Environmental pediatrics: An introduction and evaluation of online resources

Abstract

Introduction: The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that three million children under the age of 5 die annually from environmentally related disease. In the United States, the cost of environmentally related public health concerns is estimated as greater than $55 billion. Environmental exposure is among parents' top health concerns for children. Yet, the study of the effects of environmental exposure on health outcomes is a developing field, and clinicians feel inadequately prepared to address these concerns. The Children's Environmental Health Clinic (ChEHC) is the first clinic of its kind in Canada. Their website includes a list of online resources on major topics related to child health and the environment. There has not yet been an objective evaluation of the comprehensiveness of the topics or scientific quality of the information on the website. This study seeks to offer an accessible introduction to the field of environmental pediatrics, including an online resource for evidence- based information on key topics in the field. These resources assist in disease prevention, health promotion, education, and the increasing need to balance environmental health risks. Methods: A scoping review of scientific and gray literature in the field of environmental pediatrics was performed to inform a written introduction to the field and to identify gaps in the content of the ChEHC website. The content of the ChEHC website was then objectively evaluated using the National Network of Libraries of Medicine checklist for health websites. Results: Ten categories within the field of environmental pediatrics emerged from the literature review. A small number of gaps were identified on the website and in the literature. The content of the ChEHC website was found to be of high quality. Future directions: The website will be updated using the results of the study as a guide, to make it as relevant, complete, and evidence-based as possible. Conclusions: Environmental pediatrics is an important, emerging topic. There is a need for accessible, evidencebased pediatric environmental health resources for clinicians and the general public. The products of this study (a publication and website) respond to that need and thus assist in disease prevention and health promotion.