Environmental Public Health Journal 2019 | BCIT Institutional Repository

Environmental Public Health Journal 2019

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Measles awareness
Background Measles is a highly contagious disease which has been the cause of numerous epidemics and outbreaks worldwide. The introduction of the two-dose Mumps, Measles and Rubella (MMR) vaccine helped to reduce and eliminate the disease in various places and continues to be the most effective method of developing immunity against measles. However, due to high non-vaccination rates and low herd immunity, measles is becoming a serious public health issue again. Additionally, those born between 1970 to 1994 are more at risk of contracting measles because they may have only received one-dose of the MMR vaccine during that time, which is not sufficient to develop immunity. Due to the recent measles outbreaks in Vancouver, B.C, this project surveyed the public regarding their knowledge of measles and the MMR vaccination to determine if they are able to protect themselves from this disease. Methods An in-person survey was conducted at three institutions: British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT), University of British Columbia (UBC) and Douglas College. The first section of the survey gathered general information from the participant such as year of birth, country of birth, area of study and municipality of dwelling. The second section of the survey included various true or false and yes or no questions regarding measles, MMR vaccination and recent outbreaks. Results Thirty-four people participated in the study. Four factors were analyzed using the chi-square. There was no statistically significant association found between any of the factors, including, country of birth vs. vaccination status (p=0.3952), year of birth vs. vaccination status (p=0.2563), country of birth vs. knowledge of MMR (p=0.7903) and area of study vs. knowledge of MMR (p=0.9875). It is possible that due to small sample size, there was insufficient power to detect any associations. Conclusions Out of the 34 participants, 21 were vaccinated, 4 were not vaccinated and 9 had an unknown vaccination status. Although the chi-square tests showed no association between any of the factors, the descriptive data still shows that we’ve only achieved a herd immunity of slightly over 50% was achieved within our survey population, which is not high enough to protect against measles. This can be a great opportunity for health authorities to educate individuals who are vaccine hesitant or refuse to immu, Peer reviewed, 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, 2019., Vaccine education, Measles, Mumps, measles and rubella (MMR) vaccine, Immunization, Vaccination, Outbreaks, Vaccine hesitancy, MMR knowledge
So you think you can cook pot?
Background: With regulations on additional cannabis products including edibles being in the works, Canada is faced with a new layer of food safety challenges as the public becomes increasingly curious about adding cannabis into their diets. Knowledge in both food safety and edible safety is essential to prevent health hazards associated with edible cannabis products. Methods: An online self-administered survey was conducted on a British Columbia population. In addition to demographic data which also included cannabis usage, participants answered two knowledge tests on food safety and edible safety, respectively. The surveys were analyzed for differences in test scores between demographic groups. Results: Users of cannabis edibles have significantly higher knowledge in edible safety than non-users. This was not affected by the purpose or frequency of edible use. A slight positive correlation (0.18) between food safety knowledge and edible safety knowledge suggested the two topic areas to be mutually beneficial. In contrary, knowledge in food safety was not significantly different across all demographic groups. Conclusions: Non-users of cannabis edibles are more at risk of health hazards related to ingestion of cannabis edibles due to lower knowledge in this subject matter and eagerness to experience cannabis products after their legalization. Therefore, there is a need for education programs to help familiarize the public with these products. It is also recommended for the public to strengthen general food safety knowledge because all of it also applies when making edibles., Peer reviewed, 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, 2019., Legalization, Cannabis, Edibles, Food safety, Knowledge, THC
A study of radon concentration in homes in the Sea to Sky corridor and the North Shore of Vancouver British Columbia
Background: Radon is odourless and colourless gas. It is the second leading cause of lung cancer and can only be found through testing. A radon potential map released in 2012 and highlighted various areas of British Columbia which were high in radon. This study focused on testing for radon gas in houses within the Sea to Sky Corridor and North Shore, areas noted to be high in radon. Methods: This study was conducted by reaching out to participants who lived within these areas. Radon test kits were distributed, and patrons were instructed to keep these kits on the lowest level of the home for at least 91 days. After the 91-day period, the radon test kits were collected and sent to a lab for further results. Results: The lab results were analysed with NCSS Data Analysis software. Three statistical tests were conducted looking at the different areas, types of foundation and if the houses tested are below the recommended average. Two of the two sample T tests were not significant, and the one sample T test came back significant. Conclusion: The two-sample t test (comparison against the two areas) showed that radon did not have equal concentrations. The same can be said with the two sample t tests against foundation types (slab on grade and crawl space). All samples were then compared against the recommend limit set by Health Canada (200 Bq/3), and was concluded that they were all below this limit., Peer reviewed, 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, 2019., North Shore, Radon, Radon gas, Vancouver, Sea to Sky

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