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Woolf AD, Jackson JE, Corcoran P, Fritz MK, Kim SS, Maslak TM, Shah M, Hansen L. An Update on Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Units: Activities and Impacts, 2015-19. Acad Pediatr 2024:S1876-2859(24)00108-6. [PMID: 38494060 DOI: 10.1016/j.acap.2024.03.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2023] [Revised: 03/05/2024] [Accepted: 03/11/2024] [Indexed: 03/19/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Units (PEHSUs) address health concerns impacting children and their families related to environmental hazards by providing consultation and education to families, communities, and health care professionals. This analysis evaluated the productivity of the national PEHSU program. METHODS PEHSUs reported data on services provided to US communities between October 1, 2014 and September 30, 2019. Descriptive statistics and qualitative analysis are presented. RESULTS During this period, 6102 consultations and 4644 educational outreach activities were recorded. PEHSU faculty and staff published 462 articles, reviews, book chapters, fact sheets, commentaries, short informational pieces, and other materials between 2014 and 2019. These included 190 articles in scientific peer-reviewed journals and 29 textbook chapters to increase professional capacity in pediatric and reproductive environmental health. Lead, other metals, substances of abuse, pesticides, mold, and air pollution were frequently reported as agents of concern and educational topics. Requests for an overview of pediatric environmental health and outdoor pollutants were other frequently reported topics. CONCLUSIONS PEHSUs work to decrease harmful exposures and improve children's health. They serve as expert resources for families, health care professionals, and communities on health effects related to environmental exposures. Data show the breadth and depth of concerns addressed and demonstrate the productivity and impact of this national program.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alan D Woolf
- Division of General Pediatrics (AD Woolf), Department of Pediatrics, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Mass.
| | | | - Peter Corcoran
- Department of Healthy Resilient Children, Youth & Families (P Corcoran), American Academy of Pediatrics, Itasca, Ill
| | - Meredith K Fritz
- Health Economics & Outcomes Research (MK Fritz, SS Kim, and TM Maslak), Battelle, Columbus, Ohio
| | - Stephani S Kim
- Health Economics & Outcomes Research (MK Fritz, SS Kim, and TM Maslak), Battelle, Columbus, Ohio
| | - Tanya M Maslak
- Health Economics & Outcomes Research (MK Fritz, SS Kim, and TM Maslak), Battelle, Columbus, Ohio
| | - Manthan Shah
- US Environmental Protection Agency (M Shah), Office of Children's Health Protection, Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC
| | - Linda Hansen
- Office of Capacity Development and Applied Prevention Science (OCDAPS) (L Hansen), Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Atlanta, Ga
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Becker A, Tawk R, Kiros G, Suther S, Hilliard A, Gragg R, Close F, Harris CM. Physician Training Related to Environmental Hazards near Ash Superfund Sites. EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENT AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 5:em0086. [PMID: 34746647 PMCID: PMC8568049 DOI: 10.21601/ejeph/11096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Physicians do not receive formal environmental health training in medical schools. The objectives of this study were to provide health care providers with basic environmental medicine training to better advise, treat or refer patients in the community and to observe any differences in the environmental medicine learning gains pre/post- test assessment. To rectify the problem of the lack of physicians' training related to environmental hazards, we conducted an environmental health workshop which targeted physicians living near Health Zone 1, Superfund ash sites. Fifty health care providers from both St. Vincent Family Medicine and Department of Health, Duval County Health Department (DOH-Duval) participated in a pre-test survey before the training and a post-test survey following the training. We used a non-parametric Wilcoxon Signed-Rank test to compare pre- and post- knowledge of training participants. At the 10% level of significance, the number of incorrect answers significantly declined in the post-training survey compared to the pre-training survey for all participants from both facilities combined (p=0.083). Site-specific analysis show, while a significant difference was found for participants from the St. Vincent's site (p=0.084), the difference for participants from the DOH-Duval site was not significant (p = 0.102), although the number of incorrect answers declined. The training resulted in learning gains for the 50 participants and the evaluations were very positive with 100% of physicians recommending this training to other health care providers. Additionally, training participants gave a high mark for the environmental medicine pocket guide. In 2019, the ash sites are 90% remediated and cleanup is expected to be completed in 2022. There is still a need for additional training for physicians due to other active sites (i.e., Kerr-McGee) in the community. This study highlights the importance of providing environmental hazards training to physicians and the approach by which it could be delivered effectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alan Becker
- Florida A&M University, College of Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences and Institute of Public Health 1515 Martin Luther King, Jr., Tallahassee, FL 32307
| | - Rima Tawk
- Florida A&M University, College of Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences and Institute of Public Health 1515 Martin Luther King, Jr., Tallahassee, FL 32307
| | - Gebre Kiros
- Florida A&M University, College of Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences and Institute of Public Health 1515 Martin Luther King, Jr., Tallahassee, FL 32307
| | - Sandra Suther
- Florida A&M University, College of Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences and Institute of Public Health, Economic, Social and Administrative Pharmacy. 1515 Martin Luther King, Jr., Tallahassee, FL 32307
| | | | - Richard Gragg
- Florida A&M University, School of the Environment. 1515 Martin Luther King, Jr., Tallahassee, FL 32307
| | - Fran Close
- Florida A&M University, College of Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences and Institute of Public Health. 1515 Martin Luther King, Jr., Tallahassee, FL 32307
| | - Cynthia M Harris
- Florida A&M University, College of Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Institute of Public Health. 1515 Martin Luther King, Jr., Tallahassee, FL 32307
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Landrigan PJ, Braun JM, Crain EF, Forman J, Galvez M, Gitterman BA, Halevi G, Karr C, Mall JK, Paulson JA, Woolf AD, Lanphear BP, Wright RO. Building Capacity in Pediatric Environmental Health: The Academic Pediatric Association's Professional Development Program. Acad Pediatr 2019; 19:421-427. [PMID: 30639371 DOI: 10.1016/j.acap.2019.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2018] [Revised: 12/18/2018] [Accepted: 01/08/2019] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Environmental exposures contribute to multiple diseases in children; yet, few pediatricians have training in pediatric environmental health (PEH), and few academic health centers have PEH expertise. To build national capacity in PEH, the Academic Pediatric Association (APA) launched a professional development program that since 2002 has encouraged the establishment of post-residency/post-doctoral training programs, supported a special interest group, and convened an annual mentored retreat for PEH trainees. OBJECTIVE Describe the APA's professional development program in PEH and assess its impact by tracking careers of former trainees. METHODS Careers were tracked through interviews with trainees and program directors supplemented by searches of institutional websites. Publication listings were obtained through PubMed. Publication impact was assessed using bibliometric and altmetric measures. Grant histories were accessed through the National Institutes of Health RePORTER project. Information on advocacy work was obtained through interviews with program directors. RESULTS Fifty-five trainees (36 physicians and 19 health scientists) completed PEH training and attended the APA retreat between 2002 and 2017. Forty-one (75%) are pursuing academic careers, 11 are associate or full professors, 11 are practicing general pediatrics or a pediatric subspecialty, 2 are Centers for Disease Control and Prevention epidemiologists, and 1 is a data scientist. Forty-two former trainees (76%) listed "environment" or "environmental" in their job titles or on their websites. Former trainees have published 632 scientific papers. These papers have been cited 3094times, have a relative citation ratio of 2.97, and have been read or viewed 1,274,388times. Twenty-one former trainees have been awarded 43 National Institutes of Health grants. Trainees have developed education and advocacy skills by teaching medical students and residents, presenting grand rounds, preparing policy papers, presenting legislative testimony, and making presentations to public audiences. CONCLUSIONS The APA's professional development program has contributed to the expansion of national capacity in PEH. Former trainees are populating the field, generating new knowledge, and moving into leadership positions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philip J Landrigan
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (PJ Landrigan, J Forman, M Galvez, G Halevi, and RO Wright), New York, NY.
| | - Joseph M Braun
- Brown University School of Public Health (JM Braun), Providence, RI
| | - Ellen F Crain
- Albert Einstein College of Medicine (EF Crain), Bronx, NY
| | - Joel Forman
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (PJ Landrigan, J Forman, M Galvez, G Halevi, and RO Wright), New York, NY
| | - Maida Galvez
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (PJ Landrigan, J Forman, M Galvez, G Halevi, and RO Wright), New York, NY
| | - Benjamin A Gitterman
- Children's National Medical Center, George Washington University (BA Gitterman and JA Paulson), Washington, DC
| | - Gali Halevi
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (PJ Landrigan, J Forman, M Galvez, G Halevi, and RO Wright), New York, NY
| | - Catherine Karr
- University of Washington School of Medicine and School of Public Health (C Karr), Seattle
| | | | - Jerome A Paulson
- Children's National Medical Center, George Washington University (BA Gitterman and JA Paulson), Washington, DC
| | - Alan D Woolf
- Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School (AD Woolf), Boston, Mass
| | | | - Robert O Wright
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (PJ Landrigan, J Forman, M Galvez, G Halevi, and RO Wright), New York, NY
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Woolf AD, Sibrizzi C, Kirkland K. Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Units: An Analysis of Operations. Acad Pediatr 2016; 16:25-33. [PMID: 26233834 DOI: 10.1016/j.acap.2015.05.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2015] [Revised: 05/05/2015] [Accepted: 05/07/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND In 1998 the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) secured the first federal funding to develop an innovative network of public health-oriented entities: Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Units (PEHSUs). PEHSU goals were to provide pediatric and environmental health education to health care providers and health profession students, to offer consultation to health care professionals, parents, and others regarding environmental health exposures, and to provide referrals to specialized medical resources when necessary. This report analyzes the productivity of US PEHSUs from 1999 to 2014. METHODS This was a retrospective analysis of federally mandated quarterly reports filed by each PEHSU. These reports document specific goal-related deliverables outlined under cooperative agreements awarded to the Association of Occupational and Environmental Clinics (AOEC) with funding from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and ATSDR. Costs were obtained from grant budget information available from the administrator of the grants, AOEC. RESULTS Total EPA/ATSDR funding for PEHSUs paid to AOEC during 1999-2014 was $23,847,452. The average cost to the EPA/ATSDR of running each PEHSU in 2014 was $169,256. Through over 8000 consultations and educational activities, PEHSUs reached 702,506 people: 298,936 health professionals, 61,947 health professional trainees, 323,817 members of the public, and 17,806 public health officials and others. CONCLUSIONS PEHSUs have grown into an established, productive network of clinical and educational centers whose expertise and activities have benefited both the public and health care professionals alike. The federal contributions to the cost of operating these centers have been more than offset by the benefits PEHSUs have conferred on the communities they serve.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alan D Woolf
- Pediatric Environmental Health Center, Division of General Pediatrics, Boston Children's Hospital, Region 1 New England Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit (PEHSU), and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Mass.
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Landrigan PJ. Children's Environmental Health: A Brief History. Acad Pediatr 2016; 16:1-9. [PMID: 26498257 DOI: 10.1016/j.acap.2015.10.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2015] [Revised: 09/14/2015] [Accepted: 10/16/2015] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Children's environmental health (CEH), the branch of pediatrics that studies the influence of the environment on children's health, has grown substantially in the past 3 decades and become an increasingly visible and important component of pediatric medicine. GOALS To trace the historical origins of CEH; to identify factors responsible for its recent growth. FINDINGS CEH has historical roots in toxicology, epidemiology, and occupational medicine. It arose in the second half of the 20th century through a melding of insights from pediatric toxicology, nutritional epidemiology, and social science research. Convergent research in these 3 fields has documented children's unique sensitivities to chemical, nutritional, and psychosocial hazards during windows of vulnerability in early development and has shown that early-life exposures can produce disease and disability in childhood and across the life span. Key events in the development of CEH were: 1) formation by the American Academy of Pediatrics in 1957 of a committee on environmental health that has nurtured the growth of the field for 5 decades and evolved into the Council on Environmental Health; 2) observations made in the 1980s that nutritional deficiency in utero increased risk for adult-onset obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease-work that led to the hypothesis of the developmental origins of health and disease; 3) social science research showing that early exposure to psychosocial stress and trauma increases risk for chronic illness; and 4) publication in 1993 by the National Academy of Sciences of a report, Pesticides in the Diets of Infants and Children, which elevated awareness among national policy makers of children's vulnerability to toxic hazards, moved US environmental policy toward protection of children's health, and catalyzed research investment in CEH in the United States and globally. CONCLUSIONS CEH has made substantial progress but faces emerging challenges, including new chemicals and pesticides; increasing movement of polluting industries to poor countries where environmental and public health protections are few; and global climate change. In the future, CEH will require continued investment in research and education and will need to adopt an increasingly global perspective.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philip J Landrigan
- Department of Preventive Medicine and Pediatrics, Arnhold Institute for Global Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY.
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Faupel-Badger J, Nelson DE, Marcus S, Kudura A, Nghiem E. Evaluating postgraduate public health and biomedical training program outcomes: : lost opportunities and renewed interest. JOURNAL OF CANCER EDUCATION : THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR CANCER EDUCATION 2013; 28:18-26. [PMID: 23225110 PMCID: PMC3860830 DOI: 10.1007/s13187-012-0437-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
To identify recent studies in the scientific literature that evaluated structured postgraduate public health and biomedical training programs and reported career outcomes among individual trainees, a comprehensive search of several databases was conducted to identify published studies in English between January 1995 and January 2012. Studies of interest included those that evaluated career outcomes for trainees completing full-time public health or biomedical training programs of at least 12 months duration, with structured training offered on-site. Of the over 600 articles identified, only 13 met the inclusion criteria. Six studies evaluated US federal agency programs and six were of university-based programs. Seven programs were solely or predominantly of physicians, with only one consisting mainly of PhDs. Most studies used a cohort or cross-sectional design. The studies were mainly descriptive, with only four containing statistical data. Type of employment was the most common outcome measure (n = 12) and number of scientific publications (n = 6) was second. The lack of outcomes evaluation data from postgraduate public health and biomedical training programs in the published literature is a lost opportunity for understanding the career paths of trainees and the potential impact of training programs. Suggestions for increasing interest in conducting and reporting evaluation studies of these structured postgraduate training programs are provided.
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Affiliation(s)
- Allen J Dozor
- Children's Environmental Health Center of the Hudson Valley and Maria Fareri, Children's Hospital at Westchester Medical Center, Valhalla, NY 10595, USA.
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Landrigan PJ, Miodovnik A. Children's health and the environment: an overview. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2011; 78:1-10. [PMID: 21259259 DOI: 10.1002/msj.20236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Environmental pediatrics, the branch of pediatric medicine that studies the influence of the environment on children's health, has in the past decade grown exponentially. Rising rates of pediatric chronic disease and growing recognition of children's extensive exposures and great vulnerabilities to toxic hazards in the environment have catalyzed this expansion. New scientific initiatives have resulted. They include 14 Centers for Children's Environmental Health and Disease Prevention Research supported by the US National Institutes of Health and the US Environmental Protection Agency; a global network of Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Units supported by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention/Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry; new postdoctoral training programs in pediatric environmental medicine; and the National Children's Study, the largest prospective epidemiological study of children's health ever undertaken in the United States, which launched in 2009 and will follow 100,000 children from conception to age 21 to assess environmental influences on health and development. These research initiatives have delineated the exquisite vulnerability of fetuses, infants, and children to toxic hazards in the environment. They have led to discovery of new environmental causes of disease and disability in children. This issue of The Mount Sinai Journal of Medicine focuses on children's health and the environment. We have brought together thought leaders in children's environmental health to critically examine new research findings, to explore new opportunities for translating research to treatment and prevention, and to offer a vision for the future of this rapidly expanding field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philip J Landrigan
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
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Landrigan PJ, Goldman LR. Children’s Vulnerability To Toxic Chemicals: A Challenge And Opportunity To Strengthen Health And Environmental Policy. Health Aff (Millwood) 2011; 30:842-50. [DOI: 10.1377/hlthaff.2011.0151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 162] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Philip J. Landrigan
- Philip J. Landrigan ( ) is the dean for global health and a professor of both preventive medicine and pediatrics at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine, in New York City
| | - Lynn R. Goldman
- Lynn R. Goldman is the dean of the School of Public Health and a professor of environmental and occupational health at the George Washington University, in Washington, D.C
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Szilagyi PG, Haggerty RJ, Baldwin CD, Paradis HA, Foltz JL, Vincelli P, Blumkin A, Cheng TL. Tracking the careers of academic general pediatric fellowship program graduates: academic productivity and leadership roles. Acad Pediatr 2011; 11:216-23. [PMID: 21570006 DOI: 10.1016/j.acap.2011.02.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2010] [Revised: 12/20/2010] [Accepted: 02/05/2011] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Little is known about the careers of graduates of academic general pediatric (AGP) fellowship programs. We evaluated the careers of 2 cohorts of AGP fellowship graduates: an early cohort trained during 1978 to 1988, and a later cohort trained during 1989 to 1999. METHODS We surveyed all known AGP fellowship graduates in both cohorts by using a confidential mailed survey. We assessed graduates' current professional work and analyzed curricula vitae for principal investigator (PI) grants; first-authored, peer-reviewed publications; and leadership positions. RESULTS From the early cohort, 95 of 131 eligible graduates (73%) responded; from the later cohort, 93 of 133 (70%) responded. Two thirds of each cohort remain in academics; of these, nearly half are on tenure tracks and over half have major educational roles within their university. The percentage in the early cohort who have been PI on a research grant by 5, 10, and 15 years postfellowship was 44%, 53%, and 54%, respectively; in the later cohort, it was 62%, 75%, and 75%, respectively (P = .004 vs early cohort). During the 10 years postfellowship, the early and later cohorts averaged 5.5 and 7.4 first-authored, peer-reviewed papers, respectively (P = .4). By 10 years, a high proportion of both cohorts had become division chief (19% vs 16%), had other academic leadership positions (43% vs 59%), or were leaders in professional organizations (20% vs 30%; all P = NS). CONCLUSIONS Graduates of AGP fellowship programs have achieved considerable academic success. Recently trained fellows appear even more successful. The academic outcomes of these AGP fellows bode well for the future of AGP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter G Szilagyi
- Division of General Pediatrics, Department of Pediatrics, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, 601 Elmwood Avenue, Rochester, NY 14642, USA.
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Landrigan PJ, Goldman LR. Protecting children from pesticides and other toxic chemicals. JOURNAL OF EXPOSURE SCIENCE & ENVIRONMENTAL EPIDEMIOLOGY 2011; 21:119-120. [PMID: 21224896 DOI: 10.1038/jes.2011.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Philip J Landrigan
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, New York, USA.
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Paulson JA, Karr CJ, Seltzer JM, Cherry DC, Sheffield PE, Cifuentes E, Buka I, Amler RW. Development of the pediatric environmental health specialty unit network in North America. Am J Public Health 2009; 99 Suppl 3:S511-6. [PMID: 19890150 DOI: 10.2105/ajph.2008.154641] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
Training in environmental health in general, and pediatric environmental health in particular, is inadequate. The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry began to develop pediatric environmental health specialty units (PEHSUs) after noting the dearth of practitioners who could evaluate and manage children with exposures to environmental health hazards. The Environmental Protection Agency subsequently joined in providing support for what has developed into a network of 13 PEHSUs in North America. PEHSUs provide services to families, act as consultants to clinicians and public agencies, develop educational materials, and respond to natural disasters, including hurricanes and wildfires. PEHSUs are relatively easy to organize and should be replicable internationally.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jerome A Paulson
- School of Medicine and Health Sciences, George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA.
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Villela R, Dimnik N, Ray A, Howard J, Stitt L, Speechley M. Medical students' attitudes about cosmetic pesticides before and after an ecosystem health seminar: a pilot study. ECOHEALTH 2008; 5:275-277. [PMID: 18797971 DOI: 10.1007/s10393-008-0189-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2007] [Revised: 06/25/2008] [Accepted: 07/24/2008] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
The University of Western Ontario has incorporated ecosystem health as an integral component of its Community Health course for medical students. There is increasing concern regarding the negative health effects of pesticides. The issue of pesticides is, therefore, an obvious topic for the Community Health course. The goal of this pilot study was to compare the attitudes of medical students about cosmetic pesticide use before and after attending a special seminar on that topic. Sixty-three students were surveyed on their opinions before and after the pesticides seminar. After the seminar, the students' attitudes shifted towards a more negative view of unrestrained cosmetic pesticide use. The students also felt that there were greater risks involved with the use of pesticides (P < 0.001) after attending the seminar. The results of this pilot study demonstrate the need and the effectiveness of including ecosystem health topics in medical curricula.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renata Villela
- Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, Ontario, Canada
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