Environmental education and healthy housing as strategies for the prevention of COVID-19 at the household level.

Abstract

Context: The COVID-19 is the most recent global health concern that affects human health mainly the respiratory system with more than 170 million people affected by the virus worldwide. Also, Latin America has been emerging as an epicenter of contagion, and transmission is gradually increasing among the communities in each of the countries analyzed. The infection of more than 30 million people in Latin America supposes the construction of new models and habits of public health that promote attitudes to reduce the number of cases and mortality. Method: A proposal was defined based on three frameworks and models—the principle of healthy housing promoted by the Panamerican Health Organization, the four types of knowledge transfer without memorization proposed by the OECD, and the theory of social constructivism (in which knowledge is built from a present reality). This proposal is aims to help a community to understand the health risks present at home so that they can prevent the spread of the virus COVID-19 through the use of good practices. Results: The proposal shows categorized risk factors at home that increase the possibility of contagion of COVID- 19 and getting infected; also, it presents possible solutions to these factores, which focus on good practices of healthy housing to improve habitability and prevent diseases that also allow the virus to spread. Conclusions: It is necessary to implement strategies that humanize public health problems and that in turn include the knowledge that the field of engineering can contribute to solve these problems. In addition, these strategies must emerge from practical work focused on the community. An example of this is the proposal for good practices for healthy housing to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus.

What are the valuable lessons from global research on environmental literacy in the last two decades? A systematic literature review

“…EL encourages students' environmental perceptions to shift to ecocentric and leave anthropocentric (Weilhoefer & Schmits, 2022). We can say that EE, which has so far been implemented flexibly even during a pandemic, has been able to strengthen aspects of EE (Assaf & Gan, 2021;Brandão & de Souza, 2021;Grežo et al, 2021;Khalifé et al, 2022;Torres Parra et al, 2022). The pandemic period has made many parties aware that EE and EL are so important and should be the concern and commitment of the global community (Benítez et al, 2019;Edsand & Broich, 2020;Marpa, 2020;Reddy, 2021).…”

Evaluation of the Impact of Informal Settlements on the Physical and Mental Health of Residents—Case Study Santa Marta—Bogotá, Colombia

“…During this tour, it became evident first hand that the problems observed by the team and those expressed verbally by the community should be categorized into two types of variables; dependent variables are those that are studied and measured based on the manipulation or variation in independent variables, which are those that have a direct effect on the dependent variable [37]. Therefore, for the development of this day of recognition and categorization of the dependent and independent variables, the work team relied on the methodology of [38], which aimed to collect data in the field presenting a series of variables and indicators organized in such a way that the territories could be categorized at the urban level considering three degrees of evaluation: precarious, consolidated, and semi-consolidated [38].…”

“…Therefore, after identifying and defining the dependent and independent variables, the indicators to be evaluated were proposed during another day of field work with the same groups of students and community. The 31 proposed indicators were designed in two workshops in the subject of the Community Development Project, where, with the groups of students, the means of verification in the field were constructed and defined to categorize the territory in what was considered a precarious territory, which, according to [38], is characterized by its high conditions of informality in its occupation, and the availability, access, and quality are difficult for its inhabitants in terms of: open physical spaces, permanent and temporary lodging, commerce, endowment use, recreation and sports, cultural, furniture, mobility, and comfort.…”

The existence of environmental education in the COVID-19 pandemic: A systematic literature review

“…Environmental education innovations and studies that have sprung up as an effort to survive amid the COVID-19 crisis/pandemic in 2020 will then be published in the following years. Various existing publications, with trends that tend to increase, provide an overview of how people's responses are to be sure environmental education must be flexible so that it can exist and continue even under the pressure of a pandemic (Assaf & Gan, 2021;Brandão & de Souza, 2021;Grežo et al, 2021;Khalifé et al, 2022;Torres Parra et al, 2022). This is also supported by the fact that environmental education has become a theme of concern and commitment to the global community (Benítez et al, 2019;Edsand & Broich, 2020;Marpa, 2020;Reddy, 2021).…”

“…Researchers, practitioners and actors in the field of environmental education must also be responsive to the challenges of learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. COVID-19 also has a real impact on the implementation of environmental education (Assaf & Gan, 2021;Brandão & de Souza, 2021;Grežo et al, 2021;Guerra et al, 2023;Servant-Miklos, 2022;Torres Parra et al, 2022). A study is needed regarding the implementation of environmental education according to the needs, expectations and demands of the COVID-19 pandemic era.…”