Environmental justice in nursing practice focuses on ensuring that communities of color and low-income communities are not disproportionately burdened by environmental hazards. This concept is best described as:

• A. Environmental justice
• B. Equal rights
• C. Primary prevention
• D. Risk protection

Answer: (A)

Environmental justice centers on fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people, regardless of race, color, national origin, or income, with respect to environmental laws, policies, and enforcement. It focuses on ensuring that no community bears a disproportionate share of environmental hazards. In nursing practice, this means recognizing that communities of color and low-income communities are more likely to face pollution, unsafe housing, and other environmental risks, and advocating for policies and actions that reduce these disparities and involve affected communities in decision-making. That focus on equitable exposure to environmental risks is why this term best describes the concept. Equal rights is a broader civil-rights idea not specific to environmental burdens; primary prevention aims to prevent disease onset rather than address distribution of environmental hazards; risk protection is not the standard term used for this public-health focus.