Health Ecology

The main goal of the course is to develop an adequate level of understanding of epidemiological principles with a special emphasis on the epidemiological methods useful in terms of solving health problems related to professional exposure and the exposure to the polluted environment. This issue will be presented through numerous cases illustrating the epidemiological principles in determining the level of exposure load in humans and the strategies for reducing it. Students develop the ability to critically evaluate epidemiological methods, as well as the ability to transfer theoretical knowledge into practice while solving health problems related to environmental pollution.

Prequisite knowledge in the fields of biostatistical methods, risk factors related to professional exposure and exposure in the environment, general approaches in health science is recommended, as well as the knowledge of the basics of biology and chemistry.

• Environmental factors affecting health
• Cancer as an example of an environment-related disease
• Radiation as an example of a physical health-affecting factor
• General approach to environmental epidemiology
• Epidemiological criteria
• Descriptive epidemiology
• Analytical epidemiology
• Basic biostatistic factors,
• Varioation and bias
• Understanding epidemiological literature
• Exposure determination
• Methods and approaches to reducing exposure
• Review of health approaches in environment
• Epidemiology case studies
• Selected examples of agents
• Risk assessment
• Limiting risks
• Learning the fundamentals of international ethical principles

Students will be able to use adequate epidemiological methods for solving health problems related to environmental issues. They will be able to assess the exposure load in humans and develop and present the strategies for reducing it.

• R. S. Greenberg, R. S., Daniels, F. W. Flanders, J. W. Eley, J. R. Boring: Medical Epidemiology, Appleton & Lange, East Norwalk, 1993. E-version
• G. D. Friedman: Primer of Epidemiology, 4th Edition, McGraw-Hill, New York, 1994. E-version
• Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, National Institute of Health: Case Studies in Environmental Medicine, Washington. E-version
• A. Yassi, T. deKok, T. Guidotti, T. Kjellstrom: Basic Environmental Health – A textbook produced by the World Health Organization in collaboration with UNESCO, CRE and UNEP, 1997.
• Environmental Protection Agency E-version
• Ministrstvo za okolje in prostor E-version
• European Environment Agency E-version

• Written examination (100 %)

Adjunct professor dr. Marko Vudrag in rank of assistant professor, habilitated in the field of »health and environment« at the University of Nova Gorica.

1.01 Original science article

1. BIZJAK, Tine, NOVAK, Rok, VUDRAG, Marko, KUKEC, Andreja, KONTIĆ, Branko. Evaluating the success of Slovenia's policy on the health of children and adolescents : results of an audit. International Journal of Public Health. Nov. 2020, vol. 65, iss. 8, str. 1225-1234. ISSN 1661-8556. https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s00038-020-01432-0.pdf, DOI: 10.1007/s00038-020-01432-0. [COBISS.SI-ID 23119875], [JCR, SNIP, WoS do 1. 5. 2022: št. citatov (TC): 1, čistih citatov (CI): 0, čistih citatov na avtorja (CIAu): 0,00, Scopus do 22. 4. 2022: št. citatov (TC): 1, čistih citatov na avtorja (CIAu): 0,00]
   financer: Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Marie Skłodowska-Curie Grant Slovenian Research Agencies, 766251, Young researchers
2. FAFANGEL, Mario, CASSINI, Alessandro, COLZANI, Edoardo, KLAVS, Irena, GRGIČ-VITEK, Marta, UČAKAR, Veronika, MUEHLEN, Marion, VUDRAG, Marko, KRAIGHER, Alenka. Estimating the annual burden of tick-borne encephalitis to inform vaccination policy, Slovenia, 2009 to 2013. Eurosurveillance. [Online ed.]. 2017, vol. 22, iss. 16, str. 1-7. ISSN 1560-7917. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5404479/pdf/eurosurv-22-30509.pdf, DOI: 10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2017.22.16.30509. [COBISS.SI-ID 63382019], [JCR, SNIP]
3. ROBNIK LEVART, Monika, HOVNIK-KERŠMANC, Marjetka, ŽERJAL, Živa, SUČIĆ VUKOVIĆ, Marina, PAVLIČ, Helena, STANOJEVIĆ-JERKOVIĆ, Olivera, RANFL, Martin, PAPIĆ, Jasmina, VUDRAG, Marko, IVARTNIK, Matej, GABRIJELČIČ BLENKUŠ, Mojca. Izzivi staranja po mnenju deležnikov v posameznih slovenskih regijah = The challenges of ageing according to stakeholders in individual Slovenian regions. Javno zdravje. 2017, vol. 1, št. 1, str. 23-33. ISSN 2591-0906. http://www.nijz.si/sites/www.nijz.si/files/uploaded/robnik_et_al._jz_01-04.pdf, http://www.dlib.si/details/URN:NBN:SI:DOC-80A26XCB. [COBISS.SI-ID 4062949]
4. FAFANGEL, Mario, CASSINI, A., COLZANI, Edoardo, KLAVS, Irena, GRGIČ-VITEK, Marta, UČAKAR, Veronika, MUEHLEN, Marion, VUDRAG, Marko, KRAIGHER, Alenka. Estimating the annual burden of tick-borne encephalitis to inform vaccination policy, Slovenia, 2009 to 2013. Eurosurveillance. [Online ed.]. 20. Apr. 2017, vol. 22, iss. 16, str. 1-7. ISSN 1560-7917. http://www.eurosurveillance.org/ViewArticle.aspx?ArticleId=22778, DOI: 10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2017.22.16.30509. [COBISS.SI-ID 3940837], [JCR, SNIP, WoS do 1. 6. 2023: št. citatov (TC): 12, čistih citatov (CI): 11, čistih citatov na avtorja (CIAu): 1,22, Scopus do 27. 7. 2023: št. citatov (TC): 17, čistih citatov (CI): 16, čistih citatov na avtorja (CIAu): 1,78]
5. FAFANGEL, Mario, UČAKAR, Veronika, VUDRAG, Marko, BERCE, Ingrid, KRAIGHER, Alenka. A five site Clostridium perfringens food-borne outbreak : a retrospective cohort study = Izbruh okužb s Clostridium perfringens, prenesenih s hrano, na petih lokacijah : retrospektivna kohortna raziskava. Zdravstveno varstvo : Slovenian journal of public health. [Tiskana izd.]. 2015, letn. 54, št. 1, str. 51-57, ilustr., tabele. ISSN 0351-0026. http://www.degruyter.com/view/j/sjph.2015.54.issue-1/sjph-2015-0007/sjph-2015-0007.xml?format=INT, http://www.dlib.si/details/URN:NBN:SI:doc-5EXHVTM1, DOI: 10.1515/sjph-2015-0007. [COBISS.SI-ID 3292133], [JCR, SNIP, WoS do 14. 4. 2023: št. citatov (TC): 4, čistih citatov (CI): 4, čistih citatov na avtorja (CIAu): 0,80, Scopus do 10. 4. 2023: št. citatov (TC): 4, čistih citatov (CI): 4, čistih citatov na avtorja (CIAu): 0,80]
6. VUDRAG, Marko, KOSTNAPFEL, Tatja, VEGNUTI, Miljana. Mesothelioma risk associated with asbestos production in Slovenia. Arhiv za higijenu rada i toksikologiju. [Print ed.]. 2010, letn. 61, št. 152, str. 45-52. ISSN 0004-1254. DOI: 10.2478/10004-1254-61-2010-1939. [COBISS.SI-ID 26927833], [JCR, SNIP, WoS do 20. 1. 2018: št. citatov (TC): 1, čistih citatov (CI): 1, čistih citatov na avtorja (CIAu): 0,33, Scopus do 30. 1. 2022: št. citatov (TC): 2, čistih citatov (CI): 2, čistih citatov na avtorja (CIAu): 0,67]

1.02 Review scientific article

1. KOSTNAPFEL, Tatja, BERGER, Tatjana, VUDRAG, Marko. Zdravje za Zasavje - od podrobnejše analize okolja in zdravja v Zasavski regiji do odpravljanja razlik v zdravju : predstavitev rezultatov projekta. Isis : glasilo Zdravniške zbornice Slovenije. [Tiskana izd.]. 1. nov. 2012, leto 21, št. 11, str. 30-34. ISSN 1318-0193. [COBISS.SI-ID 30240985]
2. VUDRAG, Marko, BOŠTJANČIČ, Darja. Globalna kemizacija - izziv javnemu zdravju = Global chemisation - a major public health challenge. Zdravstveno varstvo : Slovenian journal of public health. [Tiskana izd.]. 2007, letn. 46, št. 1, str. 29-39. ISSN 0351-0026. http://www.ivz.si/javne_datoteke/vestniki/datoteke/163-Vudrag.pdf, http://www.dlib.si/details/URN:NBN:SI:DOC-AEX6F5CH. [COBISS.SI-ID 1754085]
3. FILIPIČ, Metka, FATUR, Tanja, VUDRAG, Marko. Molecular mechanisms of cadmium-induced mutagenicity. Human and experimental toxicology. 2006, vol. 25, no. 2, str. 67-77. ISSN 0960-3271. [COBISS.SI-ID 1570789], [JCR, SNIP, WoS do 24. 2. 2023: št. citatov (TC): 114, čistih citatov (CI): 114, čistih citatov na avtorja (CIAu): 38,00, Scopus do 31. 3. 2023: št. citatov (TC): 130, čistih citatov (CI): 130, čistih citatov na avtorja (CIAu): 43,33]

1.04 Professional article

1. VUDRAG, Marko. Kako bo konceptualna revolucija v medicini odpravila oboje, preventivo in kurativo. Isis : glasilo Zdravniške zbornice Slovenije. [Tiskana izd.]. jul. 2020, leto 29, št. 7, str. 37-39. ISSN 1318-0193. http://online.pubhtml5.com/agha/rhmm/#p=37. [COBISS.SI-ID 23934467]
2. VUDRAG, Marko. O soodvisnosti umora zdravnika v Izoli in odstavljanja ministrice ali Kako preprečiti kolaps sistema zdravstvenega varstva v Sloveniji. Isis : glasilo Zdravniške zbornice Slovenije. [Tiskana izd.]. 2016, letn. 25, št. 10, str. 36-37. ISSN 1318-0193. [COBISS.SI-ID 3729381]
3. SUŠANJ, Damjana, VUDRAG, Marko. Društvo Goriška proti raku. Poročilo o delu Zveze slovenskih društev in regijskih društev za boj proti raku : za leto ... 2014, str. 60-62. ISSN 1318-4881. [COBISS.SI-ID 3549413]
4. FAGANEL, Mario, VUDRAG, Marko. Tigrasti komarji : ali je tujerodna vrsta komarjev le tvegana za našo populacijo. Enboz. jun.-jul. 2011, letn. 1, št. 6-7, str. 12-17. ISSN 2232-3139. http://www.ivz.si/enboz. [COBISS.SI-ID 2537701]
5. VUDRAG, Marko. Kako preko strategij javnega zdravja ter "okolja in zdravja" do dobrega zakona o zdravstveni dejavnosti. Isis : glasilo Zdravniške zbornice Slovenije. [Tiskana izd.]. avgust/september 2010, letn. 19, št. 8/9, str. 34-37. ISSN 1318-0193. [COBISS.SI-ID 27377625]
6. ZUPANC, D., KRALJ, Leonida, VUDRAG, Marko. Poti do zmanjšanja groženj zdravju. Razvoj : časopis Regionalnega centra za razvoj Zagorje. [Tiskana izd.]. 2007, letn. 9, št. 3, str. 14. ISSN 1581-9957. [COBISS.SI-ID 23314649]
7. VUDRAG, Marko. Speča nevarnost. Zdravje. [Tiskana izd.]. 2007, letn. 29, št. 327, str. 26-27. ISSN 0351-5621. [COBISS.SI-ID 23404249]
8. VUDRAG, Marko. Še vedno 'visi' nad nami. Zdravje. [Tiskana izd.]. 2007, letn. 29, št. 328, str. 23-25. ISSN 0351-5621. [COBISS.SI-ID 23404505]