Target Audience

Des Moines University faculty, staff, and students.

Presentations

The importance of establishing age friendly communities in global populations
Clarissa Dahm DO‘24

There is no question that people are living longer. With the rapid increase in older adults in our communities we must adapt to meet their needs and foster an environment in which they can thrive. During my time with PAHO we inspired cities to implement techniques that were conducive to the aging community at a global scale. By educating communities on what they can do to support their older adults we substantially increase the quality of life of this population

Green Spaces and Human Health: How communities can incorporate urban green spaces to improve human health, encourage active transportation, and adapt to climate change
Cole Wesselman DO‘23

Green spaces are often created to promote recreational activity or improve the beauty of the surrounding urban environment. Parks and other areas partially or completely covered by vegetation are incorporated into urban areas as part of land-use planning but offer more than just aesthetic improvements. The built environment, which includes green spaces, can play a large part in the human and climate health of a community. Decreased physical activity and climate change affect human health in many ways, including respiratory health, mental illness, heat illnesses, and obesity. This Story Map describes the health benefits of creating urban green spaces, promoting local active transportation, and how green spaces help communities adapt to climate change.

Zoonotic Diseases in Aquaculture for the National Climate Assessment 5 Using OneHealth principles
Alexandra Arnold DPM‘24

I spent the summer working on looking at a list of zoonotic diseases and created a table using the method of transfer, the health impact on humans, the impact on other species, and does it affect freshwater or marine life. We focused my project on marine animal life. Finally, I was also responsible for creating a bibliography for the at least 10 different articles on my literature review.