Public Health Mom

The other day at Wal Mart I saw the adviser I had for my last two semesters of school. He commented on how he wished there were more opportunities for me to use my degree in this area while Justin finishes school. I don't want to work right now because I think it's great to be a stay at home mom. And the more I thought about it, the more i realized that I do use my degree every day.

I majored in Public Health. Public Health is defined as the practice of improving and protecting health through health promotion, prevention of disease, injury and disability, and preparedness for new health threats. Let's look at some duties of a public health department:
1. the signs in bathrooms that say "Employees must wash their hands before returning to work."
2. restaurant inspections to ensure safe food prep and handling (ie: thawing, sanitizing surfaces, cooked to right temp, etc.)
3. prevention of illness aka swine flu, etc (cough/sneeze into a tissue or into your sleeve)
4. injury prevention (fit and fall proof courses for the elderly, publications on how to child proof your home)
5. mold sampling
6. pest control (insects, rats, mice, etc)
7. vaccination promotion
8. Monitor and control noise pollution
9. Promote healthy food choices
10. Promote physical activity


Now let's look at some of my duties as a mother:
1. I wash my hands about a gazillion times a day between food prep, using the restroom, changing diapers, etc.
2. I wash and sanitize food surfaces, eating utensils, and dishes.
3. I thaw food nearly everyday using appropriate methods
4. I cook food to the right temperatures using my meat thermometer
5. I get rid of mold.
6. I have ant bait, and regularly sweep to deter ant infestations
7. Not only do I have my daughter up to date on her vaccinations, but I know what each vaccination is for, the type of vaccination (toxoid, attentuated, weakened live, dead, etc), and I know what reactions to look for and the risks of getting my child immunized vs not. I also educate others on the importance of vaccinating children and help clear up their concerns.
8. I practice regular injury prevention with Katie now being able to roll over and sit up, etc.
9. I know that with my screaming child my noise exposure sometimes reaches above the permissible limits, and must do something about it to ensure hearing conservation.
10. i try to find recipes including veggies (even though I don't usually like them) and that are low in fat
11. I encourage Justin in his goal to work out, and I myself try to go walking, do sit ups and push ups.


If you ask me, public health was a perfect degree