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Subiza-Pérez M, Vrotsou K, Esnal H, Kortajarena M, Mujika A, Marinelarena E, Aizpurua P, Arrue M, Mitxelena X, Larrinaga-Torrontegui U, Apalategi U, Campillo I Lopez F, Ibarluzea J. Environmental health knowledge and competences in Basque health workers. A comparison of different professional profiles. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2024; 243:117789. [PMID: 38052356 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2023.117789] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2023] [Revised: 11/22/2023] [Accepted: 11/23/2023] [Indexed: 12/07/2023]
Abstract
Environmental exposures are responsible for a quarter of morbidity and mortality rates globally. Primary care professionals work in a privileged position to detect and intervene on environmental health matters. Nevertheless, due to lack of specific training, international literature shows that primary care health professionals have limited skills to deal with those. The objectives of this study were to assess the levels of environmental health (EH) knowledge and competence of a sample of 446 health professionals and students in the Basque Country and explore the presence that EH has on their daily practice. Only a very small proportion of participants had received training and took environmental clinical history regularly. Participants were confident to deal, and actually dealt, with tobacco, pollen and sun exposures but less able to address topics like biomarkers, pesticides and endocrine disruptors. Finally, and in accordance to previous works, we found moderate levels of EH knowledge and skills in our sample, and observed that nurses and nursing students reported higher EH skills than other professional profiles but scored lower in knowledge. Despite the manifold impacts of environmental exposures on health, interventions to strengthen health professionals' EH competence are required.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mikel Subiza-Pérez
- Department of Clinical and Health Psychology and Research Methods, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, Avenida Tolosa 70, 20018, Donostia-San Sebastián, Spain; Bradford Institute for Health Research, Temple Bank House, Bradford Royal Infirmary, Duckworth Lane, Bc 6RJ, Bradford, UK; Spanish Consortium for Research on Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, c/ Monforte de Lemos 3-5, Madrid, 280, Spain; Biodonostia Health Research Institute, Group of Environmental Epidemiology and Child Development, Paseo Doctor Begiristain s/n, 20014, Donostia- San Sebastián, Spain.
| | - Kalliopi Vrotsou
- Osakidetza Basque Health Service, Directorate of Health Care, PC-IHOs Research Group of Gipuzkoa, Spain; Biodonostia Health Research Institute, Primary Care Research Group, San Sebastian, Spain; Network for Research on Chronicity, Primary Care, and Health Promotion (RICAPPS), Spain.
| | - Haritz Esnal
- Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, Paseo Dr Beguiristain, 105, 20014, Donostia-San Sebastian, Spain; Emergency Department, Donostia University Hospital, Paseo Dr Beguiristain, 20014, Donostia-San Sebastian, Spain.
| | - Maider Kortajarena
- Faculty of Medicine and Nursing, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, Paseo Doctor Begiristain 105, 20014, Donostia-San Sebastian, Spain.
| | - Agurtzane Mujika
- Faculty of Medicine and Nursing, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, Paseo Doctor Begiristain 105, 20014, Donostia-San Sebastian, Spain.
| | - Eulalia Marinelarena
- Multiprofessional Teaching Unit of Family and Community Care of Gipuzkoa, Gipuzkoa, Spain.
| | - Pilar Aizpurua
- Health Centre of Ondarreta, ESI Donostialdea, Basque Health Service, Avenida de Zumalakarregi, 24, 2008, Donostia-San Sebastian, Spain.
| | - Miren Arrue
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Donostia University Hospital, Paseo Doctor Begiristain s/n, 20014, Donostia- San Sebastián, Spain.
| | - Xabier Mitxelena
- Health Centre of Ibarra, ESI Tolosaldea, Osakidetza. Basque Health Service, Euskalherria kalea 14, 20400, Ibarra, Spain.
| | - Unai Larrinaga-Torrontegui
- Preventive Medicine, Mendaro Hospital, Debabarrena Integrated Health Organization, Osakidetza. Mendarozabal z/g, 20850, Mendaro, Gipuzkoa, Spain.
| | - Uxune Apalategi
- Biodonostia Health Research Institute, Primary Care Research Group, San Sebastian, Spain; Network for Research on Chronicity, Primary Care, and Health Promotion (RICAPPS), Spain; Osakidetza, Central Services, Multiprofessional Family and Community Care Teaching Unit of Araba, Lakuabizkarra Health Center, 01010, Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain; Department of Pharmacology, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, 20018, Donostia-San Sebastián, Spain.
| | - Ferran Campillo I Lopez
- Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit (PEHSU), Garrotxa Region Pediatric Team, Fundació Hospital d'Olot I Comarcal de la Garrotxa, Avinguda Països Catalans 86, 17800, Olot, Girona, Catalonia, Spain; Vall d'en Bas Primary Healthcare Centre, Garrotxa Region Pediatric Team, Fundació Hospital d'Olot I Comarcal de la Garrotxa, Carrer Doctor Turró, 2, 17176, Sant Esteve d'en Bas, Girona, Girona, Catalonia, Spain; Working Group on Environmental Health, Catalan Society of Pediatrics, Spain; Comitte on Environmental Health, Spanish Association of Pediatrics, Spain.
| | - Jesús Ibarluzea
- Faculty of Psychology, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, Avenida Tolosa 70, 20018, Donostia-San Sebastián, Spain; Ministry of Health of the Basque Government, Sub Directorate for Public Health and Addictions of Gipuzkoa, 20013, Donostia-San Sebastián, Spain.
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