Date of Award

January 2024

Document Type

Open Access Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Public Health (MPH)

Department

School of Public Health

First Advisor

Caroline C. Johnson

Second Advisor

Nicole N. Deziel

Abstract

AbstractThe study seeks to understand the relationship between key PFAS contaminants and their potential to cause cancer in the United States. It also aims to find out how different PFAS exposures affect different types of cancer and how food can increase or decrease the risk of getting cancer. The study used secondary data from the government and other reliable sources. The process looked at PFAS exposure, food malnutrition, and cancer rates in the population by using both descriptive and inferential statistics. After looking at socio-economic factors and their health effects on the public, the results showed that PFOS, PFHxS, and PFOA are the most common types of environmental pollutants. In urban areas, these contaminants are negatively linked to undernutrition. There was no significant link between PFAS exposure and thyroid, prostate, or non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, but there were weak links found in breast, ovary, and bladder cancer. This link suggests that PFAS has a complex effect on the incidence of cancer. The study also showed that diet, especially not eating enough fruit, plays a big role in the risk of getting cancer. In conclusion, the study says that a multifaceted plan to prevent cancer that includes improving diet and lowering environmental pollution should be used. This is because the links between eating habits, environmental pollution, and cancer development are complicated.

Comments

This is an Open Access Thesis.

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