford a digital device to access the app. As we learned in the textbook and class, mental health is now considered health along with physical health. This app helps me to relax and is especially helpful during the school year. Alexa Opdyke, Insight Timer, 6/3/19
These are some of the indoor plants in my house taken by the back door. These plants affect the health of my household by improving the air quality indoors. We discussed in class how air quality is a factor of health and how poor air quality can be a determinant of disease. In the textbook we read about the built environment, which is the environment we construct for ourselves as humans. Sometimes these built environments separate us from nature which can be unhealthy. Alexa Opdyke, Indoor Plants, 6/3/19

This Is Public Health

June 3, 2019 / / 1 Comment
This photo is the drug facts label of the hand sanitizer that I often use called germ-X. It was taken in my room. Germ-X claims itself “Effective at eliminating more than 99.99% of many common harmful germs & bacteria in as little as 15 seconds”. And the “Uses” section of the drug label mentions “[Use] to decrease bacteria on the skin that could cause disease”. Based on these claims, we can see that a hand sanitizer is one of the preventive methods. We have read in ‘The Upstream Doctors: Medical Innovators Track Sickness to Its Source’ how “upstreamists”, or those who seek to get to the source of illnesses rather than simply being curative, are the most effective in being able to maintain people’s health. In this case, by eliminating pathogens that can cause people to get, for example, the flu, the upstreamists are able to prevent costs of treatment as well as eliminating the risk of other people getting sick. The FDA is responsible for creating these labels. FDA stands for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, who is responsible to prevent and protect people’s health. Based on these facts, this picture depicts the influence of public health on a population level, because any over the counter drug must have these labels on to inform patients of the drug’s benefits, ingredients, and warnings. If this were not enforced, would companies even bother to put these labels on? Most likely not.
(Rena Tatsumi, Germ-X, 5/27/2019)

This is the government warning section printed on the back of a bottle of Tequila. No, I do not drink. This photo was taken at my boyfriend’s apartment, who is 22 years old, so it is legal for him to have it. The label serves as a warning for pregnant women to not drink alcohol because it increases the risk of birth defects, as well as others by mentioning not to operate machinery after drinking and that it can cause health problems. In this case, I feel like this preventive measure applies to all four levels (individuals, household, community, and population). On the individual level, drinking can cause serious issues when consumed by pregnant women/in copious amount by someone. This can affect households, where individuals who are addicted to drinking can be abusive towards other family members and/or women giving birth to children with developmental issues which can lead to expensive medical costs to treat the child. These conditions can make communities unsafe, as drinking impairs judgment and can lead to violence. In the population level, innocent people are often harmed substantially by drunk drivers. It can also pose a burden on the population as a whole when tax is used to fund medical assistance to children with developmental issues. This concept of preventing problems from happening can be seen in ‘The Upstream Doctors’- rather than trying to cure birth defects or deaths due to alcohol (children drowning), it is much more effective if you can prevent them (trying to see who are throwing the children in) from the start.
(Rena Tatsumi, Tequila, 5/29/2019)
A label on the poultry that I bought from Publix had a “Safe Handling Instructions” section which had warnings about the risks of bacterias and to be sure to cook it properly before eating. I took this picture near my kitchen before cooking it. This label shows public health in action at the individual/household level. This is the case because undercooked meat will harm the individuals who ate it, but it usually won’t affect others (unless it was served to many people- for example, in a restaurant). This label shows the concept of prevention as well, as it informs consumers of proper storing, handling, and cooking of the meat to prevent sickness caused by bacteria. It connects to the reading ‘The Broad Street Pump’ due to the fact that both are dealing with issues caused by pathogens, and both take measures to eliminate the risk but in different ways. In the reading, they removed the handle and eventually created a sewage system to eliminate the contamination. In this case, we are killing the bacteria to avoid getting sick. It is different, but in the end, we are doing the same thing- preventing diseases.
(Rena Tatsumi, Poultry label, 5/29/2019)

This is Public Health Response

June 3, 2019 / / 3 Comments
This is a picture of a smoke detector in my room at my house. It is there at both a household and community level. The fact that it is a requirement for buildings and homes to have a smoke detector shows the initiative that public health organizations went through to make sure that people who reside in the building are alerted at the beep in case of a fire. It also gives people quick response time in case they have a chance to put out the fire before it spreads even further. Giving people a chance or a heads up to prevent or escape a fire is the epitome of pubic safety and health, especially if some of the people have asthma. It connects to chapter one in the textbook where there are attempts to improve the average from risks factors. In this case, the risk factor is smoke and fire, and the attempt to improve the average is by placing smoke detectors in buildings.
(Koryn Johnson, Smoke Detector, 2 June, 2019)
This is a toilet found in my bathroom at my home. Toilets are inserted in most homes to control sanitation and disposal of waste at both an individual level and community level. Having a toilet makes it easier to keep a space clean and prevent diseases and other infections that come about from being exposed to fecal matter. As well as there being a sewage system that helps clean and sanitize waste for the environment of the city. That sanitation and cleanliness is what connects it to pubic health. It connects to chapter one of the textbook where population health is about creating systems that prevent diseases from happening. In this case, it is the sewage system connected with toilets. The book goes on to say that indoor plumbing was the leading cause of eliminating bacterial diseases from the public sphere.
(Koryn Johnson, Toilet, 2 June, 2019)
This is a refrigerator in my kitchen at my home. It can be both a household and community level if they are at restaurants or places where people buy food such as the grocery store. Refrigerators serve to keep food from spoiling longer than usual if they were left outside. It is connected to public health because having food last longer makes it safer for people to consume food without getting sick or poisoned had they eaten it rotten, and can have their meals lasts longer as opposed to just throwing it away. It’s good for both the environment and to prevent food waste for the community, and makes it safer for individuals to enjoy their meals longer. It connects to chapter one of the reading where the refrigerator was one of the most social innovative inventions of the century, and changed the course of public health for the better. It also lead to the creation of the Food and Drug administration since food is one of the most attentive aspects of public health.
(Koryn Johnson, Refrigerator, 2 June, 2019)

This is Public Health

June 3, 2019 / / 0 Comments
This is a photo of a carbon monoxide alarm that was taken in my kitchen, right outside of my garage. Carbon monoxide is produced when certain materials are burned by appliances in the homes. Carbon monoxide poisoning can be lethal, especially because carbon monoxide is an odorless and colorless gas. Therefore, it poses an environmental threat to public health on an individual level, affecting people’s households and families. As Riegelman and Kirkwood (2015) mentioned, local governments can play a powerful role in public health through the enforcement of certain housing regulations. In this case, initiative has been taken to influence households on a community level because my local government requires that homes have a carbon monoxide detector or alarm if they have an attached garage or gas-operated appliances. They are attempting to limit the amount of people who will be affected by carbon monoxide poisoning in the future by expanding these laws and launching public education campaigns. (Ramnik Dhingra, Carbon Monoxide Alarm, June 3, 2019)
This is the label for a prescription medication that was taken in my room. Although I have not photographed the entire label, it contains a plethora of information, such as a description of the pills, dosage recommendation, and safety precautions. This depicts the influence of public health at the individual level because the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has standardized the information required on these prescription drug labels in order to assist the individuals in understanding their dosages as well as some of the side effects that may occur. An “integrated health care system” allows for a system of organization in order to control certain diseases and risk factors, ensuring that the general healthcare system is easier for people to access (Riegelman and Kirkwood, 2015, p. 8). Therefore, by creating labels that break down the information for their medications, people are able to better regulate their health. (Ramnik Dhingra, Medication Label, June 3, 2019)
This is a photo of a treadmill in my home. This is a depiction of public health at the individual level through behavioral, environmental, and socioeconomic determinants. Exercise is increasingly emphasized in our American society due to the obesity epidemic that is influencing our people (Riegelman and Kirkwood, 2015). Behaviorally, exercise can be a huge factor in the development of certain diseases, such as type II diabetes. Being able to afford an exercise machine is a socioeconomic factor because they tend to be very expensive. Although this machine is used for the maintenance of an individual’s health, it is not easily accessible at the personal level. Depending on the resources at home and in the community around them, others may find themselves exercising more outside or at a community gym depending on their socioeconomic and environmental factors. Therefore, exercise is a concept of American public health that requires the examination of a multitude of determinants. (Ramnik Dhingra, Treadmill, June 3, 2019).

References

Riegelman, R. & Kirkwood, B. (2015). Public health 101: Healthy people – healthy populations. Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning.

This is Public Health Photos

June 2, 2019 / / 0 Comments
This is a photo of a overhead sprinkler in the case of a fire or if smoke is detected. Taken in an Avery Glen Apartment. This image depicts Public Health in both the community level and the individual level since it protects not just this apartment but is part of a system where every apartment is protected by having their own sprinkler head. The sprinkler is used as a way if one apartment catches on fire a quick way to put it out or control the fire until the fire department arrives.
It is connected to Public Health because a place with no fire alarm or system to alert and aid in putting the fire out is a hazard to ones life.
(Abby Ackerson, Overhead Sprinkler, June 2nd 2019)
This is a photo of a sink taken in an Avery Glen apartment. The sink is an example of Public Health because I know that it is safe to drink this water and to brush my teeth with it because of the public health efforts to ensure that the water is filtered. The filtered water is Public Health at the community level because all of the population benefits from the filtered watered regulations. Specifically on page 3 of Riegelman it discusses how water from taps is part of public health.
(Abby Ackerson, Bathroom Sink, June 2nd 2019)
This image is of a mustang seat belt which we discussed in class as being a safety feature and was enforced due to public health efforts and cooperation between public health and government organizations like the police. The seat belt can be considered both a individual and community feature because it is mandated for all cars to have them and their use is mandated by law.
(Abby Ackerson, Mustang Seat belt, June 2nd 2019)
Newer posts »

© 2024 Agnes Scott College PH 101 SU2019

Theme by Anders Noren — Up ↑

css.php