Environmental Public Health Journal 2016 | BCIT Institutional Repository

Environmental Public Health Journal 2016

Assessing knowledge differences between daycare staff and parents
Background and Purpose: Most Canadians have lead in their blood and it has been shown that even low levels of lead can cause harm. Children are the most susceptible population to the harmful effects of lead due to their increased absorption and earlier stages of brain development. Lead exposure in children has been shown to have negative and irreversible effects, including delayed development and reduced neurological function. As parents and daycare staff have the most interaction with young children, their health knowledge is important for minimizing day-to-day exposures. This research project assessed the level of knowledge of daycare staff and parents of young children on lead sources and health risks. Methods: An in-person, self-administered knowledge survey was given to parents and Early Childhood Educators (ECEs) at daycare centres located in Surrey, BC and Burnaby, BC. The data was then analyzed using SAS statistical software to compare the two groups using a chi square test. Results: Daycare staff and parents showed no significant differences in knowledge levels. The mean score on the knowledge test for daycare workers was 39.98 +14.77% and for parents was 30.73 +16.53%. Both groups had significant gaps in knowledge on lead, its sources, its risks for children, and preventive measures. Conclusion: Daycare staff and parents have an important role in minimizing children’s exposure to lead. Identifying knowledge gaps in these groups can lead to more targeted health promotion projects as well as changes to education and training., Peer-reviewed article, Published., Project submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirement for the degree of Bachelor of Technology in Environmental Health, British Columbia Institute of Technology, 2016., Peer reviewed, Lead, Children, Daycare, Parents, Exposure, Public health, Knowledge
Blood concentrations of lead and mercury in British Columbians (2009-2010)
Background and Purpose: Adverse effects of lead and mercury on human health due to environmental and occupational exposures require a public health attention. These metals can cause severe harm to vulnerable populations such as children and pregnant women. The probability of chronic and harmful exposure is higher in occupational settings. Monitoring the levels of these two metals in blood is an important tool to identify and quantify exposure to these metals in the environment. Monitoring data provides vital information required for management of health risk posed by these metals. The purpose of this study was to perform a comparative analysis of blood lead levels and blood mercury levels within the province of British Columbia on the health services data obtained from BC Centre of Disease Control. The primary objective was to compare the levels of lead and mercury in blood among different health authorities of British Columbia. The secondary objective was to compare the levels of lead and mercury among different age groups and gender. Methods: The blood lead and mercury concentrations used for the analysis were provided by Environmental Health Services at the British Columbia Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC). The data comprised of blood analyses that were ordered by physicians during the period of 2009-2010 for reasons not disclosed. Access to this data was provided by Dr. Reza Afshari with the permission of Dr. Tom Kosastsky for the completion of this project only. Statistical analysis of data was performed using Microsoft Excel 2013 and SAS University Edition Analytic Software. Various descriptive and inferential statistical tests were performed on the data to determine the differences of blood mercury and lead levels among different genders, Health Authorities and age groups. Results: The levels of blood mercury and lead concentrations were not significantly different in males and females in province (p-value 0.5543 for mercury; p-value 0.5336 lead). However, it was found that blood levels of lead were higher in Interior Health and “Unknown” category (p<0.02), while blood mercury levels were significantly higher in coastal health authorities (highest in Vancouver Coastal Health Authority, followed by Fraser Health Authority and Vancouver Island Health Authority) (p<0.001). For both toxic metals, levels were highest in age group of 50 and above. (p<0.0001 for mercury, p<0.02 for lead). Conclusion: The statistical analysis of lead and mercury data was useful in characterizing the exposure among Health Authorities, age and sex of the people tested in province of British Columbia. Analysis of mercury data has generated clear patterns inferring association between coastal Health Authorities and elevated mercury levels. Vancouver Coastal Health had highest median mercury levels 4.02 μg/L higher than other health authorities (p<0.0001). Analysis of lead data established a pattern among physicians suggesting that they are more likely to order a test if the patient is under 18 years of age. Median levels were found to be highest in Interior Health Authority and “Unknown”, Peer-reviewed article, Published., Project submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirement for the degree of Bachelor of Technology in Environmental Health, British Columbia Institute of Technology, 2016., Peer reviewed, Lead, Mercury, Pregnancy, Children, British Columbia, Blood lead levels, Blood mercury levels, Vancouver Coastal Health, Fraser Health, Interior Health, Northern Health, Vancouver Island Health Authority, Occupational exposure
Evaluation of the public’s knowledge, attitude, and practice on seafood contaminants
Background: The public perceives seafood generally as a healthy food. Studies have shown that consumption of fish is associated with healthy heart function. However, the benefits of consuming seafood may also come with some risks, which may not be well-known by the public. Seafood can potentially contain contaminants that originate from the natural environment or pollutants from human activity. The contaminants of interest that were focused on in this study include lead, mercury, organophosphates, and domoic acid. Methods: The study utilized a KAP (Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice) survey to evaluate the knowledge, attitude, and practices regarding these contaminants between the general public and those working in the seafood industry. Nominal data was analyzed by the chi-square test while numerical data was analyzed by the t-test. Results: The data obtained did not show a statistically significant difference between the general public and the seafood industry (p-values greater than significance level of 0.05 on all parameters) in their knowledge, attitude, and practice regarding seafood contaminants. Conclusion: There was no difference between the general public and the seafood industry in their knowledge, attitude, and practice regarding seafood contaminants. Although the attitude data was not significant, the effects of some chemical contaminants (organophosphates and domoic acid) were generally incorrectly perceived by both groups unlike biological contaminants. Additional research will be required, but results from this study show that educational intervention by the government or health authorities may be needed., Peer-reviewed article, Published., Project submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirement for the degree of Bachelor of Technology in Environmental Health, British Columbia Institute of Technology, 2017., Peer reviewed, Organophosphates, Seafood, Contaminants, Knowledge, Attitude, Practice, Perception, Domoic acid, Lead, Mercury