Preventive Medicine
Volume 114, 2018, Pages 164-167

Multi-level prevention of human trafficking: The role of health care professionals (Review)

Greenbaum V.J.* , Titchen K. , Walker-Descartes I. , Feifer A. , Rood C.J. , Fong H.-F.
  • a Stephanie V. Blank Center for Safe and Healthy Children, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, International Centre for Missing and Exploited Children, 975 Johnson Ferry Rd, NE, Ste 350, Atlanta, GA 30342, United States
  • b Children's Hospital at Montefiore, 3415 Bainbridge Ave, Bronx, NY 10467, United States
  • c Maimonides Children's Hospital at Maimonides Medical Center, 4802 Tenth Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11219, United States
  • d Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Department of Pediatrics, K.I.D.S. Hub, 1000 W. Carson St., Bldg. N-26, Torrance, CA 90502, United States
  • e University of Utah School of Medicine, Center for Safe and Healthy Families, Primary Children's Hospital, 81 N Mario Capecchi Dr, Salt Lake City, UT 84113, United States
  • f Division of General Pediatrics, Boston Children's Hospital, Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, 21 Autumn St, Boston, MA 02215, United States

Abstract

As a major public health issue, human trafficking (HT) affects individuals, families, communities, and societies around the world. A public health approach to combating HT has been advocated. Such an approach seeks to prevent HT by engaging diverse stakeholder groups in addressing risk factors at multiple levels. As a key stakeholder group, health care professionals (HCPs) play a critical role in HT prevention. Herein, we use the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Social-Ecological Model as a framework to present potential HT prevention strategies for health care professionals. As clinicians, HCPs may deliver tailored interventions to patients and families to address individual- and relationship-level risk factors for HT in the health care setting. As educators, advocates, and researchers, HCPs may collaborate across sectors to implement community- and society-level prevention strategies. Such strategies may include enhancing awareness of HT through education; advocating for local and national policies that promote community health and wellness; combating social or cultural norms that contribute to HT; and building a strong evidence-base to guide future HT prevention programs. Guided by the CDC Social-Ecological Model, we recommend that HCPs use their diverse skills to target risk factors for HT at multiple levels and thereby expand their impact in preventing this form of exploitation. © 2018 Elsevier Inc.

Author Keywords

Human trafficking Community medicine social determinants of health Child sexual abuse

Index Keywords

role playing Health Personnel education unemployment training information dissemination social norm cooperation refugee health promotion public health service sexual behavior social ecological model health care policy nonbiological model poverty health care personnel patient identification motivation human risk assessment mental health wellbeing access to information violence medical research social determinants of health priority journal substance abuse social support Professional Competence evidence based practice health program Humans migrant conceptual framework homosexuality sexism patient referral risk factor Review Child Welfare cultural factor peer group prevention and control child sexual abuse human trafficking patient education high risk behavior online system awareness health care access skill family violence crime victim anamnesis medical care teamwork health care delivery homelessness Suicide social behavior public health legal service

Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85049581095&doi=10.1016%2fj.ypmed.2018.07.006&partnerID=40&md5=613c7a310742b108527a3d6950330b73

DOI: 10.1016/j.ypmed.2018.07.006
ISSN: 00917435
Cited by: 5
Original Language: English