Hey Mamma!
I'm so excited to travel to London and Paris this summer on the study abroad program with UF. I'm getting ready to leave for London and can't wait to explore the city and imagine what it was like for you to go here alone at age 19 without speaking English and starting school. When you took me to London in 2017, I became sick and was in a wheelchair, but I will be returning now with my health fully recovered, and I plan on running in London as I have with every new city I have visited since I got my health back and could walk again. I'm excited to be in a walkable city and see how that impacts the health of the people living in London. I can't wait to give you updates along the way!
Love - Jóhanna

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Hello Mamma and Pabbi,

As someone that is not from the U.S., I have observed that America is the only developed nation in the world that does not have free healthcare, which is a huge social determinant of health for Americans. I'm very thankful for the free healthcare and education we have here in Iceland and the majority of Europe, which is a huge social determinant of health for us Icelanders and Europeans. This variance impacts healthcare in that some Americans are not able to afford to go to the doctor or to buy necessary medication, whereas in Europe, people do not need to choose between receiving the healthcare that they need and affording to provide for their family.

Love - Jóhanna

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Hello Mamma and Pabbi, 

The main difference I notice between London and Paris vs. the US is that both European countries have universal health care, which America does not. Since I am not American and do not live in America, I cannot fully understand why this is, just as Americans cannot fully understand nuanced differences in healthcare practices between France and Iceland. The individualism in America is very foreign to me, but perhaps this is why they do not see health care as a human right. Another difference is that Brittan does not overdiagnose like Americans tend to do. This is also true for France. For example, if a woman has breast cancer, the French will do everything within their power to preserve the breast and only resort to removing it as a last resort, which is quite different from Americans, as they tend to favor procedure much more than both London and Paris. 

Love - Jóhanna

Hello Mamma and Pabbi, 

I went to the St. Paul's Cathedral today, and it was beautiful. However, it made me think about how it plays a role in health in London. Catholics prohibit abortions, which can have detrimental effects on health when those procedures are necessary for protecting the health of the mother. Beond that, women should be able to choose what they do to their bodies, which they fortunately can here in the UK, but they might not be able to do it if they are Catholic. 

Love - Jóhanna

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Hello Mamma and Pabbi, 

I went to the botanical gardens today and saw the beautiful nature. I noticed this sign thought that was advocating for the importance of plants and their crucial role in our environment. As Icelanders, we know better than anyone the effects that global warming has had on our planet, as we have already lost the first glacier to global warming in Iceland. I hope that people start taking these matters seriously and realize just how important environmental health is. 

Love - Jóhanna

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Hello Mamma and Pabbi, 

What I have noticed about nutrition in Europe is that the food proportions are much smaller and that there are not as many harmful chemicals in the food as compared to the US. Being from Iceland, we notice the added chemicals a lot when we travel to the United States, and these harmful substances have been banned in the EU for a very long time. For example, the chocolate in the US has the same acid that vomit has to preserve it for longer, which is responsible for the weird aftertaste that one gets after eating US chocolate. Consuming these often harmful chemicals that have been linked to cancer on a daily basis can be very harmful to your health, and I think that it benefits the citizens of the EU that they have been banned for so long.  Moreover, the size of the food portions and the fact that people in Europe have less sugar in their food compared to Americans contributes to overall health. 

Love - Jóhanna

Hello Mamma and Pabbi, 

I have learned that children in France have to start attending school at age 3, which I find very interesting, as compulsory education does not start until age 6 in Iceland. However, the compulsory education here is also up to 16, just like back home. The mothers here in France get 26 weeks of paid maternity leave which is very healthy for both the child and the mother. I think that having paid paternity leave influences the long-term health of the mother and child as they are not immediately separated after only a few days. I'm curious as to why every child needs to start school at age 3, and the short and long-term effects that it has on the child's development. 

Love - Jóhanna

Hello Mamma and Pabbi, 

I've noticed that one of the biggest difference between health communication strategies in the US and Europe have to do with the citizen's perception of the government. Citizens in countries that indicate distrust in their government and higher levels of corruption will often not listen to specialists and governmental officials, regardless of how effective their communication strategies are. This was very evident during Covid-19 when you look at countries that trusted their government and used masks vs. those that did not. In Iceland, we trusted governmental officials and specialists and worked together to fight the Covid-19 pandemic side by side. Moreover, I feel that the health communication between the people in charge and the citizens is much more balanced here in the EU compared to the US. For example, I saw so many protests in London for different causes almost every day. These were peaceful protests that the police did not try to shut down but rather just stood by and walked with the protesters, which is quite different from the protests that I have seen on the news from the US. Trust in the government allows people to listen to them and use the resources available to them to promote their health and well-being. 

Love - Jóhanna

Hello Mamma and Pabbi,

The most significant health differences between Europe and the US are that Europe has Universal health care, paid maternity leave, and bans the use of chemicals that are linked to cancer in foods. I'm very thankful that I have never had to think about whether I can afford to go to the doctor or not when I'm sick in Europe, as many individuals in the US have to think about when deciding to get help from a medical professional. I would also find it very difficult not to have the right to be with my child during the first months of their life without stressing about whether I would lose my job or not, or even be able to afford to take that time to spend with my child and recover. I also am less stressed when eating food or drinking water here in the EU because of the regulations that ban companies from using preservatives in food that are linked to cancer and poor health outcomes. I feel that these are vital components to lead a safe and healthy life, and hopefully, these systematic changes will be incorporated into the US health system one day. 

Love - Jóhanna