What is the Difference Between Environmental Health and Community Health

The main difference between environmental health and community health is that environmental health focuses on the relationships between the public and the environment, while community health focuses on people and their role as determinants of their own and others’ heath.

Environmental health and community health are two branches of public health. Both branches focus on the health and well-being of people and promoting healthy and safe communities. However, there is a difference between environmental health and community health.

Key Areas Covered

1. What is Environmental Health
– Definition, Features
2. What is Community Health
– Definition, Features
3. Difference Between Environmental Health and Community Health
– Comparison of Key Differences

Key Terms

Environmental Health, Community Health, Public Health

What is Environmental Health

Environmental health is a branch of public health focusing on the relationships between the public and the environment. It promotes human health and well-being and promotes healthy and safe communities. Moreover, environmental health is an aspect of health that is impacted by chemical, biological, physical, and psychosocial factors in the environment. It is also a major part of any public health system.

Humans need a safe and healthy environment to maintain good health. Furthermore, the environment has a major impact on human health and well-being. Humans depend on the environment for energy and need environmental resources like clean air, nutritious food, safe drinking water, and safe places to live. In fact, various aspects of the environment can affect health. Environmental hazards can also increase the risk of disease. For example, unsafe drinking water can result in gastrointestinal diseases, and air pollution can result in respiratory conditions and lung cancer. Meanwhile, vectors like mosquitos and ticks cause diseases like dengue, malaria, and Rickettsial disease. It’s imperative to interpret health issues in the broader context of the environment. Therefore, fieldwork in environmental health involves policies and programs to decrease chemical and other environmental exposures in water, soil, air, and food to protect people and provide for communities.

What is Community Health

Community health is a branch of public health focusing on people and their role as determinants of their own and others’ heath. It is a key field of study within medical and clinical sciences and focuses on maintaining, protecting, and improving the health of population groups and communities. Moreover, working at the community level supports healthy living, prevents chronic diseases, and gives various health benefits to larger groups of people.

Medical work in community health has three main categories: primary, secondary, and tertiary health care. Moreover, each of these focuses on different levels and approaches to the community. Primary health care programs focus on reducing risk factors, preventing diseases, and increasing health promotion. Meanwhile, secondary health care involves administrating acute care in a hospital setting. Tertiary health care is highly specialized care that generally involves disease or disability management.

Difference Between Environmental Health and Community Health

Definition

Environmental health is a branch of public health focusing on the relationships between the public and the environment, while community health is a branch of public health focusing on people and their role as determinants of their own and others’ health.

Focus

Environmental health focuses on maintaining, protecting, and improving the health of population groups and communities, whereas community health focuses on people and their role in their own health and others’ health.

Conclusion

The main difference between environmental health and community health is that environmental health focuses on the relationships between the public and the environment, while community health focuses on people and their role as determinants of their own and others’ heath.