Using art and story to explore how primary school students in rural Tanzania understand planetary health: a qualitative analysis

Authors

Elizabeth VanWormer, University of Nebraska - LincolnFollow
Jesca Mlawa, University of Nebraska- Lincoln
Elizabeth Komba, University of Nebraska - Lincoln
Christopher Gustafson, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
Hilda Mrema, University of Nebraska - Lincoln
Jenny M. Dauer, University of Nebraska - LincolnFollow

Document Type

Article

Date of this Version

5-28-2018

Citation

www.thelancet.com/planetary-health 18

Comments

The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an Open Access article under the CC BY 4.0 license.

Abstract

Background The global planetary health community increasingly recognises the need to prepare students to investigate and address connections between environmental change and human health. As we strive to support education on planetary health themes for students of all ages, understanding students’ concepts of linkages between the health of people and animals, and their shared environments might advance educational approaches. Children living in villages bordering Ruaha National Park in Iringa Region, Tanzania, have direct experience of these connections as they share a water-stressed but biodiverse environment with domestic animals and wildlife. Livelihoods in these villages depend predominantly on crop and livestock production, including extensive pastoralist livestock keeping. Through qualitative research, we aim to explore and describe Tanzanian primary school students’ understanding of connections between human health and the environment.