Climate and Environmental Change: A Generation at Risk.

ABSTRACT: Climate and environmental changes have been described as the biggest global health threat of the 21st century, with the potential to cause immediate harm in early life with important lifelong effects, and important consequences for future generations. Pregnant women and children are increasingly being recognized as vulnerable populations in the context of climate change. The effects can be direct or indirect through heat stress, extreme weather events, and air pollution, potentially affecting both the immediate and long-term health of pregnant women and newborns through a broad range of mechanisms. Climate and environmental changes have wide-ranging effects on a woman's reproductive life including sexual maturation and fertility, pregnancy outcomes, lactation, breastfeeding, and menopause. A comprehensive overview of these impacts is presented as well as opportunities for interventions for nurses practicing in perinatal, neonatal, midwifery, and pediatric specialties.

Climate changes reproductive and children's health: a review of risks, exposures, and impacts.

Our climate has significantly changed, exceeding what the world has experienced over the last 650,000 years, and has been cited as the most significant health threat of the twenty-first century. Climate change is impacting health in unprecedented ways. While everyone is vulnerable to the health impacts associated with climate change, children are disproportionately affected because of their physical and cognitive immaturity. Climate change impacts that include rising temperatures, extreme weather, rising sea levels, and increasing carbon dioxide levels are associated with a wide range of health issues in children such as asthma, allergies, vector-borne diseases, malnutrition, low birth weight, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Pediatric health providers play a critical role in advancing the science and translating findings to improve public understanding about the link between climate changes and children's health, and establishing strategies to address these issues. This review will provide an overview of research exploring the impact of climate change on children's health impacts, as well as provide recommendations for pediatric research moving forward.

Climate Change and Schools: Implications for Children's Health and Safety.

The predicted impacts of climate change are fast becoming a reality and are already adversely affecting human health and health systems. Events such as flooding, hurricanes, tornadoes, and wildfires are challenging communities to re-evaluate whether their schools provide a safe, healthy environment. Among the populations most vulnerable to the impacts of our changing climate are our children. Nurses are key to supporting mitigation and adaptation efforts to promote more resilient school environments, using approaches based on values of the common good and social justice.

Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances: An Emerging Contaminant of Concern.

Concerns about the health impacts from per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) continue to grow as the science continues to emerge associating this chemical family with a wide range of health impacts. PFAS exposure may affect growth, learning, and behavior of infants and older children, and also impact reproductive health, cardiovascular health, and the immune system. PFAS exposure is widespread, with communities surrounding military bases at potentially greater risk of exposure from the use of fire fighting foam that may have entered the drinking water. As trusted health professionals, nurses have been in the frontlines communicating risks regarding PFAS to impacted communities. This chapter describes a large number of PFAS studies in blood and harmful health effects in people. The chapter discusses primary sources of exposure and risk reduction. It explains health advisory levels, minimal risk levels. The chapter provides medical testing and medical management.

Climate Change and Mental Health.

: Climate change is an enormous challenge for our communities, our country, and our world. Recently much attention has been paid to the physical impacts of climate change, including extreme heat events, droughts, extreme storms, and rising sea levels. However, much less attention has been paid to the psychological impacts. This article examines the likely psychological impacts of climate change, including anxiety, stress, and depression; increases in violence and aggression; and loss of community identity. Nurses can play a vital role in local and regional climate strategies by preparing their patients, health care facilities, and communities to effectively address the anticipated mental health impacts of climate change.

Female college student awareness of exposures to environmental toxins in personal care products and their effect on preconception health.

This research study investigated college women's usage of personal care products and their views on health effects from exposures during the preconception period. Many personal care products and cosmetics contain chemical ingredients that have been known to disrupt human endocrine and neurological systems, and contribute to infertility and adverse birth outcomes. Seventy-two female college students from a single, medium-sized university campus completed a researcher-developed questionnaire. Findings provide insight into the daily exposures young women experience during their reproductive years. Results can inform occupational and environmental health nurses about the personal daily exposures of young women when conducting risk assessments in the workplace or at a school, and can aid in developing interventions that support the environmental health of employees or future employees.

Reducing workplace exposure to 1-bromopropane.

Occupational exposure to the solvent 1-Bromopropane (1-BP) used in degreasing, dry cleaning, spray adhesives, and aerosol solvents has been linked to neurological illnesses.

Updated recommendations for the management of health care personnel occupationally exposed to human immunodeficiency virus.

The U.S. Public Health Service has released new recommendations for the management of health care personnel who experience occupational exposures to blood or other body fluids that might contain human immunodeficiency virus.

Preventing noise-induced hearing loss in firefighters.

NIOSH recommends the use of quieter equipment, better work practices, and hearing protection devices and implementation of effective hearing loss prevention programs to prevent noise-induced hearing loss in firefighters.

Hepatitis C testing guidelines-accurately identifying current infection.

Accurate testing to identify current infection assists clinicians in correctly identifying those infected with hepatitis C virus.

Medical surveillance for workplace exposure to hazardous drugs.

NIOSH recommends that employers establish a medical surveillance program as part of a comprehensive program to minimize worker exposure to hazardous drugs.

Web-based environmental health education: fish facts.

Nurses and other health professionals are often asked about the benefits and risks of fish consumption. The combination of conflicting media messages about these risks and benefits and limited knowledge has led to confusion about how to properly advise people about safe fish consumption. "Fish Facts for Health Professionals" was the result of a collaborative effort of environmental, public health, medical, nursing, and media experts to create a web-based educational series to address the need for reliable information on fish consumption. Using interviews and real case studies, the 3- to 5-minute media modules provided a strong visual element while remaining conversational. The modules were viewed worldwide, and 121 participants successfully completed the requirements for professional continuing education credit.

Management of occupational exposure to advanced nanomaterials.

Advanced nanomaterials present a challenge in occupational risk assessment and risk management due to their complex nature.

Occupational silica exposure in hydraulic fracturing.

Workers may be exposed to dust containing high levels of respirable crystalline silica during hydraulic fracturing.

Associations of dietary calcium intake and calcium supplementation with myocardial infarction, stroke, and overall cardiovascular mortality.

Calcium supplements have been associated with elevated risk of myocardial infarction, whereas dietary calcium intake has not.

Feeling sleepy? You are not alone.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that 30% of the nation's workers are sleeping less than 6 hours per day.

Overtime work as a predictor of a major depressive episode.

Data from middle-aged civil servants in the Whitehall II Study suggest that working long hours of overtime may predispose workers to major depressive episodes.