Formulate three (3) talking points the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection can use when addressing the concerns of the community on health risks associated with mold and what preventative measures can be taken avoid contracting this infection
Most audiences understand only a limited number of messages. They also need messages that have been tailored for their needs and interests. Thus creating environmental health presentations should emphasize the most important messages for the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection’s audience. Here are some key talking points for the general population.
First Talking Point: What is mold? Molds can cause a wide array of adverse responses in humans depending on the type and quantity that is present. However, these are not the lone factors when considering the health affects to mold exposure. Since dose and human response can be highly individualistic, the sensitivity of the person exposed is also an important consideration. For example, infants and young children, the immune compromised, and the elderly are at an increased risk of experiencing adverse health effects related to mold exposure. There are many routes of exposure to molds including dermal contact, ingestion, and inhalation.
Second Talking Point: Allergy and irritation are the most common symptoms of mold exposure. Although symptoms will vary, the most common symptoms seen in people exposed to mold indoors include:
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• Nasal and sinus congestion
• Eye irritation, such as itchy, red, watery eyes
• Respiratory problems, such as wheezing and difficulty breathing
• Cough
• Throat irritation
• Skin irritation, such as a rash
• Headache
The health risks associated with mold exposure include, but are not limited to: allergic reactions, irritation associated with volatile organic compounds(VOCs), invasive disease, mycotoxicosis.
Third Talking Point: There are several prevention methods one can take to avoid mold contamination. They include the following:
• Keep your home well ventilated.
• Be aware of environmental concerns in your community. Read the news, talk to neighbors, and visit www.epa.gov and www.atsdr.cdc.gov to see if there is specific information on contamination in your area.
• Protect yourself before entering a flood-affected home/building – use boots, gloves, protective clothing if available, goggles and an N-95 respirator. Try to limit or avoid direct contact with flood water. Flood water can contain a variety of chemicals including, oil, gasoline, pesticides, agriculture chemicals and raw sewage.
• When cleaning up mold, use personal protection when conducting the cleaning. Killing germs can help prevent health issues including diarrhea, infections and asthma attacks.
• When cleaning, make sure you clean the ventilation system ductwork to remove debris caused be flooding. Mold and bacteria can be spread by the HVAC system so disinfection may be necessary. Not all disinfectants are appropriate for use in cleaning the ventilation system. Make sure the products being used are approved for use in the ventilation system before using them. Professional assistance may be needed for proper cleaning of the system.
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• Avoid areas where mold contamination is obvious, but if you just so happen to be in a contaminated area, make sure you use environmental controls and keep hands, skin, and clothing clean and free from mold contaminated dust.
Suggest the type of study you would use to evaluate the long-term effects of mold exposure and the reasoning behind your selection
The most appropriate study to use to evaluate the long-term effects of mold exposure is a cohort study. This study identifies a group of people and follows them over a period of time to see how their exposures affect their outcomes. This type of study is normally used to look at the effect of suspected risk factors that cannot be controlled experimentally, for example the effect of mold on respiratory illnesses. A cohort study will allow me to evaluate patients who presently have a certain condition and/or receive a particular treatment and follow them over a period of time and compare them with another group who is not affected by the condition.
Cohort studies are a great way to see if any and what health problem (s) groups of people have developed. Once disease has been noticed, the disease outcomes will be recorded and counted at specified periods. These outcomes may be the incidence of diagnosed disease, and/or deaths certified due to the disease being studied, as well as deaths due to other causes. The total numbers, or the number of person-years of observation, will be large enough to generate stable rates, so that the rates can be compared in subsets of the total population that have been exposed to different levels of risk (Encyclopedia of Public Health,2002).
Hypotheses about causes and risk factors for disease will be tested by comparing incidence and/or mortality rates of groups exposed to different levels of risk (Encyclopedia of Public Health,2002).
http://www.enotes.com/cohort-study-reference/cohort-study