Public Health is the Target

Picture this. An adorable little girl is sitting in the top of a Target shopping cart while her mother does her normal weekly grocery shopping. While mom is busy looking for the pasta that’s on sale, the little girl is doing what all little children do—picking her nose, sneezing, coughing(it is flu season, after all) and, of course, being “Mommy’s Little Helper”, grabbing onto the cart’s handle to help mommy maneuver the cart through the tight aisles. Cute, right? Not so much. While the little girl’s soaring imagination is helpful in making the time at the grocery store less boring, it is no match against the germs that are being transferred between the girl and the shopping cart.

Only a few hours later, the same cart is picked out of the stack by a woman who has just exited the restroom-- without washing her hands. She grabs the handle of the cart and starts heading towards the purses when the café catches her eye. She makes her way over to the counter, hands the cashier a dollar bill (which has been touched by an innumerable amount of people), and takes a bite of her warm, salted pretzel, all while still pushing around her big red cart. Sounds delicious, right? Not when you start to think about the number of germs accumulating on both this woman’s hands and the cart as well, just waiting to be used again.

To help cut down on the spread of germs, Target has installed a station for distributing disinfectant wipes that can be used to sterilize the handles of their shopping cart. This is an excellent idea, and it would be interesting to see if it actually is effective in hindering the spread of disease. Still, however great the idea and concept, most Target shoppers grab a cart and speed past the station with no more than a second glance. Target has chosen to give their customers the opportunity to improve and safeguard their health but now its up to the individuals to take advantage of this opportunity. All in all, it’s up to both the businesses and individuals in the community to take the simple steps to help prevent the spread of diseases. This is Public Health.

Public Health at the Pump

Public Health at the Pump

Gasoline pumping stations are objects which take a place of commonality and ritual in many American’s daily lives. Constantly we drive past them, waiting until that dreaded orange light to signal that it is again our turn to “fill ‘er up”. However, did you know that gas pumps can be great centers of Public Health? It’s true!

For our “This is Public Health” campaign our group decided to visit the Marathon gas station located on the corner of Fletcher and Bruce B Downs. Each member of our group had initial ideas on how an everyday object such as a gas pump could be related to Public Health, and we were not disappointed in our assertions. It turned out that the pumps are a veritable fortress of Public Health!

Many of the features on the gas pumps relate to the sectors of Public Health dealing with protection and the spread of information. These features help to represent health to the public through the use of various stickers and labels. For example, there are stickers warning that the inhalation of gas may be harmful to your health as well as stickers proclaiming the flammability of the fumes.

Tools are another important asset which gas pumps utilize to protect the health of the public. These tools include such things as easy to reach fire extinguishers, located at each side of the many back to back pumps. Sanitation is also taken to account at the pumps, with paper towels being provided for quick and easy cleanup. Also, many gas stations now offer plastic “mitts” to use while pumping gas as well as hands-free hand sanitizer stations.

In choosing the commonplace gas station as the staging ground for our campaign our group hoped to show that even routine objects can hold significance in the realm of Public Health. In our expectations we were not disappointed, displaying for all to see the fact that the next time you fill up, remember, “This is Public Health”!

Chris Morrow
Jason Kupersmith
Doug Franz

They go where Wheego!

Stats:

"all electric-not a hybrid. zero emissions. no gas required."

"range-about 100 miles a charge."

"time to charge from 50% to 100%-about 5 hours"

"size- two seats, plus plenty of room for your groceries and gear."

"price- 32,995 plus freight and options. also qualifies for tax credits."

the future is taking place right in St. Pete - at Suncoast!

^^we even went for a test drive! (well, Sam did)

"Before I rode in this car, my basic concerns about electric cars was that they might be slow, or you'd know the difference. When I got to ride in it, there was no noise, and we literally sped right off the lot. The other thing that you'd be amazed to know is that the Wheego looks small, but just like the mini cooper or smart car, they're a little roomier than you might think." -Sam

This is Public Health.

Our group took a trip across the bay to St. Petersburg to visit the only 100 percent electric car dealership on Florida’s west coast, Suncoast Electric Vehicles. We decided to tackle the problem of air pollution right where it starts, auto emissions. We were given the opportunity to meet with some of the dealer agents who provided us with information about all their products. They carried everything from fully electric cars to work trucks; some of us even had the chance to go for a test drive! We, of course, placed our sticker on their flagship two-seater, the Wheego. We visited the dealership because electric cars are the solution to the urban air pollution problem. Urban air pollution is a major public health issue in much of the industrialized world. Air pollution can lead to asthma, lung cancer, heart disease, and even shorten a person’s lifespan one to two years. In cities like Los Angeles and Mexico City, smog levels are so high that on many days advisories are made for residents to remain indoors. Air pollution not only affects your health, but also your quality of life. Electric vehicles aim to greatly reduce air pollution and reduce dependence on foreign oil. Other electric cars coming to age include the Tesla - an all electric sports car and more familiar ones like the Nissan Leaf and Chevy Volt (not fully electric, from what I can tell). There are also many other off the wall brands that are emerging such as the Aptera.

We Want Clean Water, So Should You

The public health issues associated with water typically focus on drinking water. Clean freshwater is needed by humans for personal hygiene, irrigation, industry, and recreation. We bathe in it, brush our teeth with it, swim and fish in it, use it to make crops grow, and to cool industrial reactors. The water treatment facility is one of the facilities responsible for the treatment of water before distributing out to the community to avoid illness. As part of the treatment process, drinking water may be disinfected to reduce microbial contamination. Water is also used in the food industry to help nourish the plants and for the animals to drink which we eat from. Since the plants and animals that many humans and other animals eat also depend upon water, a lack of treated water could lead to starvation as well as dehydration. The Tampa Water Works Facility provides a well developed system where the water goes through many processes before distributing it to the community. We had the opportunity to take a private tour in the Tampa bay Water facility where we observed the precautions and processes that they must take to make sure the water is clean and disinfected.

We chose to place the “This is Public Health” sticker at the Tampa Water Works Facility because water is something we all need to live and in class we discussed the importance of clean water and how it is Public Health’s responsibility. Fortunately for us, one of our group member's dads conveniently works at the Tampa Water Works Facility, we then asked if it would be alright to stop by and he said it would be no problem. When we arrived he had us go through the security protocols which then we were treated with a tour of the water plant. He showed us where the river water first comes into the plant, with all the muck, and then explained where it gets shipped to the other treatment facility which is located down the road from the actual plant. That is where they actually filter it and send it back to the main plant where it comes back clear. The water is then treated with the various chemicals to sustain the water's cleanliness for us to drink.

BY: Nikole, Pranam, Noel and Brigitte

Alcohol Laws

We posted a “This is Public Health” sticker on the front door of a liquor store where it states that they ID for the purchase of any alcoholic beverage. This sign is of course referring to the law where you must be 21 to purchase alcohol in the State of Florida. The liquor store we chose was Bulls discount beverage and it is located one street over from the USF campus. This location makes purchasing alcohol extremely easy and accessible to students that are under 21. Many college students have their first alcoholic drink when they attend college and a lot of them are under 21 when this occurs. This is a public health issue because when a person becomes intoxicated, they start to make poor decisions that not only affect them selves but also everyone around them. For example, if an intoxicated person tries to drive, they are putting everyone else on the road at risk because they lose their coordination skills. To reduce the number of accidents due to drinking, public health influenced the government to set standards to protect individuals they feel cannot make responsible decisions on their own. They decided that individuals under 21 were not yet responsible enough to handle any type of alcohol. This standard was set during the 1980s (though was built up before then) to attempt to prevent alcohol related accidents to either the under 21 drinker or people around them. Even though there are laws against underage drinking, the issue of alcohol consumption still remains important in public health because people are still being killed in accidents due to alcohol.



Geena Festa, Diana Caicedo, Mary Ivory

Just 'cuz I play poker doesn't mean I'm a smoker

Everyone desires to have fun and enjoy life, whether it be a theme park, the beach or even a casino. As our group analyzed different public health issues that may be of a concern in our community, we thought of something that we all like to do and that is enjoy ourselves. However, some places like the Hard Rock Casino does not accommodate all of its guest for example those that do not spoke.

I am sure many of you have been to the casino and noticed that there seems to be people smoking everywhere and there is no separation to prevent second hand smoking. This is a public health issue because second hand smoking is the third leading cause of preventable death in this country. And it is preventable death for a reason, it can be avoided. At the Hard Rock Casino, it is not a place for non-smokers, pregnant women or people with asthma to gamble or even enjoy themselves, without participating in second hand smoking.

So this is demonstrated in our picture, where as you can see Lena and Kevin are smoking, John is a guest who does not smoke and Shanice is a pregnant women, this is to show that if this group of friends decided to take a trip to the Casino, only the smokers would be able to enjoy themselves without being at risk of second hand smoking. Hopefully our blog will help bring on awareness to promote better health and to being enlightenment to the fact that there should be a smoking and a non-smoking section in Casinos.

Lena Kamal, Shanice Irons, Kevin McCaskill, John Hewitt

The All Around Public Health Effort

Leanne and Michelle held their public health sticker in front of the Metropolitan Ministries centre. Metropolitan Ministries is a place where those in need can go and recieve help, it's basically a safety net for individuals that are much less fortunate. We chose this location because we felt it portrayed the very things public health encompasses. For the past 35 years Metropolitan Ministries have found ways to help homeless families and hungry people. Some of the services they provide are: residence services, counseling, health and nurtitional services, youth programs, sobriety recovery, employment services, money management, as well as an adult education - GED program.
Metropolitan Ministries represents many public health issues as can be seen above. The main public health issue they deal with is helping those in poverty. Although it may be difficult to notice the high amount of people in poverty there are many and Metropolitan Ministries go out of their way to help those in need. They have a great volunteer opportunity for those that are interested in helping them fight homelessness and hunger in the Tampa Bay community. With U.S health care being a problem in the U.S today they do their best to make sure that those without a living facility or care are able to live. This is important because without the many needs Mertropolitan Ministries covers, many more in the Tampa community would be suffering. Further, this is an important issue because through this organization the census bureau can count some of the homeless to include in their numbers for the population of our community. In general, Metropolitan Ministries are doing thier part to help the public health issue of homelessness and hunger.

Sanitizer Wipes: Protection From Illness

Sanitizer Wipes - Protection from Illness

Who wants to catch a cold or get a raging case of intestinal upset? Everyone is concerned with the spread of disease and germs. Protection from a future illness begins with prevention, and a good preventative measure is disinfection. We placed our "This is Public Health Sticker" on the antibacterial hand wipes bin located inside Target on Fletcher Avenue. As a group we choose this location because it makes customers more aware of what they are touching and is a way to get rid of millions of unwanted germs. Target’s free sanitizing wipes are offered at the entrance of the store, which allows customer a first line of defense to clean and disinfect their shopping cart/basket killing harmful microbes. We chose Target because not all stores carry wipes, and Target is going the extra mile to protect their customers from illness. The wipes are a public health act of prevention. If you clean and sanitize, you will lower the risk of contracting a cold/flu virus or other illnesses. According to choosingvoluntarysimplicity.com there is more bacteria on shopping carts than on public restroom toilet seats. That is even more of a reason for customers to clean their carts/basket. A lot of people shop at Target and those people are definitely at risk for contracting or spreading an illness. Target’s implementation of the wipes allow for customers to keep themselves healthy. It is nice Target gives the customers the choice to choose killing 99.9% germs over making themselves susceptible to disease.

Submitted by:

Alexandria Rezanka, Oscar Leon, Julie Volkman & Jennifer Standley

Public Health at the Grocery Store

Public health is centered around the prevention of disease and promotion of health among a population rather than an individual. However, it seems that the public is not aware of the role of public health in their lives. This has prompted the American Public Health Association to start and education campaign using the red and white stickers that say “This is Public Health.”

Our group placed our sticker on the Publix, at 53^rd street and Fowler, shopping cart sanitizer station located in the entrance to the store. Grocery stores have just recently added a place for shoppers to sanitize their carts. Shopping carts are often used but many people a day, who rarely wash their hands before grabbing their cart and starting to shop. Many people a day, including children who are notorious for spreading disease, use these shopping carts to hold their food and household items while they shop. As American’s we have learned how important it is to wash our hands, but our shopping carts may be just as important. And it seems we do not remember to wash our hands before or after grabbing onto shopping carts.

Germs from hands, leaky meat packages, and many other sources collect on shopping carts that are never washed. When you place your foods in the cart they have the opportunity to hitch a ride to your house. You then grab that box of cereal and the germs jump to your hands. One of those cereal pieces runs away from the bowl, you grab it with your germy hands and eat it. Now the germ runs rampant inside and gets you sick! If you had killed those germs in your shopping cart you may have avoided getting sick.

The public needs to be aware the public health has encouraged the grocery stores to place these stations in their stores in order to keep people from getting sick. The public now needs to be educated on the good that these wipes can bring about. Hopefully these wipes will lessen the number of American’s getting sick.

So Fresh & So Clean Clean

We placed our public health sticker in a Taco Bell restroom. We noticed that near the sink, there were many signs promoting public health. One of the signs said that the bathrooms are checked every thirty minutes and that if you are unhappy with the conditions, please report them to the staff. This sign allows for the opinions of the public to be heard and the sanitation to be changed if the cleanliness doesn't meet your expectations. Hygiene and sanitation are very important to everyone.

There was also a sticker on the soap dispenser. This sticker told the bathroom user why soap usage is important and how to properly wash your hands. The bacteria and viruses that are on the filthy surfaces can get onto your hands and then they can eventually make their way into the general public. One of the main issues in washing hands and keeping restrooms clean is so that the fecal/oral bacateria does not come into contact with your hands or face. This can lead to some nasty and embarrassing health issues.

With these signs, public health becomes the responsibility of the individual. While keeping you clean and safe, you are also keeping the next person to use the restroom clean and safe. Everyone who uses the loo and utilizes the resources availiable is not only helping themsleves, but in turn, they are helping those around them.

Kim Cannizzaro, Alysa Skok, Ila Jones, Reggie Castor

Cart Hygiene

Protect yourself while grocery shopping! Many supermarket patrons are aware of the importance of cleanliness in a food environment. The market itself is subject to several rules and regulations related to Public Health, and they increase awareness of this by giving consumers an opportunity to participate in maintaining community hygiene. For those germ phobic among us, you may be aware of the rapid growth that microbes display on a number of surfaces. This includes, but most certainly is not limited to hands, doorknobs, toilet seats, counters, keyboards, and shopping cart handles. In an attempt to minimize direct contact with microbes, cart wipes have been made available to the public. These cart wipes are placed at the entrances to the store, near a cart line.

We placed our Public Health sticker on the wipe bucket of one of these dispensers at Winn Dixie. We chose this location because it defines the most common aspect of Public Health, Prevention. Dozens of people come into contact with each cart every day so a disease has the potential to flourish in such a high traffic zone. If everyone were to wipe their carts before shopping, common ailments (or rather contagious ones) would become less frequent and community health would statistically improve. Common errands are often a vector for some diseases, and wiping down a communal cart would be one less vector to worry about. Next time you go looking for groceries, think about who else has pushed your cart down the aisle, and WIPE IT DOWN.

Chelsea, Mercedez, Shannon, Matthew

Safe Roads, Safe steps: How a few lights make a great difference

Crossing a street may seem to be a simple task, but because of the many distractions that can take a drivers attention off the road pedestrians are at risk of being hit. This is why crossing signs and all of the different traffic signals are public health. Traffic signals and crossing signs serve to protect the public, both those behind the wheel, and those on their feet from sharing streets without creating accidents, and providing clear signals to direct which kind of traffic is allowed the right of way. This is a great example of how public health and the Department of Transportation "assures" that regardless of an individuals' choice to move from place to place, we can all safely arrive at our violating these regulations also allow for the development of penalties and sanctions. This aspect is as important because it enforces the severity of violating rules that may affect an individuals' quality of life, and it maintains the steady cycle of "assessment, policy development, and assurance" that Public Health bases its field upon. Think about all of this the next time you hear the joke, "Why did the chicken cross the road" don't hurt your brain searching for an answer. Rest assured that no matter what his motive was public health has done its best to assure he got across safely.

Krista, Taujihana, Maria, Gracemarie

We need YOU to Recycle: A Better Earth

Hello fellow students! This is our Public Health post and we decided to follow the school of environmental health. We went to a Wal-mart located on Fletcher and Bruce B. Downs and decided to check out where the recycling bins are located. They are easily accesible in front of the main entrance of the building, and color coded to differentiate plastics and metals. Recycling provides reusable and ready material. This is essential because we live in a world with limited resources. Limiting the standard use of raw material versus recycled materials can prevent hazards such as global warming and desertification. Such preventative measures can avoid travesty such as tragedy of the commons. Despite being a highly individualistic society, the United States and its individuals must work in unison to maintain the stability and growth of our environment. To see that Wal-Mart follows NIOSH standards to provide proper recycling for consumers is encouraging. More companies, especially smaller business, must take preventative measures into consideration for the overall benefit of the health of our communities. In an individualistic basis individuals must be educated on recycling. Many family homes do not recycle and do not understand the benefits behind sorting their trash. In order to ensure emphasis in the increasing matter of over-using limited resources, local and state governments should emphasize further education to businesses and civilians. Regarding our limited resources, recycling has helped achieving the construction of homes, parks, and books for children. Therefore, people must always be aware of their surroundings and to be proactive in recycling and waste management.

Partners in the picture:

Nelson Rosales

Nesthana Azurin

Stanislaw Sowinski

Nutritional Facts for a Healthier You

Planet Smoothie's Menu and Nutritional Guide

Public health measures a lot of aspects in everyday such as: preventative care and a healthier lifestyle. Obesity is a growing problem in the United States and Americans are trying new ways to cut calories with the hopes of becoming a healthier nation. Businesses are looking for ways of making their products healthier for Americans, because obesity is such a large issue. Smoothies are a healthier choice you can substitute instead of an ice cream sundae. We decided to place our sticker at Planet Smoothie, located on Bruce B. Downs next to Panera Bread. The sticker is placed on a nutritional guide that provides you with nutritional facts, organic and all natural ingredients. Planet Smoothie tries to implement protein, weight loss, energy, and wellness into their products. Smoothies are a convenient way to get the nutrition and a quick energy burst for the late night studying. This location is surrounded by college students who are looking for a well balanced diet. Another plus about this location is that it is very convenient to get in and out of as well as being near a busy shopping center. Also Planet Smoothie offers free WI-FI and has nice outside seating. Planet Smoothie has calorie counters for each smoothie and according to their quick reference guide on nutrition, has recently replaced their artificial sweetener with botanical sweetener (Stevia). Smoothies aren’t the only thing you can get at Planet Smoothie they have frozen yogurt as well as protein bars and healthy snack options. This Public Health issue on obesity and getting proper nutrition is important to help maintain a healthy diet and kick start a healthier way of life.
-Marie and Tavisha
Not pictured Nathalie

Exercise can be fun!

We decided to place our “Public Health” sticker at a local playground in Lettuce Lake Park. We chose this location because we are currently living in a society where technology is everywhere we go and we spend so much of our day sitting in front of a screen. It’s becoming more and more difficult for children to find a healthy way to exercise. Our youth are being robbed of the things that came so naturally to us as children, such as the pleasure of playing in a park or in the back yard.

This represents a Public Health issue because childhood obesity is on the rise due to a sedentary lifestyle. It is also an important issue because of recent statistical data showing that there is an increasing number of children becoming extremely active in the technological world of video games and chat rooms rather than being active outside.

This issue is very important because children aren’t exactly in control of what they consume or of getting enough exercise. Parent’s have a responsibility over their children and this means making sure that they get enough exercise. By visiting a park a few times a week you can make sure that your child gets some exercise without even realizing that’s what he/she is doing. They’ll be too busy having fun to notice that they’re burning calories. Which if you think about is, exactly how it should be. Children shouldn’t have to worry about weight issues.

With busy work schedules and fast paced lifestyles, families don’t always spend enough time together. A visit to the park will give families the opportunity to enjoy family life, as well as the chance to live a healthier one by sneaking in some fitness.

Posted by: Lawanya Jeyaselvan, Andrea Martinez & Blanca Soto

Don’t be lazy; don’t park in the fire lane.

When you go to the grocery store it is tempting to pull right up in front of the store and park. Especially, when you only need to run in and grab one item. This is a major public health issue. It is important to be aware that fire lane signs are posted for a reason. This particular fire lane that we are standing in front of is located at the Publix on Fowler right across the street from the University of South Florida.

Fire lanes are important in Public Health because they offer quick access in an emergency situation. Every second counts in an emergency, such as a heart attack, stroke, or a fire. Fire Lanes insure that the fastest route possible is available. Since an emergency isn't planned it is important that these lanes are open at ALL times. Parking in a fire lane for convenience is an issue. Many people do this to save time, and energy. This saving of time and energy is incomparable to the significance of saving ones life. Incase of a fire, these lanes need to remain vacant for ample exit space. Not only is parking in a fire lane a hazard to yourself and others, but also you can be fined costly tickets for parking in this area. We depend upon public health for the safety of our community. Not parking in the fire lane promotes walking further distance, and promoting healthy behavior. Overall, fire lanes are an important factor of public health. Don’t be lazy; don’t park in the fire lane.

-Bridget, Alex, Lilly, & Amanda.

Traffic Safety Saves Lives!

The University Area Transit Center on the corner of 131st, behind the Wal-mart along Fletcher Avenue, enforces traffic safety. The University Area Transit Center is usually busy with bicycles, pedestrians, and buses so, traffic awareness is a crucial issue. The University Area Transit Center has all sorts of different people using its service, from the handicap to tiny children. There are many people that walk or bike to the center and that is dangerous when there are cars and buses that pass by on a regular basis. One way that the University Area Transit Center addressed safety for pedestrians and bikers is by placing reflectors by the side walk for parallel parking of the buses. We chose to tag the "This is Public Health" sticker under a reflector at the University Area Transit Center because it indicates a bus will park at that location. Reflectors and other traffic signals are important to public health it prevents accidents and promotes awareness of obstacles that could be otherwise harmful.

For anybody who lives in the areas surrounding USF, they would understand that traffic safety is a pressing issue. One of the ways that this problem meets to part is the placement of various reflectors along roads, signs and even bicycles. Reflectors are part of public health because they help prevent accidents by promoting reflective visibility. For example, people who bike and walk can see the reflectors indicating it is a bus stop. Drives become aware of where the sidewalk starts and can prevent them from veering off into the side walk and harming someone. Reflectors are not only placed on roads but are also useful, on sneakers of a runner, on a bike pedal, and as street dividers. In this sense, reflectors is a small part of the larger overarching system of traffic safety which has multiple components to keep drivers, pedestrian, and bikers safe.

Traffic safety is necessary because, over the years, it has decreased the number of death rate in transportation accidents. Psychologically it promotes a sense of safety and well being for people who do not use cars as their primary way of transportation. For everyday people, who do not have a car, take public transportation because of assurance of traffic safety. More and more people use public transportation as a means to their destination because of safety precautions.

Test Your Blood Pressure: A Public Health Measure: Effectiveness, Efficiency, and Equity

Public health is a societal effort to ensure wellbeing within a population. Through promotion of health and prevention of disease efforts, Public Health offers good quality of life with education, regulation, and research.

For our public health blog, we visited a CVS Pharmacy where we were able to locate a public blood pressure machine near the pharmacy waiting area. This location makes it convenient for individuals to check their blood pressure while they wait to be served. Our group decided to place the “This is Public Health” sticker near the informational guide to weight and blood pressure maintenance, called the Health Station. We chose this location due in part to the value we all place on early prevention measures to defend against hypertension which can lead to larger problems such as heart disease. Since we knew that CVS had the public blood pressure machine, we decided that it was conducive to the purpose of our project. Upon arriving at our location, we each took advantage of the machine’s availability to the public and used it to determine our own individual blood pressures. Thankfully were all in the normal range. It is extremely convenient to have access to such a machine which can serve as early detection for any abnormalities; the health guide near the machine is also a significant component to understanding the maintenance of a healthy blood pressure.

This readily available blood pressure machine is crucial to the secondary prevention stage in Public Health. It also serves the purpose of educating the community through its accessibility to all individuals regardless of their socioeconomic status. The purpose of this machine fulfills the early detection and prevention mission of Public Health. If a prehypertensive blood pressure is detected, one could potentially reduce the risk of heart disease through careful monitoring (i.e. medication). This issue is important to avoid the all too common and unfortunate complications and medical bills of heart disease. Prevention is more economical than treatment.

~Ana, Chea-Ee, Narayesi, Rosangelis

Kids "R" Us =)

When one thinks about Public Health you thinks about well being of the population, but a more stable definition of public health is the science that focuses and emphasizes prevention of diseases and illnesses through health promotion. We also tend to implement interventions in which involves treatment of the community. Public health is a very common and integral part of life itself, for if you think of anything, there is some affiliation to public health whether it is from a safety issue, health issue, policies etc.

The area we chose to put our sticker was at The University Mall. Here at the mall there is a playground for kids to enjoy themselves and this was a perfect area that exemplified Public Health. You may wonder to yourself, then how does this relate to public health? The playground is an area occupied by a population and the common population there, is children. Children tend to get sick easily due to the fact that they are actively strengthening their immunity. At the playground there are various rides and toy like objects which act as “fomites” (inanimate objects capable of spreading a disease). Children are more prone to touch themselves and put their hands in their mouths and touch other kids and so on. The chance of catching something at the playground therefore is high, and so it is important that public health measures be taken in respect to cleanliness and sanitary methods to lower the risk of spreading something.

While scoping the playground there were a few rules in regards to public health promotion. There was a sign that prohibited food, so as to keep it sanitary. There was an installed hand sanitizer stand, which provided kids with proper method of cleaning their hands, this is really important because being at the playground children emphasize their tactile sense more than anything so this was a great prevention invention. They also listed the hours that the playground was closed for, for full cleaning. This is Public Health in its entirety. Incorporating the policies and actively implementing methods that reduce the cause of diseases.