ADVANCEMENT OF THE PRACTICE
Open Access
SPECIAL REPORT
Performance Indicators Corresponding to the Critical Competencies in Children’s Environmental Health
Michelle Del Rio, MPH, PhD School of Public Health, Indiana University Patricia Lasley, MPH School of Public Health, University of Illinois at Chicago
and informal training programs about the required knowledge, skills, and abilities for practicing in this field. In March 2023, 12 critical competencies in children’s environmental health were pro- posed by the Children’s Environmental Health Curriculum work group, which is part of the Children’s Environmental Health Commit- tee, a joint committee of the American Public Health Association’s (APHA) Environment Section and Maternal and Child Health Sec- tion (Del Rio et al., 2023). The work group is an example of the ongoing partnership between environmental health and maternal child health fields to coalesce expertise from both fields to address environmental topics (e.g., climate change) that a ect children’s health during all stages of life, from precon- ception on. The cross-sector collaboration between the two sections of APHA has been recognized as a model to strengthen these e orts (Trousdale et al., 2023). Members of the work group have expertise in maternal and child health, environmental health sciences, environmental engineer- ing, and environmental pediatrics. Propos- ing competency-based training for children’s environmental health professionals was the first step toward achieving consensus on the training and models. Complementary train- Lindsay Tallon, MSPH, PhD, CPH Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences Jean-Marie Kauth, MPH, PhD Benedictine University Gina Bare, RN National Environmental Health Association Leyla McCurdy, MPhil American Public Health Association Children’s Environmental Health Committee Ruth A. Etzel, MD, PhD The George Washington University
)8tra*t According to the World Health Organization, a clean, safe, and healthy environment is essential for children to develop and thrive. Environmental insults to human health and well-being take on many forms, including environmental contaminants, lack of sanitation, socioeconomic concerns, and climate change factors—to which children are at heightened vulnerability. Supportive interventions in children’s environmental health will aect not only the future lives of children but also the lives of families and communities. Translating knowledge to action provides a path forward in eorts to protect children. The 12 critical competencies developed by Del Rio et al. (2023) outlined an interdisciplinary approach to grappling with environmental health threats to children. These associated performance indicators map the proficiencies needed for competent performance in the public health sector and accurate assessment of environmental threats to children’s health. The performance indicators for each critical competency were developed and intended as a guide for education and training. Keywords: curriculum development, competency-based education, evalua- tion, training, maternal and child health, environmental health
Introduction Children have increased vulnerability and can develop short- and long-term adverse physical and mental health e ects after envi- ronmental exposures, disasters, and emer- gencies (Clayton et al., 2023; Etzel & Land- rigan, 2024). The World Health Organization (WHO, 2017, 2024) estimated that nearly 1.7 million deaths worldwide in children <5 years could be prevented by improving children’s physical, social, and built environments. For these reasons, leading worldwide organiza- tions—such as WHO, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the United Nations Environment Programme, and U.S.
federal agencies such as the Centers for Dis- ease Control and Prevention (CDC), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA), and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)—recognize chil- dren’s environmental health as essential to protecting the health and well-being of chil- dren and the environment (Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, 2022; HUD, n.d; UNICEF, n.d.; United Nations Commit- tee on the Rights of the Child, 2023; United Nations Environment Programme, 2021; U.S. EPA, 2024; WHO, 2011, 2024). There is, however, currently no consensus among pub- lic health students, professionals, and formal
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Volume 86 • Num)er 10
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