Environmental Factors and Health Promotion

*Topic; Environmental Factors and Health Promotion: Accident Prevention and Safety Promotion for Parents and Caregivers of Infants
***The growth, development, and learned behaviors that occur during the first year of infancy have direct effect on the individual throughout a lifetime. For this assignment, research an *environmental factor that poses a threat to the health or safety of infants and develop a health promotion that can be presented to caregivers. *Create a 12 slide PowerPoint health promotion, with *speaker notes, that outlines a *teaching plan. For the presentation of your PowerPoint, use *Loom to create a *voice over OR a video. Include an additional *slide for the Loom link at the beginning, and an additional *slide for references at the end. *In developing your PowerPoint, take into consideration the health care literacy level of your target audience, as well as the demographic of the caregiver/patient (socioeconomic level, language, culture, and any other relevant characteristic of the caregiver) for which the presentation is tailored.
***Include the following in your presentation:
(1)*Describe the selected environmental factor. *Explain how the environmental factor you selected can potentially affect the health or safety of infants.
(2)*Create a health promotion plan that can be presented to caregivers to address the environmental factor and improve the overall health and well-being of infants.
(3)*Offer recommendation on accident prevention and safety promotion as they relate to the selected environmental factor and the health or safety of infants.
(4)*Offer examples, interventions, and suggestions from evidence-based-research. At least three scholarly resources are required. Two of the three resources from must be peer-reviewed and no more than 6 years old.
(5)*Provide readers with two community resources, a national resource, and a Web-based resource. **Include a brief description and contact information for each resource.
-*APA 7th; APA formatting guidelines;
a) Detailed description of how the ENVIRONMENTAL FACTOR affects infants health & safety; with strong support and rationale; well established ITS direct effect on infant health & safety.
b) A well developed HEALTH PROMOTION PLAN: clearly addresses the environmental issue,; specific steps to include health & safety for infants;-*plan MUST be realistic for the chosen caregiver*.
c) Well-developed RECOMMENDATIONS for safety promotion & accident prevention offered are proposed (the steps outlined are well thought out & support the health and safety of infants; AND are realistic and highly suitable for the chosen situation & caregiver) ; the RECOMMENDATIONS must clearly relate to the ENVIRONMENTAL FACTOR.
d) *Examples,*Interventions, & *Suggestions are *evidence-based and strongly supported. FOUR Scholarly Research Resources, TWO of which are peer-reviewed & not older than 6 YEARS OLD.
e)*TWO Community Resources, *A National, & a *Web-based-Resource are included with the Health Promotion; The *RESOURCES are *highly relevant &*detailed description & *accessible for the caregiver….***THE CONTACT INFORMATION PROVIDED FOR THE RESOURCES IS *COMPLETE and *ACCURATE.
f)*The Literacy Level is written for level of the CAREGIVER /TARGET AUDIENCE i.e. the socioeconomic level, language, culture, other relevant characteristics, associated demographic: are well tailored. *THE DEMONSTRATION IS SPECIFICALLY TAILORED to the target population.
g)The presentation of the *12* SLIDES are neatly arranged; **The SPEAKER NOTES submitted are well-developed, & support the *Presentation; *The REFERENCE SLIDE is submitted; A LOOM PRESENTATION is submitted & is consistent with the *PowerPoint & *Speaker Notes.
h)*Appropriate and thematic graphic elements are used to make visual connections that contribute to the outstanding *concepts, *ideas, & *relationships. *Differences in *type size & *color are used well & *consistently. The *presentation has strong *visual appeal & is developed with the intended audience in mind. *The *Design is *Clean.
i)*Overall, EFFECTIVE and FUNCTIONAL AUDIO, TEXT, or VISUALS are
evident.
j)*Sources are completely & correctly documented, as appropriate to assignment & style, and format is free of error; With clear, command of standard, written, academic English.

SAMPLE PAPER

Environmental Factors and Health Promotion: Accident Prevention and Safety Promotion for Parents and Caregivers of Infants

Most of the infants can always not move, thus depend on parents and caregivers to move them from hazardous exposure scenarios that may affect their health and well-being. Some environmental hazards can get through the delicate and more permeable skin of an infant. Environmental hazards have claimed many children’s lives across the globe and have remained a growing concern in different countries. One such environmental risk factor is secondhand smoke. This essay provides a detailed analysis of the impact of secondhand smoke on the health of infants. A health promotion plan and recommendations for caregivers concerning secondhand smoke will also be developed. Lastly, community, national, and web-based resources concerning this environmental hazard is also discussed.

Secondhand Smoke

Secondhand smoke, also known as environmental tobacco smoke, entails two forms of smoke that primarily originate from burning tobacco. The first one is smoke exhaled by a smoker, and the second is smoke that comes from a lightened cigar, pipe, or cigarette. According to the CDC (2017), Secondhand smoke contains over 7000 chemicals, hundreds of which are toxic and more than 70 capable of causing cancer. Non-smokers who inhale secondhand smoke take in toxic chemicals and nicotine into their bodies just like the smokers. The more secondhand smoke one breathes, the higher the amount of harmful chemicals stored in the body (CDC, 2017). It is estimated that more than 59 million nonsmoking Americans, which includes close to 16 million children, are exposed to secondhand smoke in their home environment, car, or daycare (CDC, 2017). Secondhand smoke harms infants even before their birth because their bodies and lungs are still developing.

Effects of Smoking and Secondhand Smoke on the Health of Infants

Given that their bodies are developing, infants become more vulnerable to the poisons contained in secondhand smoke. Mothers who smoke while pregnant or expose their infants to secondhand smoke after birth significantly put their children’s health at risk. According to the CDC (2017), expectant mothers exposed to secondhand smoke have increased chances of having premature and low birth weight babies, which increases their risk to various health problems. Similarly, infants exposed to secondhand smoke tend to have weaker lungs than other babies in good condition. This also makes them prone to various health problems.

Secondhand smoke causes Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). SIDS refers to the sudden, unexpected, and difficult to explain the death of a once healthy infant, especially during sleep (CDC, 2017). It normally occurs in an infant’s first year of life and is enhanced by the inhalation of secondhand smoke. Infants whose mothers smoke during pregnancy or are exposed to secondhand smoke after birth are at greater risk for this disease. Secondhand smoke chemicals affect the infant’s brain to hinder the regulation of the baby’s breathing, thus causing his or her sudden death.

Exposure to secondhand smoke also puts infants at the risk of developing asthma. Asthma is a respiratory condition that causes the inflation of the airways and bronchi spasm, thus resulting in difficulty in breathing (CDC, 2017). Secondhand smoke causes asthma exacerbations that may cause more doctor visits, hospitalizations, or death. Infants exposed to secondhand smoke or whose mothers smoke while pregnant have weaker lungs and associated respiratory complications. Exposure to secondhand smoke may make asthma symptoms worse or trigger asthma attacks leading to more trips to the hospital (CDC, 2017).

Other health problems associated with secondhand smoke in infants include ear infections, frequent sickness, coughing, sneezing, shortness of breath, and respiratory infections, including bronchitis and pneumonia (Hollenbach et al., 2017). It may also result in hoarseness, eye irritation, sore throat, headache, and stuffy nose in babies. Despite seemingly small, some of these problems can add up quickly. Consider lost school time, medicines, doctors’ visits, other expenses, and the work time lost by the parent when staying with the sick child. The child also goes through serious discomfort issues in the midst of such problems (Hollenbach et al., 2017).

There are also some other long-term effects of smoking and secondhand smoke on children. Studies have shown that children brought up in families with parents who smoke are more likely to smoke in their teenage or adult lives (Hollenbach et al., 2017). Children or teenagers who smoke or are exposed to secondhand smoke are also likely to be prone to the same health problems that affect grownups. Infants exposed to secondhand smoke may suffer from such health issues as cataracts, heart disease, lung cancer, and poor lung development later in life.

Secondhand Smoke Risk Areas for Children

Children can be exposed to secondhand smoke in public places like schools, parks, public transportation, shopping centers, and restaurants where smoking is allowed. Secondhand smoke is also a problem at home as tobacco smoke can penetrate the wall and floor cracks, air ducts, and elevator shafts to reach units that are far from the smoke (CDC, 2017). Separating smokers from non-smokers, air cleaning, or ventilation cannot control secondhand smoke. People tend to spend a lot of time in their cars with infants, and toxins can quickly build up if someone is smoking in there even if the air conditioner is on or the windows are down (CDC, 2017). This can be very harmful to the child on-board.

A child cannot hide from the impact of secondhand smoke while at home due to smoke nature unless effective measures are taken. The smoke produced in another room like the bedroom or bathroom can pollute the air in the whole house (CDC, 2017). In an apartment setting, smoke can cover the whole building from one single room. Some parents and caregivers always go outside to smoke in a hall or stairwell, not knowing that smoke can penetrate through cracks, windows, or under the door to where an infant is (CDC, 2017). To ensure total protection of the infant from secondhand smoke and its effects, homes and apartment buildings should be kept smoke-free.

It should also be noted that no amount of secondhand smoke can be said to be safe. Cigarette smoke is still harmful to an infant even when one cannot smell it. Using a fan or opening windows can also not protect the infant from secondhand smoke. Air fresheners and air purifiers do not get rid of the poisons inherent in secondhand smoke. CDC (2017) also points out that smoke from one cigarette can remain in a room for several hours; hence caregivers should not engage in smoking at home even when the infant is not at home yet.

Health Promotion Plan

Infants are most affected by secondhand smoke and are least able to escape or avoid it. Most infants’ exposure to secondhand smoke originates from caregivers or parents who engage in smoking activities at home. The following measures can help minimize an infant’s exposure to secondhand smoke:

1. Quit smoking today. It is the only sure means of ensuring that your child lives in a smoke-free environment at home. If you find it hard to quit, consider talking to your doctor or your baby’s pediatrician for more help.
2. Make your home smoke free. Until you stop smoking, do not smoke at home or anywhere near the baby, even if it is outside. Air flows throughout the compound, and smoke can freely move from one room to another. Do not allow any family member, friend, or babysitter to smoke around your house or near the infant.
3. Make your care smoke free. Until you stop smoking, never smoke inside the care in the presence of a child. Rolling the windows down cannot do much in clearing the air other than blowing the dangerous smoke back into the infant’s face in the back seat.
4. Avoid going to public places where smoking is allowed with your child, even if none is smoking at that time. Smoke chemicals can still remain on the surfaces of such places hours after smoking incidence. “No Smoking” sections in parks and restaurants do not offer enough protection from secondhand smoke to the infant.
5. Choose a babysitter who does not smoke. The infant will still be exposed to secondhand smoke even if the babysitter smokes outside the room or house. For the sake of your child’s health, you should consider changing your babysitter, no matter how good she may be, if she smokes.

Evidence-based Interventions

Secondhand smoke evidence-based interventions seek to minimize exposure and dangers of secondhand smoke on pregnant mothers and infants. The interventions encourage parents and caregivers to smoke less in their homes, adopt home smoking bans, and implement cessation interventions. Secondhand smoke education interventions, according to research, can be delivered through media messages, informational materials, home visiting, health care programs, and counseling. According to Behbod (2018), educational efforts can be implemented alone, delivered as part of a multi-component intervention, or combined with such biological feedback as cotinine feedback.

Select interventions such as Georgia’s Texas and North Carolina’s United Way’s Smoke-Free Homes program that includes three mailings and a coaching call have been found to enhance home smoking bans and minimize secondhand smoke exposure among low-income families with and without children (Kegler et al., 2015). Similarly, Behbod et al. (2018) also point out that intensive parental counseling ad motivational interviewing can significantly reduce children’s exposure to secondhand smoke in various circumstances. Further, a China-based study carried out by Yu et al. (2017) also concluded that a combination of face-to-face counseling and educational materials with mobile health-based interventions could largely reduce secondhand smoke exposure for newborns and their mothers and increase smoking cessation by fathers. Lastly, Blaakman et al. (2015) found out that asthma education and motivational interviewing for preterm infants’ parents can significantly reduce infant exposure to secondhand smoke more than education alone.

Community, National, and Web-based Resources

Community Resources

1. Peking Acupuncture Quit Smoking Center

Contact 713-661-0346

It provides world-class quit smoking cigarette and e-cigarette, dipping, and drinking services. The resource center boasts over 36 years of experience in helping parents quit smoking successfully, stop smoking cigarettes, quit chewing or dipping tobacco, and liquor drinking addiction that may harm them or their children.

• MD Anderson Cancer Center

1-888-989-5896

At MD Anderson’s Tobacco Treatment Program provides tobacco cessation services that include in-person behavioral counseling, webcam counseling, telephone counseling, and other tobacco cessation medication treatments free of charge to patients who are recent quitters or current users.

National Resource

Center for Tobacco Control

Contact: 800.227.2345

American Cancer Society’s Center for Tobacco Control works to combat the tobacco epidemic that is responsible for close to 30 percent of all cancer deaths in the country. It works for the adoption and implementation of policies requiring smoke and the tobacco-free environment in such places as multi-unit residential settings and public places. It also addresses various new tobacco challenges and opportunities that include being proactive in addressing tobacco’s changing landscape regarding the rapidly developing market for such electronic smoking products as e-cigars.

Web-based Resource

Smoking Prevention Interactive Experience (ASPIRE)

Contact: 713-745-6252

Site: https://www.mdanderson.org/about-md-anderson/community-services/aspire.html

ASPIRE is a free, bilingual, online curriculum that helps children be free from tobacco while educating them on the dangers of nicotine use. It is an evidence-based program that entails various traditional and emerging products like synthetic marijuana, juul, hookah, and e-cigarettes. It has successfully managed to help individuals from all walks of life lead a healthy, tobacco-free life.

References

Behbod, B., Sharma, M., Baxi, R., Roseby, R., & Webster, P. (2018). Family and carer smoking control programmes for reducing children’s exposure to environmental tobacco smoke. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, (1).

Blaakman, S. W., Borrelli, B., Wiesenthal, E. N., Fagnano, M., Tremblay, P. J., Stevens, T. P., & Halterman, J. S. (2015). Secondhand smoke exposure reduction after NICU discharge: results of a randomized trial. Academic pediatrics, 15(6), 605-612.

CDC, (2017). Health effects of secondhand smoke. https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/fact_sheets/secondhand_smoke/health_effects/index.htm

Hollenbach, J. P., Schifano, E. D., Hammel, C., & Cloutier, M. M. (2017). Exposure to secondhand smoke and asthma severity among children in Connecticut. PloS one, 12(3), e0174541.

Kegler, M. C., Bundy, L., Haardörfer, R., Escoffery, C., Berg, C., Yembra, D., … & Ribisl, K. (2015). A minimal intervention to promote smoke-free homes among 2-1-1 callers: a randomized controlled trial. American Journal of Public Health, 105(3), 530-537.

Yu, S., Duan, Z., Redmon, P. B., Eriksen, M. P., Koplan, J. P., & Huang, C. (2017). mHealth intervention is effective in creating smoke-free homes for newborns: A randomized controlled trial study in China. Scientific Reports, 7(1), 1-9.