IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1387: Descriptive Epidemiology of Uruguayan Adults’ Leisure Time Physical Activity

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1387: Descriptive Epidemiology of Uruguayan Adults’ Leisure Time Physical Activity

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15071387

Authors: Javier Brazo-Sayavera Gregore I. Mielke Pedro R. Olivares Luciano Jahnecka Inacio Crochemore M. Silva

Policymakers rely on information for describing and monitoring levels of physical activity among the population. However, in Uruguay there is no research presenting physical activity practices nationwide. The present study aims to describe the leisure time physical activity levels and their unequal distribution among Uruguayan adults. Data from the 2014 Uruguayan National Health Survey (n = 3543 adults aged > 15 years) were analysed. Physical activity was measured by questionnaire, with participants reporting the number of days and time spent doing physical activity during leisure time in a typical week. Only 25.1% of the participants met the international recommendations for physical activity. Males were twice as active as females in early adulthood in terms of time. The absolute socioeconomic gap between the poorest and wealthiest income quintiles was around 20 percentage points, and participants with the highest physical activity levels were within the wealthiest and highest-educational levels. A low proportion of the population met the proxy of the international recommendations for physical activity. Important socioeconomic inequalities have been found in physical activity practices and must be considered in public health interventions.

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IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1386: Signs, Fines and Compliance Officers: A Systematic Review of Strategies for Enforcing Smoke-Free Policy

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1386: Signs, Fines and Compliance Officers: A Systematic Review of Strategies for Enforcing Smoke-Free Policy

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15071386

Authors: Olivia Wynne Ashleigh Guillaumier Laura Twyman Sam McCrabb Alexandra M. J. Denham Christine Paul Amanda L. Baker Billie Bonevski

Background. Smoke-free environment policies limit or eliminate the use of smoke-producing tobacco in designated areas thereby reducing second hand smoke. Enforcement is perceived as critical to the successful adoption of a smoke-free policy. However, there is limited guidance available regarding effective enforcement strategies. A systematic review was conducted to examine the effectiveness of enforcement strategies at increasing compliance with and enforcement of smoke-free policies; and to determine circumstances other than enforcement strategies that are associated with compliance with smoke-free policies. Design. Medline, Medline in Process, The Cochrane Library, Embase, PsycInfo and CINAHL databases were searched using MeSH and keywords for relevant studies published between January 1980 and August 2017. A narrative synthesis and methodological quality assessment of included studies was undertaken. Results. Policy promotion and awareness-raising activities, signage, enforcement officers, and penalties for violations were the enforcement strategies most frequently cited as being associated with successful policy enforcement. Additionally, awareness of the laws, non-smoking management and lower staff smoking rates, and membership of a network guiding the policy enforcement contributed to higher compliance with smoke-free policies. Conclusions. There is weak evidence of the effectiveness of strategies associated with compliance with smoke-free policies. Given the evidence base is weak, well-designed trials utilizing appropriate evaluation designs are needed. Overall enforcement strategies associated with total smoke-free bans resulted in higher levels of compliance than strategies for policies that had only partial smoke-free bans.

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IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1384: A Cross-Sectional Study of Smoking Behaviors and Attitudes of Parents in Pediatric Primary Care Settings

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1384: A Cross-Sectional Study of Smoking Behaviors and Attitudes of Parents in Pediatric Primary Care Settings

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15071384

Authors: Aleksandra Ratajczak Karol Ratajczak Wojciech Feleszko

Environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) exposure is considered an important public health issue in pediatric population. In this study, we aimed to investigate parents’ knowledge on side effects of passive smoking and counseling for parental smoking among pediatricians and family practitioners. Participants were biological parents of pediatric patients up to the age of 18 years old who attended Pediatric Hospital of Medical University of Warsaw. The questionnaire included 28 questions and queries on environmental tobacco smoke in children’s environment. Medical students identified potential subjects and handed out previously created questionnaires. In total, 506 parents of children aged 0–18 years old were interviewed; 41% (207/506) of parents were smokers, 23% (114/506) were asked about ETS exposure by their pediatricians and 41% (205/506) by family physicians during routine visits. Only a minority of the respondents confirmed having “no smoking” policy in their car 31% (157/506) or in their households 24% (121/506). All parents believed that passive smoking could cause at least one harmful effect: most common were more frequent respiratory infections (43%), asthma (40%), and low birth weight (37%). Among smoking parents, 38% (78/207) has tried to quit smoking for their child’s health sake; 63% (131/207) of smokers have never been asked to quit smoking by their doctor. Parents’ understanding of passive smoking among children differs from current medical knowledge. Rates of screening and counseling for parental smoking in pediatric and family practices are still unsatisfactory.

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IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1385: Exploring Harms Experienced by Children Aged 7 to 11 Using Ambulance Attendance Data: A 6-Year Comparison with Adolescents Aged 12–17

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1385: Exploring Harms Experienced by Children Aged 7 to 11 Using Ambulance Attendance Data: A 6-Year Comparison with Adolescents Aged 12–17

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15071385

Authors: Debbie Scott Rose Crossin Rowan Ogeil Karen Smith Dan I. Lubman

Many population data sources do not routinely collect data of children under 12, despite research showing that mental health, self-injurious behaviour, and substance ingestion can have severe consequences in this age group. We used 6 years (January 2012 to December 2017) of ambulance attendance data from the Australian state of Victoria to characterise mental health, self-injurious behaviour, and substance ingestion in children aged 7–11. We compared this group to older children aged 12–17. We found that in comparison to those aged 12–17 (n = 26,778), a smaller number of children aged 7–11 years (n = 1558) were experiencing serious harms, with mental health symptomology the most common harmful outcome. Self-injurious behaviour significantly increased in both age groups throughout the study period. For mental health, self-injurious behaviour and substance ingestion in the 7–11 age group, males were significantly over-represented. These aged 7–11 were more likely to ingest pharmaceuticals, rather than alcohol or illicit substances, and suicidal ideation was the most common self-injurious behaviour in this age group. Our study suggests that data collection needs to occur specifically in the 7–11 age group, and importantly, services and interventions to improve mental health and wellbeing will need to be specifically designed and targeted at this age group.

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IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1382: Comparison of Ground-Based PM2.5 and PM10 Concentrations in China, India, and the U.S.

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1382: Comparison of Ground-Based PM2.5 and PM10 Concentrations in China, India, and the U.S.

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15071382

Authors: Xingchuan Yang Lei Jiang Wenji Zhao Qiulin Xiong Wenhui Zhao Xing Yan

Urbanization and industrialization have spurred air pollution, making it a global problem. An understanding of the spatiotemporal characteristics of PM2.5 and PM10 concentrations (particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter of less than 2.5 μm and 10 μm, respectively) is necessary to mitigate air pollution. We compared the characteristics of PM2.5 and PM10 concentrations and their trends of China, India, and the U.S. from 2014 to 2017. Particulate matter levels were lowest in the U.S., while China showed higher concentrations, and India showed the highest. Interestingly, significant declines in PM2.5 and PM10 concentrations were found in some of the most polluted regions in China as well as the U.S. No comparable decline was observed in India. A strong seasonal trend was observed in China and India, with the highest values occurring in winter and the lowest in summer. The opposite trend was noted for the U.S. PM2.5 was highly correlated with PM10 for both China and India, but the correlation was poor for the U.S. With regard to reducing particulate matter pollutant concentrations, developing countries can learn from the experiences of developed nations and benefit by establishing and implementing joint regional air pollution control programs.

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IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1383: Conditions and Dynamics That Impact Maternal Health Literacy among High Risk Prenatal-Interconceptional Women

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1383: Conditions and Dynamics That Impact Maternal Health Literacy among High Risk Prenatal-Interconceptional Women

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15071383

Authors: Suzanne D. Thomas Sandra C. Mobley Jodi L. Hudgins Donald E. Sutherland Sandra B. Inglett Brittany L. Ange

The purpose of the study was to describe conditions and dynamics in the lives of high-risk, low-income, Southern United States prenatal-interconceptional women (n = 37) in a home visiting program that promoted maternal health literacy progression. In the Life Course Health Development (LCHD) Model, conditions were risk and protective factors that impacted health. Dynamics drove the complex, epigenetic relationships between risk and protective factors. Maternal health literacy promotion helped participants address conditions and dynamics to create positive life changes. This research was a retrospective, mixed methods study of women’s service records documenting care from prenatal admission to 24 months post-delivery. The Life Skills Progression Instrument (LSP) was scored to measure maternal health literacy progression. Ethnographic content analysis of visit notes triangulated with quantitative data enabled specificity of critical data elements. Subsequently, a complementary focus group was conducted with the Registered Nurse Case Managers (RNCM). Severe social conditions included devastating poverty, low educational achievement, transient housing, unstable relationships, incarceration, lack of continuous health insurance, and shortage of health care providers. Dynamics included severe psycho-social stressors, domestic violence, lack of employment, low income, low self-esteem and self-expectations, and social/family restraints upon women’s intended positive changes. An important protective factor was the consistent, stable, evidence-informed relationship with the RNCM. Findings from the focus group discussion supported content analysis results.

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IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1381: Influenza Vaccination in Type 2 Diabetes Patients: Coverage Status and Its Determinants in Southwestern Saudi Arabia

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1381: Influenza Vaccination in Type 2 Diabetes Patients: Coverage Status and Its Determinants in Southwestern Saudi Arabia

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15071381

Authors: Ibraheem M. Alnaheelah Nabil J. Awadalla Khalid M. Al-Musa Abdullah A. Alsabaani Ahmed A. Mahfouz

Despite the significant role of seasonal influenza vaccination in preventing and minimizing the serious complications of influenza infection in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients, unsatisfactory compliance still exists for vaccination. Study objectives were to explore the vaccination status and determinants in T2DM patients in southwestern Saudi Arabia. A cross-sectional study on a representative sample of T2DM patients in Abha city, southwestern Saudi Arabia, was conducted. Data for sociodemographic characteristics, clinical criteria, vaccination status, vaccination motivators and barriers and seasonal influenza knowledge were collected. Out of 353 T2DM patients included in the study, seasonal influenza vaccination coverage was 61% in year 2017. A significant factors associated with non-vaccination were; poor influenza and its vaccine knowledge (OR = 4.31, 95% CI: 2.73–6.80), illiteracy (OR = 1.93, 95% CI: 1.11–3.37), and more than 10 years disease duration (OR = 2.07, 95% CI: 1.11–3.87). Presence of family history of DM and ischemic heart comorbidity minimized the possibility of non-vaccination (OR = 0.54 and 0.28 respectively). Healthcare givers’ advice was the most reported vaccination motivator (84.7%) while; fear of vaccine side effects was the most stated barrier (73%). In conclusion, influenza vaccination rate among T2DM in the present study is less than the recommended level. Continuous primary health care center-based educational programs should be implemented to aware and encourage influenza vaccination among T2DM patients.

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