Environmental health issues in selected

vulnerable population elderly and aged.

Define the major types, sources, and environmental distribution

of environmental agents which can impact the health of elderly.
Describe how these agents interact with biological systems, and
describe the mechanisms by which they exert adverse effects on
elderly.
Improve (enhance) quality of life in order to reach optimal
health.
Extend life expectancy premature mortality caused by
chronic & acute diseases
Promote safe and secure environment free from environmental
hazards.

The term elderly can refer to anyone who has reached

certain age.
Aging is a natural process that generally includes a
change in abilities. For example, vision, touch, hearing,
bone density, balance and gait, and memory all tend to
decline with age (Public health agency of Canada, 2008).
Aging is a pattern of life changes that occurs as one
grows older.
Thus, older people can be considered vulnerable
population due to in part to these physical and cognitive
changes.

Copyright 2010 Pearson Education, Inc.

SUCCESSFUL AGING
Avoid serious, debilitating diseases and
disability.
Engage independently in most normal activities
of daily living.
Maintain cognitive function.
Able to cope with physical, social, biological,
emotional, economical and environmental
changes
Sense of control of their lives

 In 2015, c.900 million people worldwide will be 60 and

older
By 2050 projected total is nearly 2 billion - 1 in every 5 of
the earths inhabitants,.

Clean air
Safe and sufficient water
Proper housing
Safe and adequate food
Safe and peaceful settlements
Stable global environment

Potential environmental and safety hazards in a home include;

- Dim or unclearly marked light switches
- Unclear or obstructed pathways
- Carpet edges
- Loose throw rugs or mats
- Unsteady furniture or stepping stools
- Too low or wobbly toilet stools
- Slippery floor area
- Slippery bath & shower surface
- No grab bars in the bathroom

Lilian N

Lack of proper Housing Infrastructure can be a environmental

hazards for the older people.

CONT..
Overcrowding is a recurrent problem, where more than
one person per room compared to developed countries.
The correlation between lack of appropriate housing and
chronic health condition is significant. Inadequate
housing can be associated with a host of health problems.
For example, crowed living conditions can lead to the
transmission of infectious diseases such as TB, hepatitis
A and can also increase risk for injuries, mental health
problems, family tension and violence.

(Gill et al, 199)

WATER QUALITY

Older adults have a reduced immune function and are more

susceptible to infection. As a result, microbial contamination
of drinking water often causes gastrointestinal illness,
particularly among elderly. (Health Canada, 2008).

Drinking Water can also be contaminated with chemicals from

natural and anthropogenic sources.
Older people maybe more sensitive to high explosives to
chemical contamination due to physiological changes.
Eg, level of arsenic has been liked to arthrosclerosis and
vascular disease and long term exposure to high levels of
arsenic can cause cardiovascular problems and the likelihood
of developing diabetes (Health Canada, 2008).

Nutrition
It is neglected especially those living alone or
with low income.
Factors affecting nutritional status of elderly:
1) Age related changes
2) Psychosocial factors
3) Economic factors
4) Cultural factors

Age related changes

Taste & smell

Visual acuity
Loss of teeth & poor fitting denture
Gastric secretion influence in absorption
of B12, folic acid& iron.
Food remain longer time in stomach +
gastric secretion will lead to indigestion &
feeling of fullness.

Psychosocial factors

Depression is common ( losses, death,

retirement, change of body appearance,
impaired vision &poor physical fitness) this
will lead to lack of interest in eating&
anorexia and food intake.

Living alone also will lead to lack of

incentive to cook & eat.

Economic Factors
Low income
Limited access to food and food
choices
Inadequate facilities to food storage
and preparation

Cultural factors

Eating habits may miss certain food group

as vegetarians.
Avoid eating foods that are prepared by
young woman. Eg. Highlands region
Avoid eating certain food group that
abnormal in shape and resemble a human
features. Eg. Double banana, yam with
human finger.

AIR POLLUTION
There are two measures to air pollution
1.
Indoor pollution
2.
Outdoor pollution
Either indoor or outdoor, air pollution can affect the
elderly due to their weak immune system which makes
them venerable to air pollutants.

INDOOR POLLUTION
Older adults spends 90% of their time indoor
environment include, radon, second-hand smoke. Carbon
monoxide contaminant laden dust, mould, pesticides,
chemicals from cleaning products and building materials,
wood burning, stoves.
Indoor air pollutants can aggravate pre-existing condition
such as asthma, obstructive pulmonary disease,
depending on type of pollutants, may contribute to other
health effects (Health Canada, 2008).

CONT.
Environmental exposure in home care settings and
institutional care settings also need to be examined
because older people living in home care or institutional
care have increased vulnerability and sensitivities
towards environmental risks due to other health
conditions; therefore, environmental exposure within the
home care and institutional care settings need to be
addressed.
These exposures include; household cleaning products,
moulds, and other indoor air contaminants.

CLIMATE CHANGE

Changes to climate are likely to result in warmer

temperatures and thermal stress, poorer quality
air and water, more floods, and droughts and
extreme weather condition, greater incidences of
vector-borne diseases; more water and food
contamination; increased exposure radiation;
increased vulnerability of subpopulations (
including children, elderly, disabled and poor
communities.

EXTREME TEMPERATURE
The bodys capacity to adapt with extreme
temperature declines with aging, thus older
adults are particularly vulnerable to excessive
health and cold events.
Their capacity to take personal actions to protect
themselves from against extreme temperatures is
also reduced.
Extreme temperature can also cause social
disruption and impact quality of life as older
adults are forced to change living patterns in
order to respond to abrupt climatic changes.

CONT

Extreme temperature events and excess rainfall can create

conditions that are favorable to the abundance, range,
growth, survival and dissemination of infectious agents.
Older adults with low incomes may not have enough air
conditioning to effectively adapt to extreme heat events
(Health Canada, 2008).
Because older adults are particularly vulnerable to extreme
weather, they are especially at risk of the effects of climate
change. The impacts of change may include changes in
precipitations , rising sea levels, changes in the distribution
and viability of species, including disease vectors.
Extreme temperature events and excess rainfall can create
conditions that are favorable to the abundance, range,
growth, survival and dissemination of infectious agents ,
particularly water-born related infections and food-born
disease, which put older adults at further risks of adverse
health impacts (Health Canada, 2008).

RADIATION
Chronic exposure to the sun (UV) radiation is
associated with an increased risk of skin cancer
(Health Canada, 2008). Compare to young people,
the skin cells in older people are less able to
repair the DNA damage that is caused by sun
exposure.
There is also evidence to suggest hat cumulative
exposure to low levels f UV_B radiation can
result in developing cataracts, a major form of
blindness in older adults (Health Canada, 2008).

SUMMARY

Environmental contaminants are just one category of health

determinants of health, but unlike genetics they are a largely
preventable factor and thus many environmental health risks are
essentially avoidable.
Environmental health intervention could provide very beneficial
outcomes. Preventing or reducing environmental exposures can lower
the incidences of environmentally- mediated diseases where
environmental exposure and their harmful effects are largely beyond
their control individuals, environmental health problem must be
addressed at the largely societal level.
Human needs and wants drive choices that produce environmental
impacts which, in turn, may result in adverse health consequences.
Finally, exposure to environmental contaminants can be reduced to a
certain extent if the individual is provided with enough information
and has the capacity to appropriately act on that information.

When

you give it to the OLDER

people, they give back.
An elder or senior has enough life
experiences to have something to
offer to young generation and can
be considered experts of life
Stiegelbaner, 1996

REFERENCE
American Academy of Family Physicians (2005). Determine Your
Nutritional Health. Retrieved September 17, 2007 from
www.aafp.org/PreBuilt/NSI_DETERMINE.pdf
American College of Sports Medicines Strategic Health Initiative on
Aging. Five steps to eating better. Retrieved September 1, 2007 from
http://www.agingblueprint.org/PDFs/Eat_Better.pdf

Cassel, C. (1999). The practical guide to aging. New York, NY.: New
York University.
Environmental and Occupational Health +plus. (2006). Reviewing of the
Human Biomonitoring Studies of Environmental Contaminants in
Canada 1990-2005. Ottawa, Canada: Health Canada, Committee on
Health and Environment
Health Canada. (2008). Health of Older Adults and the Environment
Discussion Paper.Ottawa, Canada.