Health Science Inquiry (Journal)
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Evaluating limitations of current policies addressing climate change-induced food insecurity: A narrative review in the context of late menarche in African females
Get PDFMenarche is a critical developmental milestone signalling the onset of female reproductive function. Food insecurity, induced by climate change, has contributed to irregularities in menarcheal age, which has been linked to potential harmful disease outcomes. Specifically, the incidence of a late menarcheal age has been observed in Africa. Various climate impacts, influenced by existing socio-economic conditions, cause Africa to be disproportionately impacted in the incidence of late menarche in adolescent females. This narrative review aimed to examine existing policies impacting health risks associated with late menarche, that are a consequence of climate change-induced food insecurity. Potential policy solutions included the utilization of renewable energy sources, climate-smart agriculture initiatives, and social cash transfer programs. These policies were appraised relative to the African context; barriers to successfully implementing these policies were found such as misalignment of governance objectives, limited financial evaluation, lack of contextual considerations during policy design, and the inability to foresee unintended consequences. These insights highlighted the importance of contextual factors, trade-offs, and contingencies when creating such policies and were used to inform suggested future directions for policy frameworks
Understanding the impacts of climate change on the Northern Inuit community
Get PDFhe increasing rate of anthropogenic climate change has a serious impact on weather and temperature, wildlife and vegetation patterns, and food and water availability. The dramatic effects of climate change are also experienced by the Indigenous communities of the North, making them the primary victims of this existential global health threat. While it is recognized that climate change can cause emotional and mental distress to a general population, the effects of climate have significant impacts on the Northern Inuit community who use the land to hunt, harvest, and practice their cultural beliefs. With the Indigenous population already at a higher risk and susceptibility to health disparities, climate change is an additional factor that further exacerbates the land-based relationality. Inuit mental health relies on the stability of land-based associations which allows the community to connect with their ancestors, nature, and history. A disconnect in relationality to the land, an involuntary diminishment of important cultural ties, and relocation are all involuntary environmental stressors that were thrust onto Indigenous communities due to climate change. While the impacts of climate change may contribute to re-traumatization, stress, and negative mental health, there is also strength found within the changes which demonstrate cultural resiliency. This paper aims to understand the impacts of climate change on the Indigenous communities of the north, with a key focus on Inuit mental health and land-based relationality within Inuit mental health
Curricular nature-based learning in higher education to support mental and environmental health
Get PDFThe relationship between human health and nature is increasingly recognized in diverse health science and environmental disciplines, demonstrating the fundamental interdisciplinary connection between humans and the natural environments we live in. Human-nature connectedness and a positive human-nature relationship have positive effects on mental health and well-being, and environmental benefits in the form of proenvironmental attitudes and behaviours, including environmental stewardship. However, nature deterioration associated with the climate crisis can directly and indirectly negatively impact human health, including mental health. The complex interconnections between mental health and nature in the context of the climate crisis, require a broad interdisciplinary perspective to understand the diverse elements contributing to and stemming from the global climate crisis. Yet, it is unrealistic for an individual person or even a community to address the entirety of the problem. Instead, individuals and communities should focus on implementing meaningful changes on a smaller local scale, which can be adapted and expanded for systemic implementation. One potential strategy is through education. There is strong evidence to support the mental health and environmental benefits of outdoor education, nature-based learning, and nature-based experiences, but these models focus on restricted age groups and may have considerable barriers to access. In this paper, we offer suggestions to empower individuals to make meaningful positive changes in their local environments for their own mental health, with the hope it will act as a path towards systemic change through embedding a model of curricular nature-based learning into education systems, including higher education
Trends in youth climate change research highlight strengths and areas of improvement in canadian STEM outreach programs
Get PDFClimate change research and environmental activism are critical to the long-term health and safety of all people. Canadian populations face considerable risk from events such as coastal erosion, forest fires, droughts, and more. Youth climate activism is experiencing a zeitgeist which may positively impact research in this area. This paper explores publication trends in the Canadian Science Fair Journal to explore the locations, age groups, research topics and other key factors of science fair reports published between 2018 and 2022. From this analysis, we conclude that Canadian youth are keenly aware of how their research can generate solutions to climate change, and that they approach the issue from many perspectives. However, efforts must be made to further mobilize specific provinces, provide avenues for entrepreneurship, and increase networking to foster the next generation of Canadian climate scientists
Western Canada’s 2021 heatwave will happen again: Why we need to better protect older adults
Get PDFThe sweltering heat experienced by Canadians during the 2021 heatwave in western Canada is a stark reminder that climate change is not just some far-off problem. It is already here, and we are already reeling from its impacts. Previously thought to be a once-in-a-millennium event, extreme events like this one could occur with a frequency of once every five to ten years. Compared to the rest of the population, older adults – an increasingly large share of the Canadian population – are more susceptible to heat-related trauma because of impaired thermoregulatory responses from aging and other chronic conditions. The compounded effect of climate change and an increasingly older population will necessitate that we expand the availability of health resources and the capacity of health systems in response to these stressors. Our current health care funding mechanisms, as they stand, do not address either of these problems. This commentary explores how the increasing frequency and intensity of temperature extremes impact older adults at both an individual and health systems level. Climate-related stressors in an aging demographic will require that we redefine health resilience – including a serious conversation about health systems resources – and how we currently operationalize it in the Canadian context
Perspective: The need for interdisciplinary solutions to climate change exemplified by harmful algal blooms
Get PDFIt is generally understood that climate change is both a threat to health and a complex problem that requires accordingly complex solutions. In this commentary piece, I discuss the causes for and health implications of harmful algal blooms (HABs). I describe the effects that these blooms have on communities across Canada, especially in the Northern regions with particular focus on Indigenous communities who experience disproportionate harms due to HABs. I then examine Arctic Canada as a case study to motivate an interdisciplinary approach to understanding HABs which spans disciplines and knowledge systems. In doing this, I hope to illustrate the point that the causes and effects of HABs pose a problem too large to adequately address through any one field of study because of the complex and nebulous factors involved. Thus, the examination of this problem through alternative disciplines, ways of thinking, and world views, otherwise known as a “One Health”, collaborative, or trans-disciplinary approach, is warranted
