It has been learned that a particular industry has vastly polluted the surrounding neighborhood. Which action would most likely be taken by those living in the neighborhood?

Correct Answer: B

Rationale: Residents may be unwilling to disrupt family ties and cultural roots to start over elsewhere, or they may be unable to afford to move. Residents are revictimized by the difficulty in obtaining compensation. Attempting to shut the industry down, seeking reimbursement for the hazard exposure, and immediately moving to a different neighborhood are all costly interventions and in most cases cannot be easily accomplished by most residents.

Correct Answer: B

Rationale: Solid waste landfills accumulate methane gas, a byproduct of decomposing organic wastes. Without proper venting, this volatile gas can move through soil and cause fires and explosions in nearby areas. Waste incineration is not the best solution because it causes particulate air pollution. Illegal dumping of garbage and purchasing additional land for more landfills are concerns related to the disposal of trash from private residents, but methane gas explosions is of primary concern.

Correct Answer: B

Rationale: By placing responsibility for the cause and cure of health problems exclusively on the individuals, the belief is reinforced that all individuals are free to control their lives. Such a perspective absolves society, government, industry, and business from accountability. Research suggests that changing individual behaviors does not lead to significant reductions in overall morbidity and morality in the absence of basic social, economic, and political changes. Thus, the nurse must include information in the presentation that addresses the need to improve air quality.

Correct Answer: D

Rationale: Participatory action research calls for nurses, community members, and other resource people to work together in identifying health problems, designing the studies, collecting and analyzing the data, disseminating the results, and posing solutions to the problems. The research process (use of control groups, randomization, and using a predetermined hypothesis) is part of participatory action research.

Correct Answer: C

Rationale: The National Center for Environmental Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the American Public Health Association have established three core competencies for Environmental Health professionals: (1) assessment, (2) management, and (3) communication. Assurance, policy development, and advocacy are not part of the core environmental health competencies.