IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 422: Suicidal Ideation among the Chinese Elderly and Its Correlates: A Comparison between the Rural and Urban Populations

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 422: Suicidal Ideation among the Chinese Elderly and Its Correlates: A Comparison between the Rural and Urban Populations

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15030422

Authors: Jianwen Wei Jie Zhang Yuping Deng Long Sun Ping Guo

Background: As China is going through a profound aging process, the mental health of the elderly is becoming an issue. As in many other societies, the elderly in China is a population at high risk of suicide; Methods: Data for the study were taken from the Sample Survey of the Aged Population in Urban/Rural China (SSAPUR) accomplished in 2010 by the China Ministry of Civil Affairs. The valid sample for this study was composed of 18,683 individuals, including 9416 urban residents and 9267 rural residents both aged 60 or more years; Results: Logistic regression analyses showed that household income and expenditure, the number of children, chronic diseases, disability of daily living, depression, the frequency of visiting neighbors and having friends or relatives who can help or not had remarkable effects on the suicidal ideation among urban and rural old people. Gender, education, political affiliation, marital status and self-rated health status did not work on the dependent variable. However, some risk factors for suicidal ideation among the Chinese elderly were different between rural and urban regions; Conclusions: We should take different measures when facing the different groups of the elderly.

http://ift.tt/2oD5qU7

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 426: Evaluation of the Quebec Healthy Enterprise Standard: Effect on Adverse Psychosocial Work Factors and Psychological Distress

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 426: Evaluation of the Quebec Healthy Enterprise Standard: Effect on Adverse Psychosocial Work Factors and Psychological Distress

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15030426

Authors: Marie-Claude Letellier Caroline Duchaine Karine Aubé Denis Talbot Marie-Michèle Mantha-Bélisle Hélène Sultan-Taïeb France St-Hilaire Caroline Biron Michel Vézina Chantal Brisson

Adverse psychosocial work factors are recognized as a significant source of psychological distress, resulting in a considerable socioeconomic burden. The impact of occupational health standards that aim to reduce these adverse work factors, such as the Quebec Healthy Enterprise Standard (QHES), is of great interest for public health. The aim of this study was to evaluate, for the first time, the effect of QHES interventions targeting adverse psychosocial work factors on the prevalence of these factors and of psychological distress among ten Quebec organizations. These outcomes were assessed by questionnaire using validated instruments before (T1, n = 2849) and 2–3 years following (T2, n = 2560) QHES implementation. Beneficial effects of interventions were observed for two adverse psychosocial work factors: low rewards (ratio of prevalence ratios (PRs) = 0.77, 95% CI = 0.66–0.91) and low social support at work (ratio of PRs = 0.89, 95% CI = 0.77–1.03). Moreover, beneficial effects of interventions were also observed on the prevalence of high psychological distress (ratio of PRs = 0.86, 95% CI = 0.75–0.998). Psychosocial interventions implemented in the context of this standard improved the psychosocial work environment and had beneficial effects on workers’ mental health.

http://ift.tt/2F1HpNv

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 423: Experimental and Numerical Modeling of Aerosol Delivery for Preterm Infants

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 423: Experimental and Numerical Modeling of Aerosol Delivery for Preterm Infants

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15030423

Authors: Iñigo Aramendia Unai Fernandez-Gamiz Alberto Lopez-Arraiza Carmen Rey-Santano Victoria Mielgo Francisco Basterretxea Javier Sancho Miguel Gomez-Solaetxe

Respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) represents one of the major causes of mortality among preterm infants, and the best approach to treat it is an open research issue. The use of perfluorocarbons (PFC) along with non-invasive respiratory support techniques has proven the usefulness of PFC as a complementary substance to achieve a more homogeneous surfactant distribution. The aim of this work was to study the inhaled particles generated by means of an intracorporeal inhalation catheter, evaluating the size and mass distribution of different PFC aerosols. In this article, we discuss different experiments with the PFC perfluorodecalin (PFD) and FC75 with a driving pressure of 4–5 bar, evaluating properties such as the aerodynamic diameter (Da), since its value is directly linked to particle deposition in the lung. Furthermore, we develop a numerical model with computational fluid dynamics (CFD) techniques. The computational results showed an accurate prediction of the airflow axial velocity at different downstream positions when compared with the data gathered from the real experiments. The numerical validation of the cumulative mass distribution for PFD particles also confirmed a closer match with the experimental data measured at the optimal distance of 60 mm from the catheter tip. In the case of FC75, the cumulative mass fraction for particles above 10 µm was considerable higher with a driving pressure of 5 bar. These numerical models could be a helpful tool to assist parametric studies of new non-invasive devices for the treatment of RDS in preterm infants.

http://ift.tt/2HRXwip

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 424: Epidemiological Study on Metal Pollution of Ningbo in China

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 424: Epidemiological Study on Metal Pollution of Ningbo in China

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15030424

Authors: Zhou Li Hong Su Li Wang Danbiao Hu Lijun Zhang Jian Fang Micong Jin Samuel Fiati Kenston Xin Song Hongbo Shi Jinshun Zhao Guochuan Mao

Background: In order to search for effective control and prevention measures, the status of metal pollution in Ningbo, China was investigated. Methods: Nine of the most common contaminating metals including lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), chromium (Cr), nickel (Ni), zinc (Zn), and mercury (Hg) in samples of vegetables, rice, soil, irrigation water, and human hair were detected using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Three different districts including industrial, suburban and rural areas in Ningbo were studied through a stratified random sample method. Results: (1) Among all of the detected vegetable samples, Cd exceeded the standard limit rates in industrial, suburban and rural areas as high as 43.9%, 27.5% and 5.0%, respectively; indicating the severity of Cd pollution in Ningbo. (2) The pollution index (PI) of Cd and Zn in soil (1.069, 1.584, respectively) suggests that soil is slightly polluted by Cd and Zn. Among all samples, metal contamination levels in soil were all relatively high. (3) A positive correlation was found between the concentrations of Pb, Cd and Cu in vegetables and soil; Pb, Cu, Cr and Ni in vegetables and irrigation water, as well as, Cu and Ni in rice and irrigation water; and, (4) Higher Pb and Cd concentrations were found in student scalp hair in both industrial and suburban areas compared to rural areas. (5) Hg and Pb that are found in human scalp hair may be more easily absorbed from food than any of the other metals. Conclusions: In general, certain harmful metal pollutions were detected in both industrial and suburban areas of Ningbo in China.

http://ift.tt/2HTRQoe

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 425: The Impact of Ambient Air Pollution on Daily Hospital Visits for Various Respiratory Diseases and the Relevant Medical Expenditures in Shanghai, China

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 425: The Impact of Ambient Air Pollution on Daily Hospital Visits for Various Respiratory Diseases and the Relevant Medical Expenditures in Shanghai, China

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15030425

Authors: Hao Zhang Yue Niu Yili Yao Renjie Chen Xianghong Zhou Haidong Kan

The evidence concerning the acute effects of ambient air pollution on various respiratory diseases was limited in China, and the attributable medical expenditures were largely unknown. From 2013 to 2015, we collected data on the daily visits to the emergency- and outpatient-department for five main respiratory diseases and their medical expenditures in Shanghai, China. We used the overdispersed generalized additive model together with distributed lag models to fit the associations of criteria air pollutants with hospital visits, and used the linear models to fit the associations with medical expenditures. Generally, we observed significant increments in emergency visits (8.81–17.26%) and corresponding expenditures (0.33–25.81%) for pediatric respiratory diseases, upper respiratory infection (URI), and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) for an interquartile range increase of air pollutant concentrations over four lag days. As a comparison, there were significant but smaller increments in outpatient visits (1.36–4.52%) and expenditures (1.38–3.18%) for pediatric respiratory diseases and upper respiratory infection (URI). No meaningful changes were observed for asthma and lower respiratory infection. Our study suggested that short-term exposure to outdoor air pollution may induce the occurrences or exacerbation of pediatric respiratory diseases, URI, and COPD, leading to considerable medical expenditures upon the patients.

http://ift.tt/2oERZmj

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 421: Global Evidence on the Association between Cigarette Graphic Warning Labels and Cigarette Smoking Prevalence and Consumption

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 421: Global Evidence on the Association between Cigarette Graphic Warning Labels and Cigarette Smoking Prevalence and Consumption

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15030421

Authors: Anh Ngo Kai-Wen Cheng Ce Shang Jidong Huang Frank Chaloupka

Background: In 2011, the courts ruled in favor of tobacco companies in preventing the implementation of graphic warning labels (GWLs) in the US, stating that FDA had not established the effectiveness of GWLs in reducing smoking. Methods: Data came from various sources: the WHO MPOWER package (GWLs, MPOWER policy measures, cigarette prices), Euromonitor International (smoking prevalence, cigarette consumption), and the World Bank database (countries’ demographic characteristics). The datasets were aggregated and linked using country and year identifiers. Fractional logit regressions and OLS regressions were applied to examine the associations between GWLs and smoking prevalence and cigarette consumption, controlling for MPOWER policy scores, cigarette prices, GDP per capita, unemployment, population aged 15–64 (%), aged 65 and over (%), year indicators, and country fixed effects. Results: GWLs were associated with a 0.9–3 percentage point decrease in adult smoking prevalence and were significantly associated with a reduction of 230–287 sticks in per capita cigarette consumption, compared to countries without GWLs. However, the association between GWLs and cigarette consumption became statistically insignificant once country indicators were included in the models. Conclusions: The implementation of GWLs may be associated with reduced cigarette smoking.

http://ift.tt/2ovXKUf

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 417: The Impact of Active Workstations on Workplace Productivity and Performance: A Systematic Review

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 417: The Impact of Active Workstations on Workplace Productivity and Performance: A Systematic Review

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15030417

Authors: Samson Ojo Daniel Bailey Angel Chater David Hewson

Active workstations have been recommended for reducing sedentary behavior in the workplace. It is important to understand if the use of these workstations has an impact on worker productivity. The aim of this systematic review was to examine the effect of active workstations on workplace productivity and performance. A total of 3303 articles were initially identified by a systematic search and seven articles met eligibility criteria for inclusion. A quality appraisal was conducted to assess risk of bias, confounding, internal and external validity, and reporting. Most of the studies reported cognitive performance as opposed to productivity. Five studies assessed cognitive performance during use of an active workstation, usually in a single session. Sit-stand desks had no detrimental effect on performance, however, some studies with treadmill and cycling workstations identified potential decreases in performance. Many of the studies lacked the power required to achieve statistical significance. Three studies assessed workplace productivity after prolonged use of an active workstation for between 12 and 52 weeks. These studies reported no significant effect on productivity. Active workstations do not appear to decrease workplace performance.

http://ift.tt/2HMjovr

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 416: Biotoxicity of TiO2 Nanoparticles on Raphidocelis subcapitata Microalgae Exemplified by Membrane Deformation

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 416: Biotoxicity of TiO2 Nanoparticles on Raphidocelis subcapitata Microalgae Exemplified by Membrane Deformation

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15030416

Authors: Merve Ozkaleli Ayca Erdem

TiO2 nanoparticles (NPs), which are mainly used in consumer products (mostly cosmetics), have been found to cause ecotoxic effects in the aquatic environment. The green algae Raphidocelis subcapitata, as a representative of primary producers of the freshwater ecosystem, has been frequently used to study the effects of metal oxide NPs. An ecotoxicity study was conducted herein to investigate the effects of TiO2 NPs on survival and membrane deformation of algal cells. Five different concentrations of nano-TiO2 particles (1, 10, 50, 100 and 500 mg/L) were prepared in synthetic surface water samples with five different water quality characteristics (pH 6.4–8.4, hardness 10–320 mg CaCO3/L, ionic strength 0.2–8 mM, and alkalinity 10–245 mg CaCO3/L). Results showed a significant increase in the hydrodynamic diameter of NPs with respect to both NP concentrations and ionic content of the test system. A soft synthetic freshwater system at pH 7.3 ± 0.2 appeared to provide the most effective water type, with more than 95% algal mortality observed at 50, 100 and 500 mg/L NP concentrations. At high exposure concentrations, increased malondialdehyde formations were observed. Moreover, due to membrane deformation, TEM images correlated the uptake of the NPs.

http://ift.tt/2GOqDlh

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 415: Predicting Circulatory Diseases from Psychosocial Safety Climate: A Prospective Cohort Study from Australia

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 415: Predicting Circulatory Diseases from Psychosocial Safety Climate: A Prospective Cohort Study from Australia

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15030415

Authors: Harry Becher Maureen Dollard Peter Smith Jian Li

Circulatory diseases (CDs) (including myocardial infarction, angina, stroke or hypertension) are among the leading causes of death in the world. In this paper, we explore for the first time the impact of a specific aspect of organizational climate, Psychosocial Safety Climate (PSC), on CDs. We used two waves of interview data from Australia, with an average lag of 5 years (excluding baseline CDs, final n = 1223). Logistic regression was conducted to estimate the prospective associations between PSC at baseline on incident CDs at follow-up. It was found that participants in low PSC environments were 59% more likely to develop new CD than those in high PSC environments. Logistic regression showed that PSC at baseline predicts lower CD risk at follow-up (OR = 0.98, 95% CI 0.96–1.00) and this risk remained unchanged even after additional adjustment for known job design risk factors (effort reward imbalance and job strain). These results suggest that PSC is an independent risk factor for CDs in Australia. Beyond job design this study implicates organizational climate and prevailing management values regarding worker psychological health as the genesis of CDs.

http://ift.tt/2HQnT8c

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 414: Sodium Dodecyl Sulphate-Supported Nanocomposite as Drug Carrier System for Controlled Delivery of Ondansetron

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 414: Sodium Dodecyl Sulphate-Supported Nanocomposite as Drug Carrier System for Controlled Delivery of Ondansetron

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15030414

Authors: Gaurav Sharma Mu. Naushad Bharti Thakur Amit Kumar Poonam Negi Reena Saini Anterpreet Chahal Ashok Kumar Florian Stadler U.M.H. Aqil

Sodium dodecyl sulphate-supported iron silicophosphate (SDS/FeSP) nanocomposite was successfully fabricated by the co-precipitation method. The SDS/FeSP nanocomposite was investigated as a drug carrier for ondansetron. The cumulative drug release of ondansetron was observed at various pH values for different time intervals, i.e., from 20 min to 48 h. A ranking of the drug release was observed at different pHs; pH 2.2 > saline (pH 5.5) > pH 7.4 > pH 9.4 > distilled water. Maximum release of encapsulated drug was found to be about 45.38% at pH 2.2. The cell viability tests of SDS/FeSP nanocomposite concluded that SDS/FeSP nanocomposite was non-cytotoxic in nature.

http://ift.tt/2GOyijI

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 413: Valuing a Lifestyle Intervention for Middle Eastern Immigrants at Risk of Diabetes

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 413: Valuing a Lifestyle Intervention for Middle Eastern Immigrants at Risk of Diabetes

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15030413

Authors: Sanjib Saha Ulf-G. Gerdtham Faiza Siddiqui Louise Bennet

Willingness-to-pay (WTP) techniques are increasingly being used in the healthcare sector for assessing the value of interventions. The objective of this study was to estimate WTP and its predictors in a randomized controlled trial of a lifestyle intervention exclusively targeting Middle Eastern immigrants living in Malmö, Sweden, who are at high risk of type 2 diabetes. We used the contingent valuation method to evaluate WTP. The questionnaire was designed following the payment-scale approach, and administered at the end of the trial, giving an ex-post perspective. We performed logistic regression and linear regression techniques to identify the factors associated with zero WTP value and positive WTP values. The intervention group had significantly higher average WTP than the control group (216 SEK vs. 127 SEK; p = 0.035; 1 U.S.$ = 8.52 SEK, 2015 price year) per month. The regression models demonstrated that being in the intervention group, acculturation, and self-employment were significant factors associated with positive WTP values. Male participants and lower-educated participants had a significantly higher likelihood of zero WTP. In this era of increased migration, our findings can help policy makers to take informed decisions to implement lifestyle interventions for immigrant populations.

http://ift.tt/2HQnKSc

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 418: Impact of Sexual Dimorphism on Trauma Patterns and Clinical Outcomes of Patients with a High-Risk Score of the Osteoporosis Self-Assessment Tool for Asians: A Propensity Score-Matched Analysis

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 418: Impact of Sexual Dimorphism on Trauma Patterns and Clinical Outcomes of Patients with a High-Risk Score of the Osteoporosis Self-Assessment Tool for Asians: A Propensity Score-Matched Analysis

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15030418

Authors: Chien-En Tang Hang-Tsung Liu Pao-Jen Kuo Yi-Chun Chen Shiun-Yuan Hsu Chih-Che Lin Ching-Hua Hsieh

The Osteoporosis Self-assessment Tool for Asians (OSTA) is a validated index based on age and weight to predict the risk of osteoporosis in women. This cross-sectional study was designed to evaluate the impact of sexual dimorphism on the trauma patterns and the clinical outcomes of patients with high-risk OSTA scores. Trauma data of patients with high-risk OSTA scores between 1 January 2009 and 31 December 2015 were retrieved from the trauma registry system of a level I trauma center. A total of 2248 patients including 1585 women and 663 men were included in this study. In-hospital mortality was assessed as the primary outcome in the propensity score-matched analyses of the female and male patients, which were created in a 1:1 ratio under the adjustment of potential confounders, including age, co-morbidity, mechanism and injury-severity score (ISS). Female patients with a high-risk OSTA score had significantly lower mortality rates than their male counterparts. Among the propensity score-matched population, female patients had lower odds of having cerebral contusion and pneumothorax, but higher odds of presenting with radial, ulnar and femoral fractures than male patients. In addition, the female patients still had significantly lower odds of mortality (odds ratio (OR), 0.5; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.29–0.90; p = 0.019) than the male patients. However, no significant differences were noted in the length of stay (LOS) in hospital, intensive-care unit (ICU) admission, and LOS in the ICU between the sexes. Female patients with high-risk OSTA scores showed different injury patterns and significantly lower mortality rates than their male counterparts, even after controlling for potential confounding factors.

http://ift.tt/2BRSi5H

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 412: Individual and School Correlates of Adolescent Leisure Time Physical Activity in Quebec, Canada

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 412: Individual and School Correlates of Adolescent Leisure Time Physical Activity in Quebec, Canada

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15030412

Authors: José Massougbodji Alexandre Lebel Philippe De Wals

Background: Leisure time physical activity (LTPA) correlates have been mostly studied in relation to adolescents’ home neighbourhoods, but not so much in relation to the environment of their schools’ neighbourhoods. We sought to investigate how objective environmental measures of the schools’ vicinity are related to adolescents’ self-reported LTPA. Methods: Individual data from the Quebec High School Students Health Survey (QHSSHS) were matched with schools’ socioeconomic indicators, as well as geographic information system-based indicators of their built environments. Self-reported levels of LTPA during the school year were assessed according to intensity, frequency and index of energy expenditure. Associations per gender between covariates and LTPA were estimated using ordinal multilevel regression with multiple imputations. Results: Boys (21% of which were highly active) were more active than girls (16% of which were highly active) (p ≤ 0.01). The incremental variance between schools explained by the contextual variables in the final models was higher among girls (7.8%) than boys (2.8%). The number of parks or green spaces within 750 m around their schools was positively associated with student LTPA in both genders. Conclusions: The promotion of parks around schools seems to be an avenue to be strengthened.

http://ift.tt/2GORiyk

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 411: Analysis of Health Behaviors and Personal Values of Childless Women, Pregnant Women and Women Who Recently Delivered

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 411: Analysis of Health Behaviors and Personal Values of Childless Women, Pregnant Women and Women Who Recently Delivered

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15030411

Authors: Grzegorz Nowicki Patrycja Misztal-Okońska Barbara Ślusarska Ewa Rudnicka-Drożak Magdalena Młynarska Artur Czekierdowski

Preconception lifestyle modifications and reduction of several known risk factors may have an influence on future pregnancy outcomes. The aim of the study was to analyze health behaviors and personal values as well as to assess the relationship between these factors in women without children, in pregnant women and in women who had already delivered babies. The questionnaire survey included the Health Behavior Inventory (HBI), the Personal Value List (PVL) and sociodemographic data and was conducted in 538 women. These women were divided into three groups: women who had recently delivered (n = 235), pregnant women (n = 121) and childless women (n = 182). Pregnant women demonstrated a significantly higher level of declared health behaviors, and also, they rated higher on the subscales values “positive mental attitude” and “health practices”, in comparison to women who had recently delivered and to childless women. In all tested groups, the highest rated personal value was “a successful family life”, while the most appreciated symbol of happiness was “love and friendship”. Our results suggest that the system of values and the perception of happiness symbols may influence women’s health behaviors. Positioning “health” in the hierarchy of personal values as the most important one may facilitate the introduction of healthy behaviors. This, in turn, could reduce several adverse pregnancy outcomes that are potentially modifiable with changing preconception health attitudes. Our results also identify several unanswered questions and highlight areas where new research is needed.

http://ift.tt/2GPt3Ad

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 410: Dramatic Reduction in Diarrhoeal Diseases through Implementation of Cost-Effective Household Drinking Water Treatment Systems in Makwane Village, Limpopo Province, South Africa

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 410: Dramatic Reduction in Diarrhoeal Diseases through Implementation of Cost-Effective Household Drinking Water Treatment Systems in Makwane Village, Limpopo Province, South Africa

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15030410

Authors: Resoketswe Moropeng Phumudzo Budeli Lizzy Mpenyana-Monyatsi Maggy Momba

The main purpose of this study was to implement cost-effective household water treatment systems in every household of Makwane Village for the reduction of diarrhoeal diseases. These household water treatment systems were constructed with locally available materials and consisted of the biosand zeolite-silver impregnated granular clay filters and the silver-impregnated porous pot filters. During the study period (April 2015 to September 2015), the entire village had 88 households with a population size of 480. Prior to the implementation, a survey was conducted and results revealed that 75% (360/480) of the Makwane residents suffered from diarrhoeal disease and the majority of the cases were reported in children that were less than five years of age. Out of the 480 participants, 372 (77.5%) from 70 households accepted the installation of the systems (intervention group) and 108 (25.5%) from 18 households were reluctant to use the systems (the control group). To date, in the intervention group, only 3.8% (14/372) of participants reported cases of diarrhoea. In the control group, 57.4% (62/108) participants reported cases of diarrhoea and most of the episodes of diarrhoea were reported in children of less than five years old (85%), followed by the group aged ≥56 years (75%). The findings of the current study unequivocally demonstrated that the BSZ-SICG and SIPP filters were able to reduce the incidence of diarrhoea by 96.2%. These findings further demonstrate the importance of household water treatment systems (HWTS) interventions in rural areas to bring about meaningful reductions in diarrhoeal diseases by providing safe potable water.

http://ift.tt/2HO5Gbs

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 409: Burden of Injuries in Bangladesh: A Population-Based Assessment

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 409: Burden of Injuries in Bangladesh: A Population-Based Assessment

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15030409

Authors: Priyanka Agrawal Adnan Hyder

Injuries claim over 5 million lives, with more than 90% of those occurring in low- and middle-income countries (LMICS) [...]

http://ift.tt/2FxTjzv

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 408: Exposure to Toxoplasma gondii in the Roma and Non-Roma Inhabitants of Slovakia: A Cross-Sectional Seroprevalence Study

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 408: Exposure to Toxoplasma gondii in the Roma and Non-Roma Inhabitants of Slovakia: A Cross-Sectional Seroprevalence Study

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15030408

Authors: Daniela Antolová Martin Janičko Monika Halánová Peter Jarčuška Andrea Gecková Ingrid Babinská Zuzana Kalinová Daniel Pella Mária Mareková Eduard Veseliny HepaMeta Team

The lifestyle, health and social status of the Roma are generally below the standards characteristic for the non-Roma population. This study aimed to find out the seropositivity to Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) in the population of Roma living in segregated settlements and to compare it with the prevalence of antibodies in the non-Roma population from the catchment area of eastern Slovakia. The seroprevalence of antibodies to T. gondii was significantly higher in the Roma group (45.0%) than in non-Roma inhabitants (24.1%). A statistically significant difference was also recorded between the two non-Roma groups in the study, 30.4% of those from the catchment area and 19.7% from the non-catchment area were seropositive. Univariate logistic regression confirmed poverty and higher age to be significant risk factors influencing the seropositivity to T. gondii. Of the clinical symptoms analyzed in the study, only muscle and back pain were associated with seropositivity to T. gondii. The close contact of Roma with an environment contaminated by different infectious agents and the insufficient hygiene, lower level of education, poverty, lack of water and household equipment and high number of domestic animals increase the risk of infectious diseases in the Roma settlements and subsequently the spread of communicable diseases at the national or even international level.

http://ift.tt/2EZME0b

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 407: Resilience of an Earthquake-Stricken Rural Community in Southwest China: Correlation with Disaster Risk Reduction Efforts

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 407: Resilience of an Earthquake-Stricken Rural Community in Southwest China: Correlation with Disaster Risk Reduction Efforts

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15030407

Authors: Ke Cui Ziqiang Han Dongming Wang

Disaster risk reduction (DRR) activities have given growing attention to building community resilience, but the effects of such efforts on community resilience are still under-investigated, especially in China where the concept of community resilience has only just emerged. Using the Communities Advancing Resilience Toolkit Assessment Survey, data on self-perceived community resilience were collected in 2017 from a post-disaster Chinese rural community in Yingxiu Town, which was the epicenter of the Wenchuan earthquake (Magnitude = 8.0) in the year 2008. Linear regression analyses were conducted to explore the correlations between residents’ DRR behaviors and perceived community resilience with the control of their socio-demographic characteristics including age, ethnicity, gender, education, income level, employment status and marital status. Results indicate that residents who volunteered for DRR activities received geological disaster education, participated in evacuation drills, and reported higher income levels had a perception of higher community resilience. Practice research is suggested to help clarify the cause and effect of DRR work on the enhancement of community resilience to disasters in China and abroad. Attention is also called to the development of a Chinese indigenous community resilience concept and assessment instrument.

http://ift.tt/2FA5got

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 406: Regional Assessment of Temperature-Related Mortality in Finland

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 406: Regional Assessment of Temperature-Related Mortality in Finland

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15030406

Authors: Reija Ruuhela Otto Hyvärinen Kirsti Jylhä

The aim of this study was to assess regional differences in temperature–mortality relationships across 21 hospital districts in Finland. The temperature dependence of the daily number of all-cause, all-aged deaths during 2000–2014 was studied in each hospital district by using daily mean temperatures, spatially averaged across each hospital district, to describe exposure to heat stress and cold stress. The relationships were modelled using distributed lag non-linear models (DLNM). In a simple model version, no delayed impacts of heat and cold on mortality were taken into account, whereas a more complex version included delayed impacts up to 25 days. A meta-analysis with selected climatic and sociodemographic covariates was conducted to study differences in the relationships between hospital districts. A pooled mortality-temperature relationship was produced to describe the average relationship in Finland. The simple DLNM model version without lag gave U-shaped dependencies of mortality on temperature almost without exception. The outputs of the model version with a 25-day lag were also U-shaped in most hospital districts. According to the meta-analysis, the differences in the temperature-mortality relationships between hospital districts were not statistically significant on the absolute temperature scale, meaning that the pooled mortality–temperature relationship can be applied to the whole country. However, on a relative temperature scale, heterogeneity was found, and the meta-regression suggested that morbidity index and population in the hospital districts might explain some of this heterogeneity. The pooled estimate for the relative risk (RR) of mortality at a daily mean temperature of 24 °C was 1.16 (95% CI 1.12–1.20) with reference at 14 °C, which is the minimum mortality temperature (MMT) of the pooled relationship. On the cold side, the RR at a daily mean temperature of −20 °C was 1.14 (95% CI 1.12–1.16). On a relative scale of daily mean temperature, the MMT was found at the 79th percentile.

http://ift.tt/2CLL7Zq

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 403: Prolonged Screen Viewing Times and Sociodemographic Factors among Pregnant Women: A Cross-Sectional Survey in China

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 403: Prolonged Screen Viewing Times and Sociodemographic Factors among Pregnant Women: A Cross-Sectional Survey in China

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15030403

Authors: Xianglong Xu Dengyuan Liu Yunshuang Rao Huan Zeng Fan Zhang Lu Wang Yaojie Xie Manoj Sharma Yong Zhao

Objectives: This study aimed to assess the prevalence of prolonged television, computer, and mobile phone viewing times and examined related sociodemographic factors among Chinese pregnant women. Methods: In this study, a cross-sectional survey was implemented among 2400 Chinese pregnant women in 16 hospitals of 5 provinces from June to August in 2015, and the response rate of 97.76%. We excluded women with serious complications and cognitive disorders. The women were asked about their television, computer, and mobile phone viewing during pregnancy. Prolonged television watching or computer viewing was defined as spending more than two hours on television or computer viewing per day. Prolonged mobile phone viewing was watching more than one hour on mobile phone per day. Results: Among 2345 pregnant women, about 25.1% reported prolonged television viewing, 20.6% reported prolonged computer viewing, and 62.6% reported prolonged mobile phone viewing. Pregnant women with long mobile phone viewing times were likely have long TV (Estimate = 0.080, Standard Error (SE) = 0.016, p < 0.001) and computer viewing times (Estimate = 0.053, SE = 0.022, p = 0.015). Pregnant women with long TV (Estimate = 0.134, SE = 0.027, p < 0.001) and long computer viewing times (Estimate = 0.049, SE = 0.020, p = 0.015) were likely have long mobile phone viewing times. Pregnant women with long TV viewing times were less likely to have long computer viewing times (Estimate = −0.032, SE = 0.015, p = 0.035), and pregnant women with long computer viewing times were less likely have long TV viewing times (Estimate = −0.059, SE = 0.028, p = 0.035). Pregnant women in their second pregnancy had lower prolonged computer viewing times than those in their first pregnancy (Odds Ratio (OR) 0.56, 95% Confidence Interval (CI) 0.42–0.74). Pregnant women in their second pregnancy were more likely have longer prolonged mobile phone viewing times than those in their first pregnancy (OR 1.25, 95% CI 1.01–1.55). Conclusions: The high prevalence rate of prolonged TV, computer, and mobile phone viewing times was common for pregnant women in their first and second pregnancy. This study preliminarily explored the relationship between sociodemographic factors and prolonged screen time to provide some indication for future interventions related to decreasing screen-viewing times during pregnancy in China.

http://ift.tt/2CmYWC7

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 404: A Geographical Information System Based Approach for Integrated Strategies of Tick Surveillance and Control in the Peri-Urban Natural Reserve of Monte Pellegrino (Palermo, Southern Italy)

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 404: A Geographical Information System Based Approach for Integrated Strategies of Tick Surveillance and Control in the Peri-Urban Natural Reserve of Monte Pellegrino (Palermo, Southern Italy)

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15030404

Authors: Alessandra Torina Valeria Blanda Marcellocalogero Blanda Michelangelo Auteri Francesco La Russa Salvatore Scimeca Rosalia D’Agostino Rosaria Disclafani Sara Villari Vittoria Currò Santo Caracappa

Ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) are bloodsucking arthropods involved in pathogen transmission in animals and humans. Tick activity depends on various ecological factors such as vegetation, hosts, and temperature. The aim of this study was to analyse the spatial/temporal distribution of ticks in six sites within a peri-urban area of Palermo (Natural Reserve of Monte Pellegrino) and correlate it with field data using Geographical Information System (GIS) data. A total of 3092 ticks were gathered via dragging method from June 2012 to May 2014. The species collected were: Ixodes ventalloi (46.09%), Hyalomma lusitanicum (19.99%), Rhipicephalus sanguineus (17.34%), Rhipicephalus pusillus (16.11%), Haemaphisalis sulcata (0.36%), Dermacentor marginatus (0.10%), and Rhipicephalus turanicus (0.03%). GIS analysis revealed environmental characteristics of each site, and abundance of each tick species was analysed in relation to time (monthly trend) and space (site-specific abundance). A relevant presence of I. ventalloi in site 2 and H. lusitanicum in site 5 was observed, suggesting the possible exposure of animals and humans to tick-borne pathogens. Our study shows the importance of surveillance of ticks in peri-urban areas and the useful implementation of GIS analysis in vector ecology; studies on temporal and spatial distribution of ticks correlated to GIS-based ecological analysis represent an integrated strategy for decision support in public health.

http://ift.tt/2t31rpi

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 405: Using Individual GPS Trajectories to Explore Foodscape Exposure: A Case Study in Beijing Metropolitan Area

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 405: Using Individual GPS Trajectories to Explore Foodscape Exposure: A Case Study in Beijing Metropolitan Area

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15030405

Authors: Qiujun Wei Jiangfeng She Shuhua Zhang Jinsong Ma

With the growing interest in studying the characteristics of people’s access to the food environment and its influence upon individual health, there has been a focus on assessing individual food exposure based on GPS trajectories. However, existing studies have largely focused on the overall activity space using short-period trajectories, which ignores the complexity of human movements and the heterogeneity of the spaces that are experienced by the individual over daily life schedules. In this study, we propose a novel framework to extract the exposure areas consisting of the localized activity spaces around daily life centers and non-motorized commuting routes from long-term GPS trajectories. The newly proposed framework is individual-specific and can incorporate the internal heterogeneity of individual activities (spatial extent, stay duration, and timing) in different places as well as the dynamics of the context. A pilot study of the GeoLife dataset suggests that there are significant variations in the magnitude as well as the composition of the food environment in different parts of the individual exposure area, and residential environment is not representative of the overall foodscape exposure.

http://ift.tt/2FA5T1r

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 400: Does Electronic Cigarette Use Predict Abstinence from Conventional Cigarettes among Smokers in Hong Kong?

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 400: Does Electronic Cigarette Use Predict Abstinence from Conventional Cigarettes among Smokers in Hong Kong?

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15030400

Authors: Socrates Wu Man Wang William Li Antonio Kwong Vienna Lai Tai Lam

Objectives: To investigate the effects of ever use of electronic cigarettes (ECs), many of which lack nicotine, on abstinence from convention cigarettes among Hong Kong adult smokers. Methods: We collected data from 956 daily smokers in 2014–2015 regarding ever EC use and smoking behaviors at baseline, any and past 30-day EC use at the 3-month follow-up. Outcomes measured at 6 months included past 7-day point prevalence abstinence (PPA), biochemically validated quitting, smoking reduction (≥50% from baseline) and cessation attempt. Logistic regression yielded adjusted odds ratios (AOR) for quitting in relation to EC use, adjusting for socio-demographic characteristics and smoking profile. Complete case, missing observation as smoking and propensity score analyses were conducted. Results: By complete case, ever EC use at baseline did not predict self-reported PPA (AOR 0.99, 95% CI 0.57–1.73), biochemically validated quitting (AOR 1.22, 95% CI 0.64–2.34), cessation attempt (AOR 0.74, 95% CI 0.48–1.14), or smoking reduction (AOR 0.89, 95% CI 0.54–1.47). EC use during the first 3 months did not predict quitting (AOR 1.02, 95% CI 0.22–4.71). Similar results were observed for missing observations as smoking and propensity score analyses. Conclusions: Any use of ECs, many of which lack nicotine, did not predict smoking abstinence among Hong Kong adult smokers.

http://ift.tt/2HMEZUD

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 401: Exploring Heat Stress Relief Measures among the Australian Labour Force

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 401: Exploring Heat Stress Relief Measures among the Australian Labour Force

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15030401

Authors: Kerstin Zander Supriya Mathew Stephen Garnett

Australia experiences frequent heat waves and generally high average temperatures throughout the continent with substantial impacts on human health and the economy. People adapt to heat by adopting various relief measures in their daily lives including changing their behaviour. Many labour intensive outdoor industries implement standards for heat stress management for their workforce. However, little is known about how people cope with heat at their workplaces apart from studies targeting some specific industries where labourers are exposed to extreme heat. Here, we analysed responses from 1719 people in the Australian labour force to self-reported heat stress and associated coping mechanisms. Three quarters of respondents experienced heat stress at their workplace with fatigue and headache being the two most frequently stated symptoms. Almost all of those who were affected by heat would hydrate (88%), 67% would cool, and 44% would rest as a strategy for coping with heat. About 10% intended to change their jobs because of heat stress in the workplace. We found differences in heat relief measures across gender, education, health, level of physical intensity of job, and time spent working outside. People working in jobs that were not very demanding physically were more likely to choose cooling down as a relief measure, while those in labour intensive jobs and jobs that required considerable time outside were more likely to rest. This has potential consequences for their productivity and work schedules. Heat affects work in Australia in many types of industry with impact dependent on workforce acclimatisation, yet public awareness and work relief plans are often limited to outdoor and labour intensive industries. Industries and various levels of government in all sectors need to implement standards for heat management specific to climate zones to help people cope better with high temperatures as well as plan strategies in anticipation of projected temperature increases.

http://ift.tt/2EYNKsZ

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 399: Correlation between Changes in Local Earth’s Magnetic Field and Cases of Acute Myocardial Infarction

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 399: Correlation between Changes in Local Earth’s Magnetic Field and Cases of Acute Myocardial Infarction

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15030399

Authors: Gediminas Jaruševičius Tautvydas Rugelis Rollin McCraty Mantas Landauskas Kristina Berškienė Alfonsas Vainoras

The impact of changes in the geomagnetic field on the human body remains the subject of studies across the world, yet there is no consensus. Current studies are observing effects that require further work by researchers in order to find out the mechanisms that would allow a proper assessment of the correlations between the Earth‘s magnetic field variations and changes in human organisms. The main purpose of this study was to investigate possible correlations between the strength of time-varying aspects of the local Earth’s magnetic field and incidence of myocardial infarctions. Study participants included 435 males and 268 females who had diagnosis of myocardial infarction during the period of 1 January 2016 to 31 December 2016 and attended the Department of Cardiology at the Hospital of Lithuanian University of Health Sciences (LUHS), Kauno klinikos. Time varying magnetic field data was collected at the magnetometer site located in Lithuania. After mathematical analysis, the results support the hypothesis that the Earth’s magnetic field has a relationship between the number of acute myocardial infarction with ST segment elevation (STEMI) cases per week and the average weekly geomagnetic field strength in different frequency ranges. Correlations varied in different age groups as well as in males and females, which may indicate diverse organism sensitivity to the Earth’s magnetic field.

http://ift.tt/2osHJhQ

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 398: The Cost of Inadequate Sleep among On-Call Workers in Australia: A Workplace Perspective

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 398: The Cost of Inadequate Sleep among On-Call Workers in Australia: A Workplace Perspective

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15030398

Authors: Grace Vincent Irina Kinchin Sally Ferguson Sarah Jay

On-call or stand-by is becoming an increasingly prevalent form of work scheduling. However, on-call arrangements are typically utilised when workloads are low, for example at night, which can result in inadequate sleep. It is a matter of concern that on-call work is associated with an increased risk of workplace injury. This study sought to determine the economic cost of injury due to inadequate sleep in Australian on-call workers. The prevalence of inadequate sleep among on-call workers was determined using an online survey, and economic costs were estimated using a previously validated costing methodology. Two-thirds of the sample (66%) reported obtaining inadequate sleep on weekdays (work days) and over 80% reported inadequate sleep while on-call. The resulting cost of injury is estimated at $2.25 billion per year ($1.71–2.73 billion). This equates to $1222 per person per incident involving a short-term absence from work; $2.53 million per incident classified as full incapacity, and $1.78 million for each fatality. To the best of our knowledge this is the first study to quantify the economic cost of workplace injury due to inadequate sleep in on-call workers. Well-rested employees are critical to safe and productive workplace operations. Therefore, it is in the interest of both employers and governments to prioritise and invest far more into the management of inadequate sleep in industries which utilise on-call work arrangements.

http://ift.tt/2orfQqp

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 397: Stress-Preventive Management Competencies, Psychosocial Work Environments, and Affective Well-Being: A Multilevel, Multisource Investigation

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 397: Stress-Preventive Management Competencies, Psychosocial Work Environments, and Affective Well-Being: A Multilevel, Multisource Investigation

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15030397

Authors: Stefano Toderi Cristian Balducci

The Management Competencies for Preventing and Reducing Stress at Work framework represents one of the few tailored models of leadership for work stress prevention purposes, but it has never been empirically evaluated. The aim of this study was to investigate whether supervisors’ stress-preventive management competencies, as measured by the Stress Management Competencies Indicator Tool (SMCIT), are related to employees’ affective well-being through psychosocial work environmental factors. To this end, multilevel structural equation modelling (MSEM) was developed and tested, including data provided by both supervisors and employees. Supervisors (n = 84) self-assessed their stress-preventive management competencies (i.e., being respectful and responsible, managing and communicating existing and future work, reasoning and managing difficult situations, and managing the individual within the team) with a previously validated reduced version of the SMCIT. The supervised employees (n = 584) rated job content (e.g., job demands) and work context (e.g., role clarity) psychosocial factors and their job-related affective well-being. Supervisors’ job-related affective well-being was also included in the tested model. The results revealed that the stress-preventive competencies factor was related to employees’ affective well-being through the psychosocial work environment only when the latter was operationalized by means of contextual work factors. Supervisors’ affective well-being was related to their stress-preventive competencies, but it was not related to employees’ affective well-being. We discuss the implications of the results obtained.

http://ift.tt/2Fvf03i

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 396: Epidemiological Characteristics and Space-Time Analysis of the 2015 Dengue Outbreak in the Metropolitan Region of Tainan City, Taiwan

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 396: Epidemiological Characteristics and Space-Time Analysis of the 2015 Dengue Outbreak in the Metropolitan Region of Tainan City, Taiwan

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15030396

Authors: Ting-Wu Chuang Ka-Chon Ng Thi Nguyen Luis Chaves

The metropolitan region of Tainan City in southern Taiwan experienced a dengue outbreak in 2015. This manuscript describes basic epidemiological features of this outbreak and uses spatial and temporal analysis tools to understand the spread of dengue during the outbreak. The analysis found that, independently of gender, dengue incidence rate increased with age, and proportionally affected more males below the age of 40 years but females above the age of 40 years. A spatial scan statistic was applied to detect clusters of disease transmission. The scan statistic found that dengue spread in a north-south diffusion direction, which is across the North, West-Central and South districts of Tainan City. Spatial regression models were used to quantify factors associated with transmission. This analysis indicated that neighborhoods with high proportions of residential area (or low wetland cover) were associated with dengue transmission. However, these association patterns were non-linear. The findings presented here can help Taiwanese public health agencies to understand the fundamental epidemiological characteristics and diffusion patterns of the 2015 dengue outbreak in Tainan City. This type of information is fundamental for policy making to prevent future uncontrolled dengue outbreaks, given that results from this study suggest that control interventions should be emphasized in the North and West-Central districts of Tainan city, in areas with a moderate percentage of residential land cover.

http://ift.tt/2CKbf72

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 395: The Association between Maternal Stress and Childhood Eczema: A Systematic Review

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 395: The Association between Maternal Stress and Childhood Eczema: A Systematic Review

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15030395

Authors: Carmen Chan Bernard Law Yun-Hong Liu Alexandra Ambrocio Natasha Au Melody Jiang Ka Chow

Eczema is a chronic atopic disease that is highly prevalent among children worldwide. Identification of factors that may contribute to childhood eczema is needed in order to develop strategies in its prevention. Over the past decade, accumulating evidence has suggested a potential correlation between the experience of stress by mothers and the risk of eczema development in their child. The present review attempts to provide an overview of the studies that contribute data on this correlation. The literature search was conducted using five databases, resulting in the inclusion of eleven studies in the review. The findings of these studies were summarized narratively. Further, an appraisal of the reporting quality of the included studies was conducted using a twelve-item checklist adapted from the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) checklist. Overall, the included studies showed that a positive correlation exists between the experience of stress among mothers and eczema risk of their child. The findings highlight the importance of the implementation of stress reduction programs for pregnant women and those in their postpartum period within communities in order to enable these individuals to relieve stress effectively.

http://ift.tt/2BQLbu3

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 394: Content of Heavy Metal in the Dust of Leisure Squares and Its Health Risk Assessment—A Case Study of Yanta District in Xi’an

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 394: Content of Heavy Metal in the Dust of Leisure Squares and Its Health Risk Assessment—A Case Study of Yanta District in Xi’an

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15030394

Authors: Tianjie Shao Lihuan Pan Zhiqing Chen Ruiyuan Wang Wenjing Li Qing Qin Yuran He

Taking Yanta District in Xi’an as the research object, the present study measures the contents of Cadmium (Cd), Lead (Pb), Copper (Cu), Nickel (Ni), and Chromium (Cr) in dust samples and further assesses the health risk of heavy metals intake through dust based on the assessment method of human exposure risk proposed by U.S. EPA, with an aim to investigate the content of heavy metal in the dust of leisure squares and its exposure risk. As the results indicate, the average contents of five heavy metals are obviously higher than the soil background value in Shaanxi Province. Therefore, Cd, Ni, Cu, Pb, and Cr are obviously enriched in urban surface dust in Shaanxi Province, due to the influence of human activities. In addition, it can also be found that the non-carcinogen exposure risk in children is significantly higher than that in adults with the risk values of these five heavy metals all one order of magnitude higher than those of adults. Irrespective of whether addressing the results for children or adults, the non-carcinogen exposure doses of five heavy metals are sorted as Cr > Pb > Cu > Ni > Cd. According to the present situation, for a child, the total non-carcinogenic risk values of five heavy metals have exceeded the safety limit in 11 of the 20 leisure squares in Yanta District of Xi’an. That means the leisure squares are no longer suitable for physical and recreational activities. For the five heavy metals, the average non-carcinogenic risk value of Cr is largest, and causes the largest threat to health in Yanta District, Xi’an. The carcinogenic exposure doses of the heavy metals Cr, Cd, and Ni are very low in respiratory pathways and there is no carcinogenic health risk. In general, the Cr content in dust in domestic cities is higher than that of foreign cities; however, the Pb content is much lower.

http://ift.tt/2opDofn

Maternal veterinary occupation and adverse birth outcomes in Washington State, 1992-2014: a population-based retrospective cohort study

Objective

Women in veterinary occupations are routinely exposed to potential reproductive hazards, yet research into their birth outcomes is limited. We conducted a population-based retrospective cohort study of the association between maternal veterinary occupation and adverse birth outcomes.

Methods

Using Washington State birth certificate, fetal death certificate and hospital discharge data from 1992 to 2014, we compared birth outcomes of mothers in veterinary professions (n=2662) with those in mothers in dental professions (n=10 653) and other employed mothers (n=8082). Relative risks (RRs) and 95% CIs were estimated using log binomial regression. Outcomes studied were premature birth (<37 weeks), small for gestational age (SGA), malformations and fetal death (death at ≥20 weeks gestation). Subgroup analyses evaluated risk of these outcomes among veterinarians and veterinary support staff separately.

Results

While no statistically significant associations were found, we noted a trend for SGA births in all veterinary mothers compared with dental mothers (RR=1.16, 95% CI 0.99 to 1.36) and in veterinarians compared with other employed mothers (RR=1.37, 95% CI 0.96 to 1.96). Positive but non-significant association was found for malformations among children of veterinary support staff.

Conclusions

These results support the need for further study of the association between veterinary occupation and adverse birth outcomes.

http://ift.tt/2Ftf3MR

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 393: Investigation of a Brownfield Conflict Considering the Strength of Preferences

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 393: Investigation of a Brownfield Conflict Considering the Strength of Preferences

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15020393

Authors: Jing Yu Ling-Ling Pei

By employing the Graph Model for Conflict Resolution methodology, this paper models and analyzes a brownfield conflict that occurred at the Changzhou Foreign Language School in Jiangsu, China, in 2016. This conflict made national headlines when news reports revealed that a large number of students and staff suffered from health issues after the school moved to a new site that is built on recently restored land adjacent to the original “Chang Long Chemical” block. Since stakeholders in the conflict hold different strengths of preference, a new option prioritization technique is employed to elicit both crisp preferences and the strength of preferences for the decision-makers (DMs) in the conflict. The conflict analysis result is consistent with the actual trajectory of the conflict and provides strategic insights into the conflict. More specifically, equilibrium results suggest that the firm should have been required to thoroughly clean the site, the local government should not have relocated the school, and the environmental agency and other stakeholders should have closely monitored the firm’s activities. In short, strategic insights garnered from this case study indicate that positive interactions should be fostered among the local government, the enterprise, and the public to ensure sustainable brownfield land redevelopment in the future.

http://ift.tt/2FrTvAr

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 391: Sharply Reduced but Still Heavy Self-Harm Burdens in Hubei Province, China, 1990–2015

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 391: Sharply Reduced but Still Heavy Self-Harm Burdens in Hubei Province, China, 1990–2015

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15020391

Authors: Jingju Pan Lan Zhang Yumeng Tang Qian Li Chuanhua Yu Tianjing He

The aims of this study were to describe fatal and non-fatal self-harm burdens, as well as burdens from the main preventable risk factors, and to investigate the different suicide methods in Hubei province in central China utilizing data from both Global Burden of Disease Study 2015 and Hubei Disease Surveillance Points system. All self-harm burdens including mortality, years of life lost (YLLs), prevalence, years lived with disability (YLDs), and disability adjusted life-years (DALYs) consistently demonstrated downward trends in Hubei from 1990 to 2015, with a bigger decline gap observed among females and narrower decreasing amplitudes among the elderly. Hubei experienced much higher age-standardized rates for self-harm mortality (22.0 per 100,000), YLLs (560.1 per 100,000) and DALYs (563.9 per 100,000) than the national (9.0, 292.3 and 295.0 per 100,000 respectively) and global levels (11.5, 453.3 and 457.9 per 100,000 respectively) in 2015. Self-harm burdens have begun shifting from females to males and the elderly suffered more self-harm burdens than other age groups. Alcohol use accounted for 20.9% of all self-harm DALYs for males, whereas intimate partner violence accounted for 24.4% of all self-harm DALYs for females. Poisoning, mainly pesticide self-poisoning, was still the most common method of suicide. Effective interventions by multi-sectoral collaboration are urgently needed to reduce the alarmingly heavy self-harm burdens in Hubei.

http://ift.tt/2oogdlM

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 392: Preparing Physical and Occupational Therapists to Be Health Promotion Practitioners: A Call for Action

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 392: Preparing Physical and Occupational Therapists to Be Health Promotion Practitioners: A Call for Action

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15020392

Authors: David Morris Gavin Jenkins

Experts around the world support the integration of health promotion and wellness (HPW) services into traditional health care services. If successfully executed, the addition of HPW services would reduce rates of death and disability and significantly reduce health care costs. While all health care providers should be engaged in providing HPW services, many believe that physical therapists (PTs) and occupational therapists (OTs) are uniquely positioned to provide these services. However, research suggests that clinicians in both fields may fall short in doing so. Likewise, research indicates that entry-level educational programs inadequately prepare PT and OT students to be HPW practitioners. The overall purpose of this paper is to provide recommendations to educators for preparing PT and OT students and clinicians to better meet the HPW needs of the clients and patients they serve.

http://ift.tt/2BNbu4t

Association of hand and arm disinfection with asthma control in US nurses

Objectives

To investigate the association between occupational exposure to disinfectants/antiseptics used for hand hygiene and asthma control in nurses.

Methods

In 2014, we invited female nurses with asthma drawn from the Nurses’ Health Study II to complete two supplemental questionnaires on their occupation and asthma (cross-sectional study, response rate: 80%). Among 4055 nurses (mean age: 59 years) with physician-diagnosed asthma and asthma medication use in the past year, we examined asthma control, as defined by the Asthma Control Test (ACT). Nurses were asked about the daily frequency of hand hygiene tasks: ‘wash/scrub hands with disinfectants/hand sanitizers’ (hand hygiene) and ‘wash/scrub arms with disinfecting products’ (surrogate of surgical hand/arm antisepsis). Analyses were adjusted for age, race, ethnicity, smoking status and body mass index.

Results

Nurses with partly controlled asthma (ACT: 20–24, 50%) and poorly controlled asthma (ACT ≤19, 18%) were compared with nurses with controlled asthma (ACT=25, 32%). In separate models, both hand and arm hygiene were associated with poorly controlled asthma. After mutual adjustment, only arm hygiene was associated with poorly controlled asthma: OR (95% CI) for <1 time/day, 1.38 (1.06 to 1.80); ≥1 time/day, 1.96 (1.52 to 2.51), versus never. We observed a consistent dose–response relationship between frequency of arm hygiene tasks (never to >10 times/day) and poor asthma control. Associations persisted after further adjustment for surfaces/instruments disinfection tasks.

Conclusions

Frequency of hand/arm hygiene tasks in nurses was associated with poor asthma control. The results suggest an adverse effect of products used for surgical hand/arm antisepsis. This potential new occupational risk factor for asthma warrants further study.

http://ift.tt/2sN9hTL

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 389: The Role of Culex pipiens L. (Diptera: Culicidae) in Virus Transmission in Europe

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 389: The Role of Culex pipiens L. (Diptera: Culicidae) in Virus Transmission in Europe

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15020389

Authors: Victor A. Brugman Luis M. Hernández-Triana Jolyon M. Medlock Anthony R. Fooks Simon Carpenter Nicholas Johnson

Over the past three decades, a range of mosquito-borne viruses that threaten public and veterinary health have emerged or re-emerged in Europe. Mosquito surveillance activities have highlighted the Culex pipiens species complex as being critical for the maintenance of a number of these viruses. This species complex contains morphologically similar forms that exhibit variation in phenotypes that can influence the probability of virus transmission. Critical amongst these is the choice of host on which to feed, with different forms showing different feeding preferences. This influences the ability of the mosquito to vector viruses and facilitate transmission of viruses to humans and domestic animals. Biases towards blood-feeding on avian or mammalian hosts have been demonstrated for different Cx. pipiens ecoforms and emerging evidence of hybrid populations across Europe adds another level of complexity to virus transmission. A range of molecular methods based on DNA have been developed to enable discrimination between morphologically indistinguishable forms, although this remains an active area of research. This review provides a comprehensive overview of developments in the understanding of the ecology, behaviour and genetics of Cx. pipiens in Europe, and how this influences arbovirus transmission.

http://ift.tt/2sJuJJa

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 385: Immune Responses to Dengue and Zika Viruses—Guidance for T Cell Vaccine Development

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 385: Immune Responses to Dengue and Zika Viruses—Guidance for T Cell Vaccine Development

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15020385

Authors: Claude Roth Félix Delgado Etienne Simon-Lorière Anavaj Sakuntabhai

Despite numerous efforts to identify the molecular and cellular effectors of the adaptive immunity that induce a long-lasting immunity against dengue or Zika virus infection, the specific mechanisms underlying such protective immunity remain largely unknown. One of the major challenges lies in the high level of dengue virus (DENV) seroprevalence in areas where Zika virus (ZIKV) is circulating. In the context of such a pre-existing DENV immunity that can exacerbate ZIKV infection and disease, and given the lack of appropriate treatment for ZIKV infection, there is an urgent need to develop an efficient vaccine against DENV and ZIKV. Notably, whereas several ZIKV vaccine candidates are currently in clinical trials, all these vaccine candidates have been designed to induce neutralizing antibodies as the primary mechanism of immune protection. Given the difficulty to elicit simultaneously high levels of neutralizing antibodies against the different DENV serotypes, and the potential impact of pre-existing subneutralizing antibodies induced upon DENV infection or vaccination on ZIKV infection and disease, additional or alternative strategies to enhance vaccine efficacy, through T cell immunity, are now being considered. In this review, we summarize recent discoveries about cross-reactive B and T cell responses against DENV and ZIKV and propose guidelines for the development of safe and efficient T cell vaccines targeting both viruses.

http://ift.tt/2F217f2

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 387: Advances in Residential Design Related to the Influence of Geomagnetism

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 387: Advances in Residential Design Related to the Influence of Geomagnetism

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15020387

Authors: Francisco Glaria Israel Arnedo Ana Sánchez-Ostiz

Since the origin of the Modern Movement, there has been a basic commitment to improving housing conditions and the well-being of occupants, especially given the prediction that 2/3 of humanity will reside in cities by 2050. Moreover, a compact model of the city with tall buildings and urban densification at this scale will be generated. Continuous constructive and technological advances have developed solid foundations on safety, energy efficiency, habitability, and sustainability in housing design. However, studies on improving the quality of life in these areas continue to be a challenge for architects and engineers. This paper seeks to contribute health-related information to the study of residential design, specifically the influence of the geomagnetic field on its occupants. After compiling information on the effects of geomagnetic fields from different medical studies over 23 years, a case study of a 16-story high-rise building is presented, with the goal of proposing architectural design recommendations for long-term occupation in the same place. The purpose of the present work is three-fold: first, to characterize the geomagnetic field variability of buildings; second, to identify the causes and possible related mechanisms; and third, to define architectural criteria on the arrangement of uses and constructive elements for housing.

http://ift.tt/2sJusG8

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 386: Qualification of Food Intake by the Roma Population in the Region of South Bohemia

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 386: Qualification of Food Intake by the Roma Population in the Region of South Bohemia

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15020386

Authors: Lenka Sedova Valerie Tothova Dita Novakova Vera Olisarova Sylva Bartlova Frantisek Dolak Alena Kajanova Radka Prokesova Vera Adamkova

The article presents the results of a correlation study, aimed at quantifying the food intake of the Roma population in the South Bohemian Region. To achieve the goal, we applied the method of one-day dietary recall and frequency food analysis (non-standardized). The quantification was carried out by analysis in the Nutridan program. The study involved 302 Roma persons and 298 persons in the control group. Both groups had the same representation of males and females (50:50). The age categories of both sets differed; the average age of the Roma was lower (39.2 years) (p &lt; 0.001). The probands from the Roma population were chosen with the help of the snowball method through known respondents. The statistical analysis shows differences in nutritional estimate between the Roma population and the control sample. The Roma differ in their energy intake. Both groups showed lower intake of sugars, below 50% total energy intake (TEI) and higher intake of fats, above 30% TEI. The respondents from both groups consume little fruits and vegetables, which may be connected with their low dietary fiber intake. In addition to the differences in the nutritional estimates, we recorded statistically significant differences in body mass index (BMI; p &lt; 0.001), in age (p &lt; 0.001), regular alimentation (p = 0) and demanding physical activities (p = 0). In spite of the fact our groups differed in age (the Roma are younger), it can be assumed that the obesity of the Roma may be caused by unbalanced alimentation and lack of physical activities.

http://ift.tt/2sPMeaL

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 388: Comparative Analysis of Major Mosquito Vectors Response to Seed-Derived Essential Oil and Seed Pod-Derived Extract from Acacia nilotica

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 388: Comparative Analysis of Major Mosquito Vectors Response to Seed-Derived Essential Oil and Seed Pod-Derived Extract from Acacia nilotica

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15020388

Authors: Perumal Vivekanandhan Raji Venkatesan Govindaraju Ramkumar Sengodan Karthi Sengottayan Senthil-Nathan Muthugoundar Shivakumar

Botanical metabolites are increasingly realized as potential replacements to chemical insecticides. In the present study, Acacia nilotica seed essential oil and seed pod solvent extracts were tested for bioefficacy against three important types of mosquitoes. Mortality was recorded 24 h post-treatment, while smoke toxicity of adult mosquitoes was recorded at 10 min intervals for 40 min. Seed pod powder was extracted with different solvents and hydrodistilled seed oil chemical constituents were determined by using Gas chromatography mass spectroscopy (GC-MS) -. Larvicidal and adulticidal efficacy of seed hydrodistilled essential oil and solvent extracts were tested against larval and adult mosquitoes. The seed hydrodistilled oil provided strong larvicidal activity against Anopheles stephensi, (LC50 (lethal concentration that kills 50% of the exposed larvae) = 5.239, LC90 (lethal concentration that kills 90% of the exposed larvae) = 9.713 mg/L); Aedes aegypti, (LC50 = 3.174, LC90 = 11.739 mg/L); and Culex quinquefasciatus, (LC50 = 4.112, LC90 = 12.325 mg/L). Smoke toxicities were 82% in Cx. quinquefasciatus, 90% in Ae. aegypti, and 80% mortality in An. stephensi adults, whereas 100% mortality was recorded for commercial mosquito coil. The GC-MS profile of seed essential oil from A. nilotica showed the presence of hexadecane (18.440%) and heptacosane (15.914%), which are the main and active compounds, and which may be involved in insecticidal activity. Overall findings suggest that the seed oil showed strong mosquitocidal activity against mosquito vectors and therefore may provide an ecofriendly replacement to chemical insecticides.

http://ift.tt/2F2ZXjK

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 384: Australia’s Ongoing Legacy of Asbestos: Significant Challenges Remain Even after the Complete Banning of Asbestos Almost Fifteen Years Ago

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 384: Australia’s Ongoing Legacy of Asbestos: Significant Challenges Remain Even after the Complete Banning of Asbestos Almost Fifteen Years Ago

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15020384

Authors: Matthew Soeberg Deborah Vallance Victoria Keena Ken Takahashi James Leigh

The most effective way of reducing the global burden of asbestos-related diseases is through the implementation of asbestos bans and minimising occupational and non-occupational exposure to respirable asbestos fibres. Australia’s asbestos consumption peaked in the 1970s with Australia widely thought to have had among the highest per-capita asbestos consumption level of any country. Australia’s discontinuation of all forms of asbestos and asbestos-containing products and materials did not occur at a single point of time. Crocidolite consumption ceased in the late 1960s, followed by amosite consumption stopping in the mid 1980s. Despite significant government reports being published in 1990 and 1999, it was not until the end of 2003 that a complete ban on all forms of asbestos (crocidolite, amosite, and chrysotile) was introduced in Australia. The sustained efforts of trade unions and non-governmental organisations were essential in forcing the Australian government to finally implement the 2003 asbestos ban. Trade unions and non-government organisations continue to play a key role today in monitoring the government’s response to Australian asbestos-related disease epidemic. There are significant challenges that remain in Australia, despite a complete asbestos ban being implemented almost fifteen years ago. The Australian epidemic of asbestos-related disease has only now reached its peak. A total of 16,679 people were newly diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma between 1982 and 2016, with 84% of cases occurring in men. There has been a stabilisation of the age-standardised malignant mesothelioma incidence rate in the last 10 years. In 2016, the incidence rate per 100,000 was 2.5 using the Australian standard population and 1.3 using the Segi world standard population. Despite Australia’s complete asbestos ban being in place since 2003, public health efforts must continue to focus on preventing the devastating effects of avoidable asbestos-related diseases, including occupational and non-occupational groups who are potentially at risk from exposure to respirable asbestos fibres.

http://ift.tt/2sRGgWS

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 390: Assessment of Pressure Sources and Water Body Resilience: An Integrated Approach for Action Planning in a Polluted River Basin

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 390: Assessment of Pressure Sources and Water Body Resilience: An Integrated Approach for Action Planning in a Polluted River Basin

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15020390

Authors: Domenica Mirauda Marco Ostoich

The present study develops an integrated methodology combining the results of the water-quality classification, according to the Water Framework Directive 2000/60/EC—WFD, with those of a mathematical integrity model. It is able to analyse the potential anthropogenic impacts on the receiving water body and to help municipal decision-makers when selecting short/medium/long-term strategic mitigation actions to be performed in a territory. Among the most important causes of water-quality degradation in a river, the focus is placed on pollutants from urban wastewater. In particular, the proposed approach evaluates the efficiency and the accurate localisation of treatment plants in a basin, as well as the capacity of its river to bear the residual pollution loads after the treatment phase. The methodology is applied to a sample catchment area, located in northern Italy, where water quality is strongly affected by high population density and by the presence of agricultural and industrial activities. Nearly 10 years of water-quality data collected through official monitoring are considered for the implementation of the system. The sample basin shows different real and potential pollution conditions, according to the resilience of the river and surroundings, together with the point and diffuse pressure sources acting on the receiving body.

http://ift.tt/2F34H8G

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 383: New Evidence on the Effect of Medical Insurance on the Obesity Risk of Rural Residents: Findings from the China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS, 2004–2011)

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 383: New Evidence on the Effect of Medical Insurance on the Obesity Risk of Rural Residents: Findings from the China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS, 2004–2011)

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15020383

Authors: Jian Zhao Chang Su Huijun Wang Zhihong Wang Bing Zhan

The obesity rate in China has risen significantly in the past few decades. While a number of causes for the rise in obesity have been explored, little attention has been paid to the role of health insurance per se. This study aims to investigate the impact of health insurance on the risk of obesity in rural China using longitudinal data from the China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS). We employed pooled ordinary least squares (OLS), probit estimation, and pooled two-stage least squares (2SLS) for an instrumental variable (IV). The IV model revealed that New rural cooperative medical insurance (NRCMS) participation had a significant positive impact on people’s tendency towards unhealthy lifestyles, for instances, high-fat food (8.01% for female and 7.35% for male), cigarette smoking (25% for male), heavy drinking (25% for female), sedentary activity (6.48 h/w for female and 6.48 h/w for male), waist circumference (1.97 cm for female and 1.80 cm for male), body mass index (0.58 kg/m2 for female), which in turn leads to an elevated probability of general obesity (51% for female) and abdominal obesity (24% for female and 20% for male). An “ex ante moral hazard” is prevalent in rural China, which should not be ignored by policymakers so as to minimize the related low efficiency in the process of promoting the universal coverage of insurance.

http://ift.tt/2CevhuC

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 382: Prevalence and Gender-Specific Influencing Factors of Hypertension among Chinese Adults: A Cross-Sectional Survey Study in Nanchang, China

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 382: Prevalence and Gender-Specific Influencing Factors of Hypertension among Chinese Adults: A Cross-Sectional Survey Study in Nanchang, China

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15020382

Authors: Hui Zhou Kai Wang Xiaojun Zhou Shiying Ruan Shaohui Gan Siyuan Cheng Yuanan Lu

Hypertension has become the leading cause of death worldwide; data on hypertension among Nanchang adults are sparse. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence and gender-specific influencing factors of hypertension in adults in Nanchang, China. A cross-sectional survey was conducted with a representative sample of 2722 Chinese residents aged 18 years and above between May and September 2016, with a response rate of 92.4% (2516/2722). A stratified cluster sampling method was adopted in this study. Data on prevalence and influencing factors were obtained from a standard questionnaire and physical measurements. Univariate and multivariate logistic regressions were performed to analyze the influencing factors. The age-standardized prevalence was 19.8% (18.2–21.3) (male: 19.5% (18.0–21.1); female, 20.01% (18.5–21.6)). Factors positively associated with hypertension prevalence were past smoking, diabetes mellitus (DM), and overweight and obesity in both genders. Abdominal obesity and family history of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) were risk factors only in males; sleeping time and consumption of fresh vegetables and fruits were related to the prevalence of hypertension only in females. These findings will form the baseline information for the development of more effective approaches to enhance current prevention and control management of hypertension.

http://ift.tt/2Fok0GL

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 381: Applicability of the Nordic Occupational Skin Questionnaire for Screening Contact Dermatological Disorders in Sea Fishers

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 381: Applicability of the Nordic Occupational Skin Questionnaire for Screening Contact Dermatological Disorders in Sea Fishers

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15020381

Authors: Piero Lovreglio Rossana Rotondi Patrizia Chiarappa Paolo Romita Ignazio Drago Fabrizio Guarneri Antonella Basso Leonardo Soleo Caterina Foti

This survey aimed to evaluate the applicability of the Nordic Occupational Skin Questionnaire (NOSQ) as a preliminary screening tool to investigate the presence of contact dermatological disorders in sea fishermen. The Italian version of the NOSQ was administered to 143 male fishermen working at an Apulia (Southern Italy) Fisheries, and 136 male workers who had never worked as sea fishers (controls). A significantly higher rate of frequency of transient itchy wheals on the hands, wrists, and forearms was recorded in the fishermen as compared to the controls (49.6% vs. 8.1%; p &lt; 0.001), while there was no significant difference in the frequency of eczema (8.4% vs. 6.6%). In 46.1% of the fishermen, the onset of transient itchy wheals was associated with contact with specific agents and the most common causes were algae and aquatic plants (49.3%) and seabed sludge (25.3%). In conclusion, the administration of the NOSQ can be useful in preliminary screening for dermatitis in fishermen, although it could show a possible overestimation of the prevalence of transient itchy wheals.

http://ift.tt/2EMo8zl

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 375: Empirical Examinations of Effects of Three-Level Green Exercise on Engagement with Nature and Physical Activity

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 375: Empirical Examinations of Effects of Three-Level Green Exercise on Engagement with Nature and Physical Activity

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15020375

Authors: Ke-Tsung Han Po-Ching Wang

Green exercise can be classified into three levels based on engagement with nature. Although this classification was proposed more than a decade ago, few studies have investigated it since. The present study examined the effects of green exercise levels on engagement with nature and physical activity (PA) through a field experiment. A questionnaire was distributed to 95 students from a technology university in Central Taiwan to measure their level of engagement with nature in people-environment transactions, while their PA was measured using three instruments. In addition, because social interaction may distract individual attention from activities or their environments, the present study incorporated the presence of partners as a control variable. The results revealed that (1) engagement with nature and PA significantly differed between the levels of green exercise, and the higher the level of green exercise participated in, the greater the level of engagement with nature; and (2) although the presence of partners did not influence the level of engagement with nature, it significantly affected the level of PA.

http://ift.tt/2oiCOjv

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 378: The Impacts of Regulations and Financial Development on the Operations of Supply Chains with Greenhouse Gas Emissions

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 378: The Impacts of Regulations and Financial Development on the Operations of Supply Chains with Greenhouse Gas Emissions

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15020378

Authors: Zhuang Xiao Yixiang Tian Zheng Yuan

To establish a micro foundation to understand the impacts of greenhouse gas (GHG) emission regulations and financial development levels on firms’ GHG emissions, we build a two-stage dynamic game model to incorporate GHG emission regulations (in terms of an emission tax) and financial development (represented by the corresponding financing cost) into a two-echelon supply chain. With the subgame perfect equilibrium, we identify the conditions to determine whether an emission regulatory policy and/or financial development can affect GHG emissions in the supply chain. We also reveal the impacts of the strictness of GHG emission regulation, the financial development level, and the unit GHG emission rate on the operations of the supply chain and the corresponding profitability implications. Managerial insights are also discussed.

http://ift.tt/2op5IOj

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 376: Determinants of Quality of Life and Satisfaction with Life in Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 376: Determinants of Quality of Life and Satisfaction with Life in Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15020376

Authors: Ewa Rzońca Agnieszka Bień Artur Wdowiak Ryszard Szymański Grażyna Iwanowicz-Palus

The purpose of the study was to assess the quality of life (QoL) and satisfaction with life (SwL) of women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) in comparison with those of healthy controls, and to identify and analyze factors determining QoL and SwL in women with PCOS. The cross-sectional study was performed between January and November 2016 in 504 women using health care services in Poland. The study group comprised women with PCOS, the control group women without PCOS. The study used a diagnostic survey with questionnaires. Research instruments included the World Health Organization Quality of Life-BREF (WHOQOL-BREF) questionnaire, the satisfaction with life scale (SWLS), and a standardized interview questionnaire comprising questions on the participants’ characteristics. Women with PCOS have lower QoL and SwL than healthy controls (p &lt; 0.05). Factors affecting QoL in PCOS patients included socio-economic standing, time from PCOS diagnosis, BMI, age, and professional activity (p &lt; 0.05). Factors affecting SwL in PCOS patients included socio-economic standing, having children, BMI, and time from PCOS diagnosis (p &lt; 0.05). The higher the PCOS patients’ QoL, the higher their SwL (p &lt; 0.05). Further studies are required, focusing both on PCOS and its etiology, and on its impact on the women diagnosed with the disease.

http://ift.tt/2BK2n4z

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 377: Exploring the Barriers: A Qualitative Study about the Experiences of Mid-SES Roma Navigating the Spanish Healthcare System

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 377: Exploring the Barriers: A Qualitative Study about the Experiences of Mid-SES Roma Navigating the Spanish Healthcare System

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15020377

Authors: Emilia Aiello Ainhoa Flecha Olga Serradell

Whereas the topic of the ‘cultural sensitivity’ of healthcare systems has been addressed extensively in the US and the UK, literature on the subject in most European countries, specifically looking at the situation of Roma, is still scarce. Drawing on qualitative research conducted mainly in the city of Barcelona under the communicative approach with Roma subjects who have stable socioeconomic positions and higher cultural capitals (end-users, professionals of the healthcare system, and key informants of a regional policy oriented to the improvement of Roma living conditions), the present study aims to fill this gap. We explore the barriers that the Roma face in accessing the healthcare system, reflecting on how these barriers are accentuated by the existing anti-Roma prejudices and institutional arrangements that do not account for minority cultures. Our results point out a series of obstacles at two levels, in the interaction with healthcare professionals, and in relation to existing institutional arrangements, which prevent Roma families from having equal access to the healthcare system. Education stands up as a mechanism to contest anti-Roma sentiments among healthcare professionals.

http://ift.tt/2oisWGG

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 379: WHO Environmental Noise Guidelines for the European Region: A Systematic Review on Environmental Noise and Cardiovascular and Metabolic Effects: A Summary

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 379: WHO Environmental Noise Guidelines for the European Region: A Systematic Review on Environmental Noise and Cardiovascular and Metabolic Effects: A Summary

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15020379

Authors: Elise van Kempen Maribel Casas Göran Pershagen Maria Foraster

To update the current state of evidence and assess its quality, we conducted a systematic review on the effects of environmental noise exposure on the cardio-metabolic systems as input for the new WHO environmental noise guidelines for the European Region. We identified 600 references relating to studies on effects of noise from road, rail and air traffic, and wind turbines on the cardio-metabolic system, published between January 2000 and August 2015. Only 61 studies, investigating different end points, included information enabling estimation of exposure response relationships. These studies were used for meta-analyses, and assessments of the quality of evidence using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE). A majority of the studies concerned traffic noise and hypertension, but most were cross-sectional and suffering from a high risk of bias. The most comprehensive evidence was available for road traffic noise and Ischeamic Heart Diseases (IHD). Combining the results of 7 longitudinal studies revealed a Relative Risk (RR) of 1.08 (95% CI: 1.01–1.15) per 10 dB (LDEN) for the association between road traffic noise and the incidence of IHD. We rated the quality of this evidence as high. Only a few studies reported on the association between transportation noise and stroke, diabetes, and/or obesity. The quality of evidence for these associations was rated from moderate to very low, depending on transportation noise source and outcome. For a comprehensive assessment of the impact of noise exposure on the cardiovascular and metabolic system, we need more and better quality evidence, primarily based on longitudinal studies.

http://ift.tt/2BK2lJZ

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 374: Monitoring Heavy Metal Contents with Sphagnum Junghuhnianum Moss Bags in Relation to Traffic Volume in Wuxi, China

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 374: Monitoring Heavy Metal Contents with Sphagnum Junghuhnianum Moss Bags in Relation to Traffic Volume in Wuxi, China

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15020374

Authors: Rong Hu Yun Yan Xiaoli Zhou Yanan Wang Yanming Fang

Despite its small size, a moss bag can reveal the different temporal and spatial deposition patterns of pollutants at a particular site; therefore, researchers can use moss bags to determine pollution sources and to put forward strategies for pollution control. Although the use of moss bags to monitor atmospheric pollution has been widely reported in Europe, there are few such empirical studies in China. Thus, in this study, bags containing the moss Sphagnum junghuhnianum were used to assess the concentrations of heavy metals (chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), lead (Pb), vanadium (V), and zinc (Zn)) at five sampling sites (four roads and a forest park) during the summer and winter of 2012. According to the relative accumulation factor (RAF) and contamination factor (CF) results, pollution in winter was heavier than that in summer, and Cr was found to be the most contaminating, having the highest mean CF. There was a significant positive correlation (p &lt; 0.05) between traffic volume and concentration for three heavy metals (Cr, Cu, and V) in winter, whereas a significant positive correlation (p &lt; 0.05) was observed between traffic volume and concentrations for four heavy metal elements (Cr, Pb, V, and Zn) in summer, indicating a close relationship between heavy metal contents and traffic volume. Although there was substantial variation in the concentrations of the five heavy metals in the moss bags, significant correlations between heavy metals suggested that the contaminants originated from a common source, namely vehicle emissions. The results demonstrated that the four roads were subject to different degrees of pollution depending on the volume of traffic using each road. Therefore, the results of this study suggest that traffic volume is a major reason for heavy metal pollution.

http://ift.tt/2EZUKsE

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 373: Young Women’s Perspectives of Their Adolescent Treatment Programs: A Qualitative Study

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 373: Young Women’s Perspectives of Their Adolescent Treatment Programs: A Qualitative Study

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15020373

Authors: Miriam Clark Rohanna Buchanan Leslie Leve

The perspectives of at-risk adolescent clients can play an important role in informing treatment services. The current study examines qualitative interview data from 15 young women with histories of maltreatment. Using a semi-structured qualitative interview approach, we asked the women to think retrospectively about their treatment experiences as adolescent girls. Results highlight the need for providing adolescent girls with reliable and practical information about risky sexual behavior and drug use from relatable and trustworthy helping professionals. We discuss strategies for developing and maintaining trust and delivering specific content.

http://ift.tt/2BISEeL

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 370: The Use of Manual Vacuum Aspiration in the Treatment of Incomplete Abortions: A Descriptive Study from Three Public Hospitals in Malawi

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 370: The Use of Manual Vacuum Aspiration in the Treatment of Incomplete Abortions: A Descriptive Study from Three Public Hospitals in Malawi

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15020370

Authors: Maria Lisa Odland Gladys Membe-Gadama Ursula Kafulafula Geir W. Jacobsen James Kumwenda Elisabeth Darj

Malawi has a high maternal mortality rate, of which unsafe abortion is a major cause. About 140,000 induced abortions are estimated every year, despite there being a restrictive abortion law in place. This leads to complications, such as incomplete abortions, which need to be treated to avoid further harm. Although manual vacuum aspiration (MVA) is a safe and cheap method of evacuating the uterus, the most commonly used method in Malawi is curettage. Medical treatment is used sparingly in the country, and the Ministry of Health has been trying to increase the use of MVA. The aim of this study was to investigate the treatment of incomplete abortions in three public hospitals in Southern Malawi during a three-year period. All medical files from the female/gynecological wards from 2013 to 2015 were reviewed. In total, information on obstetric history, demographics, and treatment were collected from 7270 women who had been treated for incomplete abortions. The overall use of MVA at the three hospitals during the study period was 11.4% (95% CI, 10.7–12.1). However, there was a major increase in MVA application at one District Hospital. Why there was only one successful hospital in this study is unclear, but may be due to more training and dedicated leadership at this particular hospital. Either way, the use of MVA in the treatment of incomplete abortions continues to be low in Malawi, despite recommendations from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Malawi Ministry of Health.

http://ift.tt/2CzdFFF

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 371: The Interrelationship between Family Violence, Adolescent Violence, and Adolescent Violent Victimization: An Application and Extension of the Cultural Spillover Theory in China

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 371: The Interrelationship between Family Violence, Adolescent Violence, and Adolescent Violent Victimization: An Application and Extension of the Cultural Spillover Theory in China

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15020371

Authors: Yiwei Xia Spencer Li Tzu-Hsuan Liu

The current study is the first study to emphasize family systems, violent norms, and violent peer association as three domains of the social environment that influence both adolescent violent offending and victimization among Chinese adolescents using a longitudinal sample. Under the framework of cultural spillover theory, the purpose of the current study was to explore how these three factors influenced adolescent violent offending and victimization. A total of 1192 middle and high school students were randomly selected from one of the largest cities in Southwest China. Structural equation model analysis was applied to investigate the direct and indirect effect of violence in the family system on violent offending and victimization. The results indicated that violent offending and victimization overlapped among Chinese adolescents. Violent peer association and acceptance of the violence norm fully mediated the effect of violence in the family system on violent offending, and partially mediated the effect of violence in the family system on violent victimization. In conclusion, adolescents who had experienced violence in their family system were more likely to be exposed to violent peer influences and to accept violent norms, which increased the likelihood of violence perpetration and victimization later in their life.

http://ift.tt/2ohEOZe

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 367: Managing Risk Aversion for Low-Carbon Supply Chains with Emission Abatement Outsourcing

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 367: Managing Risk Aversion for Low-Carbon Supply Chains with Emission Abatement Outsourcing

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15020367

Authors: Qinpeng Wang Longfei He

Reducing carbon emissions, including emission abatement outsourcing at the supply-chain level, is becoming a significant but challenging problem in practice. Confronting this challenge, we therefore break down the practice to focus on a low-carbon supply chain consisting of one supplier, one manufacturer and one third-party emission-reducing contractor. The contractor offers a carbon reduction service to the manufacturer. In view of the increasing proportion of Greenhouse Gases (GHG) emissions and absence of carbon reduction policies in developing countries, we adopt the prospect of consumers’ low-carbon preferences to capture the demand sensitivity on carbon emission. By exploiting the Mean-Variance (MV) model, we develop a supply chain game model considering risk aversion. Comparing the supply chain performances of the cases under risk neutrality and risk aversion, we investigate the impact of the risk aversion of the supplier and the manufacturer on the low-carbon supply chain performances, respectively. We show that the risk aversion of chain members will not influence the relationship underlain by the profit-sharing contract between the manufacturer and contractor, whereas they may extend the supplier’s concerning range. Although the manufacturer’s risk aversion has a positive impact on the wholesale price, interestingly, the supplier’s impact on the wholesale price is negative. Furthermore, we propose a contract to coordinate the risk-averse low-carbon supply chain by tuning the aversion levels of the supplier and the manufacturer, respectively. Through numerical study, we draw on managerial insights for industrial practitioners to adopt a low carbon strategy potentially by managing the risk attitudes along the supply chain channel.

http://ift.tt/2okgYML