Health Assessment Essay

Assessment of environmental processes includes agents and factors that may cause injury, illness, or death. Choose one of the following age groups: toddler, preschool, and school-age child. List some of the most frequent causes of injuries, illness, or death at the age level. Discuss and describe safety concerns specific to the age, listing the most common causes of injury, illness (acute or chronic), trauma, and death for the age level. Describe how health promotion and health prevention interventions can be incorporated into parent and child teaching. Including in-text citations and references for each of the scholarly sources used. Respond to other learners’ posts in a manner that initiates or contributes to discussion. School-age children, face daily exposure to environmental agents and factors that may cause injury, illness, or death similar to those of all other age groups. Physical agents such as fires; mechanical agents such as bicycles, skateboards, and cars; biological agents such as bacteria; chemical agents such as asbestos; and radiological agents such as x-rays are the causes of injuries or death. Accidents are the leading cause of death in children over age 1 year in the United States. Accidents from contact sports and cuts, falls, burns, and injuries from firearms, are also increasing. Typically school-age boys have more accidents than girls, perhaps due to differences in personalities, societal expectations, child-rearing practices, and more risk-taking behaviors. Most accidents happen outdoors, and it occur mostly in summer because of outside play. The nurse has a significant role in educating parents and school personnel on ways to prevent dangers to school-age children and to become involved in public initiatives to create a safer society for them. Parents of these children must be involved in community and legislative activities that provide safe play environments. Each child should have a well-maintained bicycle, ride only in safe areas approved by parents, observe rules for vehicle traffic and use a federally approved riding helmet. Parental supervision when children play close to streets and heavy traffic areas. Children should wear a seat belt or be in age-appropriate booster seat as needed; older children should ride with restraint system and in back seat until age 12. Working smoke detectors should be in place in home and school. Children need to engage in age-appropriate activities and wear protective equipment according to the sport. Parents need to ensure safety and maintenance of all sports equipment. Children should play with friends, have a plan for returning home, know home phone number and address, play in safe and known area, and report any suspicious activity threatening their safety to an appropriate adult. Children should know how to locate assistance when in an unsafe situation. Children should avoid insecticides, radiation sources, inappropriate use of medications, and pollution sources; parents need to store all known toxins, chemicals, and household cleaning agents in an adequately ventilated location that is unreachable to children. Edelman, Mandle. Health Promotion Throughout the Life Span, 7th Edition.