Environmental Public Health Journal 2022 | BCIT Institutional Repository

Environmental Public Health Journal 2022

Assessing infection prevention and control (IPAC) knowledge of tattoo artists of British Columbia
Tattooing has become very popular in the past 30 years. The prevalence of tattoos has increased such that approximately twenty percent of Canadians have at least one tattoo. The Personal Services Establishments (PSEs) industry in BC lacks stringent regulations. Tattoo studios are a significant part of the PSEs industry. Tattooing includes invasive procedures and as such, has the potential for spreading many types of infections. Proper Infection Prevention and Control (IPAC) procedures are required to minimize the risk of infections. The British Columbia Ministry of Health (MoH) guidelines for PSEs provide direction for IPAC, however, these guidelines are not enforceable by Environmental Health Officers. Therefore, the IPAC knowledge of tattoo artists in the absence of stringent regulations and its relationship with various other factors should be assessed to gauge any deficits in knowledge and identify opportunities for education., personal services establishments, tattoo studios, infection prevention and control, regulations, British Columbia
Assessing perceived food security among British Columbian rural and urban residents
In Canada, food security is a key determinant of public health. Food insecurity is an issue faced by 1 in 8 Canadians, both rural and urban. All communities in Canada face various barriers to achieving food security, however these barriers differ depending on rural or urban residence. High cost of food due to transportation costs are a significant barrier in rural communities, whereas cost of living is the predominant barrier for urban communities. Throughout rural and urban communities in Canada the establishment of local food initiatives and agricultural programs have aided to alleviate the impact of food insecurity. This project aims to gauge the perception of food security among rural and urban communities in British Columbia. Understanding how individuals perceive their own food security will help guide policy and decision making to ameliorate food security in British Columbia., food security, rural, urban, British Columbia, food insecurity
Assessing private well user’s attitudes towards chlorination of drinking water
In Canada, those who rely on private wells are at approximately 5.2 times greater risk of contracting enteric illness due to contaminated drinking water than those who rely on municipal water systems (4). In recent years, some communities have expressed opposition towards chlorination and distrust towards health authorities mandating its use (5,6). Given that chlorination of drinking water is a widely used and highly effective method of limiting waterborne illness, the purpose of this research aims to determine if there is a relationship in the public between perception of the health risk of microbial contamination in drinking water versus attitudes towards chlorination among those utilising non-municipal water systems and private wells in Canada., chlorine, chlorination, private wells, knowledge, opinion, drinking water, public health, contamination, fecal
Assessing the knowledge, attitudes and practice of mask wearing while exercising in fitness facilities in British Columbia (BC), Canada during the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues into its second year, public health measures remain in place in order to prevent the spread of the virus. One of these measures is the requirement for face masks to be worn at all times in public places. One of these places, fitness facilities, has slightly different requirements. Masks are not required to be worn while actually exercising in gyms and fitness facilities. This study assessed the knowledge, attitudes and practice of mask wearing while exercising in fitness facilities in BC, Canada during the second year of the pandemic. The goal of this study was to assess gym users’ familiarity with the mask guidelines, and if the government needs to do anything different to make the guidelines clearer and more accessible., gym, fitness, exercise, mask, mask mandate, mask wearing
Assessing the potential health hazards of purchasing prepared foods from unregulated private online sellers
Social media and home-based businesses have taken the internet by storm as large online platforms such as Facebook Marketplace and Instagram have provided an outlet for private online sellers to sell food prepared in their home kitchens to the general public. Home-based sellers are currently unregulated, due to the sheer number of sellers and lack of manpower and resources at health authorities. With the increasing number of unregulated online food sales and the increasing popularity of purchasing foods from online platforms, the hazards associated with food prepared in home kitchens ought to be investigated. Because Potentially Hazardous Foods particularly increase the risk of foodborne illness, the number of listings containing them ought to be quantified., potentially hazardous foods (PHFs), online, food sales, foodborne illness, health hazards, food safety
The cleanliness of Beautyblenders
Keeping makeup tools in sanitary conditions is necessary in order to prevent the risk of pathogenic microbes from multiplying in unhygienic conditions which may pose a risk to health (Bashir & Lambert, 2019). Beautyblenders are a highly regarded product by consumers worldwide (Shah, 2016). The company launched their sponges in 2007 and in 2016, they have sold more than 6.5 million sponges globally (Bashir & Lambert, 2019). It is a reusable pink cosmetic sponge that can be used with a number of different cosmetic products such as foundations, beauty creams, and concealers for application on the face. This study is about examining the public who uses Beautyblenders and their knowledge in regards to cleaning the reusable sponges., makeup, skincare, Beautyblender, cleanliness, beauty, Canada
Face coverings in post-COVID society to help prevent the transmission of respiratory illnesses on public transit
During the COVID-19 pandemic, cases of influenza drastically decreased in numerous countries around the world. Several non-pharmaceutical health measures were put in place to help mitigate the spread of the virus, including a mask mandate for public spaces. On public transit, there is potential for respiratory virus spread through droplet transmission and common contact fomites between riders. This study investigated how current residents of Metro Vancouver who use transit at least once per week would support optional guidelines for mask-use during annual flu seasons to help continue to mitigate the transmission of respiratory illnesses after COVID-19 mandates have ended., public transit, face mask, face covering, respiratory illness, influenza, post-COVID, Metro Vancouver, bus, sky train, British Columbia
Food premises inspection violations and inspection frequency during COVID-19 in Vancouver Island Health Authority
Food service establishments, such as restaurants are subject to regulatory compliance, which acts to protect the health of the public from health risks and hazards that may arise in these settings. Ensuring compliance during inspections is carried out by public health professionals including Environmental Health Officers (EHOs). The COVID-19 Pandemic has impacted the public health sector, with many programs, services and professional involvement being enhanced to better support the COVID-19 response. This study investigated whether restaurant inspections on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, were impacted during COVID-19, including inspection frequency, inspection violations and hazard ratings., COVID-19, environmental health officers (EHO), food service establishment, inspection violations, restaurant inspections
Knowledge of protective measures during extreme heat events among the general public
Extreme Heat Events (EHEs) are increasing in frequency, intensity, and duration in Canada that are resulting in high numbers of preventable heat-related illnesses and deaths. Apart from heat related injuries, extreme heat can catalyze reactions to worsen the outdoor air quality, increase wildfire occurrences, and worsen pre-existing heart conditions or chronic illnesses. Assessing the general public’s knowledge of protective measures against EHEs is needed to prevent further heat-related injuries. In addition, the general public’s knowledge of climate change can be determined to assess if they are aware of the contribution of extreme heat., extreme heat, heatwave, heat-related illness, human-induced climate change, protection measures
Radon awareness in Metro Vancouver
Radon is a naturally occurring harmful radioactive gas and is the second leading cause of lung cancer (WHO, 2021). Canada gets a very high number of immigrants every year and immigrant population is increasing dramatically (Government of Canada, 2005). Assessing the immigrants’ knowledge in metro Vancouver on radon gas can help identify whether education for radon gas for immigrants is needed to aid in the prevention of lung cancer., radon, survey, immigrants, BC, knowledge, lung, cancer
Sensitivity of infrared sensor faucet on different skin colours and how it can potentially effect equity in public health
Hand hygiene is essential to human health and day-to-day activities. Maintaining proper hand hygiene can help reduce pathogen growth and transmission of diseases. The automated sensor used for bathroom faucets and soap dispensers can be dated back to the 1950s. These types of fixtures are usually equipped with sensors using a near-infrared beam to detect hands. Its introduction has improved hand hygiene and facilitated good handwashing behaviour. At the same time, disadvantages that come along with advanced technologies should not be neglected, and these disadvantages may lead to inequity in the society., race, infrared sensor, technology, automated, faucet, soap dispensers, detection, skin colour, skin shades, proper handwashing, racisms, racial discrimination, equity, inequity, public health
A survey evaluation of disinfection knowledge comparison between licensed and unlicensed childcare facilities
The concepts of children’s environmental health are crucial for children's health and development. Between the ages of 2 to 5, children are developing their sensory and motor, cognitive, physical, immunological, emotional, social, and language skills. Many children spend long hours in day care facilities, and it is important to ensure a safe and healthy place for them. Environments with insufficient sanitation and hygiene could put children at risk and can also result in the spread of infectious diseases or even further impact their overall development. The purpose of this study was to investigate the disinfection knowledge and behaviour of childcare providers working in both License Required (LR) and License Not Required (LNR) daycare facilities in British Columbia., childcare, licensed, unlicensed, disinfection, sanitation, knowledge, behavior