Respirator use and its impact on particulate matter exposure in aluminum manufacturing facilities

Objectives As part of a large epidemiologic study of particulate health effect, this study aimed to report respirator use among total particulate matter (TPM) samples collected in a major aluminum manufacturing company from 1966‒2013 and evaluate the impact of respirator-use adjustment on exposure estimation. Methods Descriptive analyses were performed to evaluate respirator use across facilities and by facility type and job. Protection factors were applied to TPM measurements for recorded respirator use. Estimated TPM exposure for each job ‒ before and after respirator-use adjustment ‒ were compared to assess the impact of adjustment on exposure estimation. Results Respirator use was noted for 37% of 12 402 full-shift personal TPM samples. Measured TPM concentration ranged from less than detectable to 8220 mg/m3, with arithmetic mean, median and standard deviation being 10.6, 0.87 and 130 mg/m³, respectively. Respirators were used more often in smelting facilities (52% of TPM measurements) than in fabricating (17%) or refinery facilities (28%) (Pby Liu S, Noth E, Eisen E, Cullen MR, Hammond K. doi:10.5271/sjweh.3738

https://ift.tt/2J0Hzur

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1133: A Comparison of Mental Health Care Systems in Northern and Southern Europe: A Service Mapping Study

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1133: A Comparison of Mental Health Care Systems in Northern and Southern Europe: A Service Mapping Study

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15061133

Authors: Minna Sadeniemi Nerea Almeda Jose A. Salinas-Pérez Mencía R. Gutiérrez-Colosía Carlos García-Alonso Taina Ala-Nikkola Grigori Joffe Sami Pirkola Kristian Wahlbeck Jordi Cid Luis Salvador-Carulla

Mental health services (MHS) have gone through vast changes during the last decades, shifting from hospital to community-based care. Developing the optimal balance and use of resources requires standard comparisons of mental health care systems across countries. This study aimed to compare the structure, personnel resource allocation, and the productivity of the MHS in two benchmark health districts in a Nordic welfare state and a southern European, family-centered country. The study is part of the REFINEMENT (Research on Financing Systems’ Effect on the Quality of Mental Health Care) project. The study areas were the Helsinki and Uusimaa region in Finland and the Girona region in Spain. The MHS were mapped by using the DESDE-LTC (Description and Evaluation of Services and Directories for Long Term Care) tool. There were 6.7 times more personnel resources in the MHS in Helsinki and Uusimaa than in Girona. The resource allocation was more residential-service-oriented in Helsinki and Uusimaa. The difference in mental health personnel resources is not explained by the respective differences in the need for MHS among the population. It is important to make a standard comparison of the MHS for supporting policymaking and to ensure equal access to care across European countries.

https://ift.tt/2LMqmTs

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1131: Identifying Local and Centralized Mental Health Services—The Development of a New Categorizing Variable

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1131: Identifying Local and Centralized Mental Health Services—The Development of a New Categorizing Variable

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15061131

Authors: Taina Ala-Nikkola Sami Pirkola Minna Kaila Grigori Joffe Raija Kontio Olli Oranta Minna Sadeniemi Kristian Wahlbeck Samuli I. Saarni

The challenges of mental health and substance abuse services (MHS) require shifting of the balance of resources from institutional care to community care. In order to track progress, an instrument that can describe these attributes of MHS is needed. We created a coding variable in the European Service Mapping Schedule-Revised (ESMS-R) mapping tool using a modified Delphi panel that classified MHS into centralized, local services with gatekeeping and local services without gatekeeping. For feasibility and validity, we tested the variable on a dataset comprising MHS in Southern Finland, covering a population of 2.3 million people. There were differences in the characteristics of services between our study regions. In our data, 41% were classified as centralized, 37% as local without gatekeeping and 22% as local services with gatekeeping. The proportion of resources allocated to local services varied from 20% to 43%. Reclassifying ESMS-R is an easy way to compare the important local vs. centralized balance of MHS systems globally, where such data exists. Further international studies comparing systems and validating this approach are needed.

https://ift.tt/2IYKrbf

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1132: Impact of Housing and Community Conditions on Multidimensional Health among Middle- and Low-Income Groups in Hong Kong

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1132: Impact of Housing and Community Conditions on Multidimensional Health among Middle- and Low-Income Groups in Hong Kong

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15061132

Authors: Jionghua Wang Bo Huang Ting Zhang Hung Wong Yifan Huang

With decades of urbanization, housing and community problems (e.g., poor ventilation and lack of open public spaces) have become important social determinants of health that require increasing attention worldwide. Knowledge regarding the link between health and these problems can provide crucial evidence for building healthy communities. However, this link has heretofore not been identified in Hong Kong, and few studies have compared the health impact of housing and community conditions across different income groups. To overcome this gap, we hypothesize that the health impact of housing and community problems may vary across income groups and across health dimensions. We tested these hypotheses using cross-sectional survey data from Hong Kong. Several health outcomes, e.g., chronic diseases and the SF-12 v. 2 mental component summary scores, were correlated with a few types of housing and community problems, while other outcomes, such as the DASS-21–Stress scores, were sensitive to a broader range of problems. The middle- and low-income group was more severely affected by poor built environments. These results can be used to identify significant problems in the local built environment, especially amongst the middle- and low-income group.

https://ift.tt/2H7MFzc

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1130: Trial to Encourage Adoption and Maintenance of a Mediterranean Diet (TEAM-MED): Protocol for a Randomised Feasibility Trial of a Peer Support Intervention for Dietary Behaviour Change in Adults at High Cardiovascular Disease Risk

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1130: Trial to Encourage Adoption and Maintenance of a Mediterranean Diet (TEAM-MED): Protocol for a Randomised Feasibility Trial of a Peer Support Intervention for Dietary Behaviour Change in Adults at High Cardiovascular Disease Risk

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15061130

Authors: Claire T. McEvoy Sarah E. Moore Katherine M. Appleton Margaret E. Cupples Christina M. Erwin Steven J. Hunter Frank Kee David McCance Christopher C. Patterson Ian S. Young Michelle C. McKinley Jayne V. Woodside

Adoption of a Mediterranean diet (MD) reduces cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. However, interventions to achieve dietary behaviour change are typically resource intensive. Peer support offers a potentially low-cost approach to encourage dietary change. The primary objective of this randomised controlled trial is to explore the feasibility of peer support versus a previously tested dietetic-led intervention to encourage MD behaviour change, and to test recruitment strategies, retention and attrition in order to inform the design of a definitive trial. A total of 75 overweight adults at high CVD risk who do not follow a MD (Mediterranean Diet Score (MDS ≤ 3)) will be randomly assigned to either: a minimal intervention (written materials), a proven intervention (dietetic support, written materials and key MD foods), or a peer support intervention (group-based community programme delivered by lay peers) for 12 months. The primary end-point is change in MDS from baseline to 6 months (adoption of MD). Secondary end-points include: change in MDS from 6 to 12 months (maintenance of MD), effects on nutritional biomarkers and CVD risk factors, fidelity of implementation, acceptability and feasibility of the peer support intervention. This study will generate important data regarding the feasibility of peer support for ease of adoption of MD in an ‘at risk’ Northern European population. Data will be used to direct a larger scale trial, where the clinical efficacy and cost-effectiveness of peer support will be tested.

https://ift.tt/2kETyPU

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1128: Modeling the Heterogeneity of Dengue Transmission in a City

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1128: Modeling the Heterogeneity of Dengue Transmission in a City

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15061128

Authors: Lingcai Kong Jinfeng Wang Zhongjie Li Shengjie Lai Qiyong Liu Haixia Wu Weizhong Yang

Dengue fever is one of the most important vector-borne diseases in the world, and modeling its transmission dynamics allows for determining the key influence factors and helps to perform interventions. The heterogeneity of mosquito bites of humans during the spread of dengue virus is an important factor that should be considered when modeling the dynamics. However, traditional models generally assumed homogeneous mixing between humans and vectors, which is inconsistent with reality. In this study, we proposed a compartmental model with negative binomial distribution transmission terms to model this heterogeneity at the population level. By including the aquatic stage of mosquitoes and incorporating the impacts of the environment and climate factors, an extended model was used to simulate the 2014 dengue outbreak in Guangzhou, China, and to simulate the spread of dengue in different scenarios. The results showed that a high level of heterogeneity can result in a small peak size in an outbreak. As the level of heterogeneity decreases, the transmission dynamics approximate the dynamics predicted by the corresponding homogeneous mixing model. The simulation results from different scenarios showed that performing interventions early and decreasing the carrying capacity for mosquitoes are necessary for preventing and controlling dengue epidemics. This study contributes to a better understanding of the impact of heterogeneity during the spread of dengue virus.

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IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1129: Perspectives on Biological Monitoring in Environmental Health Research: A Focus Group Study in a Native American Community

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1129: Perspectives on Biological Monitoring in Environmental Health Research: A Focus Group Study in a Native American Community

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15061129

Authors: Melissa Gonzales Elanda King Jeanette Bobelu Donica M. Ghahate Teresa Madrid Sheri Lesansee Vallabh Shah

Background: Reliance on natural resources brings Native American communities into frequent contact with environmental media, which, if contaminated, represents an exposure route for environmental pollutants. Native American communities vary in their perspectives on research and relatively little is known about the range of perspectives regarding the use of biological samples for environmental exposure assessment. Methods: Thirty-one members of Zuni Pueblo (median age = 40.0 years, range = 26–59 years) participated a series of four focus groups. Qualitative themes emerging from the focus group discussion transcripts were identified by content analysis. Results: Emergent themes included adequate informed consent, traditional beliefs, and personal choice. Conclusions: The discussions reinforced the central role of traditional values in the decision to participate in research involving biological samples for environmental exposure assessment. Decision-making required a balance between the perceived value of the proposed project and its purpose, with cultural perspectives surrounding the biological sample requested. We examine the potential for study bias and include recommendations to aid in the collaborative identification and control of unintended risks posed by the use of biological samples in environmental health studies in native communities.

https://ift.tt/2LMfJQv

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1127: Implementation of Brain Breaks® in the Classroom and Effects on Attitudes toward Physical Activity in a Macedonian School Setting

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1127: Implementation of Brain Breaks® in the Classroom and Effects on Attitudes toward Physical Activity in a Macedonian School Setting

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15061127

Authors: Biljana Popeska Snezana Jovanova-Mitkovska Ming-Kai Chin Christopher R. Edginton Magdalena Mo Ching Mok Serjoza Gontarev

The purpose of this study was to explore the effects of Brain Break® activities on interest and motivation for physical activity among schoolchildren and the contribution of such activities on learning for health and holistic development. The study sample was comprised of 283 participants, primary school students from 3rd to 5th grades from two public schools in the Republic of Macedonia. Six experimental and six control groups were included in the study. Interventions in classroom settings—based Brain Break® video exercises were introduced in the experimental group during a period of three months. Students’ attitudes toward physical activity were tested using a self-report survey instrument entitled “Attitudes toward Physical Activity Scale (APAS)” before and after intervention. Applied factor analyses were completed and the results of these analysis support APAS validity and the successful use of this application in the measurement of the learning experience, self-awareness, self-efficacy, and self-confidence in developing physical fitness. Learning was enhanced by using video exercises. Information presented in this paper is meaningful for the promotion of better exercise habits and the holistic approach to better health by using personal motivation and motivation provided by others. The results from repeated ANCOVA suggest positive effects of the applied Brain Break® video exercises as an interventional program. The study confirms the effect of application of Brain Break® video exercises on children’s attitudes for physical activity, motivation for PA, internalization of movement habits as personal good.

https://ift.tt/2xtqsvN

Exposure, respiratory symptoms, lung function and inflammation response of road-paving asphalt workers

Background

Controversy exists as to the health effects of exposure to asphalt and crumb rubber modified (CRM) asphalt, which contains recycled rubber tyres.

Objective

To assess exposures and effects on airway symptoms, lung function and inflammation biomarkers in conventional and CRM asphalt road pavers.

Methods

116 conventional asphalt workers, 51 CRM asphalt workers and 100 controls were investigated. A repeated-measures analysis included 31 workers paving with both types of asphalt. Exposure to dust, nitrosamines, benzothiazole and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) was measured in worksites. Self-reported symptoms, spirometry test and blood sampling were conducted prework and postwork. Symptoms were further collected during off-season for asphalt paving.

Results

Dust, PAHs and nitrosamine exposure was highly varied, without difference between conventional and CRM asphalt workers. Benzothiazole was higher in CRM asphalt workers (p<0.001). Higher proportions of asphalt workers than controls reported eye symptoms with onset in the current job. Decreased lung function from preworking to postworking was found in CRM asphalt workers and controls. Preworking interleukin-8 was higher in CRM asphalt workers than in the controls, followed by a decrement after 4 days of working. No differences in any studied effects were found between conventional and CRM asphalt paving.

Conclusion

CRM asphalt workers are exposed to higher benzothiazole. Further studies are needed to identify the source of nitrosamines in conventional asphalt. Mild decrease in lung function in CRM asphalt workers and work-related eye symptoms in both asphalt workers were observed. However, our study did not find strong evidence for severe respiratory symptoms and inflammation response among asphalt workers.

https://ift.tt/2LJxcJ6

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1121: Patterns of Harmful Alcohol Consumption among Truck Drivers: Implications for Occupational Health and Work Safety from a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1121: Patterns of Harmful Alcohol Consumption among Truck Drivers: Implications for Occupational Health and Work Safety from a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15061121

Authors: Nicola Luigi Bragazzi Guglielmo Dini Alessandra Toletone Alborz Rahmani Alfredo Montecucco Emanuela Massa Alessia Manca Ottavia Guglielmi Sergio Garbarino Nicoletta Debarbieri Paolo Durando

Alcohol consumption is one of the main causes of productivity losses arising from absenteeism, presenteeism, and workplace injuries. Among occupational categories most affected by the use of this substance, truck drivers are subject to risk factors and risky behaviors that can have a serious impact on their health, their work, and the general road safety. The use of alcohol during truck-driving activities is, indeed, an important risk factor for traffic accidents. The present systematic review and meta-analysis aims at synthesizing the literature regarding harmful alcohol consumption patterns among truck drivers in a rigorous way. A &lsquo;binge drinking&rsquo; prevalence of 19.0%, 95% confidence interval or CI (13.1, 26.9) was present. An &lsquo;everyday drinking&rsquo; pattern rate of 9.4%, 95% CI (7.0, 12.4) was found, while the rate of alcohol misuse according to the &ldquo;Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test&rdquo; (AUDIT)&mdash;&ldquo;Cut down-Annoyed-Guilty-Eye opener questionnaire&rdquo; (CAGE) instruments was computed to be of 22.7%, 95% CI (14.8, 33.0). No evidence of publication bias could be found. However, there is the need to improve the quality of published research, utilizing standardized reliable instruments. The knowledge of these epidemiological data can be useful for decision makers in order to develop, design, and implement ad hoc adequate policies.

https://ift.tt/2H2S7Dm

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1122: Attachment and Survival of Escherichia coli O157:H7 on In-Shell Hazelnuts

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1122: Attachment and Survival of Escherichia coli O157:H7 on In-Shell Hazelnuts

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15061122

Authors: Lingyu Feng Muhammed S. Muyyarikkandy Stephanie R. B. Brown Mary Anne Amalaradjou

The multistate Escherichia coli (E. coli) O157:H7 outbreak associated with in-shell hazelnuts highlights the pathogen’s ability to involve non-traditional vehicles in foodborne infections. Furthermore, it underscores significant gaps in our knowledge of pathogen survivability and persistence on nuts. Therefore, this study investigated the ability of E. coli O157:H7 to attach and survive on in-shell hazelnuts. In-shell hazelnuts were inoculated with a four-strain mixture of E. coli O157:H7 at 7.6 log colony forming units (CFU)/nut by wet or dry inoculation, stored at ambient conditions (24 ± 1 °C; 40% ± 3% relative humidity (RH) and sampled for twelve months. For the attachment assay, in-shell hazelnuts were inoculated and the adherent population was enumerated at 30 s–1 h following inoculation. Irrespective of the inoculation method, ~5 log CFU of adherent E. coli O157:H7 was recovered from the hazelnuts as early as 30 s after inoculation. Conversely, pathogen survival was significantly reduced under dry inoculation with samples being enrichment negative after five months of storage (p &lt; 0.05). On the other hand, wet inoculation led to a significantly longer persistence of the pathogen with ~3 log CFU being recovered from the in-shell nuts at 12 months of storage (p &lt; 0.05). These results indicate that E. coli O157:H7 can survive in significant numbers on in-shell hazelnuts when stored under ambient conditions.

https://ift.tt/2kziesM

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1120: Key Dimensions for the Prevention and Control of Communicable Diseases in Institutional Settings: A Scoping Review to Guide the Development of a Tool to Strengthen Preparedness at Migrant Holding Centres in the EU/EEA

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1120: Key Dimensions for the Prevention and Control of Communicable Diseases in Institutional Settings: A Scoping Review to Guide the Development of a Tool to Strengthen Preparedness at Migrant Holding Centres in the EU/EEA

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15061120

Authors: Flavia Riccardo Jonathan E. Suk Laura Espinosa Antonino Bella Cristina Giambi Martina Del Manso Christian Napoli Maria Grazia Dente Gloria Nacca Silvia Declich

Migrant centres, as other institutions hosting closed or semi-open communities, may face specific challenges in preventing and controlling communicable disease transmission, particularly during times of large sudden influx. However, there is dearth of evidence on how to prioritise investments in aspects such as human resources, medicines and vaccines, sanitation and disinfection, and physical infrastructures to prevent/control communicable disease outbreaks. We analysed frequent drivers of communicable disease transmission/issues for outbreak management in institutions hosting closed or semi-open communities, including migrant centres, and reviewed existing assessment tools to guide the development of a European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) checklist tool to strengthen preparedness against communicable disease outbreaks in migrant centres. Among articles/reports focusing specifically on migrant centres, outbreaks through multiple types of disease transmission were described as possible/occurred. Human resources and physical infrastructure were the dimensions most frequently identified as crucial for preventing and mitigating outbreaks. This review also recognised a lack of common agreed standards to guide and assess preparedness activities in migrant centres, thereby underscoring the need for a capacity-oriented ECDC preparedness checklist tool.

https://ift.tt/2LKWWFc

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1119: Primary Care Patients’ Preference for Hospitals over Clinics in Korea

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1119: Primary Care Patients’ Preference for Hospitals over Clinics in Korea

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15061119

Authors: Agnus M. Kim Seongcheol Cho Hyun Joo Kim Hyemin Jung Min-Woo Jo Jin Yong Lee Sang Jun Eun

Korea is in a unique condition to observe whether patients, when equal access to the levels of health care facilities is guaranteed by the support of the national health insurance, choose the appropriate levels of health care facilities. This study was performed to investigate the primary care patients&rsquo; preference for hospitals over clinics under no restriction for their choice. We used the 2011 National Inpatient Sample database of the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service in Korea. A primary care patient was defined as a patient who visited as an outpatient in health care facilities with one of the 52 minor conditions defined by the Korean government. We found that approximately 15% of outpatient visits of the patients who were eligible for primary care in Korea happened in hospitals. In terms of cost, the outpatient visits in hospitals accounted for about 29% of total cost of outpatient visits. This arbitrary access to hospitals can lead to an inefficient use of health care resources. In order to ensure that health care facilities are stratified in terms of access as well as size and function, interventions to distribute patients to the appropriate level of care are required.

https://ift.tt/2xx1qMG

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1118: Influence of Personal Factors on Sound Perception and Overall Experience in Urban Green Areas. A Case Study of a Cycling Path Highly Exposed to Road Traffic Noise

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1118: Influence of Personal Factors on Sound Perception and Overall Experience in Urban Green Areas. A Case Study of a Cycling Path Highly Exposed to Road Traffic Noise

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15061118

Authors: Francesco Aletta Timothy Van Renterghem Dick Botteldooren

In contemporary urban design, green public areas play a vital role. They have great societal value, but if exposed to undue environmental noise their restorative potential might be compromised. On the other hand, research has shown that the presence of greenery can moderate noise annoyance in areas with high sound levels, while personal factors are expected to play an important role too. A cycling path bordered by vegetation, but highly exposed to road traffic noise, was here considered as a case study. A sound perception survey was submitted to participants on site and they were subsequently sorted into groups according to their noise sensitivity, visual attention and attitude towards greenery. The aim of this study was testing whether these three personal factors could affect their noise perception and overall experience of the place. Results showed that people highly sensitive to noise and more sceptical towards greenery&rsquo;s potential as an environmental moderator reported worse soundscape quality, while visually attentive people reported better quality. These three personal factors were found to be statistically independent. This study shows that several person-related factors impact the assessment of the sound environment in green areas. Although the majority of the respondents benefit from the presence of visual green, policy-makers and planners should be aware that for a significant subset of the population, it should be accompanied by a tranquil soundscape to be fully appreciated.

https://ift.tt/2skqf9n

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1114: Early-Life Air Pollution Exposure, Neighborhood Poverty, and Childhood Asthma in the United States, 1990–2014

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1114: Early-Life Air Pollution Exposure, Neighborhood Poverty, and Childhood Asthma in the United States, 1990–2014

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15061114

Authors: Nicole Kravitz-Wirtz Samantha Teixeira Anjum Hajat Bongki Woo Kyle Crowder David Takeuchi

Ambient air pollution is a well-known risk factor of various asthma-related outcomes, however, past research has often focused on acute exacerbations rather than asthma development. This study draws on a population-based, multigenerational panel dataset from the United States to assess the association of childhood asthma risk with census block-level, annual-average air pollution exposure measured during the prenatal and early postnatal periods, as well as effect modification by neighborhood poverty. Findings suggest that early-life exposures to nitrogen dioxide (NO2), a marker of traffic-related pollution, and fine particulate matter (PM2.5), a mixture of industrial and other pollutants, are positively associated with subsequent childhood asthma diagnosis (OR = 1.25, 95% CI = 1.10&ndash;1.41 and OR = 1.25, 95% CI = 1.06&ndash;1.46, respectively, per interquartile range (IQR) increase in each pollutant (NO2 IQR = 8.51 ppb and PM2.5 IQR = 4.43 &micro;/m3)). These effects are modified by early-life neighborhood poverty exposure, with no or weaker effects in moderate- and low- (versus high-) poverty areas. This work underscores the importance of a holistic, developmental approach to elucidating the interplay of social and environmental contexts that may create conditions for racial-ethnic and socioeconomic disparities in childhood asthma risk.

https://ift.tt/2J00rFY

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1117: The Effect of Glyphosate on Human Sperm Motility and Sperm DNA Fragmentation

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1117: The Effect of Glyphosate on Human Sperm Motility and Sperm DNA Fragmentation

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15061117

Authors: George Anifandis Katerina Katsanaki Georgia Lagodonti Christina Messini Mara Simopoulou Konstantinos Dafopoulos Alexandros Daponte

Glyphosate is the active ingredient of Roundup&reg;, which is one of the most popular herbicides worldwide. Although many studies have focused on the reproductive toxicity of glyphosate or glyphosate-based herbicides, the majority of them have concluded that the effect of the specific herbicide is negligible, while only a few studies indicate the male reproductive toxicity of glyphosate alone. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of 0.36 mg/L glyphosate on sperm motility and sperm DNA fragmentation (SDF). Thirty healthy men volunteered to undergo semen analysis for the purpose of the study. Sperm motility was calculated according to WHO 2010 guidelines at collection time (zero time) and 1 h post-treatment with glyphosate. Sperm DNA fragmentation was evaluated with Halosperm&reg; G2 kit for both the control and glyphosate-treated sperm samples. Sperm progressive motility of glyphosate-treated samples was significantly reduced after 1 h post-treatment in comparison to the respective controls, in contrast to the SDF of glyphosate-treated samples, which was comparable to the respective controls. Conclusively, under these in vitro conditions, at high concentrations that greatly exceed environmental exposures, glyphosate exerts toxic effects on sperm progressive motility but not on sperm DNA integrity, meaning that the toxic effect is limited only to motility, at least in the first hour.

https://ift.tt/2skqaT7

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1116: Burnout Risk and Protection Factors in Certified Nursing Aides

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1116: Burnout Risk and Protection Factors in Certified Nursing Aides

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15061116

Authors: María del Mar Molero Jurado María del Carmen Pérez-Fuentes José Jesús Gázquez Gázquez Linares María del Mar Simón Márquez África Martos Martínez

Studies have found a higher risk of burnout among employees in the healthcare sector. As such, this study focused on Certified Nursing Aides (CNAs) who have shown a high prevalence of burnout and are therefore considered an especially vulnerable group. The objective of this study was to identify the relationships between some organizational, personal, and sociodemographic factors and burnout. The final study sample included 278 working CNAs with a mean age of 40.88 (SD = 9.41). To compile the data, an ad hoc questionnaire was used to collect sociodemographic information. To collect professional and employment information, we used the Brief Emotional Intelligence Inventory for Adults, the Brief Questionnaire on Perceived Social Support, and the General Self-Efficacy Scale. The results showed that Burnout Syndrome is significantly and negatively related to all the emotional intelligence factors, self-efficacy, and perceived social support. The risk of burnout is higher in younger persons and in permanently employed professionals. General self-efficacy and stress management act as protective factors against the likelihood of burnout. This study suggests that organizations should urge coaching and transformational leadership training programs to promote the wellbeing and organizational commitment of workers.

https://ift.tt/2IZgRy9

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1115: Clinical Relevant Polymorphisms Affecting Clopidogrel Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics: Insights from the Puerto Rico Newborn Screening Program

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1115: Clinical Relevant Polymorphisms Affecting Clopidogrel Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics: Insights from the Puerto Rico Newborn Screening Program

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15061115

Authors: Dagmar F. Hernandez-Suarez Jonnalie C. Tomassini-Fernandini Angelica Cuevas Anyelis N. Rosario-Berrios Héctor J. Nuñez-Medina Dariana Padilla-Arroyo Nannette Rivera Jennifer Liriano Rocio K. Vega-Roman Jessicca Y. Renta Kyle Melin Jorge Duconge

Background: Variations in several clopidogrel-pharmacogenes have been linked to clopidogrel response variability and clinical outcomes. We aimed to determine the frequency distribution of major polymorphisms on CYP2C19, PON1, ABCB1 and P2RY12 pharmacogenes in Puerto Ricans. Methods: This was a cross-sectional, population-based study of 200 unrelated &ldquo;Guthrie&rdquo; cards specimens from newborns registered in the Puerto Rican newborn screening program (PRNSP) between 2004 and 2014. Taqman&reg; SNP assay techniques were used for genotyping. Results: Minor allele frequencies (MAF) were 46% for PON1 (rs662), 41% for ABCB1 (rs1045642), 14% for CYP2C19*17, 13% for CYP2C19*2, 12% for P2RY12-H2 and 0.3% for CYP2C19*4. No carriers of the CYP2C19*3 variants were detected. All alleles and genotype proportions were found to be in Hardy&ndash;Weinberg equilibrium (HWE). Overall, there were no significant differences between MAFs of these variants in Puerto Ricans and the general population (n = 453) of the 1000 Genome project, except when comparisons to each individual parental group were performed (i.e., Africans, Europeans and East-Asians; p &lt; 0.05). As expected, the prevalence of these markers in Puerto Ricans most resembled those in the 181 subjects from reference populations of the Americas. Conclusions: These prevalence data provide a necessary groundwork for future clinical studies of clopidogrel pharmacogenetics in Caribbean Hispanics.

https://ift.tt/2seveZh

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1112: Time and Place as Modifiers of Personal UV Exposure

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1112: Time and Place as Modifiers of Personal UV Exposure

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15061112

Authors: Brian L. Diffey

It is a common belief that, if we want to limit our sun exposure during outdoor recreational activities and holidays in order to avoid sunburn or reduce our risk of skin cancer, we need to reach for the bottle of sunscreen or cover up with clothing. As important as these measures are, there is another way to enjoy our time outdoors and still benefit from the experience. In this article, we consider the impact of time, place, and behaviour outdoors on our exposure to solar ultraviolet (UV) radiation. Some of the simple actions we can take in controlling our UV exposure include being aware of the position of the sun in the sky, understanding how we can use the UV index to guide our outdoor exposure, and the importance of reducing our sun exposure around the middle of the day. Finally we review our preferred holiday activities and destinations, and the influence of outdoor leisure pursuits. By planning where and when we spend our leisure time in the sun, we can maximise our enjoyment whilst limiting our UV exposure.

https://ift.tt/2IXpnxL

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1113: Research Trend Visualization by MeSH Terms from PubMed

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1113: Research Trend Visualization by MeSH Terms from PubMed

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15061113

Authors: Heyoung Yang Hyuck Jai Lee

Motivation: PubMed is a primary source of biomedical information comprising search tool function and the biomedical literature from MEDLINE which is the US National Library of Medicine premier bibliographic database, life science journals and online books. Complimentary tools to PubMed have been developed to help the users search for literature and acquire knowledge. However, these tools are insufficient to overcome the difficulties of the users due to the proliferation of biomedical literature. A new method is needed for searching the knowledge in biomedical field. Methods: A new method is proposed in this study for visualizing the recent research trends based on the retrieved documents corresponding to a search query given by the user. The Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) are used as the primary analytical element. MeSH terms are extracted from the literature and the correlations between them are calculated. A MeSH network, called MeSH Net, is generated as the final result based on the Pathfinder Network algorithm. Results: A case study for the verification of proposed method was carried out on a research area defined by the search query (immunotherapy and cancer and &ldquo;tumor microenvironment&rdquo;). The MeSH Net generated by the method is in good agreement with the actual research activities in the research area (immunotherapy). Conclusion: A prototype application generating MeSH Net was developed. The application, which could be used as a &ldquo;guide map for travelers&rdquo;, allows the users to quickly and easily acquire the knowledge of research trends. Combination of PubMed and MeSH Net is expected to be an effective complementary system for the researchers in biomedical field experiencing difficulties with search and information analysis.

https://ift.tt/2sj15YT

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1111: A Rapid Public Health Needs Assessment Framework for after Major Earthquakes Using High-Resolution Satellite Imagery

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1111: A Rapid Public Health Needs Assessment Framework for after Major Earthquakes Using High-Resolution Satellite Imagery

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15061111

Authors: Jian Zhao Fan Ding Zhe Wang Jinghuan Ren Jing Zhao Yeping Wang Xuefeng Tang Yong Wang Jianyi Yao Qun Li

Background: Earthquakes causing significant damage have occurred frequently in China, producing enormous health losses, damage to the environment and public health issues. Timely public health response is crucial to reduce mortality and morbidity and promote overall effectiveness of rescue efforts after a major earthquake. Methods: A rapid assessment framework was established based on GIS technology and high-resolution remote sensing images. A two-step casualties and injures estimation method was developed to evaluate health loss with great rapidity. Historical data and health resources information was reviewed to evaluate the damage condition of medical resources and public health issues. Results: The casualties and injures are estimated within a few hours after an earthquake. For the Wenchuan earthquake, which killed about 96,000 people and injured about 288,000, the estimation accuracy is about 77%. 242/294 (82.3%) of the medical existing institutions were severely damaged. About 40,000 tons of safe drinking water was needed every day to ensure basic living needs. The risk of water-borne and foodborne disease, respiratory and close contact transmission disease is high. For natural foci diseases, the high-risk area of schistosomiasis was mapped in Lushan County as an example. Finally, temporary settlements for victims of earthquake were mapped. Conclusions: High resolution Earth observation technology can provide a scientific basis for public health emergency management in the major disasters field, which will be of great significance in helping policy makers effectively improve health service ability and public health emergency management in prevention and control of infectious diseases and risk assessment.

https://ift.tt/2LGvs3z

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1108: Contact Allergy: A Review of Current Problems from a Clinical Perspective

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1108: Contact Allergy: A Review of Current Problems from a Clinical Perspective

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15061108

Authors: Wolfgang Uter Thomas Werfel Ian R. White Jeanne D. Johansen

Contact allergy is common, affecting 27% of the general population in Europe. Original publications, including case reports, published since 2016 (inclusive) were identified with the aim of collating a full review of current problems in the field. To this end, a literature search employing methods of systematic reviewing was performed in the Medline&reg; and Web of Science&trade; databases on 28 January 2018, using the search terms (&ldquo;contact sensitization&rdquo; or &ldquo;contact allergy&rdquo;). Of 446 non-duplicate publications identified by above search, 147 were excluded based on scrutiny of title, abstract and key words. Of the remaining 299 examined in full text, 291 were deemed appropriate for inclusion, and main findings were summarised in topic sections. In conclusion, diverse sources of exposures to chemicals of widely-differing types and structures, continue to induce sensitisation in man and may result in allergic contact dermatitis. Many of the chemicals are &ldquo;evergreen&rdquo; but others are &ldquo;newcomers&rdquo;. Vigilance and proper investigation (patch testing) are required to detect and inform of the presence of these haptens to which our populations remain exposed.

https://ift.tt/2IYnkha

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1109: The Human Health Assessment to Phthalate Acid Esters (PAEs) and Potential Probability Prediction by Chromophoric Dissolved Organic Matter EEM-FRI Fluorescence in Erlong Lake

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1109: The Human Health Assessment to Phthalate Acid Esters (PAEs) and Potential Probability Prediction by Chromophoric Dissolved Organic Matter EEM-FRI Fluorescence in Erlong Lake

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15061109

Authors: Meichen Ji Sijia Li Jiquan Zhang Hui Di Fengxu Li Tianji Feng

Phthalate acid esters (PAEs) are suspected to cause wide environmental pollution and have adverse effects on human health. Three priority control phthalates, namely dimethyl phthalate (DMP), diethyl phthalate (DEP), and dibutyl phthalate (DBP), were determined in 45 water samples from the largest drinking water source in Jilin Province. Chromophoric-dissolved organic matter (CDOM), which are composed of complex compounds and are a proxy for water quality, can be monitored using a fluorometer. This study attempted to understand the correlations of the CDOM fluorescence regional integration (FRI) components with PAEs and CDOM characteristics under seasonal and spatial variations in the Erlong Lake. The characteristics of the CDOM absorption parameters in different water samples showed a higher aromatic content and molecular weight in October because of increased terrestrial inputs. The &Sigma;3PAEs concentrations ranged from 0.231 mg L&minus;1 to 0.435 mg L&minus;1 in water, and DEP contributed to more than 90% of the &Sigma;3PAEs. The FRI method identified five fluorescence components: one tyrosine-like (R1), one tryptophan-like (R2), one fulvic-like (R3), one microbial protein-like (R4), and one humic-like (R5) component. However, significant relationships exist between DEP and R3 (R2 = 0.78, p &lt; 0.001), R4 (R2 = 0.77, p &lt; 0.001), and R5 (R2 = 0.58, p &lt; 0.001). Quantifying the relationship between CDOM and PAEs was highly significant, because the results will simplify the componential analysis of pollutants from a spatiotemporal perspective as compared to traditional chemical measurements. The human health risk assessment results revealed no human health risk (HQ &lt; 1) in the Erlong Lake basin.

https://ift.tt/2H1ydbP

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1106: Sexual Risk Behaviors of Patients with HIV/AIDS over the Course of Antiretroviral Treatment in Northern Vietnam

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1106: Sexual Risk Behaviors of Patients with HIV/AIDS over the Course of Antiretroviral Treatment in Northern Vietnam

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15061106

Authors: Thuc Minh Thi Vu Victoria L. Boggiano Bach Xuan Tran Long Hoang Nguyen Tung Thanh Tran Carl A. Latkin Cyrus S. H. Ho Roger C. M. Ho

Antiretroviral therapy (ART) improves the health and well-being of people living with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV, PLWH), and reduces their risk of transmitting the virus to sexual partners. However, patterns of sexual risk behavior among HIV-positive patients taking ART in Vietnam remain largely unknown. In this study, we sought to examine sexual risk behaviors and their associated factors among HIV-positive patients receiving ART in northern Vietnam. The socio-demographic characteristics, ART use, health status, and sexual behaviors of 1133 patients taking ART in the Hanoi and Nam Dinh provinces were explored through face-to-face interviews. There were 63.5% of patients who had one sex partner, while 3.6% and 5.6% of patients had sexual intercourse with casual partners or sex workers, respectively, in the previous 12 months. Most participants tended to use condoms more often with commercial sex partners (90.2%) and intimate partners (79.7%), and less often with casual partners (60.9%). Higher age (odds ratio, OR = 1.0; 95% CIs = 1.0, 1.1) or suffering pain/discomfort (OR = 1.7; 95% CIs = 1.2, 2.4) were factors more likely to be associated with multiple sex partners. Patients who were self-employed were more likely to have sexual intercourse with casual partners/sex workers (OR = 2.1; 95% CIs = 1.1, 4.0). Meanwhile, a higher score on the EuroQol visual analog scale (EQ-VAS), an unknown HIV stage, and a longer duration of ART were adversely associated with not using condoms with casual partners/sex workers. Patients with longer durations of ART had a lower likelihood of not using a condom with casual partners/sex workers (OR = 0.5; 95% CIs = 0.3, 0.8). Our study underscored a relatively high rate of unsafe sexual behaviors among HIV-positive patients. Continuing to improve the physical and psychological well-being of HIV-positive patients in Vietnam is important in reducing the spread of HIV via risky sexual behaviors. In addition, safe-sex education should be provided to older people, and to those who are self-employed.

https://ift.tt/2GZLUbn

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1107: Functioning and Disability Profile of Children with Microcephaly Associated with Congenital Zika Virus Infection

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1107: Functioning and Disability Profile of Children with Microcephaly Associated with Congenital Zika Virus Infection

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15061107

Authors: Haryelle Náryma Confessor Ferreira Veronica Schiariti Isabelly Cristina Rodrigues Regalado Klayton Galante Sousa Silvana Alves Pereira Carla Patrícia Novaes dos Santos Fechine Egmar Longo

Introduction: The increase in the number of cases of microcephaly in Brazil and its association with the Zika virus (ZIKV) is a global public health problem. The International Classification of Functioning Disability and Health (ICF) model is a powerful tool and extremely relevant in managing disability. Objective: Describe the functioning profile of children with microcephaly associated with ZIKV in two states of northeastern Brazil. Methods: This is a descriptive cross-sectional study. The sociodemographic characteristics, head circumference, and other clinical data were collected from medical charts, physical examinations, measuring instruments, and interviews with the children and their parents. The Brazilian Portuguese version of the Brief Common ICF Core Set for cerebral palsy (CP) was used. Each ICF category was assigned a qualifier, which ranged from 0 to 4 (no problem, mild problem, moderate problem, severe problem, complete problem). For environmental factors, 0 represents no barrier and 4 represents complete barrier; +0, no facilitator and +4, complete facilitator. Results: A total of 34 children with microcephaly caused by ZIKV were recruited (18 girls and 16 boys) at four rehabilitation facilities in Rio Grande do Norte and Para&iacute;ba states, Brazil. The average age of the participants was 21 months, monthly income was &asymp;USD 300.00, and head circumference z-scores ranged between 0.92 and &minus;5.51. The functioning profile revealed complete disability in most of the body function categories (b). The activity and participation areas (d) were highly impacted, particularly in mobility-related categories. With respect to environmental factors (e), most of the sample reported a complete facilitator for the immediate family, friends, and health services, systems, and policies, as well as a complete barrier to societal attitudes. Conclusion: This is the first study that describes the functioning profile of children with microcephaly associated with ZIKV, using a tool based on the ICF in Brazil. Our findings reinforce the need to maximize health care and access to information, based on the ICF, for multiprofessional teams, administrators, family members, and children.

https://ift.tt/2sgHrwq

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1105: Mosses Are Better than Leaves of Vascular Plants in Monitoring Atmospheric Heavy Metal Pollution in Urban Areas

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1105: Mosses Are Better than Leaves of Vascular Plants in Monitoring Atmospheric Heavy Metal Pollution in Urban Areas

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15061105

Authors: Yanbin Jiang Miao Fan Ronggui Hu Jinsong Zhao Yupeng Wu

Mosses and leaves of vascular plants have been used as bioindicators of environmental contamination by heavy metals originating from various sources. This study aims to compare the metal accumulation capabilities of mosses and vascular species in urban areas and quantify the suitability of different taxa for monitoring airborne heavy metals. One pleurocarpous feather moss species, Haplocladium angustifolium, and two evergreen tree species, Cinnamomum bodinieri Osmanthus fragrans, and substrate soil were sampled in the urban area of different land use types in Wuhan City in China. The concentrations of Ag, As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Mn, Mo, Ni, V, Pb, and Zn in these samples were analyzed by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. The differences of heavy metals concentration in the three species showed that the moss species was considerably more capable of accumulating heavy metals than tree leaves (3 times to 51 times). The accumulated concentration of heavy metals in the moss species depended on the metal species and land use type. The enrichment factors of metals for plants and the correlations of metals in plants with corresponding metals in soil reflected that the accumulated metals in plants stemmed mostly from atmospheric deposition, rather than the substrate soil. Anthropogenic factors, such as traffic emissions from automobile transportation and manufacturing industries, were primarily responsible for the variations in metal pollutants in the atmosphere and subsequently influenced the metal accumulation in the mosses. This study elucidated that the moss species H. angustifolium is relatively more suitable than tree leaves of C. bodinieri and O. fragrans in monitoring heavy metal pollution in urban areas, and currently Wuhan is at a lower contamination level of atmospheric heavy metals than some other cities in China.

https://ift.tt/2GYKgqE

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1100: Time to Rethink Refugee and Migrant Health in Europe: Moving from Emergency Response to Integrated and Individualized Health Care Provision for Migrants and Refugees

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1100: Time to Rethink Refugee and Migrant Health in Europe: Moving from Emergency Response to Integrated and Individualized Health Care Provision for Migrants and Refugees

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15061100

Authors: Karl Puchner Evika Karamagioli Anastasia Pikouli Costas Tsiamis Athanasios Kalogeropoulos Eleni Kakalou Elena Pavlidou Emmanouil Pikoulis

In the last three years, the European Union (EU) is being confronted with the most significant influx of migrants and refugees since World War II. Although the dimensions of this influx&mdash;taking the global scale into account&mdash;might be regarded as modest, the institutional response to that phenomenon so far has been suboptimal, including the health sector. While inherent challenges of refugee and migrant (R&amp;M) health are well established, it seems that the EU health response oversees, to a large extend, these aspects. A whole range of emergency-driven health measures have been implemented throughout Europe, yet they are failing to address adequately the changing health needs and specific vulnerabilities of the target population. With the gradual containment of the migratory and refugee waves, three years after the outbreak of the so-called &lsquo;refugee crisis&rsquo;, we are, more than ever, in need of a sustainable and comprehensive health approach that is aimed at the integration of all of migrants and refugees&mdash;that is, both the new and old population groups that are already residing in Europe&mdash;in the respective national health systems.

https://ift.tt/2L1TmFi

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1102: Particulate Matter and Gaseous Pollutions in Three Metropolises along the Chinese Yangtze River: Situation and Implications

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1102: Particulate Matter and Gaseous Pollutions in Three Metropolises along the Chinese Yangtze River: Situation and Implications

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15061102

Authors: Mao Mao Xiaolin Zhang Yan Yin

The situation of criteria atmospheric pollutants, including particulate matter and trace gases (SO2, NO2, CO and O3), over three metropolises (Chongqing, Wuhan, and Nanjing), representing the upstream, midstream and downstream portions of the Yangtze River Basin from September 2015 to August 2016 were analyzed. The maximum annual mean PM2.5 and PM10 concentrations were 61.3 and 102.7 μg/m3 in Wuhan, while highest annual average gaseous pollutions occurred in Nanjing, with 49.6 and 22.9 ppb for 8 h O3 and NO2, respectively. Compared to a few years ago, SO2 and CO mass concentrations have dropped to well below the qualification standards, and the O3 and NO2 concentrations basically meet the requirements though occasionally is still high. In contrary, about 13%, 25%, 22% for PM2.5, and 4%, 17%, 15% for PM10 exceed the Chinese Ambient Air Quality Standard (CAAQS) Grade II. Particulate matter, especially PM2.5, is the most frequent major pollutant to poor air quality with 73%, 64% and 88% accounting for substandard days. Mean PM2.5 concentrations on PM2.5 episode days are 2–3 times greater than non-episode days. On the basis of calculation of PM2.5/PM10 and PM2.5/CO ratios, the enhanced particulate matter pollution on episode days is closely related to secondary aerosol production. Except for O3, the remaining five pollutants exhibit analogous seasonal patterns, with the highest magnitude in winter and lowest in summer. The results of back trajectories show that air pollution displays synergistic effects on local emissions and long range transport. O3 commonly demonstrated negative correlations with other pollutants, especially during winter, while moderate to strong positive correlation between particulate matter and NO2, SO2, CO were seen. Compared to pollutant substandard ratios over three megacities in eastern China (Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou), the situation in our studied second-tier cities are also severe. The results in this paper provide basic knowledge for pollution status of three cities along Chinese Yangtze River and are conductive to mitigating future negative air quality levels.

https://ift.tt/2LBsddH

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1099: Gender and Sexual Orientation Differences in Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Vaccine Uptake among Chinese Young Adults

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1099: Gender and Sexual Orientation Differences in Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Vaccine Uptake among Chinese Young Adults

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15061099

Authors: Edmond Pui Hang Choi Janet Yuen Ha Wong Angel Yin Yim Lau Daniel Yee Tak Fong

To date, empirical studies on HPV vaccine uptake are still limited in Chinese populations and mainly conducted in female cohorts. In order to inform health services planning and health promotion programmes for HPV vaccination, this cross-sectional study aimed to report the prevalence of self-reported HPV vaccination status and to examine gender and sexual orientation differences in the uptake of HPV vaccine in Chinese college students. The overall prevalence of HPV vaccine uptake was 27.6% (n = 242), with a significantly higher prevalence in females (39.7%) than in males (4.7%). 91.4% of subjects heard about HPV vaccination, with a significantly higher prevalence in females (93.8%) than in males (86.8%). The prevalence of HPV vaccine uptake was only 2.6% for bisexual/ homosexual males and 5.0% for heterosexual males. Only 45.8% of the overall subjects knew HPV vaccination is not for females only, with a significantly higher prevalence in females (49.7%) than in males (38.6%). The low prevalence of male HPV vaccine uptake and awareness called for the need to have more male-specific HPV campaigns to promote HPV vaccination awareness and uptake in males to reduce the overall prevalence of HPV infection.

https://ift.tt/2xjw8IR

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1097: Project SoL—A Community-Based, Multi-Component Health Promotion Intervention to Improve Eating Habits and Physical Activity among Danish Families with Young Children. Part 1: Intervention Development and Implementation

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1097: Project SoL—A Community-Based, Multi-Component Health Promotion Intervention to Improve Eating Habits and Physical Activity among Danish Families with Young Children. Part 1: Intervention Development and Implementation

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15061097

Authors: Ulla Toft Paul Bloch Helene C. Reinbach Lise L. Winkler Tine Buch-Andersen Jens Aagaard-Hansen Bent Egberg Mikkelsen Bjarne Bruun Jensen Charlotte Glümer

Project SoL was implemented over a period of four years from 2012&ndash;2015 with the aim to promote healthy eating and physical activity among families with children aged 3&ndash;8 years, living in selected communities in two Danish municipalities. This was done by applying the supersetting approach to implement complex multi-component interventions in a participatory, coordinated, and integrated manner in childcare centres, schools, and supermarkets in three local communities, as well as in local media during a 19-month period in the Regional Municipality of Bornholm, which served as the intervention site. The matching municipality of Odsherred served as a control site based on its similarity to Bornholm regarding several socio-demographic and health indicators. The present paper describes the design of Project SoL as well as the processes of developing and implementing its complex interventions. Moreover, the theoretical and conceptual framework of the project is described together with its organisational structure, concrete activities, and sustainability measures. The paper discusses some of the key lessons learned related to participatory development and the implementation of a multi-component intervention. The paper concludes that coordinated and integrated health promotion activities that are implemented together with multiple stakeholders and across multiple settings in the local community are much more powerful than individual activities carried out in single settings. The supersetting approach was a useful conceptual framework for developing and implementing a complex multi-component health promotion intervention and for fostering ownership and sustainability of the intervention in the local community. The research and evaluation approach of the project is described in a separate paper (Part 2).

https://ift.tt/2IR0KH2

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1098: Stress Response and Cognitive Performance Modulation in Classroom versus Natural Environments: A Quasi-Experimental Pilot Study with Children

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1098: Stress Response and Cognitive Performance Modulation in Classroom versus Natural Environments: A Quasi-Experimental Pilot Study with Children

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15061098

Authors: Lærke Mygind Matt Stevenson Lasse Liebst Ivana Konvalinka Peter Bentsen

Stress during childhood can have mental and somatic health influences that track throughout life. Previous research attributes stress-reducing effects to natural environments, but has mainly focused on adults and often following leisurely relaxation in natural environments. This pilot study explores the impact of natural environments on stress response during rest and mental load and cognitive performance in 47 children aged 10–12 years in a school context. Heart rate variability measures indexing tonic, event, and phasic vagal tone and attention scores were compared across classroom and natural environments. Tonic vagal tone was higher in the natural environment than the classrooms, but no differences were found in event or phasic vagal tone or cognitive performance measures. These findings suggest a situational aspect of the conditions under which natural environments may give rise to stress-buffering influences. Further research is warranted to understand the potential benefits in a real-life context, in particular with respect to the underpinning mechanisms and effects of accumulated exposure over time in settings where children spend large proportions of time in natural environments.

https://ift.tt/2xjw3ox

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1101: Multi-Target Risk Assessment of Potentially Toxic Elements in Farmland Soil Based on the Environment-Ecological-Health Effect

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1101: Multi-Target Risk Assessment of Potentially Toxic Elements in Farmland Soil Based on the Environment-Ecological-Health Effect

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15061101

Authors: Zhongyang Wang Bo Meng Wei Zhang Jinheng Bai Yingxin Ma Mingda Liu

There are potential impacts of Potentially Toxic Elements (PTEs) (e.g., Cd, Cr, Ni, Cu, As, Zn, Hg, and Pb) in soil from the perspective of the ecological environment and human health, and assessing the pollution and risk level of soil will play an important role in formulating policies for soil pollution control. Lingyuan, in the west of Liaoning Province, China, is a typical low-relief terrain of a hilly area. The object of study in this research is the topsoil of farmland in this area, of which 71 soil samples are collected. In this study, research methods, such as the Nemerow Index, Potential Ecological Hazard Index, Ecological Risk Quotient, Environmental Exposure Hazard Analysis, Positive Matrix Factorization Model, and Land Statistical Analysis, are used for systematical assessment of the pollution scale, pollution level, and source of PTEs, as well as the ecological environmental risks and health risks in the study area. The main conclusions are: The average contents of As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Zn, Ni, and Pb of the soil are 5.32 mg/kg, 0.31 mg/kg, 50.44 mg/kg, 47.05 mg/kg, 0.03 mg/kg, 79.36 mg/kg, 26.01 mg/kg, and 35.65 mg/kg, respectively. The contents of Cd, Cu, Zn, and Pb exceed the background value of local soil; Cd content of some study plots exceeds the National Soil Environmental Quality Standard Value (0.6 mg/kg), and the exceeding standard rate of study plots is 5.63%; the comprehensive potential ecological hazard assessment in the study area indicates that the PTEs are at a slight ecological risk; probabilistic hazard quotient assessment indicates that the influence of PTEs on species caused by Cu is at a slight level (p = 10.93%), and Zn, Pb, and Cd are at an acceptable level. For the ecological process, Zn is at a medium level (p = 25.78%), Cu is at a slight level (19.77%), and the influence of Cd and Pb are acceptable; human health hazard assessment states that the Non-carcinogenic comprehensive health hazard index HI = 0.16 &lt; 1, indicating that PTEs in soil have no significant effect on people&rsquo;s health through exposure; the PMF model (Positive Matrix Factorization) shows that the contribution rates of agricultural source, industrial source, atmospheric dust source, and natural source are 13.15%, 25.33%, 18.47%, and 43.05%, respectively.

https://ift.tt/2LD2nWp

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1095: Effect of Cardiac Rehabilitation on Quality of Life, Depression and Anxiety in Asian Patients

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1095: Effect of Cardiac Rehabilitation on Quality of Life, Depression and Anxiety in Asian Patients

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15061095

Authors: Carol C. Choo Peter K. H. Chew Shuet-Ming Lai Shuenn-Chiang Soo Cyrus S. Ho Roger C. Ho Raymond C. Wong

This study explored the effect of cardiac rehabilitation on quality of life, depression, and anxiety in Asian patients in Singapore. Out of the 194 patients who were recruited into the study, 139 patients (71.6%) completed both the pre- and post-cardiac rehabilitation questionnaires. Their ages ranged from 28 to 80 (M = 56.66, SD = 8.88), and 103 patients (74.1%) were males and 21 patients (15.1%) were females. As hypothesized, there was a statistically significant difference between the pre- and post-cardiac rehabilitation scores on the combined dependent variables, F (4, 135) = 34.84, p &lt; 0.001; Wilks&rsquo; Lambda = 0.49; partial eta squared = 0.51. An inspection of the mean scores indicated that patients reported higher levels of physical and mental quality of life and lower levels of depression post-cardiac rehabilitation. The findings were discussed in regards to implications in cardiac rehabilitation in Singapore.

https://ift.tt/2ISPOJ2

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1096: Obstacles and Future Prospects: Considerations on Health Promotion Activities for Older Workers in Europe

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1096: Obstacles and Future Prospects: Considerations on Health Promotion Activities for Older Workers in Europe

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15061096

Authors: Nicola Magnavita

The ageing of workers is one of the most important issues for occupational health and safety in Europe. The ageing of the active population means that health promotion is a necessity rather than a mere option. This review considers barriers and perspectives for workplace health promotion for older workers. Lack of awareness on the part of management and inflexibility in the occupational health and safety system appear to be major barriers. To overcome these, it will be necessary to disseminate knowledge regarding the effectiveness of health promotion actions for older workers, encourage greater involvement on the part of social partners, recover resources by replacing medical consumerism and bureaucratic practices, adopt an integrated approach combining the prevention of occupational risks and the promotion of healthy lifestyles, and recognize subsidiarity and the ability of working communities to regulate themselves.

https://ift.tt/2xk1kYj

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1093: Special Issue “Decision Models in Green Growth and Sustainable Development”

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1093: Special Issue “Decision Models in Green Growth and Sustainable Development”

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15061093

Authors: Ning Zhang Zaiwu Gong Kedong Yin Yuhong Wang

n/a

https://ift.tt/2kwiJnH

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1092: Neighborhood Socioeconomic Deprivation and Allostatic Load: A Scoping Review

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1092: Neighborhood Socioeconomic Deprivation and Allostatic Load: A Scoping Review

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15061092

Authors: Ana Isabel Ribeiro Joana Amaro Cosima Lisi Silvia Fraga

Residing in socioeconomically deprived neighborhoods may pose substantial physiological stress, which can then lead to higher allostatic load (AL), a marker of biological wear and tear that precedes disease. The aim of the present study was to map the current evidence about the relationship between neighborhood socioeconomic deprivation and AL. A scoping review approach was chosen to provide an overview of the type, quantity, and extent of research available. The review was conducted using three bibliographic databases (PubMed, SCOPUS, and Web of Science) and a standardized protocol. Fourteen studies were identified. Studies were predominantly from the USA, cross-sectional, focused on adults, and involved different races and ethnic groups. A wide range of measures of AL were identified: the mode of the number of biomarkers per study was eight but with large variability (range: 6&ndash;24). Most studies (n = 12) reported a significant association between neighborhood deprivation and AL. Behaviors and environmental stressors seem to mediate this relationship and associations appear more pronounced among Blacks, men, and individuals with poor social support. Such conclusions have important public health implications as they enforce the idea that neighborhood environment should be improved to prevent physiological dysregulation and consequent chronic diseases.

https://ift.tt/2GWo3cw

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1094: Drivers Are More Physically Active Than Non-Drivers in Older Adults

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1094: Drivers Are More Physically Active Than Non-Drivers in Older Adults

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15061094

Authors: Shiho Amagasa Noritoshi Fukushima Hiroyuki Kikuchi Tomoko Takamiya Yuko Odagiri Koichiro Oka Shigeru Inoue

Car use has been identified as sedentary behavior, although it may enhance mobility, particularly in the older population. This cross-sectional study aimed to compare the time spent in objectively determined sedentary behavior (SB) and physical activity (PA) between older drivers and non-drivers. Four hundred and fifty Japanese older adults (74.3 &plusmn; 2.9 years) who had valid accelerometer data were included. They were asked to respond to a questionnaire and wear an accelerometer (HJA-350IT, Omron Healthcare) on their waist for 7 consecutive days in 2015. To compare activity time between drivers and non-drivers, we calculated estimated means using analysis of covariance, adjusting for sociodemographic, physical, and psychological factors and accelerometer wear time. Compared to non-drivers, drivers engaged in more light-intensity PA (LPA) (drivers: 325.0 vs. non-drivers: 289.0 min/day) and moderate-to-vigorous PA (drivers: 37.5 vs. non-drivers: 30.0 min/day) and less SB (drivers: 493.4 vs. non-drivers: 535.9 min/day) (all p &lt; 0.05). After stratification by age, sex, and residential area, larger effect of driving on PA time was found in older-older adults, in men, and in rural residents. Older drivers were found to be more physically active than non-drivers, suggesting more access to outdoor activities or expanding social network.

https://ift.tt/2Jfi5sM

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1088: Evaluation of Self-Propelled High-Energy Ultrasonic Atomizer on Azoxystrobin and Tebuconazole Application in Sunlit Greenhouse Tomatoes

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1088: Evaluation of Self-Propelled High-Energy Ultrasonic Atomizer on Azoxystrobin and Tebuconazole Application in Sunlit Greenhouse Tomatoes

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15061088

Authors: Yan-Jie Li Yi-Fan Li Rong-Hua Chen Xue-Sheng Li Can-Ping Pan Jian-Li Song

In this study, a self-propelled high-energy ultrasonic atomizer was evaluated in terms of deposition on the canopy, the loss to the ground, and fungicide residues in cherry tomato and tomato. Artificial collectors fixed to the upper side and underside of the leaves at different depths and heights were used to collect the depositions. A reliable analytical method for determination of azoxystrobin and tebuconazole in artificial collectors and residue samples was developed by using liquid chromatography triple-quadrupole mass spectrometry. The results showed that the atomizer distributed the droplets evenly throughout the greenhouse with good uniformity (CVs below 39%). The ratio of depositions on the internal and external sides was 66&ndash;83%, and the ratio of depositions on the underside and upper side was 39&ndash;50%. There were no significant differences in depositions between two different height crops. The residues of azoxystrobin and tebuconazole in tomato and cherry tomato fruits were far below the maximum residue limits at harvest time. In general, self-propelled high-energy ultrasonic atomizer used in a greenhouse could increase the depositions, especially on the underside and internal side of the canopies, and lead to a reduction of operator exposure risk.

https://ift.tt/2se8993

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1090: Persistence of Salmonella Typhimurium in Well Waters from a Rural Area of Changchun City, China

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1090: Persistence of Salmonella Typhimurium in Well Waters from a Rural Area of Changchun City, China

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15061090

Authors: Jiahang Li Meiyue Ding Ziming Han Jincai Ma

Salmonella-contaminated well water could cause major infection outbreaks worldwide, thus, it is crucial to understand their persistence in those waters. In this study, we investigated the persistence of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium in 15 well waters from a rural area of Changchun City, China. Results illustrated that the time to reach detection limit (ttd), first decimal reduction time (&delta;), and the shape parameter (p) ranged from 15 to 80 days, from 5.6 to 66.9 days, and from 0.6 to 6.6, respectively. Principal component analysis showed that ttds of S. Typhimurium were positively correlated with total organic carbon, pH, NH4+&ndash;N, and total phosphate. Multiple stepwise regression analysis revealed that ttds could be best predicted by NH4+&ndash;N and pH. Canonical correspondence analysis and variation partition analysis revealed that NH4+&ndash;N and pH, and the rest of the water parameters, could explain 27.60% and 28.15% of overall variation of the survival behavior, respectively. In addition, ttds were found to be correlated (p &lt; 0.01) with &delta; and p. Our results showed that the longer survival (&gt;2.5 months) S. Typhimurium could constitute an increased health risk to the local communities, and provided insights into the close linkage between well water quality and survival of S. Typhimurium.

https://ift.tt/2IW7Zt8

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1089: Racial Disparities and Preventive Measures to Renal Cell Carcinoma

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1089: Racial Disparities and Preventive Measures to Renal Cell Carcinoma

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15061089

Authors: Jennifer N. Sims Clement G. Yedjou Daniel Abugri Marinelle Payton Timothy Turner Lucio Miele Paul B. Tchounwou

Kidney cancer ranks among the top 10 cancers in the United States. Although it affects both male and female populations, it is more common in males. The prevalence rate of renal cell carcinoma (RCC), which represents about 85% of kidney cancers, has been increasing gradually in many developed countries. Family history has been considered as one of the most relevant risk factors for kidney cancer, although most forms of an inherited predisposition for RCC only account for less than four percent. Lifestyle and other factors such as occupational exposure, high blood pressure, poor diet, and heavy cigarette smoking are highly associated with its incidence and mortality rates. In the United States, White populations have the lowest prevalence of RCC compared to other ethnic groups, while Black Americans suffer disproportionally from the adverse effects of RCC. Hence, this review article aims at identifying the major risk factors associated with RCC and highlighting the new therapeutic approaches for its control/prevention. To achieve this specific aim, articles in peer-reviewed journals with a primary focus on risk factors related to kidney cancer and on strategies to reduce RCC were identified. The review was systematically conducted by searching the databases of MEDLINE, PUBMED Central, and Google Scholar libraries for original articles. From the search, we found that the incidence and mortality rates of RCC are strongly associated with four main risk factors, including family history (genetics), lifestyle (poor diet, cigarette smoking, excess alcohol drinking), environment (community where people live), and occupation (place where people work). In addition, unequal access to improvement in RCC cancer treatment, limited access to screening and diagnosis, and limited access to kidney transplant significantly contribute to the difference observed in survival rate between African Americans and Caucasians. There is also scientific evidence suggesting that some physicians contribute to racial disparities when performing kidney transplant among minority populations. New therapeutic measures should be taken to prevent or reduce RCC, especially among African Americans, the most vulnerable population group.

https://ift.tt/2sfmzWp

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1091: The Impact of Industrial Odors on the Subjective Well-Being of Communities in Colorado

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1091: The Impact of Industrial Odors on the Subjective Well-Being of Communities in Colorado

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15061091

Authors: Mohamed A. Eltarkawe Shelly L. Miller

Odor pollution was identified as a top priority of the community of North Denver. Previous studies that investigated the impact of air pollution in North Denver focused on adverse health effects, rather than mental well-being. This study assessed the impact of odors from industrial sources on the subjective well-being (SWB) of North Denver residents, and of four similar communities in Colorado for comparison. An online survey was sent to participants from Greeley, Fort Collins, Fort Lupton, North Denver, and Pueblo, asking questions about SWB and odors in their areas (n = 351). The evaluation of SWB was performed using a novel approach that appraises three aspects of SWB. This approach of evaluating SWB has not been used in odor exposure studies. A proportional odds logistic regression model was used to estimate nine measures of SWB. The results showed that participants who reported that the air is very fresh or the odor is highly acceptable had higher levels of SWB. This association suggests that residents who live in areas exposed to strong industrial odors had lower levels of SWB. A subset of participants in this study took the survey four times in one year. Longitudinal analysis showed that evaluative satisfaction was slightly associated with seasonality. Both satisfaction with how life turned out and satisfaction with standards of living slightly increased during the fourth quarter of the year. The study also found that four of the nine measures can be used to represent SWB in future studies. Two of those measures were evaluative SWB, and the other two were positive hedonic SWB measures. A comparison between the five communities showed that well-being levels in North Denver and Greeley were not significantly different than those in Fort Collins or Fort Lupton. The comparison, however, showed that Pueblo had the lowest levels of well-being among all communities.

https://ift.tt/2ITmtKh

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1087: Relationship between Body Mass Index, Cardiorespiratory and Musculoskeletal Fitness among South African Adolescent Girls

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1087: Relationship between Body Mass Index, Cardiorespiratory and Musculoskeletal Fitness among South African Adolescent Girls

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15061087

Authors: Emmanuel Bonney Gillian Ferguson Bouwien Smits-Engelsman

Background: Cardiorespiratory and musculoskeletal fitness are important health indicators that support optimal physical functioning. Understanding the relationship between body mass index and these health markers may contribute to the development of evidence-based interventions to address obesity-related complications. The relationship between body mass index, cardiorespiratory and musculoskeletal fitness has not been well explored, particularly in female adolescents. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between body mass index, cardiorespiratory and musculoskeletal fitness among South African adolescent girls in low-income communities. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 151 adolescent girls, aged 13&ndash;16 years. Cardiorespiratory fitness was measured using the 20 m shuttle run test and musculoskeletal fitness was assessed using a variety of field-based tests. Height and weight were measured with standardised procedures and body mass index (BMI) was derived by the formula [BMI = weight (kg)/height (m)2]. Participants were categorised into three BMI groups using the International Obesity Task Force age- and gender-specific cut-off points. Pearson correlations were used to determine the association between body mass index, cardiorespiratory fitness and measures of musculoskeletal fitness at p &le; 0.05. Results: Overweight and obese girls were found to have lower cardiorespiratory fitness, decreased lower extremity muscular strength, greater grip strength, and more hypermobile joints compared to normal-weight peers. BMI was negatively associated with cardiorespiratory fitness and lower extremity muscular strength. Conclusions: The findings indicate that increased body mass correlates with decreased cardiorespiratory and musculoskeletal fitness. Interventions should be developed to target these important components of physical fitness in this demographic group.

https://ift.tt/2GVTlAl

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1083: Alcoholism: A Multi-Systemic Cellular Insult to Organs

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1083: Alcoholism: A Multi-Systemic Cellular Insult to Organs

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15061083

Authors: Ucee Dguzeh Natasha C. Haddad Kathia T. S. Smith John O. Johnson Angelia A. Doye Judith K. Gwathmey Georges E. Haddad

Alcohol abuse can affect more than the heart and the liver. Many observers often do not appreciate the complex and differing aspects of alcohol&rsquo;s effects in pathophysiologies that have been reported in multiple organs. Chronic alcohol abuse is known to be associated with pathophysiological changes that often result in life-threatening clinical outcomes, e.g., breast and colon cancer, pancreatic disease, cirrhosis of the liver, diabetes, osteoporosis, arthritis, kidney disease, immune system dysfunction, hypertension, coronary artery disease, cardiomyopathy, and can be as far-reaching as to cause central nervous system disorders. In this review article, we will discuss the various organs impacted by alcohol abuse. The lack of clear guidelines on the amount and frequency of alcohol intake, complicated by personal demographics, make extrapolations to real-life practices at best difficult for public health policy-makers.

https://ift.tt/2kw26bq

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1086: Environmental Lead Exposure and Adult Literacy in Myanmar: An Exploratory Study of Potential Associations at the Township Level

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1086: Environmental Lead Exposure and Adult Literacy in Myanmar: An Exploratory Study of Potential Associations at the Township Level

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15061086

Authors: Robert C. MacTavish Liam W. Rémillard Colleen M. Davison

Environmental lead exposure is a population health concern in many low- and middle-income countries. Lead is found throughout Myanmar and prior to the 1940s the country was the largest producer of lead worldwide. The aim of this study was to examine any potential association between lead mining and adult literacy rates at the level of 330 townships in Myanmar. Townships were identified as lead or non-lead mining areas and 2015 census data were examined with association being identified using descriptive, analytical and spatial statistical methods. Overall, there does appear to be a significant relationship between lead mining activity and adult literacy levels among townships with both low access (p = 0.05; OR = 2.701 (1.136&ndash;6.421)) as well with high access to safe sanitation (p = 0.01; OR = 18.40 (1.794&ndash;188.745)). Local Indicators of Spatial Association (LISA) cluster maps confirm these findings. This exploratory analysis is a first step in the examination of potential environmental lead exposure and its implications in Myanmar.

https://ift.tt/2GW1AMI

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1082: Location of Femoral Fractures in Patients with Different Weight Classes in Fall and Motorcycle Accidents: A Retrospective Cross-Sectional Analysis

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1082: Location of Femoral Fractures in Patients with Different Weight Classes in Fall and Motorcycle Accidents: A Retrospective Cross-Sectional Analysis

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15061082

Authors: Meng-Wei Chang Hang-Tsung Liu Chun-Ying Huang Peng-Chen Chien Hsiao-Yun Hsieh Ching-Hua Hsieh

Background: This study aimed to determine the incidence of femoral fracture location in trauma patients with different weight classes in fall and motorcycle accidents. Methods: A total of 2647 hospitalized adult patients with 2760 femoral fractures from 1 January 2009 to 31 December 2014 were included in this study. Femoral fracture sites were categorized based on their location: proximal femur (type A, trochanteric; type B, neck; and type C, head), femoral shaft, and distal femur. The patients were further classified as obese (body mass index [BMI] of &ge;30 kg/m2), overweight (BMI of &lt;30 but &ge;25 kg/m2), normal weight (BMI of &lt;25 but &ge;18.5 kg/m2), and underweight (BMI of &lt;18.5 kg/m2). Odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals of the incidences of femoral fracture location were calculated in patients with different weight classes in fall or motorcycle accidents, and they were then compared with those in patients with normal weight. p values of &lt;0.05 were considered statistically significant. Results: Most of the fractures sustained in fall accidents presented in the proximal type A (41.8%) and type B (45.3%) femur, whereas those sustained in motorcycle accidents involved the femoral shaft (37.1%), followed by the distal femur (22.4%) and proximal type A femur (21.2%). In fall accidents, compared with normal-weight patients, obese and overweight patients sustained lower odds of risk for proximal type B fractures but higher odds of risk for femoral shaft and distal femoral fractures. In motorcycle accidents, compared with normal-weight patients, obese patients sustained lower odds of risk for proximal type B fractures but no difference in odds of risk for femoral shaft and distal femoral fractures. Overweight and underweight patients who sustained fractures in a motorcycle accident did not have different fracture location patterns compared with normal-weight patients. Conclusions: This study revealed that femoral fracture locations differ between fall and motorcycle accidents. Moreover, greater soft tissue padding may reduce impact forces to the greater trochanteric region in obese patients during fall accidents, and during motorcycle accidents, the energy transmitted and the point of impact may dominantly determine the location of femoral fractures.

https://ift.tt/2IRhdah

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1081: Enhanced Nutrients Removal Using Reeds Straw as Carbon Source in a Laboratory Scale Constructed Wetland

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1081: Enhanced Nutrients Removal Using Reeds Straw as Carbon Source in a Laboratory Scale Constructed Wetland

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15061081

Authors: Tong Wang Haiyan Wang Yang Chang Zhaosheng Chu Yaqian Zhao Ranbin Liu

The low carbon/nitrogen (C/N) ratio and high nitrate content characteristics of agricultural runoff restricted the nitrogen removal in constructed wetlands (CWs). To resolve such problems, the economically- and easily-obtained Phragmites Australis (reeds) litters were applied and packed in the surface layer of a surface flow CW as external carbon sources. The results demonstrated that the introduction of the reeds straw increased the C concentration as a result of their decomposition during the CW operation, which will help the denitrification in the ensuing operation of an entire 148 days. The total nitrogen (TN) and Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) () in the effluent reached the peak level of 63.2 mg/L and 83 mg/L at the fourth and the second day, respectively. Subsequently, the pollutants in the CW that were filled with straw decreased rapidly and achieved a stable removal after 13 days of operation. Moreover, the present study showed that the N removal efficiency increased with the increase of the hydraulic retention time (HRT). Under the HRT of four days, the CW presented 74.1 &plusmn; 6%, 87.4 &plusmn; 6% and 56.0 &plusmn; 6% removal for TN, NO3-, and TP, respectively.

https://ift.tt/2GTOdge

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1080: Cognitive Impact and Psychophysiological Effects of Stress Using a Biomonitoring Platform

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1080: Cognitive Impact and Psychophysiological Effects of Stress Using a Biomonitoring Platform

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15061080

Authors: Susana Rodrigues Joana S. Paiva Duarte Dias Marta Aleixo Rui Manuel Filipe João Paulo S. Cunha

Stress can impact multiple psychological and physiological human domains. In order to better understand the effect of stress on cognitive performance, and whether this effect is related to an autonomic response to stress, the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) was used as a testing platform along with a 2-Choice Reaction Time Task. When considering the nature and importance of Air Traffic Controllers (ATCs) work and the fact that they are subjected to high levels of stress, this study was conducted with a sample of ATCs (n = 11). Linear Heart Rate Variability (HRV) features were extracted from ATCs electrocardiogram (ECG) acquired using a medical-grade wearable ECG device (Vital Jacket&reg; (1-Lead, Biodevices S.A, Matosinhos, Portugal)). Visual Analogue Scales (VAS) were also used to measure perceived stress. TSST produced statistically significant changes in some HRV parameters (Average of normal-to-normal intervals (AVNN), Standard Deviation of all NN (SDNN), root mean square of differences between successive rhythm-to-rhythm (RR) intervals (RMSSD), pNN20, and LF/HF) and subjective measures of stress, which recovered after the stress task. Although these short-term changes in HRV showed a tendency to normalize, an impairment on cognitive performance was evident. Despite that participant&rsquo;s reaction times were lower, the accuracy significantly decreased, presenting more errors after performing the acute stress event. Results can also point to the importance of the development of quantified occupational health (qOHealth) devices to allow for the monitoring of stress responses.

https://ift.tt/2IN5ZTT

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1079: Women’s Mid-Life Night Sweats and 2-Year Bone Mineral Density Changes: A Prospective, Observational Population-Based Investigation from the Canadian Multicentre Osteoporosis Study (CaMos)

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1079: Women’s Mid-Life Night Sweats and 2-Year Bone Mineral Density Changes: A Prospective, Observational Population-Based Investigation from the Canadian Multicentre Osteoporosis Study (CaMos)

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15061079

Authors: Evelyn M. M. Wong George Tomlinson Marsha M. Pinto Claudie Berger Angela M. Cheung Jerilynn C. Prior

Women&rsquo;s hot flushes and night sweats, collectively called vasomotor symptoms (VMS), are maximal (79%) in late perimenopause. The evidence describing whether VMS are associated with loss of areal bone mineral density (BMD) is mixed. We examined baseline and 2-year data for 1570 randomly selected women aged 43&ndash;63 in the Canadian Multicentre Osteoporosis Study (CaMos), a prospective Canada-wide study; we used linear regression to assess the relationship of night sweats (VMSn) with BMD and its changes. Clinically important VMSn occurred for 12.2%. Women with VMSn were slightly younger (54.5 vs. 55.3 years, p = 0.02) and less likely to use sex steroid therapies (39.8% vs. 51.4%, p &lt; 0.05). BMD at the lumbar spine (L1-4), femoral neck (FN) and total hip (TH) were similar between those with/without VMSn. In adjusted models, we did not find a significant association between VMSn and 2-year change in L1-4, FN and TH BMD. Age, reproductive status, weight, sex steroid therapy and smoking status were associated with 2-year change in BMD. Incident fractures over 2 years also did not differ by VMSn. Our analyses were restricted to VMSn and may not truly capture the relationship between VMS and BMD. Additional research involving VMS, bone loss and fracture incidence is needed.

https://ift.tt/2xdCcCK

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1075: Reduced Recovery of Depression in Female T Allele Carriers of TNF-RII rs1061622 at Earlier Stage after Wenchuan Earthquake

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1075: Reduced Recovery of Depression in Female T Allele Carriers of TNF-RII rs1061622 at Earlier Stage after Wenchuan Earthquake

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15061075

Authors: Nazakat Hussain Memon Mei Fan Jia Lin Yan Jun Si Mi Su Qi Wei Guo Ding Zhi Fang

Objective: The aim of current study was to explore longitudinally the prevalence, severity, potential factors, and predictors of depression among Chinese Han adolescent survivors with different genotypes of tumor necrosis factor receptor-II (TNF-RII) rs1061622 after the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake. Method: TNF-RII rs1061622 variants were examined by polymerase chain reaction&ndash;restriction fragment length polymorphism and verified by DNA sequencing. Depression symptoms were assessed by Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) among 439 high school students at 6, 12, and 18 months after the earthquake. Results: No significant differences were observed in depression prevalence and BDI scores between the TT homozygotes and the G allele carriers in both the male and female subjects. However, the female TT homozygotes had a higher depression prevalence than the male TT homozygotes at 6, 12, and 18 months, whereas the female G allele carriers had a higher depression prevalence than the male G allele carriers only at 6 and 12 months after the earthquake. Moreover, BDI scores declined in the male subjects with both genotypes and only in the female G allele carriers at 12 months when compared with those at 6 months. Furthermore, the predictors of depression severity or potential factors of depression prevalence were different between the G allele carriers and the TT homozygotes at different times after the earthquake. Conclusion: It is concluded that the association of TNF-RII rs1061622 with depression is longitudinally different in Chinese Han adolescents after the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake. The T allele may be associated with reduced recovery of depression in female adolescents in the earlier stage of depression rehabilitation.

https://ift.tt/2sbsued

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1076: Residential Ambient Traffic in Relation to Childhood Pneumonia among Urban Children in Shandong, China: A Cross-Sectional Study

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1076: Residential Ambient Traffic in Relation to Childhood Pneumonia among Urban Children in Shandong, China: A Cross-Sectional Study

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15061076

Authors: Jing Chang Wei Liu Chen Huang

Pneumonia is a leading cause of childhood death. Few studies have investigated associations between residential ambient environmental exposures and pneumonia. In January&ndash;April 2015, we conducted a cross-sectional study in Shandong Province (China) and collected 9597 (response rate: 78.7%) parent-reported questionnaires for 3&ndash;6-year-old children from 69 urban kindergartens. We then selected 5640 children who had never changed residence since birth and examined associations between residential ambient traffic-related facilities and childhood pneumonia considering residential characteristics. Prevalence of doctor-diagnosed pneumonia during lifetime-ever was 25.9%. In the multivariate logistic regression analyses, residence close to a main traffic road (adjusted odds ratio, 95% confidence interval: 1.23, 1.08&ndash;1.40) and automobile 4S shop (1.76, 1.16&ndash;2.67) within 200 m, residence close to a filling station within 100 m (1.71, 1.10&ndash;2.65; reference: &gt;200 m), as well as having a ground car park in the residential community (1.24, 1.08&ndash;1.42) were significantly associated with childhood pneumonia. The cumulative numbers of these traffic-related facilities had a positive dose-response relationship with the increased odds of childhood pneumonia. These associations and dose-response relationships were stronger among boys and among children with worse bedroom ventilation status during the night. Associations of residence close to the main traffic road and ground car parks in the residential community with childhood pneumonia were stronger among children living in the 1st&ndash;3rd floors than those living on higher floors. Similar results were found in the two-level (kindergarten-child) logistic regression analyses. Our findings indicate that living near traffic-related facilities is likely a risk factor for childhood pneumonia among urban children. The child&rsquo;s sex, bedroom floor level, and bedroom ventilation could modify associations of ambient traffic-related facilities with childhood pneumonia.

https://ift.tt/2ktPwK9

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1074: Risk Perceptions of Cellphone Use While Driving: Results from a Delphi Survey

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1074: Risk Perceptions of Cellphone Use While Driving: Results from a Delphi Survey

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15061074

Authors: Motao Zhu Toni M. Rudisill Kimberly J. Rauscher Danielle M. Davidov Jing Feng

Cellphone use while driving has been recognized as a growing and important public health issue by the World Health Organization and U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Surveys typically collect data on overall texting while driving, but do not differentiate between various forms of cellphone use. This study sought to improve the survey indicators when monitoring cellphone use among young drivers. Experts and young drivers were recruited to propose behavioral indicators (cellphone use while driving behaviors) and consequential indicators (safety consequences of cellphone use while driving) in 2016. Subsequently, experts and young drivers selected the top indicators using the Delphi survey method. We enrolled 22 experts with published articles on cellphone use while driving nationally, and seven young drivers who were freshmen at a state university. Sending a text or e-mail on a handheld phone was picked as the top behavioral indicator by both groups. However, young drivers chose playing music on a handheld phone as the second most important behavioral indicator, which was overlooked by experts. Injury/death and collision were the top two consequential indicators. Experts and young drivers identified the important survey indicators to monitor cellphone use while driving.

https://ift.tt/2LvoSwr

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1073: Emotional Intelligence and Its Relationship with Levels of Social Anxiety and Stress in Adolescents

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1073: Emotional Intelligence and Its Relationship with Levels of Social Anxiety and Stress in Adolescents

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15061073

Authors: Javier Cejudo Débora Rodrigo-Ruiz Maria Luz López-Delgado Lidia Losada

The aim of this work is to extend the research on the relationships between emotional intelligence and various indicators of subjective well-being in adolescents, such as stress and social anxiety. The existence of differences in stress and social anxiety as a function of an emotional intelligence score is also analyzed. A total of 505 Spanish adolescents between the ages of 12 and 18 participated in the study. The results obtained support the existence of a positive relationship between trait emotional intelligence and subjective well-being. Likewise, the existence of a negative association between emotional intelligence and stress, and emotional intelligence and social anxiety, is confirmed. These results are consistent with other similar works based on adolescent samples.

https://ift.tt/2GQxfPE