What is public health? Wanna find out? Students in the USF Intro to Public Health class have chosen strategic areas in the Tampa Bay community that they feel represent public health in action. This blog is dedicated to explaining, understanding, and discussing what their interpretations of exactly what the heck is.... public health?!



Monday, September 5, 2011

Set sail with public health!





We placed our public health sticker in the university mall in indoor kid play area on miniature pirate ship. We chose this location because it is a public play area and contains soft rubber material that is safe for children. The floor of the play area was made of shredded colored rubber to reduce the risk of injury from falls. Also the playground equipment was made of a soft material with the edges rounded off. The surfaces of all the equipment was glossy, making the equipment easier to sanitize. There were designated areas where shoes could be placed in cubby holes allowing a place for children to leave there shoes while they played to prevent injury from tripping. The area also provided soft cushioned places for the parents to sit and safely monitor their children while they played. In addition, hand sanitizer was also available for the children and parents to prevent germs from being spread.

This represents a public health issue because it promotes physical activity and provides a safe play area. Many children and parents do not want to sit outside in the Florida heat. This gives parents and children the choice of using an indoor playground while allowing the parents to safely monitor their children.

This is important for public health because it provides a safe indoor environment. Outdoor playground equipment can not only get extremely hot in the sun increasing the risk of burns but can also be difficult to properly clean. Having an indoor play area with soft glossy surfaces allows for the equipment to be sanitized easily and more often. The characteristic of the play area were designed to prevent injury and allows for easy sanitation.

Stephanie Hawks (photographer), Tiffany Parrish, Ivette Rodriguez, Blanca Baltazar

3 comments:

  1. I like the location of your public health sticker because it is somewhere kids can play, while getting exercise, in a safe and clean environment. Kids are very important because they are the next generation; therefore, it is important to keep them safe and healthy. It was also good to point out how easy and fast it is to sanitize this whole playground compared to outdoor playgrounds; a good prevention of spreading disease.

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  2. I think this was a great idea to post your sticker at the children's play area. This is where kids are the most active and they are in a safe environment. Even though there is a lot of germs floating in the air, there are different ways to keep the kids healthy. The children's play area usually provides sanitzer wipes, or sanitzer stations which is good for parent and child. Once again I think this was a great idea that this group came up with!

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  3. This is important for public health because it provides a safe indoor environment. Outdoor playground equipment can not only get extremely hot in the sun increasing the risk of burns but can also be difficult to properly clean. Playground equipment Houston

    Outdoor playground equipment

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