Interactions with soils conditioned by different vegetation: a potential explanation of bromus tectorum L. invasion into salt-deserts?

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Invasion by Bromus tectorum L. may condition the soil and increase nutrient availability. We hypothesized that nutrient poor soils of the arid Honey Lake Valley of northeastern California U.S.A., similar in physical and chemical properties, but conditioned by either B. tectorum, Krascheninniko...

Correlation of Understanding of Physics and Psychological Symptoms among High-School Students in Greece

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aggeliki, Anagnostopoulou; Miltiades, Kyprianou; Antigoni-Elisavet, Rota; Evangelia, Pavlatou; Loizos, Zaphiris

2017-01-01

Depression may essentially influence cognitive function contributing to poor school performance. The present study undertakes to determine the existence and strength of correlation between depressive symptomatology and other mental conditions with the acquired level of understanding of Newtonian physics taught in schools. The current study…

Insects for breakfast and whales for dinner: the diet and body condition of dingoes on Fraser Island (K’gari)

PubMed Central

Behrendorff, Linda; Leung, Luke K.-P.; McKinnon, Allan; Hanger, Jon; Belonje, Grant; Tapply, Jenna; Jones, Darryl; Allen, Benjamin L.

2016-01-01

Top-predators play stabilising roles in island food webs, including Fraser Island, Australia. Subsidising generalist predators with human-sourced food could disrupt this balance, but has been proposed to improve the overall health of the island’s dingo (Canis lupus dingo) population, which is allegedly ‘starving’ or in ‘poor condition’. We assess this hypothesis by describing the diet and health of dingoes on Fraser Island from datasets collected between 2001 and 2015. Medium-sized mammals (such as bandicoots) and fish were the most common food items detected in dingo scat records. Stomach contents records revealed additional information on diet, such as the occurrence of human-sourced foods. Trail camera records highlighted dingo utilisation of stranded marine fauna, particularly turtles and whales. Mean adult body weights were higher than the national average, body condition scores and abundant-excessive fat reserves indicated a generally ideal-heavy physical condition, and parasite loads were low and comparable to other dingo populations. These data do not support hypotheses that Fraser Island dingoes have restricted diets or are in poor physical condition. Rather, they indicate that dingoes on Fraser Island are capable of exploiting a diverse array of food sources which contributes to the vast majority of dingoes being of good-excellent physical condition. PMID:27009879

Identifying socio-demographic and socioeconomic determinants of health inequalities in a diverse London community: the South East London Community Health (SELCoH) study.

PubMed

Hatch, Stephani L; Frissa, Souci; Verdecchia, Maria; Stewart, Robert; Fear, Nicola T; Reichenberg, Abraham; Morgan, Craig; Kankulu, Bwalya; Clark, Jennifer; Gazard, Billy; Medcalf, Robert; Hotopf, Matthew

2011-11-11

Responses to public health need require information on the distribution of mental and physical ill health by demographic and socioeconomic factors at the local community level. The South East London Community Health (SELCoH) study is a community psychiatric and physical morbidity survey. Trained interviewers conducted face-to-face computer assisted interviews with 1698 adults aged 16 years and over, from 1076 randomly selected private households in two south London boroughs. We compared the prevalence of common mental disorders, hazardous alcohol use, long standing illness and general physical health by demographic and socioeconomic indicators. Unadjusted and models adjusted for demographic and socioeconomic indicators are presented for all logistic regression models. Of those in the sample, 24.2% reported common mental disorder and 44.9% reported having a long standing illness, with 15.7% reporting hazardous alcohol consumption and 19.2% rating their health as fair or poor. The pattern of indicators identifying health inequalities for common mental disorder, poor general health and having a long term illness is similar; individuals who are socioeconomically disadvantaged have poorer health and physical health worsens as age increases for all groups. The prevalence of poor health outcomes by ethnic group suggests that there are important differences between groups, particularly for common mental disorder and poor general health. Higher socioeconomic status was protective for common mental disorder, fair or poor health and long standing illness, but those with higher socioeconomic status reported higher levels of hazardous alcohol use. The proportion of participants who met the criteria for common mental disorder with co-occurring functional limitations was similar or greater to those with poor physical health. Health service providers and policy makers should prioritise high risk, socially defined groups in combating inequalities in individual and co-occurring poor mental and physical problems. In population terms, poor mental health has a similar or greater burden on functional impairment than long term conditions and perceived health.

Socio-demographic characteristics, lifestyle factors and burden of morbidity associated with self-reported hearing and vision impairments in older British community-dwelling men: a cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Liljas, A E M; Wannamethee, S G; Whincup, P H; Papacosta, O; Walters, K; Iliffe, S; Lennon, L T; Carvalho, L A; Ramsay, S E

2016-06-01

Hearing and vision problems are common in older adults. We investigated the association of self-reported sensory impairment with lifestyle factors, chronic conditions, physical functioning, quality of life and social interaction. A population-based cross-sectional study of participants of the British Regional Heart Study aged 63-85 years. A total of 3981 men (82% response rate) provided data. Twenty-seven per cent (n = 1074) reported hearing impairment including being able to hear with aid (n = 482), being unable to hear (no aid) (n = 424) and being unable to hear despite aid (n = 168). Three per cent (n = 124) reported vision impairment. Not being able to hear, irrespective of use of hearing aid, was associated with poor quality of life, poor social interaction and poor physical functioning. Men who could not hear despite hearing aid were more likely to report coronary heart disease (CHD) [age-adjusted odds ratios (ORs) 1.89 (95% confidence interval 1.36-2.63)]. Vision impairment was associated with symptoms of CHD including breathlessness [OR 2.06 (1.38-3.06)] and chest pain [OR 1.58 (1.07-2.35)]. Vision impairment was also associated with poor quality of life, poor social interaction and poor physical functioning. Sensory impairment is associated with poor physical functioning, poor health and poor social interaction in older men. Further research is warranted on pathways underlying these associations. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Faculty of Public Health. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Changes on Quality of Life, Self-Efficacy and Social Support for Activities and Physical Fitness in People with Intellectual Disabilities through Multimodal Intervention

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pérez-Cruzado, David; Cuesta-Vargas, Antonio I.

2016-01-01

Background: People with intellectual disability have poor levels of physical activity, quality of life, fitness condition and self-efficacy and social support when they want to undertake physical activity so it is very important to improve these parameters in this population. Method: A prospective study was conducted. Data were measured before and…

Stream ecosystems change with urban development

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bell, Amanda H.; James, F. Coles; McMahon, Gerard

2012-01-01

The healthy condition of the physical living space in a natural stream—defined by unaltered hydrology (streamflow), high diversity of habitat features, and natural water chemistry—supports diverse biological communities with aquatic species that are sensitive to disturbances. In a highly degraded urban stream, the poor condition of the physical living space—streambank and tree root damage from altered hydrology, low diversity of habitat, and inputs of chemical contaminants—contributes to biological communities with low diversity and high tolerance to disturbance.

Physical Exercise And Cognitive Engagement Outcomes for Mild Neurocognitive Disorder

ClinicalTrials.gov

2018-03-21

Mild Cognitive Impairment; Memory Disorders; Mild Dementia; Impaired Cognition; Mild Cognitive Disorder; Amnestic Disorder; Dementia and Amnestic Conditions; Poor Short-term Memory; Memory Impairment; Mild Neurocognitive Disorder

Integrative review of research on general health status and prevalence of common physical health conditions of women after childbirth.

PubMed

Cheng, Ching-Yu; Li, Qing

2008-01-01

Postpartum mothers experience certain physical health conditions that may affect their quality of life, future health, and health of their children. Yet, the physical health of postpartum mothers is relatively neglected in both research and practice. The purpose of this review is to describe the general health status and prevalence of common physical health conditions of postpartum mothers. The review followed standard procedures for integrative literature reviews. Twenty-two articles were reviewed from searches in scientific databases, reference lists, and an up-to-date survey. Three tables were designed to answer review questions. In general, postpartum mothers self-rate their health as good. They experience certain physical conditions such as fatigue/physical exhaustion, sleep-related problems, pain, sex-related concerns, hemorrhoids/constipation, and breast problems. Despite a limited number of studies, the findings provide a glimpse of the presence of a number of physical health conditions experienced by women in the 2 years postpartum. In the articles reviewed, physical health conditions and postpartum period were poorly defined, no standard scales existed, and the administration of surveys varied widely in time. Those disparities prevented systematic comparisons of results and made it difficult to gain a coherent understanding of the physical health conditions of postpartum mothers. More longitudinal research is needed that focuses on the etiology, predictors, and management of the health conditions most prevalent among postpartum mothers. Instruments are needed that target a broader range of physical conditions in respect to type and severity.

Sleep and its importance in adolescence and in common adolescent somatic and psychiatric conditions

PubMed Central

Brand, Serge; Kirov, Roumen

2011-01-01

Restoring sleep is strongly associated with a better physical, cognitive, and psychological well-being. By contrast, poor or disordered sleep is related to impairment of cognitive and psychological functioning and worsened physical health. These associations are well documented not only in adults but also in children and adolescents. Importantly, adolescence is hallmarked by dramatic maturational changes in sleep and its neurobiological regulation, hormonal status, and many psychosocial and physical processes. Thus, the role of sleep in mental and physical health during adolescence and in adolescent patients is complex. However, it has so far received little attention. This review first presents contemporary views about the complex neurobiology of sleep and its functions with important implications for adolescence. Second, existing complex relationships between common adolescent somatic/organic, sleep-related, and psychiatric disorders and certain sleep alterations are discussed. It is concluded that poor or altered sleep in adolescent patients may trigger and maintain many psychiatric and physical disorders or combinations of these conditions, which presumably hinder recovery and may cross into later stages of life. Therefore, timely diagnosis and management of sleep problems appear critical for growth and development in adolescent patients. PMID:21731894

Paediatric obesity, physical activity and the musculoskeletal system.

PubMed

Shultz, S P; Anner, J; Hills, A P

2009-09-01

The current epidemic of paediatric obesity is consistent with a myriad of health-related comorbid conditions. Despite the higher prevalence of orthopaedic conditions in overweight children, a paucity of published research has considered the influence of these conditions on the ability to undertake physical activity. As physical activity participation is directly related to improvements in physical fitness, skeletal health and metabolic conditions, higher levels of physical activity are encouraged, and exercise is commonly prescribed in the treatment and management of childhood obesity. However, research has not correlated orthopaedic conditions, including the increased joint pain and discomfort that is commonly reported by overweight children, with decreases in physical activity. Research has confirmed that overweight children typically display a slower, more tentative walking pattern with increased forces to the hip, knee and ankle during 'normal' gait. This research, combined with anthropometric data indicating a higher prevalence of musculoskeletal malalignment in overweight children, suggests that such individuals are poorly equipped to undertake certain forms of physical activity. Concomitant increases in obesity and decreases in physical activity level strongly support the need to better understand the musculoskeletal factors associated with the performance of motor tasks by overweight and obese children.

24 CFR 902.1 - Purpose, scope, and general matters.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... agencies (PHAs), public housing residents, and the general public, by providing a management tool for... requirements for poor performers. (b) Scope. PHAS is a strategic measure of the essential housing operations of... indicators, which are more fully addressed in § 902.9: Physical condition, financial condition, management...

Back Pain

MedlinePlus

... for back pain include being overweight, poor physical conditioning, smoking, whole body vibration, and improper lifting technique ... back and abdominal muscles). •Decrease vibrations by installing air cushions or upgrade seat to damper vibrations. • Stay ...

Health-related quality of life among adults 65 years and older in the United States, 2011-2012: a multilevel small area estimation approach.

PubMed

Lin, Yu-Hsiu; McLain, Alexander C; Probst, Janice C; Bennett, Kevin J; Qureshi, Zaina P; Eberth, Jan M

2017-01-01

The purpose of this study was to develop county-level estimates of poor health-related quality of life (HRQOL) among aged 65 years and older U.S. adults and to identify spatial clusters of poor HRQOL using a multilevel, poststratification approach. Multilevel, random-intercept models were fit to HRQOL data (two domains: physical health and mental health) from the 2011-2012 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. Using a poststratification, small area estimation approach, we generated county-level probabilities of having poor HRQOL for each domain in U.S. adults aged 65 and older, and validated our model-based estimates against state and county direct estimates. County-level estimates of poor HRQOL in the United States ranged from 18.07% to 44.81% for physical health and 14.77% to 37.86% for mental health. Correlations between model-based and direct estimates were higher for physical than mental HRQOL. Counties located in the Arkansas, Kentucky, and Mississippi exhibited the worst physical HRQOL scores, but this pattern did not hold for mental HRQOL, which had the highest probability of mentally unhealthy days in Illinois, Indiana, and Vermont. Substantial geographic variation in physical and mental HRQOL scores exists among older U.S. adults. State and local policy makers should consider these local conditions in targeting interventions and policies to counties with high levels of poor HRQOL scores. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Associations of psychosocial working conditions with self-rated general health and mental health among municipal employees.

PubMed

Laaksonen, Mikko; Rahkonen, Ossi; Martikainen, Pekka; Lahelma, Eero

2006-03-01

To examine associations of job demands and job control, procedural and relational organizational fairness, and physical work load with self-rated general health and mental health. In addition, the effect of occupational class on these associations is examined. The data were derived from the Helsinki Health Study baseline surveys in 2001-2002. Respondents to cross-sectional postal surveys were middle-aged employees of the City of Helsinki (n=5.829, response rate 67%). Associations of job demands and job control, organizational fairness and physical work load with less than good self-rated health and poor GHQ-12 mental health were examined. Those with the poorest working conditions two to three times more, often reported poor general and mental health than those with the best working conditions. Adjustment for occupational class weakened the associations of low job control and physical work load with general health by one fifth, but even more strengthened that of high job demands. Adjustment for occupational class clearly strengthened the associations of job control and physical work load with mental health in men. Mutual adjustment for all working conditions notably weakened their associations with both health measures, except those of job control in men. All working conditions except relational organizational fairness remained independently associated with general and mental health. All studied working conditions were strongly associated with both general and mental health but the associations weakened after mutual adjustments. Of the two organizational fairness measures, procedural fairness remained independently associated with both health outcomes. Adjustment for occupational class had essentially different effects on the associations of different working conditions and different health outcomes.

Physical Function and Health Status in Aging Puerto Rican Adults: The Boston Puerto Rican Health Study

PubMed Central

Castaneda-Sceppa, Carmen; Price, Lori Lyn; Noel, Sabrina E.; Midle, Jennifer Bassett; Falcon, Luis M.; Tucker, Katherine L.

2015-01-01

Objectives This article describes physical function in Puerto Rican older adults and examines associations between health status and physical function. It also assesses relationships between physical function and disability. Method This study uses a cross-sectional study of Puerto Ricans 45 to 75 years in Boston (N = 1,357). Measures included performance-based physical function (handgrip strength, walking speed, balance, chair stands, foot tapping), health conditions (obesity, diabetes, depressive symptomatology, history of heart disease, heart attack, stroke, and arthritis), and self-reported disability (activities of daily living, instrumental activities of daily living). Results Older women (60-75 years) had the poorest physical function. Poor physical function was associated with obesity, diabetes, depression, history of heart attack, stroke, and arthritis, after adjusting for age, sex, education, income, and lifestyle (p < .05). Physical function and disability were correlated (p < .01). Discussion Health status among Puerto Ricans appears to contribute to poor physical function. Targeted interventions to improve strength, endurance, and balance are needed to combat physical frailty and its consequences in this population. PMID:20495158

Physical and psychological health problems of garment workers in the Fiji.

PubMed

Chand, Anand

2006-09-01

This paper unravels the physical and psychological health problems of garment workers in Fiji. It is based on research work done between 1997-2007. Majority of the garment workers are women. The main physical health problems faced by workers are: 'Occupational fatigue syndrome', body pains, obesity, and bladder and kidney problems. The major psychological problems work stress and depression. Work stress and depression are caused by 'intensification of work' to meet daily targets, strict factory rules and regulations, poor pay, poor working conditions, in-human abuse, and fear of job loss. Since garment workers do not have much education and skills they have no other option but to work for the garment industry and suffer in silence.

The effects of work-related and individual factors on the Work Ability Index: a systematic review.

PubMed

van den Berg, T I J; Elders, L A M; de Zwart, B C H; Burdorf, A

2009-04-01

This paper systematically reviews the scientific literature on the effects of individual and work-related factors on the Work Ability Index (WAI). Studies on work ability published from 1985 to 2006 were identified through a structured search in PubMed, and Web of Science. Studies were included if the WAI was used as measure of work ability and if quantitative information was presented on determinants of work ability. In total, 20 studies were included with 14 cross-sectional studies and six longitudinal studies. Factors associated with poor work ability, as defined by WAI, were lack of leisure-time vigorous physical activity, poor musculoskeletal capacity, older age, obesity, high mental work demands, lack of autonomy, poor physical work environment, and high physical work load. The WAI is associated with individual characteristics, lifestyle, demands at work, and physical condition. This multifactorial nature of work ability should be taken into account in health promotion programmes aimed at maintaining and promoting the participation of the labour force and improvement of the performance at work.

The Relationship of Job Performance to Physical Fitness and Its Application to U. S. Navy Submariners

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-09-29

stressful conditions. Limitation of physical activity, desynchronization of circadian rhythms, adverse work -rest cycles, lack of privacy, and altered...Physical Fitness Aboard Submarines 11 6.2 Disease and Coronary Artery Disease Risk Factors in Submarines 12 6.3 Fatigue, Work -Rest Cycles, and...1974). Stress and disease appear to be related, since organ systems function poorly during periods of stress . Therefore, stress has been viewed as

Health inequalities among workers with a foreign background in Sweden: do working conditions matter?

PubMed

Dunlavy, Andrea C; Rostila, Mikael

2013-07-10

Employment and working conditions are key social determinants of health, yet current information is lacking regarding relationships between foreign background status, working conditions and health among workers in Sweden. This study utilized cross-sectional data from the 2010 Swedish Level of Living Survey (LNU) and the Level of Living Survey for Foreign Born Persons and their Children (LNU-UFB) to assess whether or not health inequalities exist between native Swedish and foreign background workers and if exposure to adverse psychosocial and physical working conditions contributes to the risk for poor health among foreign background workers. A sub-sample of 4,021 employed individuals aged 18-65 was analyzed using logistic regression. Eastern European, Latin American and Other Non-Western workers had an increased risk of both poor self-rated health and mental distress compared to native Swedish workers. Exposure to adverse working conditions only minimally influenced the risk of poor health. Further research should examine workers who are less integrated or who have less secure labor market attachments and also investigate how additional working conditions may influence associations between health and foreign background status.

Suspicious scars: physical child abuse vs Ehlers-Danlos syndrome.

PubMed

Vadysinghe, Amal Nishantha; Wickramashinghe, Chatula Usari; Nanayakkara, Dineshi Nadira; Kaluarachchi, Chandishni Ishara

2018-01-01

Child abuse is a sensitive topic among many medical practitioners and the diagnosis of this entity requires awareness about conditions which can mimic physical child abuse. Here, the authors present a case of a 13-year-old school non-attendee who was referred due to multiple scars, over areas prone to accidental as well as non-accidental injury, who underwent medicolegal examination due to suspicion of physical child abuse. On further inquiry, it was discovered that she had easy bruising and poor wound healing. A diagnosis of Ehlers-Danlos syndrome was established and physical child abuse was excluded. This case emphasizes the importance of identifying conditions which may confound the diagnosis of physical child abuse. This is of utmost importance in avoiding adverse legal and psycho-social implications on the child, family and society.

The Case for Research in Pure Physics in Developing Countries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mweene, H. V.

Science and technology are the keys to modern economic development. But, it has often been argued that poor countries cannot really afford to support research, or that they should at most devote their efforts to applied science only. The scientific knowledge necessary for development would then be partly or wholly obtained from other countries. In this paper, the case will be argued that developing countries cannot afford to leave research, both pure and applied, to the developed countries and that the only way the developing world is going to solve its problems is through development driven by their own research activities. With reference to physics, the importance of research by researchers in poor countries is explained. Lastly, it is outlined how the logistics of doing research under the difficult conditions prevailing in poor countries can be managed.

Spatial memory enhances the evacuation efficiency of virtual pedestrians under poor visibility condition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ma, Yi; Lee, Eric Wai Ming; Shi, Meng; Kwok Kit Yuen, Richard

2018-03-01

Spatial memory is a critical navigation support tool for disoriented evacuees during evacuation under adverse environmental conditions such as dark or smoky conditions. Owing to the complexity of memory, it is challenging to understand the effect of spatial memory on pedestrian evacuation quantitatively. In this study, we propose a simple method to quantitatively represent the evacueeʼs spatial memory about the emergency exit, model the evacuation of pedestrians under the guidance of the spatial memory, and investigate the effect of the evacueeʼs spatial memory on the evacuation from theoretical and physical perspectives. The result shows that (i) a good memory can significantly assist the evacuation of pedestrians under poor visibility conditions, and the evacuation can always succeed when the degree of the memory exceeds a threshold (\\varphi > 0.5); (ii) the effect of memory is superior to that of “follow-the-crowd” under the same environmental conditions; (iii) in the case of multiple exits, the difference in the degree of the memory between evacuees has a significant effect (the greater the difference, the faster the evacuation) for the evacuation under poor visibility conditions. Our study provides a new quantitative insight into the effect of spatial memory on crowd evacuation under poor visibility conditions. Project supported by the Research Grants Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China (Grant No. 11203615).

Frustration influences impact of history and disciplinary attitudes on physical discipline decision making.

PubMed

Russa, Mary B; Rodriguez, Christina M; Silvia, Paul J

2014-01-01

Although intergenerational patterns of punitive physical punishment garner considerable research attention, the mechanisms by which historical, cognitive, and contextual factors interplay to influence disciplinary responding remains poorly understood. Disciplinary attitudes have been shown to mediate the association between disciplinary history and disciplinary responding. The present study investigated whether frustration influences these mediation effects. Half of a sample of 330 undergraduates was randomly assigned to frustration induction. Structural equation modeling confirmed that, for participants in the frustration condition, the relation between disciplinary history and physical discipline decision-making was fully mediated by attitudes approving physical discipline. In contrast, for respondents in the no-frustration condition, the pathway from disciplinary history to discipline decision-making was only partially mediated by attitudes. Under conditions of frustration, attitudes may become a more central means by which personal disciplinary history is associated with disciplinary decision-making. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Racial and Gender Discrimination, Early Life Factors, and Chronic Physical Health Conditions in Midlife

PubMed Central

McDonald, Jasmine A.; Terry, Mary Beth; Tehranifar, Parisa

2013-01-01

Purpose Most studies of perceived discrimination have been cross-sectional and focused primarily on mental rather than physical health conditions. We examined the associations of perceived racial and gender discrimination reported in adulthood with early life factors and self-reported physician-diagnosis of chronic physical health conditions. Methods We used data from a racially diverse birth cohort of U.S. women (N=168, average age=41 years) with prospectively collected early life data (e.g., parental socioeconomic factors) and adult reported data on perceived discrimination, physical health conditions, and relevant risk factors. We performed modified robust Poisson regression due to the high prevalence of the outcomes. Results Fifty-percent of participants reported racial and 39% reported gender discrimination. Early life factors did not have strong associations with perceived discrimination. In adjusted regression models, participants reporting at least three experiences of gender or racial discrimination had a 38% increased risk of having at least one physical health conditions (RR=1.38, 95% CI: 1.01-1.87). Using standardized regression coefficients, the magnitude of the association of having physical health conditions was larger for perceived discrimination than for being overweight or obese. Conclusion Our results suggest a substantial chronic disease burden associated with perceived discrimination, which may exceed the impact of established risk factors for poor physical health. PMID:24345610

Work and health in a contemporary society: demands, control, and insecurity.

PubMed

D'Souza, R M; Strazdins, L; Lim, L L-Y; Broom, D H; Rodgers, B

2003-11-01

To examine independent associations of job strain (high demands and low control) and job insecurity with mental and physical health outcomes. Cross sectional general population study conducted in 2000 using a self completed questionnaire. Two adjoining cities in south east Australia. 1188 employed professionals, aged 40-44 years, 55% (n = 655) male. Depression, anxiety, physical, and self rated health (SRH). Adverse job conditions were relatively prevalent as 23% of the sample reported high job strain, while 7.3% and 23% reported high and moderate job insecurity respectively. Associations between job conditions and health persisted after adjustment for gender, education, marital status, employment status, major life events, and negative affectivity (personality). When adjusted for job strain, high job insecurity was independently associated with a greater than threefold increase in odds for poor SRH, depression and anxiety (OR (95% confidence intervals) poor SRH: 3.72 (1.97 to 7.04) depression: 3.49 (1.90 to 6.41), anxiety: 3.29 (1.71 to 6.33)), and a twofold increase for physical health 2.19 (1.21 to 3.95). High job strain also showed significant independent associations with depression: 2.54 (1.34 to.4.75) and anxiety: 3.15 (1.48 to 6.70). In this relatively privileged socioeconomic group, insecure employment and high job strain showed independent, consistent, and strong associations with physical and mental health. These adverse job conditions are on the increase, particularly insecure employment, and the influence of these two work conditions are an important focus for future public health research and their prevalence and impact should be examined in other occupations.

Biomechanical balance response during induced falls under dual task conditions in people with knee osteoarthritis.

PubMed

Levinger, Pazit; Nagano, Hanatsu; Downie, Calum; Hayes, Alan; Sanders, Kerrie M; Cicuttini, Flavia; Begg, Rezaul

2016-07-01

People with knee osteoarthritis (OA) are at twice the risk of falling compared to older people without knee OA, however the mechanism for this is poorly understood. This study investigated the biomechanical response of the trunk and lower limb joints during a forward induced fall under different task conditions in people with and without knee OA. Twenty-four participants with OA (68.6±6.2 years) and 15 asymptomatic controls (72.4±4.8 years) participated in the study. Forward fall was induced by releasing participants from a static forward leaning position. Participants were required to recover balance during three conditions: normal, physical (obstacle clearance) and cognitive dual tasks (counting backwards). Spatiotemporal parameters, lower limb joint kinematics and kinetics of the recovery limb were compared between the two groups and across the three task conditions. The OA group demonstrated slower spatio-temporal characteristics and reduced hip and knee flexion angles, joint moments/powers and reduced muscle negative work at the knee and ankle (p<0.05). Cognitive dual task resulted in reduced centre of mass velocity and step length (p=0.03) compared to the physical dual task condition. Reduced knee (p=0.02) and hip joint powers (p=0.03) were demonstrated in the OA group in the physical task condition. When simulating a forward fall, participants with OA demonstrated difficulty in absorbing the impact and slowing down the forward momentum of the body during a recovery step. Moreover, poor dynamic postural control was demonstrated as task complexity increased. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The role of neighborhood economic context on physical activity among children: Evidence from the Geographic Research on Wellbeing (GROW) study.

PubMed

Kim, Yeonwoo; Cubbin, Catherine

2017-08-01

Less than half of young children in the U.S. meet physical activity recommendations. While neighborhood economic context has been shown to be associated with physical activity, it is unknown whether this association varies according to family economic context. This study thus investigates whether neighborhood economic context, measured by poverty concentration and income inequality, are associated with physical activity among poor and non-poor children using data from the Geographic Research on Wellbeing study, California, 2012-2013 (N=2670). Poor children who resided in (a) poor and equal neighborhoods or (b) non-poor and equal neighborhoods were more likely to engage in sufficient physical activity than were children residing in non-poor and unequal neighborhoods. Poor children in (a) non-poor and equal neighborhoods, (b) poor and equal neighborhoods, or (c) poor and unequal neighborhoods were less likely to report insufficient physical activity than those in non-poor and unequal neighborhoods. Neighborhood economic context was not associated with physical activity among non-poor children. Findings suggest that neighborhood economic context presents a social barrier to physical activity among poor children. Increasing physical activity among poor children in non-poor and unequal neighborhoods should be a high policy priority. Perceived social cohesion, perceived neighborhood safety, and park and walkability indicators did not mediate the associations between neighborhood economic context and physical activity. Further research needs to explore the mechanisms by which neighborhood economic context affects physical activity among children. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Weather, day length and physical activity in older adults: Cross-sectional results from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) Norfolk Cohort.

PubMed

Wu, Yu-Tzu; Luben, Robert; Wareham, Nicholas; Griffin, Simon; Jones, Andy P

2017-01-01

A wide range of environmental factors have been related to active ageing, but few studies have explored the impact of weather and day length on physical activity in older adults. We investigate the cross-sectional association between weather conditions, day length and activity in older adults using a population-based cohort in England, the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) Norfolk study. Physical activity was measured objectively over 7 days using an accelerometer and this was used to calculate daily total physical activity (counts per minute), daily minutes of sedentary behaviour and light, moderate and vigorous physical activity (LMVPA). Day length and two types of weather conditions, precipitation and temperature, were obtained from a local weather station. The association between these variables and physical activity was examined by multilevel first-order autoregressive modelling. After adjusting for individual factors, short day length and poor weather conditions, including high precipitation and low temperatures, were associated with up to 10% lower average physical activity (p<0.01) and 8 minutes less time spent in LMVPA but 15 minutes more sedentary time, compared to the best conditions. Day length and weather conditions appear to be an important factor related to active ageing. Future work should focus on developing potential interventions to reduce their impact on physical activity behaviours in older adults.

POPULATION DECLINE IN STREAM FISH

EPA Science Inventory

Over half of the streams in the Mid-Atlantic Highlands have fish communities that are in fair or poor condition, and the EPA concluded that physical habitat alteration represents the greatest potential stressor across this region. A quantitative method for relating habitat quali...

Health Inequalities among Workers with a Foreign Background in Sweden: Do Working Conditions Matter?

PubMed Central

Dunlavy, Andrea C.; Rostila, Mikael

2013-01-01

Employment and working conditions are key social determinants of health, yet current information is lacking regarding relationships between foreign background status, working conditions and health among workers in Sweden. This study utilized cross-sectional data from the 2010 Swedish Level of Living Survey (LNU) and the Level of Living Survey for Foreign Born Persons and their Children (LNU-UFB) to assess whether or not health inequalities exist between native Swedish and foreign background workers and if exposure to adverse psychosocial and physical working conditions contributes to the risk for poor health among foreign background workers. A sub-sample of 4,021 employed individuals aged 18–65 was analyzed using logistic regression. Eastern European, Latin American and Other Non-Western workers had an increased risk of both poor self-rated health and mental distress compared to native Swedish workers. Exposure to adverse working conditions only minimally influenced the risk of poor health. Further research should examine workers who are less integrated or who have less secure labor market attachments and also investigate how additional working conditions may influence associations between health and foreign background status. PMID:23846669

Racial and gender discrimination, early life factors, and chronic physical health conditions in midlife.

PubMed

McDonald, Jasmine A; Terry, Mary Beth; Tehranifar, Parisa

2014-01-01

Most studies of perceived discrimination have been cross-sectional and focused primarily on mental rather than physical health conditions. We examined the associations of perceived racial and gender discrimination reported in adulthood with early life factors and self-reported physician diagnosis of chronic physical health conditions. We used data from a racially diverse birth cohort of U.S. women (n = 168; average age, 41 years) with prospectively collected early life data (e.g., parental socioeconomic factors) and adult reported data on perceived discrimination, physical health conditions, and relevant risk factors. We performed modified robust Poisson regression owing to the high prevalence of the outcomes. Fifty percent of participants reported racial and 39% reported gender discrimination. Early life factors did not have strong associations with perceived discrimination. In adjusted regression models, participants reporting at least three experiences of gender or racial discrimination had a 38% increased risk of having at least one physical health condition (relative risk, 1.38; 95% confidence interval, 1.01-1.87). Using standardized regression coefficients, the magnitude of the association of having physical health condition(s) was larger for perceived discrimination than for being overweight or obese. Our results suggest a substantial chronic disease burden associated with perceived discrimination, which may exceed the impact of established risk factors for poor physical health. Copyright © 2014 Jacobs Institute of Women's Health. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Onset aging conditions of adults with an intellectual disability associated with primary caregiver depression.

PubMed

Lin, Lan-Ping; Hsu, Shang-Wei; Kuo, Meng-Ting; Wu, Jia-Lin; Chu, Cordia; Lin, Jin-Ding

2014-03-01

Caregivers of adults with an intellectual disability experience depressive symptoms, but the aging factors of the care recipients associated with the depressive symptoms are unknown. The objective of this study was to analyze the onset aging conditions of adults with an intellectual disability that associated with the depression scores of their primary caregivers. A cross-sectional survey was administered to gather information from 455 caregivers of adults with an intellectual disability about their symptoms of depression which assessed by a 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9). The 12 aging conditions of adults with an intellectual disability include physical and mental health. The results indicate that 78% of adults with an intellectual disability demonstrate aging conditions. Physical conditions associated with aging include hearing decline (66.3%), vision decline (63.6%), incontinence (44%), articulation and bone degeneration (57.9%), teeth loss (80.4), physical strength decline (81.2%), sense of taste and smell decline (52.8%), and accompanied chronic illnesses (74.6%). Mental conditions associated with aging include memory loss (77%), language ability deterioration (74.4%), poor sleep quality (74.2%), and easy onset of depression and sadness (50.3%). Aging conditions of adults with an intellectual disability (p<0.001) was one factor that significantly affected the presence of depressive symptom among caregivers after controlling demographic characteristics. Particularly, poor sleep quality of adults with an intellectual disability (yes vs. no, OR=3.807, p=0.002) was statistically correlated to the occurrence of significant depressive symptoms among their caregivers. This study suggests that the authorities should reorient community services and future policies toward the needs of family caregivers to decrease the burdens associated with caregiving. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Barriers to Physical Activity in a Mass Transit Population: A Qualitative Study.

PubMed

Das, Bhibha M; Petruzzello, Steven J

2016-01-01

The physical inactivity epidemic continues be one of the greatest public health challenges in contemporary society in the United States. The transportation industry is at greater risk of physical inactivity, compared with individuals in other sectors of the workforce. The aim of this study was to use the Nominal Group Technique, a focus group technique, to examine mass transit employees' perceptions of the barriers to physical activity at their worksite. Three focus groups (n = 31) were conducted to examine mass transit employees' perceptions of barriers to physical activity at the worksite. Salient barriers included (1) changing work schedules, (2) poor weather conditions, and (3) lack of scheduled and timely breaks. Findings were consistent with previous research demonstrating shift work, poor weather, and lack of breaks can negatively impact mass transit employees' ability to be physically active. Although physical activity barriers for this population have been consistent for the last 20 years, public health practice and policy have not changed to address these barriers. Future studies should include conducing focus groups stratified by job classification (eg, operators, maintenance, and clerical) along with implementing and evaluating worksite-based physical activity interventions and policy changes.

Epidemiology of leisure, transportation, occupational, and household physical activity: prevalence and associated factors.

PubMed

Florindo, Alex Antonio; Guimarães, Vanessa Valente; Cesar, Chester Luiz Galvão; Barros, Marilisa Berti de Azevedo; Alves, Maria Cecília Goi Porto; Goldbaum, Moisés

2009-09-01

To estimate the prevalence of and identify factors associated with physical activity in leisure, transportation, occupational, and household settings. This was a cross-sectional study aimed at investigating living and health conditions among the population of São Paulo, Brazil. Data on 1318 adults aged 18 to 65 years were used. To assess physical activity, the long version of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire was applied. Multivariate analysis was conducted using a hierarchical model. The greatest prevalence of insufficient activity related to transportation (91.7%), followed by leisure (77.5%), occupational (68.9%), and household settings (56.7%). The variables associated with insufficient levels of physical activity in leisure were female sex, older age, low education level, nonwhite skin color, smoking, and self-reported poor health; in occupational settings were female sex, white skin color, high education level, self-reported poor health, nonsmoking, and obesity; in transportation settings were female sex; and in household settings, with male sex, separated, or widowed status and high education level. Physical activity in transportation and leisure settings should be encouraged. This study will serve as a reference point in monitoring different types of physical activities and implementing public physical activity policies in developing countries.

Physician, Practice, and Patient Characteristics Related to Primary Care Physician Physical and Mental Health: Results from the Physician Worklife Study

PubMed Central

Williams, Eric S; Konrad, Thomas R; Linzer, Mark; McMurray, Julia; Pathman, Donald E; Gerrity, Martha; Schwartz, Mark D; Scheckler, William E; Douglas, Jeff

2002-01-01

Objective To study the impact that physician, practice, and patient characteristics have on physician stress, satisfaction, mental, and physical health. Data Sources Based on a survey of over 5,000 physicians nationwide. Four waves of surveys resulted in 2,325 complete responses. Elimination of ineligibles yielded a 52 percent response rate; 1,411 responses from primary care physicians were used. Study Design A conceptual model was tested by structural equation modeling. Physician job satisfaction and stress mediated the relationship between physician, practice, and patient characteristics as independent variables and physician physical and mental health as dependent variables. Principle Findings The conceptual model was generally supported. Practice and, to a lesser extent, physician characteristics influenced job satisfaction, whereas only practice characteristics influenced job stress. Patient characteristics exerted little influence. Job stress powerfully influenced job satisfaction and physical and mental health among physicians. Conclusions These findings support the notion that workplace conditions are a major determinant of physician well-being. Poor practice conditions can result in poor outcomes, which can erode quality of care and prove costly to the physician and health care organization. Fortunately, these conditions are manageable. Organizational settings that are both “physician friendly” and “family friendly” seem to result in greater well-being. These findings are particularly important as physicians are more tightly integrated into the health care system that may be less clearly under their exclusive control.

Functional disability as an explanation of the associations between chronic physical conditions and 12-month major depressive episode

PubMed Central

Stegmann, Mariken E.; Ormel, Johan; de Graaf, Ron; Haro, Josep-Maria; de Girolamo, Giovanni; Demyttenaere, Koen; Kovess, Vivianne; Matschinger, Herbert; Vilagut, Gemma; Alonso, Jordi; Burger, Huibert

2013-01-01

Background The link between physical conditions and mental health is poorly understood. Functional disability could explain the association of physical conditions with major depressive episode (MDE) as an intermediary factor. Methods Data was analyzed from a subsample (N=8,796) of the European Study of the Epidemiology of Mental Disorders (ESEMeD), a cross-sectional general population survey. MDE during the last 12 months was assessed using a revision of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI 3.0). Lifetime chronic physical conditions were assessed by self-report. Functional disability was measured using a version of the World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule (WHODAS). The associations of physical conditions with MDE and explanation by functional disability were quantified using logistic regression. Results All physical conditions were significantly associated with MDE. The increases in risk of MDE ranged from 30% for allergy to amply 100% for arthritis and heart disease. When adjusted for physical comorbidity, associations decreased and were no longer statistically significant for allergy and diabetes. Functional disability explained between 17 and 64% of these associations, most substantially for stomach or duodenum ulcer, arthritis and heart disease. Limitations Due to the cross-sectional nature of the study the temporal relationship of the variables could not be assessed and the amount of explanation can not simply be interpreted as the amount of mediation. Conclusions Our findings suggest that the association of chronic physical conditions with MDE is partly explained by functional disability. Such explanation is more pronounced for pain causing conditions and heart disease. Health professionals should be particularly aware of the increased risk of depressive disorder when patients experience disability from these conditions. PMID:19939461

Functional disability as an explanation of the associations between chronic physical conditions and 12-month major depressive episode.

PubMed

Stegmann, Mariken E; Ormel, Johan; de Graaf, Ron; Haro, Josep-Maria; de Girolamo, Giovanni; Demyttenaere, Koen; Kovess, Vivianne; Matschinger, Herbert; Vilagut, Gemma; Alonso, Jordi; Burger, Huibert

2010-07-01

The link between physical conditions and mental health is poorly understood. Functional disability could explain the association of physical conditions with major depressive episode (MDE) as an intermediary factor. Data was analyzed from a subsample (N=8796) of the European Study of the Epidemiology of Mental Disorders (ESEMeD), a cross-sectional general population survey. MDE during the last 12 months was assessed using a revision of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI 3.0). Lifetime chronic physical conditions were assessed by self-report. Functional disability was measured using a version of the World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule (WHODAS). The associations of physical conditions with MDE and explanation by functional disability were quantified using logistic regression. All physical conditions were significantly associated with MDE. The increases in risk of MDE ranged from 30% for allergy to amply 100% for arthritis and heart disease. When adjusted for physical comorbidity, associations decreased and were no longer statistically significant for allergy and diabetes. Functional disability explained between 17 and 64% of these associations, most substantially for stomach or duodenum ulcer, arthritis and heart disease. Due to the cross-sectional nature of the study the temporal relationship of the variables could not be assessed and the amount of explanation cannot simply be interpreted as the amount of mediation. Our findings suggest that the association of chronic physical conditions with MDE is partly explained by functional disability. Such explanation is more pronounced for pain causing conditions and heart disease. Health professionals should be particularly aware of the increased risk of depressive disorder when patients experience disability from these conditions.

Osteosarcopenic Obesity: Prevalence and Relation With Frailty and Physical Performance in Middle-Aged and Older Women.

PubMed

Szlejf, Claudia; Parra-Rodríguez, Lorena; Rosas-Carrasco, Oscar

2017-08-01

The aims of this study were to determine the prevalence of osteosarcopenic obesity (OSO) and to investigate its association with frailty and physical performance in Mexican community-dwelling middle-aged and older women. Cross-sectional analysis of a prospective cohort. The FraDySMex study, a 2-round evaluation of community-dwelling adults from 2 municipalities in Mexico City. Participants were 434 women aged 50 years or older, living in the designated area in Mexico City. Body composition was measured with dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry and OSO was defined by the coexistence of sarcopenia, osteopenia, or osteoporosis and obesity. Information regarding demographic characteristics; comorbidities; mental status; nutritional status; and history of falls, fractures, and hospitalization was obtained from questionnaires. Objective measurements of muscle strength and function were grip strength using a hand dynamometer, 6-meter gait speed using a GAIT Rite instrumented walkway, and lower extremity functioning measured by the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB). Frailty was assessed using the Frailty Phenotype (Fried criteria), the Gerontopole Frailty Screening Tool (GFST), and the FRAIL scale, to build 3 logistic regression models. The prevalence of OSO was 19% (n = 81). Frailty (according to the Frailty Phenotype and the GFST) and poor physical performance measured by the SPPB were independently associated with OSO, controlled by age. In the logistic regression model assessing frailty with the Frailty Phenotype, the odds ratio (95% confidence interval) for frailty was 4.86 (2.47-9.55), and for poor physical performance it was 2.11 (1.15-3.89). In the model assessing frailty with the GFST, it was 2.12 (1.10-4.11), and for poor physical performance it was 2.15 (1.18-3.92). Finally, in the model with the FRAIL scale, it was 1.69 (0.85-3.36) for frailty and 2.29 (1.27-4.15) for poor physical performance. OSO is a frequent condition in middle-aged and older women, and it is independently associated with frailty and poor physical performance. Copyright © 2017 AMDA – The Society for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

GANODERMA LUCIDUM IMPROVES PHYSICAL FITNESS IN WOMEN WITH FIBROMYALGIA.

PubMed

Collado Mateo, Daniel; Pazzi, Francesco; Domínguez Muñoz, Francisco J; Martín Martínez, Juan Pedro; Olivares, Pedro R; Gusi, Narcis; Adsuar, José C

2015-11-01

fibromyalgia is a chronic disease characterized by generalized pain, stiffness, poor physical conditioning, non-restorative sleep and poor health-related quality of life. Ganoderma lucidum a type of mushroom that has demonstrated several benefits in different populations. Ceratonia siliqua is a natural therapy rich in antioxidants with potential benefits on health. to evaluate the effects of 6-week treatment of Ganoderma lucidum and Ceratonia siliqua on physical fitness in patients suffering from fibromyalgia. sixty-four women with fibromyalgia participated in the study. They took 6 g of Ganoderma lucidum or Ceratonia siliqua per day for 6 weeks. Different fitness tests were selected in order to evaluate functional capacity. after the 6-week treatment period, Ganoderma lucidum significantly improved aerobic endurance, lower body flexibility, and velocity (p < .05). No significant improvement in any physical test was observed in the Ceratonia siliqua group. Ganoderma lucidum may improve physical fitness in women with fibromyalgia, whereas, Ceratonia siliqua seemed to be ineffective at increasing physical fitness. These results may indicate that Ganoderma lucidum might be a useful dietary supplement to enhance physical performance of the patients suffering from fibromyalgia. Copyright AULA MEDICA EDICIONES 2014. Published by AULA MEDICA. All rights reserved.

STREAM FISH HABITAT SUITABILITY AND THE RISK OF POPULATION DECLINE

EPA Science Inventory

Over half of the streams in the Mid-Atlantic Highlands have fish communities that are in fair or poor condition, and the EPA concluded that physical habitat alteration represents the greatest potential stressor across this region. A quantitative method for relating habitat quali...

UNICEF and the Sudan.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

United Nations Children's Fund, Nairobi (Kenya). Eastern Africa Regional Office.

Coupled with poor infrastructure, vast distances, and harsh climatic conditions, the enormous physical obstacles in the Sudan (Africa's largest country) have combined to produce extremely serious problems for Sudanese children, who will soon constitute half of the 17 million people there. This booklet describes continuing projects implemented by…

The diet, physical activity and accommodation of patients with quiescent pulmonary tuberculosis in a poor South Indian community. A four-year follow-up study.

PubMed

Ramakrishnan, C V; Rajendran, K; Mohan, K; Fox, W; Radhakrishna, S

1966-01-01

A previous report from the Tuberculosis Chemotherapy Centre, Madras, has shown that, if standard chemotherapy is given for one year, the response of patients treated at home in very poor environmental circumstances is nearly as good as that of those treated in sanatorium under much more favourable conditions. This paper reports on a four-year follow-up of all the patients whose disease was bacteriologically quiescent at the end of the year's treatment. During this period, all the patients were managed on a domiciliary basis; about a quarter of them received chemotherapy with isoniazid alone for two years, another quarter received the drug for one year and the rest received no specific chemotherapy. Despite adverse environmental factors (poor diet; long hours of work often involving strenuous physical activity; overcrowded living conditions; and, for the sanatorium patients, the stresses of returning suddenly to the unfavourable home environment), the great majority of patients in both series maintained quiescent disease throughout the follow-up period. Furthermore, the few patients whose disease relapsed bacteriologically were at no special dietary disadvantage in comparison with those who maintained quiescent disease throughout, nor did they show any appreciable differences in occupation, physical activity or living accommodation. These findings, together with the earlier ones, indicate that, despite adverse environmental circumstances, standard chemotherapy for an adequate period of time is sufficient in the great majority of patients for the attainment of bacteriological quiescence and its maintenance thereafter.

Poor Employment Conditions Adversely Affect Mental Health Outcomes Among Surgical Trainees.

PubMed

Kevric, Jasmina; Papa, Nathan; Perera, Marlon; Rashid, Prem; Toshniwal, Sumeet

Poor mental health in junior clinicians is prevalent and may lead to poor productivity and significant medical errors. We aimed to provide contemporary data on the mental health of surgical trainees and identify risk factors relating to poorer mental health outcomes. A detailed questionnaire was developed comprising questions based on the 36-item short-form health survey (SF-36) and Physical Activity Questionnaire. Each of the questionnaires has proven validity and reliability in the clinical context. Ethics approval was obtained from the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons. The questionnaire was aimed at surgical registrars. We used Physical Activity Questionnaire, SF-36 scores and linear regression to evaluate the effect of putative predictors on mental health. A total of 83 responses were collected during the study period, of which 49 (59%) were from men and 34 (41%) were from women. The mean Mental Component Summary (MCS) score for both sexes was significantly lower than the population mean at ages 25-34 (p < 0.001). Poor satisfaction with one's work culture and a feeling of a lack of support at work were extremely strong predictors of a lower MCS score (p < 0.001). Hours of overtime worked, particularly unpaid overtime, were also strong predictors of a poorer score. Australian surgical trainees reported lower MCS scores from the SF-36 questionnaire compared to the general population. Increasing working hours, unpaid overtime, poor job security, and job satisfaction were associated with poorer scores among trainees. Interventions providing improved working conditions need to be considered by professional training bodies and employers. Copyright © 2018 Association of Program Directors in Surgery. All rights reserved.

Factors associated with inadequate work ability among women in the clothing industry.

PubMed

Augusto, Viviane Gontijo; Sampaio, Rosana Ferreira; Ferreira, Fabiane Ribeiro; Kirkwood, Renata Noce; César, Cibele Comini

2015-01-01

Work ability depends on a balance between individual resources and work demands. This study evaluated factors that are associated with inadequate work ability among workers in the clothing industry. We conducted a cross-sectional observational study of 306 workers in 40 small and medium-sized enterprises. We assessed work ability, individual resources, physical and psychosocial demands, and aspects of life outside work using a binary logistic regression model with hierarchical data entry. The mean work ability was 42.5 (SD=3.5); when adjusted for age, only 11% of the workers showed inadequate work ability. The final model revealed that smoking, high isometric physical load, and poor physical environmental conditions were the most significant predictors of inadequate work ability. Good working conditions and worker education must be implemented to eliminate factors that can be changed and that have a negative impact on work ability. These initiatives include anti-smoking measures, improved postures at work, and better physical environmental conditions.

Weather, day length and physical activity in older adults: Cross-sectional results from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) Norfolk Cohort

PubMed Central

Wu, Yu-Tzu; Luben, Robert; Wareham, Nicholas; Griffin, Simon; Jones, Andy P.

2017-01-01

Background A wide range of environmental factors have been related to active ageing, but few studies have explored the impact of weather and day length on physical activity in older adults. We investigate the cross-sectional association between weather conditions, day length and activity in older adults using a population-based cohort in England, the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) Norfolk study. Methods Physical activity was measured objectively over 7 days using an accelerometer and this was used to calculate daily total physical activity (counts per minute), daily minutes of sedentary behaviour and light, moderate and vigorous physical activity (LMVPA). Day length and two types of weather conditions, precipitation and temperature, were obtained from a local weather station. The association between these variables and physical activity was examined by multilevel first-order autoregressive modelling. Results After adjusting for individual factors, short day length and poor weather conditions, including high precipitation and low temperatures, were associated with up to 10% lower average physical activity (p<0.01) and 8 minutes less time spent in LMVPA but 15 minutes more sedentary time, compared to the best conditions. Conclusion Day length and weather conditions appear to be an important factor related to active ageing. Future work should focus on developing potential interventions to reduce their impact on physical activity behaviours in older adults. PMID:28562613

A system to test the ground surface conditions of construction sites--for safe and efficient work without physical strain.

PubMed

Koningsveld, Ernst; van der Grinten, Maarten; van der Molen, Henk; Krause, Frank

2005-07-01

Ground surface conditions on construction sites have an important influence on the health and safety of workers and their productivity. The development of an expert-based "working conditions evaluation" system is described, intended to assist site managers in recognising unsatisfactory ground conditions and remedying these. The system was evaluated in the period 2002-2003. The evaluation shows that companies recognize poor soil/ground conditions as problematic, but are not aware of the specific physical workload hazards. The developed methods allow assessment of the ground surface quality and selection of appropriate measures for improvement. However, barriers exist at present to wide implementation of the system across the industry. Most significant of these is that responsibility for a site's condition is not clearly located within contracting arrangements, nor is it a topic of serious negotiation.

Early physical health conditions and school readiness skills in a prospective birth cohort of U.S. children.

PubMed

Kull, Melissa A; Coley, Rebekah Levine

2015-10-01

Extant research identifies associations between early physical health disparities and impaired functioning in adulthood, but limited research examines the emergence of these associations in the early years of children's lives. This study draws on data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study Birth Cohort (ECLS-B; N = 5900) to assess whether a host of early health indicators measured from birth to age five are associated with children's cognitive and behavioral skills at age five. After adjusting for child and family characteristics, results revealed that children's neonatal risks (prematurity or low birth weight) and reports of poor health and hospitalizations were associated with lower cognitive skills, and neonatal risks and poor health predicted lower behavioral functioning at age five. Some of the association between neonatal risks and school readiness skills were indirect, functioning through children's poor health and hospitalization. Analyses further found that associations between early physical health and children's school readiness skills were consistent across subgroups defined by family income and child race/ethnicity, suggesting generalizability of results. Findings emphasize the need for more interdisciplinary research, practice, and policy related to optimizing child well-being across domains of physical health and development in the early years of life. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Using microwave observations to estimate land surface temperature during cloudy conditions

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Land surface temperature (LST), a key ingredient for physically-based retrieval algorithms of hydrological states and fluxes, remains a poorly constrained parameter for global scale studies. The main two observational methods to remotely measure T are based on thermal infrared (TIR) observations and...

Working Conditions and Mental Health of Nursing Staff in Nursing Homes

PubMed Central

Zhang, Yuan; Punnett, Laura; Mawn, Barbara; Gore, Rebecca

2018-01-01

Nursing staff in nursing homes suffer from poor mental health, probably associated with stressful working conditions. Working conditions may distribute differently among nursing assistants, licensed practical nurses, and registered nurses due to their different levels in the organizational hierarchy. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the association between working conditions and mental health among different nursing groups, and examine the potential moderating effect of job group on this association. Self-administered questionnaires were collected with 1,129 nursing staff in 15 for-profit non-unionized nursing homes. Working conditions included both physical and psychosocial domains. Multivariate linear regression modeling found that mental health was associated with different working conditions in different nursing groups: physical safety (β = 2.37, p < 0.05) and work-family conflict (β = –2.44, p < 0.01) in NAs; work-family conflict (β = –4.17, p < 0.01) in LPNs; and physical demands (β = 10.54, p < 0.05) in RNs. Job group did not moderate the association between working conditions and mental health. Future workplace interventions to improve mental health should reach to nursing staff at different levels and consider tailored working condition interventions in different nursing groups. PMID:27104634

Working Conditions and Mental Health of Nursing Staff in Nursing Homes.

PubMed

Zhang, Yuan; Punnett, Laura; Mawn, Barbara; Gore, Rebecca

2016-07-01

Nursing staff in nursing homes suffer from poor mental health, probably associated with stressful working conditions. Working conditions may distribute differently among nursing assistants, licensed practical nurses, and registered nurses due to their different levels in the organizational hierarchy. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the association between working conditions and mental health among different nursing groups, and examine the potential moderating effect of job group on this association. Self-administered questionnaires were collected with 1,129 nursing staff in 15 for-profit non-unionized nursing homes. Working conditions included both physical and psychosocial domains. Multivariate linear regression modeling found that mental health was associated with different working conditions in different nursing groups: physical safety (β = 2.37, p < 0.05) and work-family conflict (β = -2.44, p < 0.01) in NAs; work-family conflict (β = -4.17, p < 0.01) in LPNs; and physical demands (β = 10.54, p < 0.05) in RNs. Job group did not moderate the association between working conditions and mental health. Future workplace interventions to improve mental health should reach to nursing staff at different levels and consider tailored working condition interventions in different nursing groups.

Investigation of novel supersaturating drug delivery systems of chlorthalidone: The use of polymer-surfactant complex as an effective carrier in solid dispersions.

PubMed

França, Maria Terezinha; Nicolay Pereira, Rafael; Klüppel Riekes, Manoela; Munari Oliveira Pinto, Juliana; Stulzer, Hellen Karine

2018-01-01

Supersaturating drug delivery systems (SDDS), as solid dispersions (SDs), stand out among strategies to enhance bioavailability of poorly soluble drugs. After oral administration, their dissolution in gastrointestinal fluids often leads to supersaturation, which drives to a rapid and sustained absorption. Polymers and surfactants play important roles in SDs through inhibiting precipitation caused by transitions from amorphous into crystalline form, in supersaturated solutions, and also through improving SDs physical stability. Novel chlorthalidone SDs, a BCS IV drug, were developed using polymeric and non-polymeric carriers, specially a polymer-surfactant complex. SDs drug releases were evaluated using sink and non-sink conditions in water and biorelevant medium. Their physical stability was also monitored under different storage conditions. Polyvinyl caprolactam-polyvinyl acetate-polyethylene glycol graft copolymer (SOL), sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) and a combination of both showed promising results in apparent solubility studies, and therefore they were selected to compose the spray dried SDs. Dissolution studies demonstrated the SOL-SLS complex potential for providing chlorthalidone fast release (>80% in 15min), producing and maintaining in vitro supersaturation. This formulation comprising high drug loading (75%) reached a high supersaturation degree under non-sink condition (up to 6-fold the equilibrium solubility) once maintained for 6h in biorelevant medium. In addition, this SD presented better physical stability when compared to the chlorthalidone neat amorphous. The SOL-SLS complex impacts positively on chlorthalidone release and physical stability, highlighting its potential as carrier in SDDS of a poorly soluble drug. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Relationship between weight-related behavioral profiles and health outcomes by sexual orientation and gender.

PubMed

VanKim, Nicole A; Erickson, Darin J; Eisenberg, Marla E; Lust, Katherine; Rosser, B R Simon; Laska, Melissa N

2016-07-01

Examine relationships between weight-related factors and weight status, body dissatisfaction, chronic health conditions, and quality of life across sexual orientation and gender. Two- and four-year college students participated in the College Student Health Survey (n = 28,703; 2009-2013). Risk differences were calculated to estimate relationships between behavioral profiles and weight status, body satisfaction, diagnosis of a chronic condition, and quality of life, stratified by gender and sexual orientation. Four behavioral profiles, characterized as "healthier eating habits, more physically active," "healthier eating habits," "moderate eating habits," and "unhealthy weight control," were utilized based on latent class analyses, estimated from nine weight-related behavioral survey items. Sexual orientation differences in weight and quality of life were identified. For example, sexual minority groups reported significantly poorer quality of life than their heterosexual counterparts (females: 22.5%-38.6% (sexual minority) vs. 19.8% (heterosexual); males: 14.3%-26.7% (sexual minority) vs. 11.8% (heterosexual)). Compared with the "healthier eating habits, more physically active" profile, the "unhealthy weight control" profile was associated with obesity, poor body satisfaction, and poor quality of life in multiple gender/sexual orientation subgroups. Interventions are needed to address obesity, body dissatisfaction, and poor quality of life among sexual minority college students. © 2016 The Obesity Society.

Conditions of Children in California

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Policy Analysis for California Education, Berkeley, CA.

Although many California children are growing up in circumstances favoring school performance, many others are inhibited by poor health, poverty, low-quality child care, and other factors external to schools. This report assembles a set of indicators depicting California children's quality of life. Data are included on physical and mental health,…

The Impact of School Buildings on Learning. Information Capsule. Volume 1204

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blazer, Christie

2012-01-01

This Information Capsule examines the impact of deteriorating school buildings on students and teachers. Research indicates that students attending schools that are in poor physical condition score lower on achievement tests than students in newer, functional buildings. Studies suggest that several specific factors contribute to lower levels of…

Only One Cheer for Howard University School of Law.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alexander, Karen

1998-01-01

Students' and graduates' complaints about the Howard University Law School center on graduates' low rates of passing the bar examination but also take note of the poor condition of the physical plant. Article outlines student criticisms and planned administrative responses to the school's decline in quality. (SLD)

Analysis of North Atlantic Tropical Cyclone Intensify Change Using Data Mining

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tang, Jiang

2010-01-01

Tropical cyclones (TC), especially when their intensity reaches hurricane scale, can become a costly natural hazard. Accurate prediction of tropical cyclone intensity is very difficult because of inadequate observations on TC structures, poor understanding of physical processes, coarse model resolution and inaccurate initial conditions, etc. This…

Ergonomic problems encountered by the surgical team during video endoscopic surgery.

PubMed

Kaya, Oskay I; Moran, Munevver; Ozkardes, Alper B; Taskin, Emre Y; Seker, Gaye E; Ozmen, Mahir M

2008-02-01

The aim of this study is to analyze the problems related to the ergonomic conditions faced by video endoscopic surgical teams during video endoscopic surgery by means of a questionnaire. A questionnaire was distributed to 100 medical personnel, from 8 different disciplines, who performed video endoscopic surgeries. Participants were asked to answer 13 questions related to physical, perceptive, and cognitive problems. Eighty-two questionnaires were returned. Although there were differences among the disciplines, participants assessment of various problems ranged from 32% to 72% owing to poor ergonomic conditions. As the problems encountered by the staff during video endoscopic surgery and the poor ergonomic conditions of the operating room affect the productivity of the surgical team and the safety and efficiency of the surgery, redesigning of the instruments and the operating room is required.

Multi-site pain and working conditions as predictors of work ability in a 4-year follow-up among food industry employees.

PubMed

Neupane, S; Virtanen, P; Leino-Arjas, P; Miranda, H; Siukola, A; Nygård, C-H

2013-03-01

We investigated the separate and joint effects of multi-site musculoskeletal pain and physical and psychosocial exposures at work on future work ability. A survey was conducted among employees of a Finnish food industry company in 2005 (n = 1201) and a follow-up survey in 2009 (n = 734). Information on self-assessed work ability (current work ability on a scale from 0 to 10; 7 = poor work ability), multi-site musculoskeletal pain (pain in at least two anatomical areas of four), leisure-time physical activity, body mass index and physical and psychosocial exposures was obtained by questionnaire. The separate and joint effects of multi-site pain and work exposures on work ability at follow-up, among subjects with good work ability at baseline, were assessed by logistic regression, and p-values for the interaction derived. Compared with subjects with neither multi-site pain nor adverse work exposure, multi-site pain at baseline increased the risk of poor work ability at follow-up, allowing for age, gender, occupational class, body mass index and leisure-time physical activity. The separate effects of the work exposures on work ability were somewhat smaller than those of multi-site pain. Multi-site pain had an interactive effect with work environment and awkward postures, such that no association of multi-site pain with poor work ability was seen when work environment was poor or awkward postures present. The decline in work ability connected with multi-site pain was not increased by exposure to adverse physical or psychosocial factors at work. © 2012 European Federation of International Association for the Study of Pain Chapters.

Brittle and ductile friction and the physics of tectonic tremor

USGS Publications Warehouse

Daub, Eric G.; Shelly, David R.; Guyer, Robert A.; Johnson, P.A.

2011-01-01

Observations of nonvolcanic tremor provide a unique window into the mechanisms of deformation and failure in the lower crust. At increasing depths, rock deformation gradually transitions from brittle, where earthquakes occur, to ductile, with tremor occurring in the transitional region. The physics of deformation in the transition region remain poorly constrained, limiting our basic understanding of tremor and its relation to earthquakes. We combine field and laboratory observations with a physical friction model comprised of brittle and ductile components, and use the model to provide constraints on the friction and stress state in the lower crust. A phase diagram is constructed that characterizes under what conditions all faulting behaviors occur, including earthquakes, tremor, silent transient slip, and steady sliding. Our results show that tremor occurs over a range of ductile and brittle frictional strengths, and advances our understanding of the physical conditions at which tremor and earthquakes take place.

Gender differences in minor morbidity among full time employees of a British university

PubMed Central

Emslie, C.; Hunt, K.; Macintyre, S.

1999-01-01

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To examine gender differences in minor morbidity among men and women working in similar circumstances, and to test whether the relation between reported working conditions and health is similar for men and women. DESIGN: Multivariate analysis of data collected from a postal questionnaire distributed to full time employees in white collar jobs within a single organisation. SETTING: A British university. PARTICIPANTS: 1641 employees (1009 men and 632 women) working full time in white collar occupations in the university. MAIN RESULTS: Overall, female university employees reported more "physical" symptoms (2.0 v 1.7, p < 0.001) and more "malaise" symptoms (1.4 v 1.1, p < 0.001) than male employees, but mean scores on a measure of minor psychiatric morbidity did not differ by gender. Poor perceived working conditions (and particularly lack of job stimulation, job drain and poor physical conditions) were consistently related to all three measures of minor morbidity, and these variables accounted for most of the variance in these health measures in this sample. When the analysis controlled for occupational grade, perceived working conditions and orientation to gender roles, there was no difference between men and women for any of the health measures. The relations for the predictor variables were generally the same for men and women (and there were no interactions with gender for any of the work related variables). CONCLUSIONS: Although small gender differences in recent experience of malaise and physical symptoms remain when examining men and women in as similar working circumstances as possible, these differences are cumulatively eroded by taking account of occupational grade, reported working conditions and orientation to gender. These results lend support to a differential exposure, rather than a differential vulnerability, model of gender differences in health.   PMID:10562864

Health-Related Quality of Life in Relation to Obesity Grade, Type 2 Diabetes, Metabolic Syndrome and Inflammation.

PubMed

Slagter, Sandra N; van Vliet-Ostaptchouk, Jana V; van Beek, André P; Keers, Joost C; Lutgers, Helen L; van der Klauw, Melanie M; Wolffenbuttel, Bruce H R

2015-01-01

Health-related quality of life (HR-QoL) may be compromised in obese individuals, depending on the presence of other complications. The aim of this study is to assess the effect of obesity-related conditions on HR-QoL. These conditions are i) grade of obesity with and without type 2 diabetes (T2D), ii) metabolic syndrome (MetS), and iii) level of inflammation. From the Dutch LifeLines Cohort Study we included 13,686 obese individuals, aged 18-80 years. HR-QoL was measured with the RAND 36-Item Health Survey which encompasses eight health domains. We calculated the percentage of obese individuals with poor HR-QoL, i.e. those scoring below the domain and sex specific cut-off value derived from the normal weight population. Logistic regression analysis was used to calculate the probability of having poor domain scores according to the conditions under study. Higher grades of obesity and the additional presence of T2D were associated with lower HR-QoL, particularly in the domains physical functioning (men: odds ratios (ORs) 1.48-11.34, P<0.005, and women: ORs 1.66-5.05, P<0.001) and general health (men: ORs 1.44-3.07, P<0.005, and women: ORs 1.36-3.73, P<0.001). A higher percentage of obese individuals with MetS had a poor HR-QoL than those without MetS. Furthermore, we observed a linear trend between inflammation and the percentage of obese individuals with poor scores on the HR-QoL domains. Individuals with MetS were more likely to have poor scores in the domains general health, vitality, social functioning and role limitations due to emotional problems. Obese women with increased inflammation levels were more likely to have poor scores on all domains except role limitations due to emotional problems and mental health. The impact of obesity on an individual's quality of life is enhanced by grade of obesity, T2D, MetS and inflammation and are mainly related to reduced physical health. The mental well-being is less often impaired.

Drivers and Pattern of Social Vulnerability to Flood in Metropolitan Lagos, Nigeria

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fasona, M.

2016-12-01

Lagos is Africa's second largest city and a city-state in southwest Nigeria. Population and economic activities in the city are concentrated in the greater Lagos metropolitan area - a group of barrier islands less than a thousand square kilometer. Several physical factors and critical human-environmental conditions contribute to high flood vulnerability across the city. Flood impact is highly denominated and the poor tend to suffer more due to higher risk of exposure and poor adaptive capacity. In this study we present the pattern of social vulnerability to flooding across the Lagos metropolis and argued that the pattern substantially reflects the pattern and severity of flooding impact on people across the metropolis. Twenty nine social indicators and experiences including poverty profile, housing conditions, education, population and demography, social network, and communication, among others, were considered. The data were collated through field survey and subjected to principal component analysis. The results were processed into raster surfaces using GIS for social vulnerability characterization at neighborhood levels. The results suggest the social status indicators, neighborhood standing and social networks indictors, the indicators of emergency responses and security, and the neighborhood conditions, in that order, are the most important determinants of social vulnerability. Six of the 16 LGAs in metropolitan Lagos have high social vulnerability. Neighborhoods that combine poor social status indicators and poor neighborhood standing and social networks are found to have high social vulnerability whereas other poor neighborhoods with strong social networks performed better. We conclude that improved human living condition and social network and communication in poor urban neighborhoods are important to reducing social vulnerability to flooding in the metropolis.

Factors associated to leisure-time sedentary lifestyle in adults of 1982 birth cohort, Pelotas, Southern Brazil

PubMed Central

Azevedo, Mario R; Horta, Bernardo L; Gigante, Denise P; Victora, Cesar G; Barros, Fernando C

2009-01-01

OBJECTIVE To assess factors associated to leisure-time physical activity and sedentary lifestyle. METHODS Prospective cohort study of people born in 1982 in the city of Pelotas, southern Brazil. Data were collected at birth and during in a visit in 2004-5 when 77.4% of the cohort were evaluated, making a total of 4,297 people studied. Information about leisure-time physical activity was collected using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire. Sedentary people were defined as those with weekly physical activity below 150 minutes. The following independent variables were studied: gender, skin color, birth weight, family income at birth and income change between birth and 23 years of age. Poisson’s regression with robust adjustment of variance was used for the assessment of risk factors of sedentary lifestyle. RESULTS Men reported 334 min of weekly leisure-time physical activity compared to 112 min among women. The prevalence of sedentary lifestyle was 80.6% in women and 49.2% in men. Scores of physical activity increased as income at birth increased. Those who were currently poor or who became poor during adult life were more sedentary. CONCLUSIONS Leisure-time sedentary lifestyle in young adults was high especially among women. Physical activity during leisure time is determined by current socioeconomic conditions. PMID:19142347

Intimate Partner Victimization, Poor Relationship Quality, and Depressive Symptoms during Young Adulthood

PubMed Central

Longmore, Monica A.; Manning, Wendy D.; Giordano, Peggy C.; Copp, Jennifer E.

2014-01-01

Examining longitudinal data from the Toledo Adolescent Relationships Study (TARS) (n = 927), we assessed associations between physical victimization by an intimate partner, indicators of poor relationship quality, and depressive symptoms among young adult men and women in casually dating, exclusively dating, cohabiting, and marital relationships. In zero-order models, we found that physical victimization increased depressive symptoms. In multivariate models, victimization was a risk factor for depressive symptoms with the inclusion of prior depressive symptoms, family factors reflecting the intergenerational transmission of violence, sociodemographic background, and relationship characteristics including union status. Yet with the additional inclusion of indicators of poor relational quality, victimization was not a significant predictor of depressive symptoms. Arguing and poor communication influenced victimization and depressive symptoms. The associations between victimization and depressive symptoms did not differ by gender, nor were the effects of poor relationship quality on depressive symptoms conditional on gender. Thus, depressive symptoms are similarly responsive to intimate partner victimization, and for both women and men these associations were not significant with the inclusion of indicators of poor relationship quality. Findings underscored that victimization often occurs within relationship contexts characterized by a range of negative dynamics; thus multifaceted relationship-centered prevention and intervention efforts are likely to be more useful than those focusing only on negative messages about the use of aggression with an intimate partner. PMID:25131276

Work, work-life conflict and health in an industrial work environment.

PubMed

Hämmig, O; Bauer, G F

2014-01-01

Work-life conflict has been poorly studied as a cause of ill-health in occupational medicine. To study associations between physical and psychosocial working conditions, including work-life conflict on the one hand and general, physical and mental health outcomes on the other. Cross-sectional data were used from an employee survey among the workforces of four medium-sized and large companies in Switzerland. Physical work factors included five demands and exposures such as heavy loads, repetitive work and poor posture. Psychosocial factors included 14 demands and limited resources such as time pressure, overtime, monotonous work, job insecurity, low job autonomy, low social support and work-life conflict. Health outcomes studied were self-rated health, sickness absence, musculoskeletal disorders, sleep disorders, stress and burnout. There was a response rate of 49%; 2014 employees participated. All adverse working conditions were positively associated with several poor health outcomes in both men and women. After mutual adjustment for all work factors and additional covariates, only a few, mainly psychosocial work factors remained significant as risk factors for health. Work-life conflict, a largely neglected work-related psychosocial factor in occupational medicine, turned out to be the only factor that was significantly and strongly associated with all studied health outcomes and was consistently found to be the strongest or second strongest of all the studied risk factors. Even in an industrial work environment, psychosocial work factors, and particularly work-life conflict, play a key role and need to be taken into consideration in research and workplace health promotion.

Factors associated with poor control of 9/11-related asthma 10–11 years after the 2001 World Trade Center terrorist attacks

PubMed Central

Jordan, Hannah T.; Stellman, Steven D.; Reibman, Joan; Farfel, Mark R.; Brackbill, Robert M.; Friedman, Stephen M.; Li, Jiehui; Cone, James E.

2015-01-01

Abstract Objective: To identify key factors associated with poor asthma control among adults in the World Trade Center (WTC) Health Registry, a longitudinal study of rescue/recovery workers and community members who were directly exposed to the 2001 WTC terrorist attacks and their aftermath. Methods: We studied incident asthma diagnosed by a physician from 12 September 2001 through 31 December 2003 among participants aged ≥18 on 11 September 2001, as reported on an enrollment (2003–2004) or follow-up questionnaire. Based on modified National Asthma Education and Prevention Program criteria, asthma was considered controlled, poorly-controlled, or very poorly-controlled at the time of a 2011–2012 follow-up questionnaire. Probable post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, and generalized anxiety disorder were defined using validated scales. Self-reported gastroesophageal reflux symptoms (GERS) and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) were obtained from questionnaire responses. Multinomial logistic regression was used to examine factors associated with poor or very poor asthma control. Results: Among 2445 participants, 33.7% had poorly-controlled symptoms and 34.6% had very poorly-controlled symptoms in 2011–2012. Accounting for factors including age, education, body mass index, and smoking, there was a dose–response relationship between the number of mental health conditions and poorer asthma control. Participants with three mental health conditions had five times the odds of poor control and 13 times the odds of very poor control compared to participants without mental health comorbidities. GERS and OSA were significantly associated with poor or very poor control. Conclusions: Rates of poor asthma control were very high in this group with post-9/11 diagnosed asthma. Comprehensive care of 9/11-related asthma should include management of mental and physical health comorbidities. PMID:25539137

Health practices among Russian and Ukrainian immigrants.

PubMed

Duncan, L; Simmons, M

1996-01-01

Since 1990, due to political and legislative changes, immigration from the former Soviet Union to the United States has increased significantly. Population reports from 1988 indicate that there were approximately 406,000 Soviet immigrants in the United States at that time. This number is expected to increase due to the Immigration Reform Act of 1990, which raised the Soviet refugee ceiling to 50,000 per year. Currently, very little is known about the health status and health practices of this population, although some published data indicate that life expectancy and infant mortality rates compare poorly with those of the general population in the United States. Although the former Soviet republics experienced universal health care coverage, there was little emphasis on promoting a healthy lifestyle. Heavy cigarette use, high alcohol intake, poor dietary intake, little attention to physical fitness, and crowded living conditions have been described. Environmental pollution and poor occupational safety are common and have contributed to the health problems of the population. As the influx of immigrants continues, the consequences of these health conditions will impose a burden on health care services in this country. As with any immigrant group, an understanding of the potential health conditions and cultural values can facilitate appropriate medical care. This research was conducted to explore these issues. Interviews and a physical assessment were conducted with 30 adults from the former Soviet Union. The major health problems identified included various dental conditions requiring treatment, obesity, and the absence of basic health screening measures such as cholesterol testing, high blood pressure screening, Pap smears, and mammograms. The authors also identified a need for translators and for education regarding preventative self-care, such as breast self-examinations.

Procesos físicos en mezclas gaseosas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Milone, L. A.; Merlo, D. C.

In gaseous mixtures of different compositions (solar, metal poor, Helium-rich and Helium metal poor), we analyze chemical abundances (free electrons, neutral atoms, ions, negative ions and moleculae) as function of temperature and electronic pressures. At relative lower temperatures and higher electronic pressures, we obtain unreachable physical conditions if molecular formation of H2 and C2 are not included (the relations log (Pg) vs log (Pe) tend to infinite); this divergence disappears if molecular formation is taken into account. Finally, we analyze and explain the causes of this phenomena using accuracy numerical calculations.

A numerical investigation of head waves and leaky modes in fluid- filled boreholes.

USGS Publications Warehouse

Paillet, Frederick L.; Cheng, C.H.

1986-01-01

Although synthetic borehole seismograms can be computed for a wide range of borehole conditions, the physical nature of shear and compressional head waves in fluid-filled boreholes is poorly understood. Presents a series of numerical experiments designed to explain the physical mechanisms controlling head-wave propagation in boreholes. These calculations demonstrate the existence of compressional normal modes equivalent to shear normal modes, or pseudo-Rayleigh waves, with sequential cutoff frequencies spaced between the cutoff frequencies for the shear normal modes.-from Authors

Open-Air Schools. Bulletin, 1916, No. 23

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kingsley, Sherman C.; Dresslar, F. B.

1917-01-01

Open-air schools represent one of the latest developments in public-school organization. They came as the result of a desire for better conservation of the health of those children who, by reason of a tuberculous affection, poor nourishment, or other debilitating conditions, were unable to profit physically and mentally by the life and work of…

Lake water levels across the U.S.: What are the spatial patterns and drivers of water level change?

EPA Science Inventory

Background Lake water-level changes affect the physical, chemical, and biological condition of lakes; and we expect that disturbances such as land use conversion, water withdrawal, and climate change may alter water-level regimes and impact lake integrity. However, we have a poor...

Neighborhood Social Capital, Poor Physical Conditions, and School Achievement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Woolley, Michael E.; Grogan-Kaylor, Andrew; Gilster, Megan E.; Karb, Rebecca A.; Gant, Larry M.; Reischl, Thomas M.; Alaimo, Katherine

2008-01-01

Success in school is a vital developmental outcome for children. In recent decades, it has been shown that school outcomes are influenced by a variety of environments and social processes in the lives of children, both within and across the central microsystems of family, school, and neighborhood. The current study used a multilevel analytic…

Baroreflex Sensitivity Is Reduced in Adolescents with Probable Developmental Coordination Disorder

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Coverdale, Nicole S.; O'Leary, Deborah D.; Faught, Brent E.; Chirico, Daniele; Hay, John; Cairney, John

2012-01-01

Developmental coordination disorder (DCD) is a neurodevelopmental condition characterized by poor motor skills leading to a significant impairment in activities of daily living. Compared to typically developing children, those with DCD are less fit and physically active, and have increased body fat. This is an important consequence as both…

Physical Activity and Fitness in Children with Developmental Coordination Disorder: A Systematic Review

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rivilis, Irina; Hay, John; Cairney, John; Klentrou, Panagiota; Liu, Jian; Faught, Brent E.

2011-01-01

Developmental coordination disorder (DCD) is a neurodevelopmental condition characterized by poor motor proficiency that interferes with a child's activities of daily living. Activities that most young children engage in such as running, walking, and jumping are important for the proper development of fitness and overall health. However, children…

What Are the Long-Term Economic Costs of Psychological Problems during Childhood? Fact Sheet

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Steinberg, Paul

2010-01-01

Recent research has established evidence of a strong link between poor physical health during childhood (and even in utero) and health and economic outcomes much later in adulthood. But much less is known about the long-term economic consequences of psychological conditions experienced during childhood, although childhood psychological…

The effect of employment transitions on physical health among the elderly in South Korea: A longitudinal analysis of the Korean Retirement and Income Study.

PubMed

Lee, Juyeon; Kim, Myoung-Hee

2017-05-01

This study aims to answer three research questions: First, is the positive effect of retirement on physical health replicated in Korea? Second, is there any difference in health effects of employment transition according to employment status? Third, to what extent do monetary, non-monetary and work-related factors explain the effects of employment transitions on changes in physical health? The longitudinal panel data from five waves of the Korea Retirement and Income Study was used. We conducted (a) the pooled cross-sectional analysis, which used five-wave pooled data; and (b) the fixed-effects analyses to investigate how within-individual changes in employment status correspond to changes in subjective physical health among older adults aged 55 to 84. Results show that transition into retirement leads to poor physical health in Korea, and such effect was moderately mediated by both monetary and non-monetary factors. Compared to respondents who moved to non-precarious employment, those who became employers, self-employers, precarious workers, and unpaid family workers experienced significantly greater odds of reporting subjective poor physical health. Job dissatisfaction seems to be the most important mechanism through which employment transitions were translated into increasing likelihood of poor physical health. In conclusion, the social cost of retirement should consider the negative effects of retirement on the well-being and psychological health of retired individuals and their relationships with family, friends and neighbors, as well as income loss and economic uncertainty. Improving employment quality and working conditions for older working adults may be crucial in accomplishing longer and healthier working lives. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Physical Health Risk Behaviours in Young People with Mental Illness.

PubMed

McCloughen, Andrea; Foster, Kim; Marabong, Nikka; Miu, David; Fethney, Judith

2015-01-01

Comorbid physical health conditions, commonly associated with mental illness, contribute to increased morbidity and reduced life expectancy. The trajectory to poorer health begins with the onset of mental illness. For young people with mental illness, health risk behaviours and poor physical health can progress to adulthood with long-term detrimental impacts. Using a cross-sectional survey design, self-reported health risk behaviours were gathered from 56 young (16-25 years) Australians who had been hospitalised for mental illness and taking psychotropic medication. Smoking, alcohol use, minimal physical activity, and lack of primary health care were evident. While these behaviours are typical of many young people, those with mental illness have substantially increased vulnerability to poor health and reduced life expectancy. Priority needs to be given to targeted health promotion strategies for young people with mental illness to modify their risky long-term health behaviours and improve morbidity and mortality outcomes. Nurses in mental health settings play a vital role in promoting young peoples' well-being and preventing poorer physical health outcomes. Implementation of a cardiometabolic health nurse role in inpatient settings for young people with mental illness could facilitate prevention and early intervention for health risk behaviours.

Factors affecting breeding soundness classification of beef bulls examined at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine.

PubMed

Barth, Albert D; Waldner, Cheryl L

2002-04-01

Breeding soundness evaluation records from 2110 beef bulls, for the period of 1986 to 1999, were analyzed to determine the prevalence and importance of factors affecting breeding soundness classification. The percentage of all bulls classified as satisfactory ranged from 49.0% in January to 73.3% in May. The percentage of physically normal bulls with satisfactory semen quality ranged from 65.7% in January to 87.5% in June. Poor body condition or excessive body condition, below average or below the recommended minimum scrotal circumference, lameness, and severe scrotal frostbite significantly reduced the probability of a satisfactory breeding soundness classification. The percentage of sperm with midpiece defects declined significantly and the percentage of sperm with head defects increased significantly with the approach of summer. Photoperiod, cold stress, poor or excessive body condition, and reduced feed quality may interact to reduce semen quality in the winter months.

Occupational exposures and health outcomes among Latina hotel cleaners.

PubMed

Hsieh, Yu-Chin Jerrie; Apostolopoulos, Yorghos; Hatzudis, Kiki; Sönmez, Sevil

2014-01-01

The poor working conditions of Latina hotel cleaners render them particularly vulnerable to elevated occupational hazards that lead to adverse health outcomes. This article presents a comprehensive review of occupational risks (including physical, chemical, biological, and psychosocial risk factors) and health outcomes (including musculoskeletal disorders, respiratory diseases, dermatological diseases and allergies, and psychological disorders) for Latina hotel cleaners, within their unique sociocultural contexts. Preventive interventions for improving Latina hotel cleaners' work and health conditions are recommended.

Is poor mental health a risk factor for retirement? Findings from a longitudinal population survey.

PubMed

Olesen, Sarah C; Butterworth, Peter; Rodgers, Bryan

2012-05-01

Poor mental health may influence people's decisions about, and ability to, keep working into later adulthood. The identification of factors that drive retirement provides valuable information for policymakers attempting to mitigate the effects of population ageing. This study examined whether mental health predicts subsequent retirement in a general population sample, and whether this association varied with the timing of retirement. Longitudinal data from 2,803 people aged 45-75 years were drawn from five waves of the Household Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) survey. Discrete-time survival analyses were used to estimate the association between mental health and retirement. Mental health was measured using the Mental Health Index (MHI-5). The relative influences of other health, social, financial, and work-related predictors of retirement were considered to determine the unique contribution of mental health to retirement behaviour. Poor mental health was associated with higher rates of retirement in men (hazard rate ratio, HRR 1.19, 95% CI 1.01-1.29), and workforce exit more generally in women (HRR 1.14, 95% CI 1.07-1.22). These associations varied with the timing of retirement and were driven by early retirees specifically. Physical functioning, income, social activity, job conditions (including job stress for women and job control for men), and aspects of job satisfaction also predicted subsequent retirement. Poor mental and physical health predict workforce departure in mid-to-late adulthood, particularly early retirement. Strategies to accommodate health conditions in the workplace may reduce rates of early retirement and encourage people to remain at work into later adulthood.

Adverse Childhood Experiences Related to Poor Adult Health Among Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Individuals

PubMed Central

Herrick, Harry; Proescholdbell, Scott

2016-01-01

Objectives. We explored the association of sexual orientation with poor adult health outcomes before and after adjustment for exposure to adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). Methods. Data were from the 2012 North Carolina, 2011 Washington, and 2011 and 2012 Wisconsin Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) surveys regarding health risks, perceived poor health, and chronic conditions by sexual orientation and 8 categories of ACEs. There were 711 lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) respondents and 29 690 heterosexual respondents. Results. LGB individuals had a higher prevalence of all ACEs than heterosexuals, with odds ratios ranging from 1.4 to 3.1. After adjustment for cumulative exposure to ACEs, sexual orientation was no longer associated with poor physical health, current smoking, and binge drinking. Associations with poor mental health, activity limitation, HIV risk behaviors, current asthma, depression, and disability remained, but were attenuated. Conclusions. The higher prevalence of ACEs among LGB individuals may account for some of their excess risk for poor adult health outcomes. PMID:26691127

Grip strength, postural control, and functional leg power in a representative cohort of British men and women: associations with physical activity, health status, and socioeconomic conditions.

PubMed

Kuh, Diana; Bassey, E Joan; Butterworth, Suzanne; Hardy, Rebecca; Wadsworth, Michael E J

2005-02-01

Understanding the health, behavioral, and social factors that influence physical performance in midlife may provide clues to the origins of frailty in old age and the future health of elderly populations. The authors evaluated muscle strength, postural control, and chair rise performance in a large representative prospective cohort of 53-year-old British men and women in relation to functional limitations, body size, health and activity, and socioeconomic conditions. Nurses interviewed 2984 men and women in their own homes in England, Scotland, and Wales and conducted physical examinations in 2956 of them. Objective measures were height, weight, and three physical performance tests: handgrip strength, one-legged standing balance time, and time to complete 10 chair rises. Functional limitations (difficulties walking, stair climbing, gripping, and falls), health status, physical activity, and social class were obtained using a structured questionnaire. Those with the worst scores on the physical performance tests had higher rates of functional limitations for both upper and lower limbs. Women had much weaker handgrip strength, somewhat poorer balance time, and only slightly poorer chair rise time compared with men. In women, health problems and low levels of physical activity contributed to poor physical performance on all three measures. In men, physical activity was the predominant influence. Heavier weight and poorer socioeconomic conditions contributed to poorer balance and chair rise times. In this representative middle-aged group, physical performance levels varied widely, and women were seriously disadvantaged compared with men. In general, physical performance was worse for men and women living in poorer socioeconomic conditions with greater body weight, poorer health status, and inactive lifestyles. These findings support recommendations for controlling excess body weight, effective health interventions, and the maintenance of active lifestyles during aging.

Exploring the Housing and Household Energy Pathways to Stress: A Mixed Methods Study.

PubMed

Hernández, Diana; Phillips, Douglas; Siegel, Eva Laura

2016-09-14

Chronic stress, known to contribute to negative physical and mental health outcomes, is closely associated with broader issues of material hardship, poor neighborhood conditions, residential instability, and inadequate housing conditions. However, few studies have comprehensively explored pathways to stress in a low-income housing environment. A mixed-methods pilot study investigated the concept of energy insecurity by looking at the impacts of weatherization and energy efficiency interventions on low-income households in the South Bronx neighborhood of New York City. In-depth interviews were conducted with 20 low-income heads of household; participants also completed health, housing and budget assessments. Physical deficiencies, economic hardship, and health issues all interacted to directly and indirectly produce living conditions that contribute to chronic stress. Households with higher stress reported more health problems. Poor quality housing led to coping responses that increased expenses, which in turn increased stress around housing and energy affordability. This study provides further support for the connections between both health and the built environment and between low socio-economic status populations and net negative health outcomes. Energy insecurity is an important contributor to chronic stress in low-income households, and isolating pathways to stress where there is potential for interventions is important for future policy and housing-based strategies.

Exploring the Housing and Household Energy Pathways to Stress: A Mixed Methods Study

PubMed Central

Hernández, Diana; Phillips, Douglas; Siegel, Eva Laura

2016-01-01

Chronic stress, known to contribute to negative physical and mental health outcomes, is closely associated with broader issues of material hardship, poor neighborhood conditions, residential instability, and inadequate housing conditions. However, few studies have comprehensively explored pathways to stress in a low-income housing environment. A mixed-methods pilot study investigated the concept of energy insecurity by looking at the impacts of weatherization and energy efficiency interventions on low-income households in the South Bronx neighborhood of New York City. In-depth interviews were conducted with 20 low-income heads of household; participants also completed health, housing and budget assessments. Physical deficiencies, economic hardship, and health issues all interacted to directly and indirectly produce living conditions that contribute to chronic stress. Households with higher stress reported more health problems. Poor quality housing led to coping responses that increased expenses, which in turn increased stress around housing and energy affordability. This study provides further support for the connections between both health and the built environment and between low socio-economic status populations and net negative health outcomes. Energy insecurity is an important contributor to chronic stress in low-income households, and isolating pathways to stress where there is potential for interventions is important for future policy and housing-based strategies. PMID:27649222

Association between Satisfaction with State of Health and Meals, Physical Condition and Food Diversity, Health Behavior, and Perceptions of Shopping Difficulty among Older People Living Alone in Japan.

PubMed

Ishikawa, M; Yokoyama, T; Takemi, Y; Fukuda, Y; Nakaya, T; Kusama, K; Yoshiike, N; Nozue, M; Yoshiba, K; Murayama, N

2017-01-01

This study aimed to examine perceptions of shopping difficulty, and the relationships with satisfaction with state of health and meals, physical condition, food diversity and health behavior in older people living alone in Japan. A cross-sectional, multilevel survey was designed. The questionnaire was distributed by mail and self-completed by participants. The sample was drawn from seven towns and cities across Japan. A geographic information system was used to select the sample of older people living alone, by proximity to a supermarket. In total, 2,346 older people (827 men and 1,519 women) completed the questionnaire. The dependent variable was whether shopping was easy or difficult. A logistic regression analysis was performed, adjusting for age, socioeconomic status and proximity of residence to a supermarket using stepwise variable analyses. The response rate was 67.8%. Overall, 14.5% of men and 21.7% of women considered shopping difficult. The stepwise logistic analysis showed that the factors most strongly related to shopping difficulty were a subjective feeling of poor health (men: OR = 3.01, women: OR = 2.16) and lack of satisfaction with meals (men: OR = 2.82, women: OR = 3.69). Other related physical condition and dietary factors were requiring nursing care (men: OR = 3.69, women: OR = 1.54), a high level of frailty, measured using the frailty index score (women: OR = 0.36) and low food diversity score (men: OR = 1.84, women: OR = 1.36). The study found that older people's assessment of their shopping difficulty was related to satisfaction aspects, including a subjective feeling of poor health, and lack of satisfaction with meals, as well as physical condition. These have a greater influence on shopping difficulty than income in both sexes, and proximity to a supermarket in women.

Working conditions, health and productivity among dentists in Swedish public dental care--a prospective study during a 5-year period of rationalisation.

PubMed

Rolander, B; Jonker, D; Winkel, J; Sandsjö, L; Balogh, I; Svensson, E; Ekberg, K

2013-01-01

In recent decades, comprehensive rationalisations have been implemented in public dentistry in Sweden. How rationalisations affect working conditions, health and production from a long-term perspective has been poorly investigated. This study aims to analyse changes and associations in dentists' working conditions, health and productivity during a 5-year period. In 2003 and 2008, 65 dentists responded to questionnaires measuring work conditions and health. Treatment times for patients and productivity were tracked in electronic registers. Paired t-tests showed that the number of treated adult patients per dentist increased, and perceived physical working conditions improved while perceived work control and leadership deteriorated. Structural equation modelling showed that physical factors were important for health and productivity. When assessing risks in the work environment, there is a need to understand the interaction of effects on working conditions and health due to rationalisations so as to increase the sustainability of production systems. Dentistry in Sweden has undergone considerable change. Questionnaire surveys with dentists, undertaken in 2003 and 2008, found that the present rationalisations resulted in improved perceived physical working conditions. Aspects of the psychosocial working environment had deteriorated, however. This is a concern as health and workability are important for workplace efficiency.

Occupational class inequalities in health across employment sectors: the contribution of working conditions.

PubMed

Lahelma, Eero; Laaksonen, Mikko; Aittomäki, Akseli

2009-01-01

While health inequalities among employees are well documented, their variation and determinants among employee subpopulations are poorly understood. We examined variations in occupational class inequalities in health within four employment sectors and the contribution of working conditions to these inequalities. Cross-sectional data from the Helsinki Health Study in 2000-2002 were used. Each year, employees of the City of Helsinki, aged 40-60 years, received a mailed questionnaire (n = 8,960, 80% women, overall response rate for 3 years 67%). The outcome was physical health functioning measured by the overall physical component summary of SF-36. The socioeconomic indicator was occupational social class. Employment sectors studied were health care, education, social welfare and administration (n = 6,557). Physical and mental workload, and job demands and job control were explanatory factors. Inequality indices from logistic regression analysis were calculated. Occupational class inequalities in physical health functioning were slightly larger in education (1.47) than in the other sectors (1.43-1.40). Physical workload explained 95% of inequalities in social welfare and 32-36% in the other sectors. Job control also partly explained health inequalities. However, adjusting for mental workload and job demands resulted in larger health inequalities. Inequalities in physical health functioning were found within each employment sector, with minor variation in their magnitude. Physical workload was the main explanation for these inequalities, but its contribution varied between the sectors. In contrast, considering psychosocial working conditions led to wider inequalities. Improving physical working conditions among the lower occupational classes would help reduce health inequalities within different employment sectors.

Job strain, effort-reward imbalance and employee well-being: a large-scale cross-sectional study.

PubMed

de Jonge, J; Bosma, H; Peter, R; Siegrist, J

2000-05-01

This study investigated the effects of the Job Demand-Control (JD-C) Model and the Effort-Reward Imbalance (ERI) Model on employee well-being. A cross-sectional survey was conducted comprising a large representative sample of 11,636 employed Dutch men and women. Logistic regression analyses were used. Controlling for job sector, demographic characteristics (including educational level) and managerial position, employees reporting high job demands (i.e. psychological and physical demands) and low job control had elevated risks of emotional exhaustion, psychosomatic and physical health complaints and job dissatisfaction (odds ratios ranged from 2.89 to 10.94). Odds ratios were generally higher in employees reporting both high (psychological and physical) efforts and low rewards (i.e. poor salary, job insecurity and low work support): they ranged from 3.23 to 15.43. Furthermore, overcommitted people had higher risks of poor well-being due to a high effort-low reward mismatch (ORs: 3.57-20.81) than their less committed counterparts (ORs: 3.01-12.71). Finally, high efforts and low occupational rewards were stronger predictors of poor well-being than low job control when both job stress models were simultaneously adjusted. In conclusion, our findings show independent cumulative effects of both the JD-C Model and the ERI Model on employee well-being and are not significantly different in men and women as well as in young and old people. In particular, high (psychological and physical) efforts and low rewards adversely affected employee well-being. Preliminary findings also indicate excess risks of poor well-being in overcommitted persons suffering from high cost--low gain conditions at work.

Comorbidity amplifies the effects of post-9/11 posttraumatic stress disorder trajectories on health-related quality of life.

PubMed

Li, Jiehui; Zweig, Kimberly Caramanica; Brackbill, Robert M; Farfel, Mark R; Cone, James E

2018-03-01

The present study aims to examine the impact of physical and mental health comorbidities on the association between post-9/11 posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) trajectories over 10 years and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) among 9/11-exposed persons. 30,002 responding adult World Trade Center Health Registry enrollees reporting no pre-9/11 PTSD were studied. PTSD trajectories (chronic, delayed, remitted, no PTSD) were defined based on a 17-item PTSD Checklist-Specific to 9/11 across three waves of survey data. Three indicators of poor HRQOL were defined based on CDC HRQOL-4 measures. We computed age-adjusted prevalence of physical and mental health comorbidity (depression/anxiety) by PTSD trajectory and used modified Poisson regression to assess the effect of PTSD trajectory on poor HRQOL prevalence, accounting for comorbidity. Age-adjusted prevalence of overall comorbid conditions was 95.8 and 61.4% among the chronic and no-PTSD groups, respectively. Associations between 9/11-related PTSD trajectories and poor HRQOL were significant and became greater when comorbidity was included. Adjusted prevalence ratios were elevated for fair/poor health status (APR 7.3, 95% CI 6.5, 8.2), ≥ 14 unhealthy days (4.7; 95% CI 4.4, 5.1), and ≥ 14 activity limitation days during the last 30 days (9.6; 95% CI 8.1, 11.4) in the chronic PTSD group with physical and mental health comorbidity compared to those without PTSD and comorbidity; similar associations were observed for delayed PTSD. Ten years post-9/11 physical and mental health comorbidities have a substantial impact on the PTSD trajectories and HRQOL association. The need for early identification and treatment of PTSD and comorbidity should be emphasized to potentially improve HRQOL.

Relative Association of Multi-Level Supportive Environments on Poor Health among Older Adults

PubMed Central

Mier, Nelda; Ory, Marcia G.; Towne, Samuel D.; Smith, Matthew Lee

2017-01-01

Background: The aging of the United States population poses significant challenges to American healthcare and informal caregiving systems. Additional research is needed to understand how health promotion programs and policies based on a socio-ecological perspective impact the health and well-being of older persons. The purpose of this study was to investigate personal characteristics and supportive environments associated with poor health among older individuals aged 65 and over. Methods: This study used a cross-sectional design and was guided by a conceptual framework developed by the authors to depict the relationship between personal characteristics and environments associated with poor health status. Environment types included in this study were family, home, financial, neighborhood, and healthcare. The sample was comprised of 1319 adults aged 65 years and older residing in Central Texas. From a random selection of households, participants were administered a mail-based survey created by a community collaborative effort. Descriptive statistics and three binary logistic regression models were fitted to examine associations with poor health status (i.e., physical, mental, and combined physical/mental). Results: Two personal characteristics (number of chronic conditions and educational level) were consistently related (p < 0.05) to health outcomes. Supportive family, home, financial, neighborhood, and health care environmental factors were shown to be related (p < 0.05) to various aspects of physical or mental health outcomes. Conclusions: Multidimensional factors including personal characteristics and protective environments are related to health status among older individuals. The unique roles of each environment can help inform public health interventions to create and enhance support for older adults to engage in healthful activities and improve their physical and mental health. PMID:28383513

Many Survivors of Adolescent and Young Adult Cancers Have Chronic Health Problems

Cancer.gov

A 2012 study showed that people who’d had cancer as adolescents and young adults were more likely to be current smokers, be obese, have various chronic conditions, be disabled, and have poor mental and physical health. The findings highlight the importance of addressing the special needs and concerns of this population.

Investigation of an anthrax outbreak in Alberta in 1999 using a geographic information system

PubMed Central

Parkinson, Robert; Rajic, Andrijana; Jenson, Chris

2003-01-01

A Geographic Information System was used to document an anthrax outbreak in Alberta in 1999 and to describe the physical and environmental conditions of the area. The majority of infected farms were located on poorly drained organic soils. Regulatory agencies should consider adopting this tool for animal disease outbreak investigations. PMID:12715984

MoSI (Monitoreo de Sobrevivencia Invernal): assessing habitat-specific overwintering survival of neotropical migratory landbirds

Treesearch

David F. DeSante; T. Scott Sillett; Rodney B. Siegel; James F. Saracco; Claudia A. Romo de Vivar Alvarez; Salvadora Morales; Alexis Cerezo; Danielle R. Kaschube; Manuel Grosselet; Borja Mila

2005-01-01

Recent evidence suggests that population declines in many Neotropical-wintering migratory landbird species are caused by habitat loss and degradation on their wintering grounds. Such habitat loss and degradation can lower overwintering survival rates and cause surviving birds to leave their wintering grounds in poor physical condition, leading to high mortality during...

Science-Based Recommendations to Prevent or Reduce Potential Exposure to Biological, Chemical, and Physical Agents in Schools.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shendell, Derek G.; Barnett, Claire; Boese, Stephen

2004-01-01

The US General Accounting Office (GAO) documented generally poor conditions of school facilities in the early 1990s. Previous papers examined, for time intervals ending before 2002, relationships between education facility indoor air and environmental quality (IEQ), including adequate ventilation, and occupant health and productivity. Research on…

Albinism in Botswana Junior Secondary Schools: A Double Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dart, Gareth; Nkanotsang, Tiroyaone; Chizwe, Ose; Kowa, Lily

2010-01-01

Pupils with albinism potentially face a number of challenges in accessing quality education in schools in Botswana. Physical issues such as poor eyesight related to the condition and the problems of sensitive skin in such a dry and warm climate are both contributing factors to making learning problematic for some pupils. This study by Gareth Dart…

Longleaf and loblolly pine seedlings respond differently to soil compaction, water content, and fertilization

Treesearch

D. Andrew Scott; James A. Burger

2014-01-01

Aims Longleaf pine (Pinus palustris Mill.) is being restored across the U.S. South for a multitude of ecological and economic reasons, but our understanding of longleaf pine’s response to soil physical conditions is poor. On the contrary, our understanding of loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) root and...

The role of comorbid psychiatric conditions in health status in epilepsy.

PubMed

Zeber, John E; Copeland, Laurel A; Amuan, Megan; Cramer, Joyce A; Pugh, Mary Jo V

2007-06-01

Comorbid psychiatric conditions are highly prevalent in patients with epilepsy, yet the long-term implications across multiple mental health conditions are poorly understood. We examined the association between psychiatric diagnoses and self-reported health status in veterans with epilepsy. ANCOVA models were used to derive adjusted SF-36V scores for individuals with epilepsy alone (N=7379) or with additional psychiatric conditions (N=6320): depression, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorder, substance abuse, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Compared with patients with epilepsy alone, scores of veterans with comorbid psychiatric diagnoses averaged 21% lower across all domains. Role Limitation scales exhibited the greatest decrement across domains. A PTSD diagnosis consistently corresponded to lower scores, followed by depression. Schizophrenia contributed the least detriment to perceived health status. Comorbid psychiatric conditions impart significant emotional and physical burdens, requiring timely recognition and treatment of these disorders. Patients with epilepsy are uniquely at risk for high physical-psychiatric comorbidity profiles, with concomitant losses in perceived health status.

Relationship between Physical Function and Sleep Quality in African Americans

PubMed Central

Thorpe, Roland J.; Gamaldo, Alyssa A.; Salas, Rachel E.; Gamaldo, Charlene E.; Whitfield, Keith E.

2016-01-01

Study Objectives: There is a growing body of research examining the relationship between sleep and functional outcomes. However, little is known about sleep and physical functioning in older African Americans. Methods: Data for this project included 450 community-dwelling older African Americans (71.4 ± 9.2 years of age) who participated in the Baltimore Study of Black Aging. Overall sleep pattern and quality was measured by the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Physical functioning was measured by the number of activities of daily living that each participant reported difficulty (ADL; e.g. eating, dressing, and bathing). Negative binomial regression models were conducted to estimate the association between sleep quality and physical functioning. Results: Seventy-two percent of the participants reported poor sleep quality. African Americans who reported poor sleep quality had a greater likelihood of an increase in the number of difficulties in ADLs that they reported even after accounting for demographic characteristics and health conditions. The relationship between sleep quality and physical functioning did not vary by gender. Conclusions: Sleep may be an important factor to consider when seeking to improve physical functioning among community-dwelling older African Americans. Citation: Thorpe Jr RJ, Gamaldo AA, Salas RE, Gamaldo CE, Whitfield KE. Relationship between physical function and sleep quality in African Americans. J Clin Sleep Med 2016;12(10):1323–1329. PMID:27448426

Physical activity: exploring views of older Russian-speaking slavic immigrants.

PubMed

Purath, Janet; Van Son, Catherine; Corbett, Cynthia F

2011-01-01

Many of the 1.3 million Russian-speaking immigrants in the US have chronic conditions such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity, and depression. They engage in physical activity less often than other groups, and little is known about their views of physical activity. This qualitative study explored physical activity attitudes, beliefs, motivators, and barriers among older Russian-speaking immigrants. In four focus group interviews, 23 participants discussed physical activity. "Movement is life" was a theme throughout all interviews. Walking was the most frequently mentioned activity. Increased energy and decreased pain were described as health benefits. Motivators for physical activity were maintaining function, improved health, and the support of God and family. Barriers included poor health and environmental safety concerns. Participants suggested community walking groups and church-supported programs as useful methods to promote physical activity. Future research includes developing culturally appropriate interventions that utilize physical activity to prevent and manage chronic illness with ethnic minority older adults.

Multimorbidity in bipolar disorder and undertreatment of cardiovascular disease: a cross sectional study.

PubMed

Smith, Daniel J; Martin, Daniel; McLean, Gary; Langan, Julie; Guthrie, Bruce; Mercer, Stewart W

2013-12-23

Individuals with serious mental disorders experience poor physical health, especially increased rates of cardiometabolic morbidity and premature morbidity. Recent evidence suggests that individuals with schizophrenia have numerous comorbid physical conditions that may be under-recorded and undertreated, but to date very few studies have explored this issue for bipolar disorder. We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of a dataset of 1,751,841 registered patients within 314 primary care practices in Scotland, UK. Bipolar disorder was identified using Read Codes recorded within electronic medical records. Data on 32 common chronic physical conditions were also assessed. Potential prescribing inequalities were evaluated by analysing prescribing data for coronary heart disease (CHD) and hypertension. Compared to controls, individuals with bipolar disorder were significantly less likely to have no recorded physical conditions (OR 0.59, 95% CI 0.54 to 0.63) and significantly more likely to have one physical condition (OR 1.27, 95% CI 1.16 to 1.39), two physical conditions (OR 1.45, 95% CI 1.30 to 1.62) and three or more physical conditions (OR 1.44, 95% CI 1.30 to 1.64). People with bipolar disorder also had higher rates of thyroid disorders, chronic kidney disease, chronic pain, chronic obstructive airways disease and diabetes but, surprisingly, lower recorded rates of hypertension and atrial fibrillation. People with bipolar disorder and comorbid CHD or hypertension were significantly more likely to be prescribed no antihypertensive or cholesterol-lowering medications compared to controls, and bipolar individuals with CHD or hypertension were significantly less likely to be on two or more antihypertensive agents. Individuals with bipolar disorder are similar to individuals with schizophrenia in having a wide range of comorbid and multiple physical health conditions. They are also less likely than controls to have a primary-care record of cardiovascular conditions such as hypertension and atrial fibrillation. Those with a recorded diagnosis of CHD or hypertension were less likely to be treated with cardiovascular medications and were treated less intensively. This study highlights the high physical healthcare needs of people with bipolar disorder, and provides evidence for a systematic under-recognition and undertreatment of cardiovascular disease in this group.

Numerical Ergonomics Analysis in Operation Environment of CNC Machine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wong, S. F.; Yang, Z. X.

2010-05-01

The performance of operator will be affected by different operation environments [1]. Moreover, poor operation environment may cause health problems of the operator [2]. Physical and psychological considerations are two main factors that will affect the performance of operator under different conditions of operation environment. In this paper, applying scientific and systematic methods find out the pivot elements in the field of physical and psychological factors. There are five main factors including light, temperature, noise, air flow and space that are analyzed. A numerical ergonomics model has been built up regarding the analysis results which can support to advance the design of operation environment. Moreover, the output of numerical ergonomic model can provide the safe, comfortable, more productive conditions for the operator.

Health-Related Quality of Life in Relation to Obesity Grade, Type 2 Diabetes, Metabolic Syndrome and Inflammation

PubMed Central

Slagter, Sandra N.; van Vliet-Ostaptchouk, Jana V.; van Beek, André P.; Keers, Joost C.; Lutgers, Helen L.; van der Klauw, Melanie M.; Wolffenbuttel, Bruce H. R.

2015-01-01

Background Health-related quality of life (HR-QoL) may be compromised in obese individuals, depending on the presence of other complications. The aim of this study is to assess the effect of obesity-related conditions on HR-QoL. These conditions are i) grade of obesity with and without type 2 diabetes (T2D), ii) metabolic syndrome (MetS), and iii) level of inflammation. Methods From the Dutch LifeLines Cohort Study we included 13,686 obese individuals, aged 18–80 years. HR-QoL was measured with the RAND 36-Item Health Survey which encompasses eight health domains. We calculated the percentage of obese individuals with poor HR-QoL, i.e. those scoring below the domain and sex specific cut-off value derived from the normal weight population. Logistic regression analysis was used to calculate the probability of having poor domain scores according to the conditions under study. Results Higher grades of obesity and the additional presence of T2D were associated with lower HR-QoL, particularly in the domains physical functioning (men: odds ratios (ORs) 1.48–11.34, P<0.005, and women: ORs 1.66–5.05, P<0.001) and general health (men: ORs 1.44–3.07, P<0.005, and women: ORs 1.36–3.73, P<0.001). A higher percentage of obese individuals with MetS had a poor HR-QoL than those without MetS. Furthermore, we observed a linear trend between inflammation and the percentage of obese individuals with poor scores on the HR-QoL domains. Individuals with MetS were more likely to have poor scores in the domains general health, vitality, social functioning and role limitations due to emotional problems. Obese women with increased inflammation levels were more likely to have poor scores on all domains except role limitations due to emotional problems and mental health. Conclusions The impact of obesity on an individual’s quality of life is enhanced by grade of obesity, T2D, MetS and inflammation and are mainly related to reduced physical health. The mental well-being is less often impaired. PMID:26474291

Co-variation of tests commonly used in stroke rehabilitation.

PubMed

Langhammer, Birgitta; Stanghelle, Johan Kvalvik

2006-12-01

The aim of the present study was to analyse the co-variation of different tests commonly used in stroke rehabilitation, and specifically used in a recent randomized, controlled study of two different physiotherapy models in stroke rehabilitation. Correlations of the performed tests and recordings from previous work were studied. The test results from three-month, one-year and four-year follow-up were analysed in an SPSS Version 11 statistical package with Pearson and Spearman correlations. There was an expected high correlation between the motor function tests, both based on partial and total scores. The correlations between Nottingham Health Profile Part 1 and Motor Assessment Scale (MAS), Sødring Motor Evaluation Scale (SMES), the Berg Balance Scale (BBS) and Barthel Activities of Daily Living (ADL) index were low for all items except physical condition. The correlations between registered living conditions, assistive devices, recurrent stroke, motor function (MAS, SMES), ADL (Barthel ADL index) and balance (BBS) were high. The same variables showed weak or poor correlation to the Nottingham Health Profile (NHP). The co-variations of motor function tests and functional tests were high, but the co-variations of motor, functional and self-reported life-quality tests were poor. The patients rated themselves on a higher functional level in the self-reported tests than was observed objectively in the performance-based tests. A possible reason for this is that the patients may have been unaware they modified their performance to adjust for physical decline, and consequently overestimate their physical condition. This result underlines the importance of both performance-based and self-reported tests as complementary tools in a rehabilitation process.

Inflammatory Mechanisms Associated with Skeletal Muscle Sequelae after Stroke: Role of Physical Exercise

PubMed Central

Coelho Junior, Hélio José; Gambassi, Bruno Bavaresco; Diniz, Tiego Aparecido; Fernandes, Isabela Maia da Cruz; Caperuto, Érico Chagas; Uchida, Marco Carlos; Lira, Fabio Santos

2016-01-01

Inflammatory markers are increased systematically and locally (e.g., skeletal muscle) in stroke patients. Besides being associated with cardiovascular risk factors, proinflammatory cytokines seem to play a key role in muscle atrophy by regulating the pathways involved in this condition. As such, they may cause severe decrease in muscle strength and power, as well as impairment in cardiorespiratory fitness. On the other hand, physical exercise (PE) has been widely suggested as a powerful tool for treating stroke patients, since PE is able to regenerate, even if partially, physical and cognitive functions. However, the mechanisms underlying the beneficial effects of physical exercise in poststroke patients remain poorly understood. Thus, in this study we analyze the candidate mechanisms associated with muscle atrophy in stroke patients, as well as the modulatory effect of inflammation in this condition. Later, we suggest the two strongest anti-inflammatory candidate mechanisms, myokines and the cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway, which may be activated by physical exercise and may contribute to a decrease in proinflammatory markers of poststroke patients. PMID:27647951

Obesity/Overweight and the Role of Working Conditions: A Qualitative, Participatory Investigation

PubMed Central

Nobrega, Suzanne; Champagne, Nicole; Abreu, Marlene; Goldstein-Gelb, Marcy; Montano, Mirna; Lopez, Isabel; Arevalo, Jonny; Bruce, Suezanne; Punnett, Laura

2018-01-01

The rising U.S. prevalence of obesity has generated significant concern and demonstrates striking socioeconomic and racial/ethnic disparities. Most interventions target individual behaviors, sometimes in combination with improving the physical environment in the community but rarely involving modifications of the work environment. With 3.6 million workers earning at or below the federal minimum wage, it is imperative to understand the impact of working conditions on health and weight for lower income workers. To investigate this question, a university–community partnership created a participatory research team and conducted eight focus groups, in English and Spanish, with people holding low-wage jobs in various industries. Analysis of transcripts identified four themes: physically demanding work (illnesses, injuries, leisure-time physical activity), psychosocial work stressors (high demands, low control, low social support, poor treatment), food environment at work (available food choices, kitchen equipment), and time pressure (scheduling, having multiple jobs and responsibilities). Physical and psychosocial features of work were identified as important antecedents for overweight. In particular, nontraditional work shifts and inflexible schedules limited participants’ ability to adhere to public health recommendations for diet and physical activity. Workplace programs to address obesity in low-wage workers must include the effect of working conditions as a fundamental starting point. PMID:26333770

Obesity/Overweight and the Role of Working Conditions: A Qualitative, Participatory Investigation.

PubMed

Nobrega, Suzanne; Champagne, Nicole; Abreu, Marlene; Goldstein-Gelb, Marcy; Montano, Mirna; Lopez, Isabel; Arevalo, Jonny; Bruce, Suezanne; Punnett, Laura

2016-01-01

The rising U.S. prevalence of obesity has generated significant concern and demonstrates striking socioeconomic and racial/ethnic disparities. Most interventions target individual behaviors, sometimes in combination with improving the physical environment in the community but rarely involving modifications of the work environment. With 3.6 million workers earning at or below the federal minimum wage, it is imperative to understand the impact of working conditions on health and weight for lower income workers. To investigate this question, a university-community partnership created a participatory research team and conducted eight focus groups, in English and Spanish, with people holding low-wage jobs in various industries. Analysis of transcripts identified four themes: physically demanding work (illnesses, injuries, leisure-time physical activity), psychosocial work stressors (high demands, low control, low social support, poor treatment), food environment at work (available food choices, kitchen equipment), and time pressure (scheduling, having multiple jobs and responsibilities). Physical and psychosocial features of work were identified as important antecedents for overweight. In particular, nontraditional work shifts and inflexible schedules limited participants' ability to adhere to public health recommendations for diet and physical activity. Workplace programs to address obesity in low-wage workers must include the effect of working conditions as a fundamental starting point. © 2015 Society for Public Health Education.

Income and "Outcomes" for Elderly: Do the Poor Have a Poorer Life?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Arendt, Jacob Neilsen

2005-01-01

The objective of this paper is to analyze the relationship between income and living conditions and well-being of elderly. The best from two worlds is used for this purpose: a Danish survey covering 1440 elderly aged 72 and 77 from 1997, connected to reliable register information on income, 1988-1996. Indicators of physical activity, social and…

School Characteristics, Child Work, and Other Daily Activities as Sleep Deficit Predictors in Adolescents from Households with Unsatisfied Basic Needs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vigo, Daniel E.; Simonelli, Guido; Tuñón, Ianina; Pérez Chada, Daniel; Cardinali, Daniel P.; Golombek, Diego

2014-01-01

Sleep in adolescents has been shown to be an important factor when looking at physical, mental, and social well-being. Little evidence is found regarding sleep patterns in adolescents from households facing extreme poverty, where conditions such as crowding, poor housing, sanitation or education, and precarious employment set an adverse…

Planting Grass Appears Impratical For Improving Deteriorated Recreation Sites

Treesearch

H. Ken Cordell; Daniel R. Talhelm

1969-01-01

There is a real need for improving the physical condition of many recreation sires in the Southeast which are characterized by compacted and eroding soils, dead and dying vegetation, and generally poor appearance. An attempt was made on these sites to establish grass by giving the best possible treatment for growth and survival. After one summer of use, the planted...

Geomorphic controls on Great Basin riparian vegetation at the watershed and process zone scales

Treesearch

Blake Meneken Engelhardt

2009-01-01

Riparian ecosystems supply valuable resources in all landscapes, but especially in semiarid regions such as the Great Basin of the western United States. Over half of Great Basin streams are thought to be in poor ecological condition and further deterioration is of significant concern to stakeholders. A thorough understanding of how physical processes acting at...

Poor Sleep Quality is Independently Associated with Physical Disability in Older Adults

PubMed Central

Chien, Meng-Yueh; Chen, Hsi-Chung

2015-01-01

Study Objective: We aimed to evaluate the association between sleep quality and physical disability in community-dwelling older adults. Methods: There were 213 community-dwelling adults (76 men and 137 women) aged 65 years and above participated into this investigation. The Groningen Activity Restriction Scale and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index were utilized to evaluate physical disability and subjective sleep quality, respectively. Global functional capacity was measured by the 6-minute walk test (6MWT). The Mini Mental State Examination and the Chinese Geriatric Depression Screening Scale were used to evaluate cognitive function and depression. Results: Univariate analysis revealed a correlation between physical disability and poor sleep quality, older age, 2 or more comorbidities, depression, functional capacity, and poor cognitive function. However, in the multivariate analyses, depression failed to show significant association with physical disability. In contrast, an independent association was observed between poor sleep quality and physical disability (OR = 2.03; 95% CI: 1.02–4.05). Conclusions: In community-dwelling older adults, subjective poor sleep was significantly associated with physical disability, even after controlling for the effects of other established risk factors. Citation: Chien MY, Chen HC. Poor sleep quality is independently associated with physical disability in older adults. J Clin Sleep Med 2015;11(3):225–232. PMID:25515275

Recognizing critical mine spoil health characteristics to design ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Biochar can be used as an amendment to remediate metal-contaminated mine spoils for improved site phytostabilization. For successful phytostabilization to occur, biochar amendments must improve mine spoil health with respect to plant rooting plus uptake of water and nutrients. An inappropriate biochar may negatively impact plant growth conditions resulting in poor plant establishment and growth. Matching the appropriate biochar for each mine site requires reconnaissance of spoil chemical and physical conditions and then identifying which properties need rectified to promote plant growth. A rectification hierarchy needs to be established with the primary limiting factor being addressed first, then successive limitations addressed simultaneously or thereafter. We posit that spoils at each site will have a unique chemical, physical, and biological signature that will affect plant growth. For example, some spoils may be extremely acidic, possess phytotoxic concentrations of heavy metals, or have physical conditions that limits water storage and root penetration. Quantifying these and other conditions beforehand allows for the production of designer biochar with specific characteristics tailored for specific plant growth deficiencies within each spoil. Additionally, we recommend the use of proximally located, undisturbed soils to establish spoil remediation targets. In our work, we have developed a decision-tree flow-chart that identifies salient chemical,

Sleep Quality Prediction From Wearable Data Using Deep Learning.

PubMed

Sathyanarayana, Aarti; Joty, Shafiq; Fernandez-Luque, Luis; Ofli, Ferda; Srivastava, Jaideep; Elmagarmid, Ahmed; Arora, Teresa; Taheri, Shahrad

2016-11-04

The importance of sleep is paramount to health. Insufficient sleep can reduce physical, emotional, and mental well-being and can lead to a multitude of health complications among people with chronic conditions. Physical activity and sleep are highly interrelated health behaviors. Our physical activity during the day (ie, awake time) influences our quality of sleep, and vice versa. The current popularity of wearables for tracking physical activity and sleep, including actigraphy devices, can foster the development of new advanced data analytics. This can help to develop new electronic health (eHealth) applications and provide more insights into sleep science. The objective of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of predicting sleep quality (ie, poor or adequate sleep efficiency) given the physical activity wearable data during awake time. In this study, we focused on predicting good or poor sleep efficiency as an indicator of sleep quality. Actigraphy sensors are wearable medical devices used to study sleep and physical activity patterns. The dataset used in our experiments contained the complete actigraphy data from a subset of 92 adolescents over 1 full week. Physical activity data during awake time was used to create predictive models for sleep quality, in particular, poor or good sleep efficiency. The physical activity data from sleep time was used for the evaluation. We compared the predictive performance of traditional logistic regression with more advanced deep learning methods: multilayer perceptron (MLP), convolutional neural network (CNN), simple Elman-type recurrent neural network (RNN), long short-term memory (LSTM-RNN), and a time-batched version of LSTM-RNN (TB-LSTM). Deep learning models were able to predict the quality of sleep (ie, poor or good sleep efficiency) based on wearable data from awake periods. More specifically, the deep learning methods performed better than traditional logistic regression. “CNN had the highest specificity and sensitivity, and an overall area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve (AUC) of 0.9449, which was 46% better as compared with traditional logistic regression (0.6463). Deep learning methods can predict the quality of sleep based on actigraphy data from awake periods. These predictive models can be an important tool for sleep research and to improve eHealth solutions for sleep. ©Aarti Sathyanarayana, Shafiq Joty, Luis Fernandez-Luque, Ferda Ofli, Jaideep Srivastava, Ahmed Elmagarmid, Teresa Arora, Shahrad Taheri. Originally published in JMIR Mhealth and Uhealth (http://mhealth.jmir.org), 04.11.2016.

Sleep Quality Prediction From Wearable Data Using Deep Learning

PubMed Central

Sathyanarayana, Aarti; Joty, Shafiq; Ofli, Ferda; Srivastava, Jaideep; Elmagarmid, Ahmed; Arora, Teresa; Taheri, Shahrad

2016-01-01

Background The importance of sleep is paramount to health. Insufficient sleep can reduce physical, emotional, and mental well-being and can lead to a multitude of health complications among people with chronic conditions. Physical activity and sleep are highly interrelated health behaviors. Our physical activity during the day (ie, awake time) influences our quality of sleep, and vice versa. The current popularity of wearables for tracking physical activity and sleep, including actigraphy devices, can foster the development of new advanced data analytics. This can help to develop new electronic health (eHealth) applications and provide more insights into sleep science. Objective The objective of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of predicting sleep quality (ie, poor or adequate sleep efficiency) given the physical activity wearable data during awake time. In this study, we focused on predicting good or poor sleep efficiency as an indicator of sleep quality. Methods Actigraphy sensors are wearable medical devices used to study sleep and physical activity patterns. The dataset used in our experiments contained the complete actigraphy data from a subset of 92 adolescents over 1 full week. Physical activity data during awake time was used to create predictive models for sleep quality, in particular, poor or good sleep efficiency. The physical activity data from sleep time was used for the evaluation. We compared the predictive performance of traditional logistic regression with more advanced deep learning methods: multilayer perceptron (MLP), convolutional neural network (CNN), simple Elman-type recurrent neural network (RNN), long short-term memory (LSTM-RNN), and a time-batched version of LSTM-RNN (TB-LSTM). Results Deep learning models were able to predict the quality of sleep (ie, poor or good sleep efficiency) based on wearable data from awake periods. More specifically, the deep learning methods performed better than traditional linear regression. CNN had the highest specificity and sensitivity, and an overall area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve (AUC) of 0.9449, which was 46% better as compared with traditional linear regression (0.6463). Conclusions Deep learning methods can predict the quality of sleep based on actigraphy data from awake periods. These predictive models can be an important tool for sleep research and to improve eHealth solutions for sleep. PMID:27815231

Prevalence and Correlates of Physical Inactivity among Older Adults in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

PubMed Central

Souza, Adelle M. R.; Fillenbaum, Gerda G.; Blay, Sergio L.

2015-01-01

Background Current information on the epidemiology of physical inactivity among older adults is lacking, making it difficult to target the inactive and to plan for interventions to ameliorate adverse effects. Objectives To present statewide representative findings on the prevalence of physical inactivity among older community residents, its correlates and associated health service use. Methods A representative non-institutionalized random sample of 6963 individuals in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, aged ≥60 years, was interviewed face-to-face. Information was obtained on demographic characteristics, social resources, health conditions and behaviors, health service use, and physical inactivity. Controlled logistic regression was used to determine the association of physical inactivity with these characteristics. Results Overall, 62% reported no regular physical activity. Physical inactivity was significantly more prevalent among women, older persons, those with lower education and income, Afro-Brazilians (73%; White: 61%; “other”: 64%), those no longer married, and was associated with multiple individual health conditions and impaired activities of daily living (ADL). In adjusted analyses, associations remained for sociodemographic characteristics, social participation, impaired self-rated health, ADL, vision, and depression (odds ratios (OR) 1.2–1.7). Physically inactive respondents were less likely to report outpatient visits (OR 0.81), but more likely to be hospitalized (OR 1.41). Conclusions Physical inactivity is highly prevalent, particularly among Afro -Brazilians. It is associated with adverse sociodemographic characteristics; lack of social interaction; and poor self-rated health, ADL, vision, and depression; although not with other health conditions. Self-care may be neglected, resulting in hospitalization. PMID:25700161

Work environment and disability pension-- an 18-year follow-up study in a Norwegian working population.

PubMed

Støver, Morten; Pape, Kristine; Johnsen, Roar; Fleten, Nils; Sund, Erik R; Ose, Solveig Osborg; Bjørngaard, Johan Håkon

2013-08-01

To investigate the associations between work environment indicators and health- related work disability. A health survey of 5,749 working 40-42-year-old Norwegians from Nordland County were linked to a national register for disability pension during a follow-up of over 18 years. The risk for disability pension following various self-reported physical and psychosocial work environmental exposures (individual and cumulative) were estimated using Cox regression analysis. Both cumulative physical and psychosocial work environmental exposures were associated with an increased risk for disability pension, although this association was attenuated for most variables after adjusting for health and education. An increase in five poor psychosocial work environmental exposures was associated with a 22% increased risk for disability (adjusted hazard ratio, aHR, 1.22, 95% CI 1.04-1.44), whereas a similar increase in five poor physical work environmental exposures was associated with a 29% increased risk (aHR, 1.29, 95% CI 1.16-1.44). There were no indications of statistical interaction between either sex or education and work exposures. People who report a poor work environment are at a higher risk for subsequent work disability. This finding suggests that improving working conditions may be an area of intervention in order to reduce the number of people who leave the labour market with a disability pension.

Mental health service use for adult patients with co-occurring depression and physical chronic health care needs, 2007-2010.

PubMed

Jolles, Mónica Pérez; Haynes-Maslow, Lindsey; Roberts, Megan C; Dusetzina, Stacie B

2015-08-01

Individuals with mental illness experience poor health and may die prematurely from chronic illness. Understanding whether the presence of co-occurring chronic physical health conditions complicates mental health treatment is important, particularly among patients seeking treatment in primary care settings. Examine (1) whether the presence of chronic physical conditions is associated with mental health service use for individuals with depression who visit a primary care physician, and (2) whether race modifies this relationship. Secondary analysis of the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey, a survey of patient-visits collected annually from a random sample of 3000 physicians in office-based settings. Office visits from 2007 to 2010 were pooled for adults aged 35-85 with a depression diagnosis at the time of visit (N=3659 visits). Mental health services were measured using a dichotomous variable indicating whether mental health services were provided during the office visit or a referral made for: (1) counseling, including psychotherapy and other mental health counseling and/or (2) prescribing of psychotropic medications. Most patient office visits (70%) where a depression diagnosis was recorded also had co-occurring chronic physical conditions recorded. The presence of at least 1 physical chronic condition was associated with a 6% decrease in the probability of receiving any mental health services (P<0.05). There were no differences in service use by race/ethnicity after controlling for other factors. Additional research is needed on medical care delivery among patients with co-occurring health conditions, particularly as the health care system moves toward an integrated care model.

Quality of life in relation to physical, psychosocial and socioeconomic conditions among reindeer-herding Sami.

PubMed

Daergo, Laila; Edin-Liljegren, Anette; Sjölander, Per

2008-02-01

To analyse different aspects of health-related quality of life factors among members of reindeer-herding families. Cross-sectional study based on data from a comprehensive survey. The health-related quality of life (SF-36) factors were analysed on 99 (56 men, 43 women) adult members of reindeer-herding families. Comparisons were made between the reindeer-herding family members and a Swedish reference population. Associations between mental and physical component summary measures and a number of sociodemographic, biomedical, physical, psychosocial and socio-economic variables were analysed with multivariate regression statistics. Men scored higher than women on physical and social function and vitality. The average scores on the subscales for the reindeer-herding family members were similar to those of the Swedish reference population, except for reindeer-herding men who scored higher on physical function and lower on bodily pain. For women, the quality of life was related to age, sense of coherence, lifestyle and behavioural variables, as well as to issues such as diseases among close relatives, social networks and the economy of their business. For men, it was mainly related to musculoskeletal pain conditions, age, sense of coherence and physical and psychosocial working conditions. Men and women of the reindeer-herding families need partly different conditions to enjoy a high quality of life. From the results, it might be predicted that poor somatic and psychosocial health, increased intrusion from exploiters on the grazing land and declining profit in reindeer husbandry constitute important threats to a good quality of life among members of reindeer-herding families.

Poor sleep quality is independently associated with physical disability in older adults.

PubMed

Chien, Meng-Yueh; Chen, Hsi-Chung

2015-03-15

We aimed to evaluate the association between sleep quality and physical disability in community-dwelling older adults. There were 213 community-dwelling adults (76 men and 137 women) aged 65 years and above participated into this investigation. The Groningen Activity Restriction Scale and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index were utilized to evaluate physical disability and subjective sleep quality, respectively. Global functional capacity was measured by the 6-minute walk test (6MWT). The Mini Mental State Examination and the Chinese Geriatric Depression Screening Scale were used to evaluate cognitive function and depression. Univariate analysis revealed a correlation between physical disability and poor sleep quality, older age, 2 or more comorbidities, depression, functional capacity, and poor cognitive function. However, in the multivariate analyses, depression failed to show significant association with physical disability. In contrast, an independent association was observed between poor sleep quality and physical disability (OR = 2.03; 95% CI: 1.02-4.05). In community-dwelling older adults, subjective poor sleep was significantly associated with physical disability, even after controlling for the effects of other established risk factors. © 2014 American Academy of Sleep Medicine.

The pathways from perceived discrimination to self-rated health: An investigation of the roles of distrust, social capital, and health behaviors

PubMed Central

Chen, Danhong; Yang, Tse-Chuan

2014-01-01

Although there has been extensive research on the adverse impacts of perceived discrimination on health, it remains unclear how perceived discrimination gets under the skin. This paper develops a comprehensive structural equation model (SEM) by incorporating both the direct effects of perceived discrimination on self-rated health (SRH), a powerful predictor for many health outcomes, and the indirect effects of perceived discrimination on SRH through health care system distrust, neighborhood social capital, and health behaviors and health conditions. Applying SEM to 9,880 adults (aged between 18 and 100) in the 2008 Southeastern Pennsylvania Household Health Survey, we not only confirmed the positive and direct association between discrimination and poor or fair SRH, but also verified two underlying mechanisms: 1) perceived discrimination is associated with lower neighborhood social capital, which further contributes to poor or fair SRH; and 2) perceived discrimination is related to risky behaviors (e.g., reduced physical activity and sleep quality, and intensified smoking) that lead to worse health conditions, and then result in poor or fair SRH. Moreover, we found that perceived discrimination is negatively associated with health care system distrust, but did not find a significant relationship between distrust and poor or fair SRH. PMID:24581063

Differences in the Processes of Solving Physics Problems between Good Physics Problem Solvers and Poor Physics Problem Solvers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Finegold, M.; Mass, R.

1985-01-01

Good problem solvers and poor problem solvers in advanced physics (N=8) were significantly different in their ability in translating, planning, and physical reasoning, as well as in problem solving time; no differences in reliance on algebraic solutions and checking problems were noted. Implications for physics teaching are discussed. (DH)

African land ecology: opportunities and constraints for agricultural development.

PubMed

Voortman, Roelf L; Sonneveld, Ben G J S; Keyzer, Michiel A

2003-08-01

Compared to other continents, the economic growth performance of Sub-Saharan Africa has been poor over the last four decades. Likewise, progress in agricultural development has been limited and the Green Revolution left Africa almost untouched. The question raised in the literature is whether the poor performance is a question of poor policies or of an unfavorable biophysical environment (policy versus destiny). This paper, with a broad perspective, analyzes adaptation of current land use to environmental conditions in Africa and compares the physical resource base of Africa with Asia. In doing so, we search for unifying principles that can have operational consequences for agricultural development. We argue that some specificities of the natural resource base, namely local homogeneity and spatial diversity of the predominant Basement Complex soils, imply that simple fertilizer strategies may not produce the yield increases obtained elsewhere.

Valence of physical stimuli, not housing conditions, affects behaviour and frontal cortical brain activity in sheep.

PubMed

Vögeli, Sabine; Lutz, Janika; Wolf, Martin; Wechsler, Beat; Gygax, Lorenz

2014-07-01

Modulation of short-term emotions by long-term mood is little understood but relevant to understand the affective system and of importance in respect to animal welfare: a negative mood might taint experiences, whilst a positive mood might alleviate single negative events. To induce different mood states in sheep housing conditions were varied. Fourteen ewes were group-housed in an unpredictable, stimulus-poor and 15 ewes in a predictable, stimulus-rich environment. Sheep were tested individually for mood in a behavioural cognitive bias paradigm. Also, their reactions to three physical stimuli thought to differ in their perceived valence were observed (negative: pricking, intermediate: slight pressure, positive: kneading). General behaviour, activity, ear movements and positions, and haemodynamic changes in the cortical brain were recorded during stimulations. Generalised mixed-effects models and model probabilities based on the BIC (Bayesian information criterion) were used. Only weak evidence for mood difference was found. Sheep from the unpredictable, stimulus-poor housing condition had a somewhat more negative cognitive bias, showed slightly more aversive behaviour, were slightly more active and moved their ears somewhat more. Sheep most clearly differentiated the negative from the intermediate and positive stimulus in that they exhibited more aversive behaviour, less nibbling, were more active, showed more ear movements, more forward ear postures, fewer backward ear postures, and a stronger decrease in deoxyhaemoglobin when subjected to the negative stimulus. In conclusion, sheep reacted towards stimuli according to their presumed valence but their mood was not strongly influenced by housing conditions. Therefore, behavioural reactions and cortical brain activity towards the stimuli were hardly modulated by housing conditions. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Motivational interviewing: relevance in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis?

PubMed Central

Prothero, Louise; Lempp, Heidi; Galloway, James; Sturt, Jackie

2016-01-01

Abstract Advances in pharmacological treatment options in RA have led to a dramatic potential for improvement in patients’ physical and psychological status. Despite advances, poor outcomes, including fatigue, pain, reduced physical activity and quality of life, are still observed. Reasons include non-adherence to medication, insufficient knowledge about the disease and lack of support in coping and effectively self-managing their condition. Motivational interviewing (MI) is a person-centred approach that relies on collaboration and empathy aiming to elicit a person’s own motivation for behaviour change. It has been implemented in a variety of long-term conditions, addressing issues such as lifestyle changes with beneficial effects, but it is yet to be widely recognized and adopted in the field of rheumatology. This review will explain the techniques underpinning MI and the rationale for adopting this approach in rheumatology with the aim to increase medication adherence and physical activity and improve patients’ coping strategies for pain and fatigue. PMID:26515960

Province-Level Income Inequality and Health Outcomes in Canadian Adolescents

PubMed Central

McGrath, Jennifer J.

2015-01-01

Objective To examine the effects of provincial income inequality (disparity between rich and poor), independent of provincial income and family socioeconomic status, on multiple adolescent health outcomes. Methods Participants (aged 12–17 years; N = 11,899) were from the Canadian National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth. Parental education, household income, province income inequality, and province mean income were measured. Health outcomes were measured across a number of domains, including self-rated health, mental health, health behaviors, substance use behaviors, and physical health. Results Income inequality was associated with injuries, general physical symptoms, and limiting conditions, but not associated with most adolescent health outcomes and behaviors. Income inequality had a moderating effect on family socioeconomic status for limiting conditions, hyperactivity/inattention, and conduct problems, but not for other outcomes. Conclusions Province-level income inequality was associated with some physical and mental health outcomes in adolescents, which has research and policy implications for this age-group. PMID:25324533

Concurrent and construct validation of the short form of the Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency and the Movement-ABC when administered under field conditions: implications for screening.

PubMed

Spironello, C; Hay, J; Missiuna, C; Faught, B E; Cairney, J

2010-07-01

Among the most widely used instruments to assess developmental co-ordination disorder (DCD) in children are the Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency (BOTMP) and the Movement Assessment Battery for Children (M-ABC). However, there is little research on agreement between these tests, when administered to children in field-based settings by trained non-clinicians. Ten of 75 schools participating in a larger study were randomly selected. All children in grade 4 (n= 340) in each of these schools were assessed at the same time using both the BOTMP-SF and the M-ABC in May of 2005. The order of tests was balanced, with an average gap in time between tests of 10-15 min. All tests were administered by trained research assistants. The correlation between tests was moderate (r= 0.50, P < 0.01). Kappas were low at the fifth (k= 0.19) and 15th (k= 0.29) percentile cut-points, which are generally used to identify cases of DCD. Re-analysis using the relative improvement over chance (RIOC) statistic, however, revealed slightly better agreement at both cut-points (fifth percentile, RIOC = 0.29; 15th percentile, RIOC = 0.47). Children who scored as probable for DCD on both motor tests, as well as on only the BOTMP-SF, had higher body mass index, poorer physical fitness and lower levels of teacher-reported physical ability than those positive for DCD on the M-ABC only or those who scored negatively on both tests. In general, the agreement between tests, even after adjustment for RIOC, was poor. Children identified with poor motor competence by both tests or by the BOTMP-SF only are at particular risk for poor physical fitness, overweight/obesity and physical inactivity. It appears that each assessment measures different dimensions of motor ability but that under field-based conditions the M-ABC may be less useful when applied by non-clinicians.

Physical inactivity and sedentary behavior: Overlooked risk factors in autoimmune rheumatic diseases?

PubMed

Pinto, Ana Jéssica; Roschel, Hamilton; de Sá Pinto, Ana Lúcia; Lima, Fernanda Rodrigues; Pereira, Rosa Maria Rodrigues; Silva, Clovis Artur; Bonfá, Eloisa; Gualano, Bruno

2017-07-01

This review aims to (1) summarize the estimates of physical inactivity and sedentary behavior in autoimmune rheumatic diseases; (2) describe the relationship between physical (in)activity levels and disease-related outcomes; (3) contextualize the estimates and impact of physical inactivity and sedentary behavior in autoimmune diseases compared to other rheumatic diseases and chronic conditions; and (4) discuss scientific perspectives around this theme and potential clinical interventions to attenuate these preventable risk factors. We compiled evidence to show that estimates of physical inactivity and sedentary behavior in autoimmune rheumatic diseases are generally comparable to other rheumatic diseases as well as to other chronic conditions (e.g., type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and obesity), in which a lack of physical activity and excess of sedentary behavior are well-known predictors of morbimortality. In addition, we also showed evidence that both physical inactivity and sedentary behavior may be associated with poor health-related outcomes (e.g., worse disease symptoms and low functionality) in autoimmune rheumatic diseases. Thus, putting into practice interventions to make the patients "sit less and move more", particularly light-intensity activities and/or breaking-up sedentary time, is a simple and prudent therapeutic approach to minimize physical inactivity and sedentary behavior, which are overlooked yet modifiable risk factors in the field of autoimmune rheumatic diseases. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Lifestyle behaviors of African American breast cancer survivors: a Sisters Network, Inc. study.

PubMed

Paxton, Raheem J; Taylor, Wendell C; Chang, Shine; Courneya, Kerry S; Jones, Lovell A

2013-01-01

African American breast cancer survivors experience poor cancer outcomes that may, in part, be remedied by healthy lifestyle choices. Few studies have evaluated the health and lifestyle behaviors of this population. The purpose of this study was to characterize the health and lifestyle habits of African American breast cancer survivors and evaluate the socio-demographic and medical correlates of these behaviors. A total of 470 African American breast cancer survivors (mean age = 54 years) participated in an online survey. All participants completed measures assessing medical and demographic characteristics, physical activity, and sedentary behavior. Chi-square tests for association, nonparametric tests, and logistic regression models were used to assess associations. All statistical tests were two sided. Almost half (47%) of the women met the current guidelines for physical activity, almost half (47%) were obese, and many reported having high blood pressure (53%) or diabetes (21%). The prevalence of high blood pressure, diabetes, and high cholesterol increased by age (P<0.001), and obese women had a higher prevalence of high blood pressure (63% vs. 44%) and diabetes (21% vs. 12%) than did non-obese women (all P<0.05). Obese women participated in significantly fewer total minutes of physical activity per week (100 minutes/week) than did non-obese women (150 minutes/week; P<0.05). The number of comorbid conditions was associated with increased odds for physical inactivity (odds ratio = 1.40) and obesity (odds ratio = 2.22). Many African American breast cancer survivors had chronic conditions that may be exacerbated by poor lifestyle choices. Our results also provide evidence that healthy lifestyle interventions among obese African American breast cancer survivors are urgently needed.

Eat or heat? The effects of poverty on children's behavior.

PubMed

da Fonseca, Marcio A

2014-01-01

In 2011, there were 46.2 million people in the US in poverty (15 percent of the population). The rate for children under 18 years of age was 22 percent, the highest of all age groups. Poverty is strongly linked to adverse socio-emotional outcomes and poor health in children, which influence adult socioeconomic advancement. It affects specific neurocognitive processes disproportionately such as working memory, cognitive control, and especially language and memory. Poor children are frequently exposed to household chaos, maternal depression, neighborhood violence, food insecurity and housing instability. They also experience little social support and have parents who are less responsive, more authoritarian and less involved in school activities than those of higher socioeconomic levels. Their diet is rich in sugar, which may contribute to behavioral disturbances. Children from a disadvantaged background have a poor ability to cope with stress and tend to show aggressive, withdrawn and anxious/depressive behaviors as well as poor academic outcomes. Dental professionals who care for poor children must understand they live under stressful physical and emotional conditions, which will impact their behavior in the dental office.

[Characteristics of physical growth of schoolchildren in Mongolia and their forming factors].

PubMed

Pogorelova, I G; Amgalan, G

The article considers the findings of hygienic assessments of educational conditions in urban and rural schools in Mongolia and socio-economic conditions of living of schoolchildren and analysis of anthropometric measurements of schoolchildren aged of 7-16 years in relation to the assessment of harmonicity of their physical development. Hygienic conditions in Mongolian schools are characterized by improper organization of the educational - accomplishment process, high occupancy rate in classes causing insufficient space for a pupil and disconformity of school furniture parameters of school desks and chairs to growth and age requirements of pupils. Comparative assessment of socio-economic factors revealed (выделено автором) that the majority (84.1%) of rural pupils reside in uncomfortable houses and gerdwellings, 58.5 % - in large families with many children, 46.3 % - in families with poor living conditions. There were obtained data about differences in physical development of urban and rural schoolchildren pronounced with age by the gain in the number of children with disharmonious development and children with lower physical indices of the development, delayed by 1-2 years appearance of the crossing of growth and growth shift typical for rural children in comparison with their urban counterparts. According to results of multivariate regression analysis most significant factors for the formation of physical development of school children in descending order are academic workload, the place of residence, the number of children in the family, uncomfortable living conditions, household income and parent’s education. In the presence of these factors, the risk of the formation of disharmonious physical growth of school children increases by 1.8-2.8 times. The probability of the risk offormation of disharmonious physical development of schoolchildren living in rural areas was found to be by 2.5 times more than for their urban counterparts. The results can be usedfor scientific substantiation and development of targeted health measures.

Racial Disparities in Health Behaviors and Conditions Among Lesbian and Bisexual Women: The Role of Internalized Stigma

PubMed Central

Molina, Yamile; Lehavot, Keren; Beadnell, Blair; Simoni, Jane

2013-01-01

There are documented disparities in physical health behaviors and conditions, such as physical activity and obesity, with regard to both race/ethnicity and sexual orientation. However, physical health disparities for lesbian and bisexual (LB) women who are also racial minorities are relatively unexplored. Minority stressors, such as internalized stigma, may account for disparities in such multiply marginalized populations. We sought to (1) characterize inequalities among non-Hispanic white and African American LB women and (2) examine the roles of internalized sexism and homophobia in disparities. Data on health behaviors (diet, physical activity); physical health (hypertension, diabetes, overweight/obesity); internalized sexism; and internalized homophobia were collected via a web-based survey. Recruitment ads were sent electronically to over 200 listservs, online groups, and organizations serving the lesbian, gay, and bisexual community in all 50 U.S. states. The analytic sample consisted of 954 white and 75 African American LB women. African American participants were more likely than white participants to report low fruit/vegetable intake and physical activity, a higher body mass index, and a history of diabetes and hypertension. There were no racial differences in internalized homophobia, but African American women reported higher levels of internalized sexism. Internalized sexism partially mediated racial disparities in physical activity and diabetes, but not in the other outcomes. Findings suggest that African American LB women may be at greater risk than their white counterparts for poor health and that internalized sexism may be a mediator of racial differences for certain behaviors and conditions. PMID:25364769

Mental Health Service Use for Patients with Co-occurring Mental and Physical Chronic Health Care Needs in Primary Care Settings

PubMed Central

Haynes-Maslow, Lindsey; Roberts, Megan C.; Dusetzina, Stacie B.

2016-01-01

Background Individuals with mental illness experience poor health and may die prematurely from chronic illness. Understanding whether the presence of co-occurring chronic physical health conditions complicates mental health treatment is important, particularly among patients seeking treatment in primary care settings. Objectives Examine (1) whether the presence of chronic physical conditions is associated with mental health service use for individuals with depression who visit a primary care physician, and (2) whether race modifies this relationship. Research Design Secondary analysis of the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey, a survey of patient-visits collected annually from a random sample of 3,000 physicians in office-based settings. Subjects Office visits from 2007–2010 were pooled for adults ages 35–85 with a depression diagnosis at the time of visit (N=3,659 visits). Measures Mental health services were measured using a dichotomous variable indicating whether mental health services were provided during the office visit or a referral made for: (1) counseling, including psychotherapy and other mental health counseling and/or (2) prescribing of psychotropic medications. Results Most patient office visits (70%) where a depression diagnosis was recorded also had co-occurring chronic physical conditions recorded. The presence of at least one physical chronic condition was associated with a 6% decrease in the probability of receiving any mental health services (p<0.05). There were no differences in service use by race/ethnicity after controlling for other factors. Conclusions Additional research is needed on medical care delivery among patients with co-occurring health conditions, particularly as the health care system moves towards an integrated care model. PMID:26147863

Just How Bad Negative Affect is for Your Health Depends on Culture

PubMed Central

Curhan, Katherine B.; Sims, Tamara; Markus, Hazel Rose; Kitayama, Shinobu; Karasawa, Mayumi; Kawakami, Norito; Love, Gayle D.; Coe, Christopher L.; Miyamoto, Yuri; Ryff, Carol D.

2014-01-01

Pressman, Lopez and Gallagher (2013) conclude that across the globe negative emotions are bad for one’s health. Yet, just how bad negative emotions are for health depends on culture. In U.S. American contexts, negative feelings are construed as the individual’s responsibility and as harmful. In Japanese contexts, negative feelings are construed as rooted in relationships and as natural. Using six clinically-relevant measures and two representative samples, we tested the hypothesis that negative affect is more strongly associated with poor health in the U.S. (n = 1,741) than in Japan (n = 988). Negative affect more strongly predicted poor health in the U.S. than in Japan for multi-item assessments of physical health (chronic conditions, physical functioning) and mental health (psychological well-being, self-esteem). There were no differences for single-item health assessments (life satisfaction, global health). These findings underscore the need for further theoretically-driven investigations of how cultural construals shape the emotion-health link. PMID:25304884

Excessive physical demands in modern worklife and characteristics of work and living conditions of persons at risk.

PubMed

Karlqvist, Lena K; Härenstam, Annika; Leijon, Ola; Schéele, Patrik

2003-10-01

This study attempted to identify work and leisure-time conditions and life-style factors associated with excess metabolic levels (metabolic demands exceeding one-third of a person's aerobic capacity) at work among men and women. The study focused upon psychological, ergonomic, and physically loading factors and chemical and physical environmental conditions. Data were obtained through self-reports, interviews, workplace analyses, technical measurements, and observations. Gender-specific calculations were used in univariate analyses and in stepwise logistic regression models for excess metabolic level. Twenty-seven percent of the men and twenty-two percent of the women worked at an excess metabolic level during their workday. Awkward work postures, heavy manual materials handling, high circulatory strain, chemical exposures, noise levels, much routine work, and many obstacles to job performance characterized their work conditions. The women had low skill discretion and more often atypical workhours, while the men showed high circulatory strain during leisure-time activities. Important negative life-style factors were a high consumption of alcohol for the men and a high body mass index and no or little regular physical exercise for the women. Metabolic demands in worklife today remain high. The women who exceeded the recommended metabolic level at work in this study were characterized by low pay, poor health, and children at home, in addition to high physical load and psychosocial strain at work. These characteristics indicate a group with few possibilities to leave a hazardous job for a less physically demanding one. The men who worked at an excess metabolic level seemed to be characterized more by a life-style common in some male-dominated work cultures with monotonous work.

Blood-Injection-Injury Phobia and Dog Phobia in Youth: Psychological Characteristics and Associated Features in a Clinical Sample.

PubMed

Oar, Ella L; Farrell, Lara J; Waters, Allison M; Ollendick, Thomas H

2016-05-01

Blood-Injection-Injury (BII) phobia is a particularly debilitating condition that has been largely ignored in the child literature. The present study examined the clinical phenomenology of BII phobia in 27 youths, relative to 25 youths with dog phobia-one of the most common and well-studied phobia subtypes in youth. Children were compared on measures of phobia severity, functional impairment, comorbidity, threat appraisals (danger expectancies and coping), focus of fear, and physiological responding, as well as vulnerability factors including disgust sensitivity and family history. Children and adolescents with BII phobia had greater diagnostic severity. In addition, they were more likely to have a comorbid diagnosis of a physical health condition, to report more exaggerated danger expectancies, and to report fears that focused more on physical symptoms (e.g., faintness and nausea) in comparison to youth with dog phobia. The present study advances knowledge relating to this poorly understood condition in youth. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Conditioned pain modulation is affected by occlusion cuff conditioning stimulus intensity, but not duration.

PubMed

Smith, A; Pedler, A

2018-01-01

Various conditioned pain modulation (CPM) methodologies have been used to investigate diffuse noxious inhibitory control pain mechanisms in healthy and clinical populations. Occlusion cuff parameters have been poorly studied. We aimed to investigate whether occlusion cuff intensity and/or duration influenced CPM magnitudes. We also investigated the role of physical activity levels on CPM magnitude. Two studies were performed to investigate the role of intensity and duration of occlusion cuff conditioning stimulus on test stimulus (tibialis anterior pressure pain thresholds). In Study 1, conditioning stimulus intensity of 2/10 or 5/10 (duration <20 s) was evaluated using a paired-samples t-test. In Study 2, duration of 2/10 conditioning stimulus was 3 min. One-way repeated-measures ANOVA was used to investigate the effect of time (0, 1, 2 and 3 min) on CPM magnitude. In Study 1, 27 healthy volunteers (mean ± SD: 24.9 years (±4.5); eight female) demonstrated that an occlusion cuff applied to the upper arm eliciting 5/10 local pain resulted in a significant (mean ± SD: 17% ± 46%) increase in CPM magnitude, when compared to 2/10 intensity (-3% ± 38%, p = 0.026), whereas in Study 2, 25 healthy volunteers (22.5 years (±2.7); 13 female) demonstrated that 3 min of 2/10 CS intensity did not result in a significant change in CPM (p = 0.21). There was no significant relationship between physical activity levels and CPM in either study (p > 0.22). This study demonstrated that an occlusion cuff of 5/10 conditioning stimulus intensity, when compared to 2/10, significantly increased CPM magnitude. Maintaining 2/10 conditioning stimulus for 3 min did not increase CPM magnitude. Dysfunctional conditioned pain modulation (CPM) has been associated with poor health outcomes. Various factors can influence CPM outcomes. The role of occlusion cuff conditioning stimulus intensity and duration has not been previously investigated. Intensity (5/10), but not duration of lower intensity (2/10) conditioning stimulus, affects CPM magnitude. © 2017 European Pain Federation - EFIC®.

Iron nutrition and premenopausal women: effects of poor iron status on physical and neuropsychological performance.

PubMed

McClung, James P; Murray-Kolb, Laura E

2013-01-01

Iron is a nutritionally essential trace element that functions through incorporation into proteins and enzymes, many of which contribute to physical and neuropsychological performance. Poor iron status, including iron deficiency (ID; diminished iron stores) and iron deficiency anemia (IDA; poor iron stores and diminished hemoglobin), affects billions of people worldwide. This review focuses on physical and neuropsychological outcomes associated with ID and IDA in premenopausal women, as the prevalence of ID and IDA is often greater in premenopausal women than other population demographics. Recent studies addressing the physiological effects of poor iron status on physical performance, including work productivity, voluntary activity, and athletic performance, are addressed. Similarly, the effects of iron status on neurological performance, including cognition, affect, and behavior, are summarized. Nutritional countermeasures for the prevention of poor iron status and the restoration of decrements in performance outcomes are described.

Correlates of Depressive Symptoms After Birth for Latinas Who Are Overweight or Obese

PubMed Central

Records, Kathie; Keller, Colleen; Coonrod, Dean; Ainsworth, Barbara; Todd, Michael; Belyea, Michael; Nagle-Williams, Allison; Permana, Paska; Vega Lopez, Sonia

2015-01-01

Depression symptoms and overweight/obesity are common concerns during childbearing. Both conditions are associated with poor outcomes at birth and can have long-lasting consequences. Predictors of depressive symptoms among overweight and obese low-income and ethnically diverse women are not known. Data are from the Madres para la Salud trial with 139 postpartum Latinas. Depressive symptoms during a prior pregnancy were positively related while social support and moderate intensity physical activity were negatively related to depressive symptoms after birth. Social support and physical activity may be effective interventions, particularly for women who have experienced depressive symptoms in a prior pregnancy. PMID:25383619

Emergency Department Medical Clearance of Patients with Psychiatric or Behavioral Emergencies, Part 1.

PubMed

Tucci, Veronica Theresa; Moukaddam, Nidal; Alam, Al; Rachal, James

2017-09-01

Patients presenting to the emergency department with mental illness or behavioral complaints merit workup for underlying physical conditions that can trigger, mimic, or worsen psychiatric symptoms. However, interdisciplinary consensus on medical clearance is lacking, leading to wide variations in quality of care and, quite often, poor medical care. Psychiatry and emergency medicine specialty guidelines support a tailored, customized approach. This article summarizes best-practice approaches to the medical clearance of patients with psychiatric illness, tips on history taking, system reviews, clinical or physical examination, and common pitfalls in the medical clearance process. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Soil physical properties: Key factors for successful reclamation of disturbed landscapes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krümmelbein, Julia; Raab, Thomas

2013-04-01

The practice of open cast mining, e.g. for lignite, results in major landscape disturbances and especially affects soils because relocation and subsequent mixing of naturally developed soil horizons leads to areas with extremely altered soil properties compared to the undisturbed conditions. Various reclamation measures are applied to recover the reconstructed landscape for different land use options. Major parts of the post mining landscapes are used for agriculture, agroforestry or silviculture, the remaining voids of the coal mines fill successively with groundwater after mine closure and are or will be used mainly for touristic and leisure purposes. Small proportions of the post mining areas are left for natural succession, or habitats for endangered flora and fauna are initiated. In reclamation research, many studies have focused on soil chemical and biological constraints of post mining substrates and investigated factors such as unsuitable pH, in many cases very low pH, (poor) nutrient contents and (poor) biological activity. But the initial and developing soil physical parameters and functions are also key factors for the success of reclamation practices. The soil water and gas balance influence strongly the suitability of a site for the intended future land use. The mechanical stability of the soil determines the rigidity of the pore system against deforming forces and thereby the persistence of soil functions, such as water and air permeability over time. The amendment of unfavourable (initial) soil physical properties is in most cases more complex and time-consuming than e.g. optimization of pH or fertilization with nutrients. Moreover, regarding the suitability of a site e.g. as a habitat for plants or microorganisms, poor physical pre-conditions can turn substrates with perfect nutrient contents and composition and pH into infertile locations of very low productivity. We show results of an on-going field study where the effects of different agricultural reclamation measures on initial soil physical properties and their development are investigated. Site reconstruction creates the preconditions for the soil physical development, which depends on the subsequent soil disturbance, e.g. due to tillage and on the vegetation/crop rotation. We recommend that the process of site reconstruction should be accomplished with highest possible accuracy and pre-caution. Suitable vegetation, e.g. deep and intense rooting crops should be established and the mechanically unstable sites should be protected from heavy loads and intensive soil tillage operations to facilitate the development of soil structure in the course of reclamation.

The Physical and Mental Health of Head Start Staff: The Pennsylvania Head Start Staff Wellness Survey, 2012

PubMed Central

Becker, Brandon D.; Herman, Allison N.; Gooze, Rachel A.

2013-01-01

Introduction Despite attention to the health of low-income children in Head Start, little is known about the health of adults working for the program. The objective of our study was to compare the physical and mental health of women working in Pennsylvania Head Start programs with the health of US women who have similar sociodemographic characteristics. Methods We used data from a web-based survey in 2012 in which 2,199 of 3,375 (65.2%) staff in 66 Pennsylvania Head Start programs participated. For the 2,122 female respondents, we determined the prevalence of fair or poor health status, frequent (≥14 d/mo) unhealthy days, frequent (≥10 d/y) work absences due to illness, diagnosed depression, and 3 or more of 6 physical health conditions. We compared these prevalences with those found in 2 national samples of employed women of similar age, education, race/ethnicity, and marital status. Results Among Head Start staff, 85.7% were non-Hispanic white, 62.4% were married, and 60.3% had completed college. The prevalence (% [95% confidence interval]) of several health indicators was higher in Head Start staff than in the national samples: fair or poor health (14.6% [13.1%–16.1%] vs 5.1% [4.5%–5.6%]), frequent unhealthy days (28.3% [26.3%–30.2%] vs 14.5% [14.1%–14.9%]), diagnosed depression (23.5% [21.7%–25.3%] vs 17.6% [17.1%–18.0%]), and 3 or more physical health conditions (21.8% [20.0%–23.6%] vs 12.6% [11.7%–13.5%]). Conclusion Women working with children in Head Start programs have poorer physical and mental health than do US women who have similar sociodemographic characteristics. PMID:24176085

The influence of posttraumatic stress disorder numbing and hyperarousal symptom clusters in the prediction of physical health status in veterans with chronic tobacco dependence and posttraumatic stress disorder.

PubMed

Harder, Laura H; Chen, Shuo; Baker, Dewleen G; Chow, Bruce; McFall, Miles; Saxon, Andrew; Smith, Mark W

2011-12-01

Smoking and PTSD are predictors of poor physical health status. This study examined the unique contribution of PTSD symptoms in the prediction of the SF-36 physical health status subscales accounting for cigarette smoking, chronic medical conditions, alcohol and drug use disorders, and depression. This study examined baseline interview and self-report data from a national tobacco cessation randomized, controlled trial (Veterans Affairs Cooperative Study 519) that enrolled tobacco-dependent veterans with chronic PTSD (N = 943). A series of blockwise multiple regression analyses indicated that PTSD numbing and hyperarousal symptom clusters explained a significant proportion of the variance across all physical health domains except for the Physical Functioning subscale, which measures impairments in specific physical activities. Our findings further explain the impact of PTSD on health status by exploring the way PTSD symptom clusters predict self-perceptions of health, role limitations, pain, and vitality.

Childhood chronic physical condition, self-reported health, and life satisfaction in adolescence.

PubMed

Määttä, Heidi; Hurtig, Tuula; Taanila, Anja; Honkanen, Meri; Ebeling, Hanna; Koivumaa-Honkanen, Heli

2013-09-01

The present study investigates the prevalence and type of chronic conditions at 7 years of age-with special reference to atopic conditions-and their longitudinal associations with self-reported health and life satisfaction in adolescence. The data were obtained from Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1986 (NFBC 1986), which is a longitudinal 1-year birth cohort from an unselected, regionally defined population (n = 9,432). The present study investigated a sample of 8,036 children with data of chronic conditions at 7 years of age and a sample of 6,680 children with data of chronic conditions at 16 years of age. According to parents' report the prevalence of CC at 7 years of age was 14.8 % among boys and 13.2 % among girls, these figures being at 16 years of age 20.7 and 19.4 %, respectively. Atopic conditions were the most common chronic conditions at 7 years of age (12.7 % vs. other chronic conditions 4.7 %). Childhood chronic condition was associated with subsequent self-reported health in adolescence, but not with subsequent self-reported life satisfaction. Chronic condition at 7 years of age increased the risk of reporting health as "poor" even if the chronic condition was no longer prevalent at 16 years of age. Atopic conditions seemed to be linked with self-reported poor/moderate health more often than other chronic conditions among girls. Conclusion Childhood chronic conditions seem to affect adolescent's subjective health, but fortunately, they do not affect adolescents' subjective well-being to such an extent that it could lower their life satisfaction.

Associations of Military Divorce with Mental, Behavioral, and Physical Health Outcomes

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-06-19

recent divorce re - ported subsequent poor health and military outcomes compared to those who remained married during the same time frame. We...determined using DMDC re - cords and were backfilled with self-reported data to reduce missing values. Baseline functional health was eval- uated with the...4.8 %, 3.0 %, and 3.0 % developing each of these conditions, re - spectively, between baseline and follow-up. Smoking initi- ation and recidivism

Hematology and serum biochemistry comparison in wild and captive Central American river turtles (Dermatemys mawii) in Tabasco, Mexico.

PubMed

Rangel-Mendoza, Judith; Weber, Manuel; Zenteno-Ruiz, Claudia E; López-Luna, Marco A; Barba-Macías, Everardo

2009-10-01

Hematological and serum biochemistry analyses were determined on 51 Central American river turtles (Dermatemys mawii) during the dry and rainy seasons of 2006. Turtles came from two sites: Pantanos de Centla Biosphere Reserve and a turtle breeding farm, both located in Tabasco State, Mexico. Physical examination and body measures of animals were performed. Incidence and prevalence of hemoparasites were explored. Captive organisms were in poor physical condition while wild turtles were apparently healthy. There were differences in several hematological parameters related with the condition and the season. During the dry season captive turtles exhibited higher levels of uric acid and urea, as well as lower levels of glucose. Haemogregarina sp. was detected in 100% of the wild individuals, but not in captive individuals. Its incidence was greater during the rainy season. This is the first health assessment and hematology study of this critically endangered species.

Severe Physical Violence and Black Women’s Health and Well-Being

PubMed Central

Sears, Karen Powell; Matusko, Niki; Jackson, James S.

2015-01-01

Objectives. We evaluated the association between intimate partner violence and the mental and physical health status of US Caribbean Black and African American women. Methods. We used 2001 to 2003 cross-sectional data from the National Survey of American Life—the most detailed study to date of physical and mental health disorders of Americans of African descent. We assessed participants’ health conditions by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (Washington, DC; American Psychological Association) Composite International Diagnostic Interview. Results. We found differences in health conditions between abused African American and Caribbean Black women. There were increased risks for lifetime dysthymia, alcohol dependence, drug abuse, and poor perceived health for African American victims of partner abuse, and binge eating disorder was associated with partner violence among Caribbean Black women. Conclusions. Severe intimate partner violence was associated with negative mental and physical health outcomes for US Black women, with different patterns between African American and Caribbean Blacks. Understanding intimate partner violence experiences of US Black women requires recognition of key intragroup differences, including nativity and immigrant status, and their differential relationships to women’s health. PMID:24922123

Policy statement—Climatic heat stress and exercising children and adolescents.

PubMed

Bergeron, Michael F; Devore, Cynthia; Rice, Stephen G

2011-09-01

Results of new research indicate that, contrary to previous thinking, youth do not have less effective thermoregulatory ability, insufficient cardiovascular capacity, or lower physical exertion tolerance compared with adults during exercise in the heat when adequate hydration is maintained. Accordingly, besides poor hydration status, the primary determinants of reduced performance and exertional heat-illness risk in youth during sports and other physical activities in a hot environment include undue physical exertion, insufficient recovery between repeated exercise bouts or closely scheduled same-day training sessions or rounds of sports competition, and inappropriately wearing clothing, uniforms, and protective equipment that play a role in excessive heat retention. Because these known contributing risk factors are modifiable, exertional heat illness is usually preventable. With appropriate preparation, modifications, and monitoring, most healthy children and adolescents can safely participate in outdoor sports and other physical activities through a wide range of challenging warm to hot climatic conditions.

Physical signs of dehydration in the elderly.

PubMed

Shimizu, Miyuki; Kinoshita, Kensuke; Hattori, Kazuya; Ota, Yoshio; Kanai, Takao; Kobayashi, Hiroyuki; Tokuda, Yasuharu

2012-01-01

Dehydration is a common condition and frequent cause of hospitalization in older people, despite the caregiver's high attention in attempt to avoid its occurrence. In this study, various physical signs were examined as clinical signs of dehydration in elderly. A prospective observational study was conducted in an acute care teaching hospital. Consecutive elderly patients who were admitted to the Department of Medicine were evaluated. Dehydration was defined as a calculated serum osmolality above 295 mOsm/L. The patients diagnosed as dehydrated or not dehydrated were observed for physical signs of dehydration. Data of blood and urine chemistry analysis were also compared between the two groups. A total of 27 elderly patients admitted with acute medical conditions were included in this study. For the physical signs, dry axilla had moderate sensitivity (44%) and excellent specificity (89%) to detect dehydration. Sunken eyes and delayed capillary refill time also showed relatively good specificity (83%). For laboratory data, the mean concentrations of serum sodium of the dehydrated group (146 mEq/L) was significantly higher (p<0.01) than those of the non-dehydrated group (134 mEq/L). Physical signs of dehydration in elderly showed relatively good specificity but poor sensitivity. The evaluation of the axillary moisture could help assess dehydration as well as laboratory data analysis such as serum sodium concentration.

Quality of Life, Physical and Mental Status and Contentment of Patients with Localized Soft Tissue or Bone Sarcoma: A Questionnaire Analysis

PubMed Central

Sachsenmaier, Saskia M.; Ipach, Ingmar; Kluba, Torsten

2015-01-01

Extremity soft tissue and bone sarcomas represent a rare group of bone and connective tissue cancers. In literature, there is little information about psycho-emotional status and impact on quality of life after the diagnosis and treatment of this kind of tumors. The aim of this survey was to define the profile of the patients at risk and their need for psychooncological care. Our self-created questionnaire consists of 71 items related to the individual emotional, mental and physical situation after the diagnosis of soft tissue and bone sarcoma. Sixty-six patients, surgically treated at our department, were included. Only 37.5% of the patients considered themselves to be completely emotional stable. Psychooncological treatment was accepted mostly by female patients, by patients with higher education level and by married patients. Emotional stability and confidence in future were associated with a strong familiar background, with numerous consultations of psychooncological service and also to gender and physical condition. Current quality of life was strongly correlated to physical condition. Thanks to our questionnaire, we disclosed few risk factors for negative emotional outcome after therapy, such as higher age, social isolation, female gender and poor physical status. PMID:26330994

Quality of life of patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy: from adolescence to young men.

PubMed

Lue, Yi-Jing; Chen, Shun-Sheng; Lu, Yen-Mou

2017-07-01

This study investigated quality of life (QOL) in adolescent and young men with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). Health-related QOL and global QOL were assessed with the Short Form 36 (SF-36) and World Health Organization Quality of Life-BREF (WHOQOL-BREF). Associations between functional status and QOL were assessed. All domains of the SF-36 were below Taiwan norms (effect size: -14.2 to -0.5), especially Physical Function, Role Physical, and Social Function. Three of the four domains of the WHOQOL-BREF were below Taiwan norms (effect size: -2.0 to -0.7). The Physical Function of the SF-36 was moderately correlated with functional status (mobility, basic activities of daily living, and arm function). The Social Function of the SF-36 and Social Relationships of the WHOQOL-BREF were also moderately correlated with functional status (impairment, basic activities of daily living, and arm function). The adolescent and young men with DMD had poor health-related and global QOL. Poor QOL was related to both physical condition and social health. We suggest that rehabilitation programs focus on using assistive devices to facilitate arm function and encouraging participation in social activities to improve the QOL of patients with DMD. Implications for rehabilitation Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a progressive muscle weakness disease that not only impacts physical health but also leads to poor quality of life in many domains. A valuable rehabilitation goal for patients with DMD is to encourage participation in social activities. Medical care and educational programs should plan a formal transition processes for patients with DMD from pediatric to adult care to maximum their quality of life. Arm function is associated with many domains of global quality of life, so a key element in improving quality of life may be to improve arm function.

[Influence of poor factors of airports on human health].

PubMed

Pochekaeva, E I

2008-01-01

The hygienic study conducted in Rostov-on-Don has shown that air transport and airports are important sources of physical and chemical pollution of the environment. Human health examinations served to illustrate the adverse impact of airports on the environmental and hygienic living conditions of the population. The performed studies provided the basis for purpose-oriented program to enhance the environment and to reduce morbidity rates in accordance with the National Environmental Hygiene Program. The developed algorithm of the assessment and reduction of a risk for diseases under the influence of poor factors associated with the activities of airports is designed to provide the authorities and concerned organizations with information, to make managerial decisions, and to work out health-improving measures.

Quality of life after liver transplantation--preliminary report.

PubMed

Łaba, Marta; Pszenny, Anna; Gutowska, Dominika; Jonas, Maurycy; Durlik, Magdalena; Paczek, Leszek; Wasiak, Dariusz; Czerwiński, Jarosław; Małkowski, Piotr

2008-01-01

Liver transplantation (OLTx) is an optimal method of treatment of end-stage liver failure. It gives a chance to get back to an active life. 80-90% of patients survive over 1 year after liver transplantation with a perspective of a long life.Recently more attention is being paid to health related quality of life (QoL). It is considered as a combination of physical and mental condition, social and economical state and somatic experience. The aim of the study was to analyze patient's QoL after OLTx compared to the condition before OLTx. 123 patients 1-12 years after transplantation were included in the study. The study was conducted in Outpatients Clinic of Immunology, Transplantology and Internal Medicine Department and Transplantation Medicine and Nephrology Department of Warsaw Medical University between October 2007 and January 2008. Original questionnaire was used, consisting of 8 general questions and 44 detailed questions concerning pre- and posttransplant period. Information about physical condition (health, mobility, basic functions, drug side effects), mental condition (anxiety, happiness, cognition disorders), social function (family, friends, work) and economic status were gathered. "Never, sometimes, often, very often" score was used. Majority of subjects de fi ned their quality of life and physical condition before transplantation as poor, and post transplantation - as good. The respondent's mental condition didn't differ much before and after transplantation. Level of satisfaction was higher after transplantation. Health condition in some cases affected patients' family life, however it often devastated their social life before OLTx. Most patients were on disability pension and after transplantation they indicated the influence of health on their financial condition. The quality of life after liver transplantation gets better and it's de fi ned as good or very good. During the analysis of QoL a difference between conditions before and after LTX wasn't observed.

Ankle-brachial index and physical function in older individuals: The Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study

PubMed Central

Matsushita, Kunihiro; Ballew, Shoshana H.; Sang, Yingying; Kalbaugh, Corey; Loehr, Laura; Hirsch, Alan T.; Tanaka, Hirofumi; Heiss, Gerardo; Windham, B. Gwen; Selvin, Elizabeth; Coresh, Josef

2017-01-01

Background and aims Most prior studies investigating the association of lower extremity peripheral artery disease (PAD) with physical function were small or analyzed selected populations (e.g., patients at vascular clinics or persons with reduced function), leaving particular uncertainty regarding the association in the general community. Methods Among 5,262 ARIC participants (age 71-90 years during 2011-2013), we assessed the cross-sectional association of ankle-brachial index (ABI) with the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) score (0-12), its individual components (chair stands, standing balance, and gait speed) (0-4 points each), and grip strength after accounting for potential confounders, including a history of coronary disease, stroke, or heart failure. Results There were 411 participants (7.8%) with low ABI ≤0.90 and 469 (8.9%) participants with borderline low ABI 0.91-1.00. Both ABI ≤0.90 and 0.91-1.00 were independently associated with poor physical function (SPPB score ≤6) compared to ABI 1.11-1.20 (adjusted odds ratio 2.10 [95% CI 1.55-2.84] and 1.86 [1.38-2.51], respectively). The patterns were largely consistent across subgroups by clinical conditions (e.g., leg pain or other cardiovascular diseases), in every SPPB component, and for grip strength. ABI >1.3 (472 participants [9.0%]), indicative of non-compressible pedal arteries, was related to lower physical function as well but did not necessarily reach significance. Conclusions In community-dwelling older adults, low and borderline low ABI suggestive of PAD were independently associated with poorer systemic physical function compared to those with normal ABI. Clinical attention to PAD as a potential contributor to poor physical function is warranted in community-dwelling older adults. PMID:28012644

Attitudes towards people with physical or intellectual disabilities among nursing, social work and medical students.

PubMed

Kritsotakis, George; Galanis, Petros; Papastefanakis, Emmanouil; Meidani, Flora; Philalithis, Anastas E; Kalokairinou, Athena; Sourtzi, Panayota

2017-12-01

To examine and compare undergraduate healthcare students' attitudes towards people with physical or intellectual disabilities in Greece. The experience that people with disabilities have with health care is a complex interaction between their medical condition and the social and physical environment. Attitudes of the nursing and healthcare staff affect the quality of care and people's adaptation to their disability, self-image and rehabilitation outcomes. Descriptive cross-sectional survey. Nursing, Social Work and Medicine students (N = 1007, 79.4% female) attending three universities (Athens, Crete) completed during 2014-2016 two standardised scales regarding physical (ATDP-B) and intellectual disability (CLAS-ID). Descriptive and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed. Attitudes towards people with physical disabilities in Greece (ATDP-B scores) were poor with scores just above the mid-point. Medical studies and higher knowledge and work with individuals with physical disabilities signified marginally more positive attitudes. Gender and age displayed no associations with attitudes. Regarding intellectual disability (CLAS-ID scores), nursing students had slightly less positive attitudes in "Similarity" but more positive attitudes in "Sheltering" subscales. Previous work and contact was related to more favourable and higher age to less favourable "Similarity" and "Sheltering" attitudes. Males had higher "Exclusion" scores. Those who knew people with intellectual disabilities had less favourable "Empowerment" attitudes. Knowledge was related to more positive attitudes in all four CLAS-ID subscales. Greek health and social care students showed poor attitudes towards people with physical and intellectual disability. When holding unfavourable attitudes, healthcare professionals become less involved with the people they care for and they do not provide nursing care to the best of their abilities. Undergraduate and continuing education, along with workplace enhancements, should aim to provide high-quality health care to people with disabilities. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Ankle-brachial index and physical function in older individuals: The Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study.

PubMed

Matsushita, Kunihiro; Ballew, Shoshana H; Sang, Yingying; Kalbaugh, Corey; Loehr, Laura R; Hirsch, Alan T; Tanaka, Hirofumi; Heiss, Gerardo; Windham, B Gwen; Selvin, Elizabeth; Coresh, Josef

2017-02-01

Most prior studies investigating the association of lower extremity peripheral artery disease (PAD) with physical function were small or analyzed selected populations (e.g., patients at vascular clinics or persons with reduced function), leaving particular uncertainty regarding the association in the general community. Among 5262 ARIC participants (age 71-90 years during 2011-2013), we assessed the cross-sectional association of ankle-brachial index (ABI) with the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) score (0-12), its individual components (chair stands, standing balance, and gait speed) (0-4 points each), and grip strength after accounting for potential confounders, including a history of coronary disease, stroke, or heart failure. There were 411 participants (7.8%) with low ABI ≤0.90 and 469 (8.9%) participants with borderline low ABI 0.91-1.00. Both ABI ≤0.90 and 0.91-1.00 were independently associated with poor physical function (SPPB score ≤6) compared to ABI 1.11-1.20 (adjusted odds ratio 2.10 [95% CI 1.55-2.84] and 1.86 [1.38-2.51], respectively). The patterns were largely consistent across subgroups by clinical conditions (e.g., leg pain or other cardiovascular diseases), in every SPPB component, and for grip strength. ABI >1.3 (472 participants [9.0%]), indicative of non-compressible pedal arteries, was related to lower physical function as well but did not necessarily reach significance. In community-dwelling older adults, low and borderline low ABI suggestive of PAD were independently associated with poorer systemic physical function compared to those with normal ABI. Clinical attention to PAD as a potential contributor to poor physical function is warranted in community-dwelling older adults. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

The impact of lifestyle factors on the physical health of people with a mental illness: a brief review.

PubMed

Stanley, Susanne; Laugharne, Jonathan

2014-04-01

People with a mental illness are much more likely to experience poor physical health when compared to the general population, showing a higher propensity to develop the metabolic syndrome. Past focus has predominantly been upon individuals treated with antipsychotics, yet poor physical health is occurring across diagnoses. The purpose of this paper is to draw attention to the major factors within the domain of lifestyle in order to support the need for more detailed and rigorous physical health assessment and ongoing monitoring for people with a mental illness. This paper reviews existing evidence relating to lifestyle factors such as low exercise levels, poor diet and nutrition, high cholesterol levels, tobacco smoking and poor dental care, contributing to poor physical health such as a higher incidence of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. An integrative review was conducted from a multi-disciplinary search of online databases and journals, focusing upon mental illness and lifestyle issues predominant in the literature. The findings reviewed here suggest that greater attention should be paid to the physical health assessment and ongoing monitoring of all people with mental health disorders so that preventable illness does not result in higher levels of morbidity and mortality for this disadvantaged population. Early identification aids preventive interventions and assists clinicians and mental health staff to more effectively treat emergent physical health problems.

Food and housing insecurity and health status among U.S. adults with and without prior military service.

PubMed

Schure, Marc B; Katon, Jodie G; Wong, Edwin; Liu, Chuan-Fen

2016-12-01

Food and housing insecurity may contribute to poorer mental and physical health. It is unclear as to whether those with prior military service, compared to those without, are more vulnerable to these current stressors. The objective of this study was to use U.S. population-based data to determine whether prior military service moderates the association of food and housing insecurity with poor mental and physical health. We analyzed data from nine states administering the Social Context module from the 2011 and 2012 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. Multivariable logistic regression was used to examine the associations of housing and food insecurity with poor mental and physical health and potential modification by military service. Compared with those with a history of military service, those without had higher prevalence of food insecurity (23.1% versus 13.7%) and housing insecurity (36.0% versus 22.5%). Food insecurity was associated with poor mental and physical health (mental health: odds ratio (OR)=3.47, 95% confidence interval (CI)=[3.18-3.77]; physical health: OR=3.21, 95% CI=[2.92-3.53]). Similar associations were observed between housing insecurity and poor mental and physical health. Prior military service was significantly associated with poor physical health. Interaction terms of prior military service with food and housing were not statistically significant. Food and housing insecurity does not appear to differentially impact mental and physical health among those with and without military service.

Stellar Archaeology: New Science with Old Stars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Frebel, Anna

2011-01-01

The early chemical evolution of the Galaxy and the Universe is vital to our understanding of a host of astrophysical phenomena. Since the most metal-poor Galactic stars are relics from the high-redshift Universe, they probe the chemical and dynamical conditions as the Milky Way began to form, the origin and evolution of the elements, and the physics of nucleosynthesis. They also provide constraints on the nature of the first stars, their associated supernovae and initial mass function, and early star and galaxy formation. I will present exemplary metal-poor stars with which these different topics can be addressed. Those are the most metal-poor stars in the Galaxy ([Fe/H] < -5.0), and metal-poor stars with strong overabundances of heavy elements, in particular uranium and thorium, which can be used to radioactively date the stars to be 13 Gyr old. I will then transition to recent discoveries of metal-poor ([Fe/H] -3.0) stars in the least luminous dwarf satellites orbiting the Milky Way. Their stellar chemical signatures support the concept that small systems, analogous to the surviving dwarf galaxies, were the building blocks of the Milky Way's low-metallicity halo. This opens a new window for studying galaxy formation through stellar chemistry.

A cross-sectional cluster analysis of the combined association of physical activity and sleep with sociodemographic and health characteristics in mid-aged and older adults.

PubMed

Rayward, Anna T; Duncan, Mitch J; Brown, Wendy J; Plotnikoff, Ronald C; Burton, Nicola W

2017-08-01

This study aimed to identify how different patterns of physical activity, sleep duration and sleep quality cluster together, and to examine how the identified clusters differ in terms of socio-demographic and health characteristics. Participants were adults from Brisbane, Australia, aged 42-72 years who reported their physical activity, sleep duration, sleep quality, socio-demographic and health characteristics in 2011 (n=5854). Two-step Cluster Analyses were used to identify clusters. Cluster differences in socio-demographic and health characteristics were examined using chi square tests (p<0.05). Four clusters were identified: 'Poor Sleepers' (31.2%), 'Moderate Sleepers' (30.7%), 'Mixed Sleepers/Highly Active' (20.5%), and 'Excellent Sleepers/Mixed Activity' (17.6%). The 'Poor Sleepers' cluster had the highest proportion of participants with less-than-recommended sleep duration and poor sleep quality, had the poorest health characteristics and a high proportion of participants with low physical activity. Physical activity, sleep duration and sleep quality cluster together in distinct patterns and clusters of poor behaviours are associated with poor health status. Multiple health behaviour change interventions which target both physical activity and sleep should be prioritised to improve health outcomes in mid-aged adults. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A RCT comparing lumbosacral orthosis to routine physical therapy on postural stability in patients with chronic low back pain.

PubMed

Azadinia, Fatemeh; Ebrahimi-Takamjani, Ismail; Kamyab, Mojtaba; Parnianpour, Mohamad; Asgari, Morteza

2017-01-01

Background: Poor balance performance and impaired postural control have been frequently reported in patients with low back pain. However, postural control is rarely monitored during the course of treatment even though poor postural control may contribute to chronicity and recurrence of symptoms. Therefore, the present study aimed at investigating the effect of a nonextensible lumbosacral orthosis (LSO) versus routine physical therapy on postural stability of patients with nonspecific chronic low back pain. Methods: This was a randomized controlled trial conducted between November 2015 and May 2016 at the outpatient physical therapy clinic of the School of Rehabilitation Sciences. Patients with nonspecific chronic low back pain aged 20 to 55 years were randomly allocated to the intervention and control groups. Both groups received 8 sessions of physical therapy twice weekly for 4 weeks. The intervention group received nonextensible LSO in addition to routine physical therapy. Pain intensity, functional disability, fear of movement/ (re)injury, and postural stability in 3 levels of postural difficulty were measured before and after 4 weeks of intervention. A 2×2×3 mixed model of analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to determine the main and interactive effects of the 3 factors including group, time, and postural difficulty conditions for each variable of postural stability. Results: The LSO and control groups displayed significant improvement in postural stability at the most difficult postural task conditions (P-value for 95% area ellipse was 0.003; and for phase plane, the mean total velocity and standard deviation of velocity was <0.001). Both groups exhibited a decrease in pain intensity, Oswestry Disability Index, and Tampa Scale of Kinesiophobia after 4 weeks of intervention. A significant difference between groups was found only for functional disability, with greater improvement in the orthosis group (t = 3.60, P<0.001). Conclusion: Both routine physical therapy and LSO significantly improved clinical and postural stability outcomes immediately after 4 weeks of intervention. The orthosis group did not display superior outcomes, except for functional disability.

A RCT comparing lumbosacral orthosis to routine physical therapy on postural stability in patients with chronic low back pain

PubMed Central

Azadinia, Fatemeh; Ebrahimi-Takamjani, Ismail; Kamyab, Mojtaba; Parnianpour, Mohamad; Asgari, Morteza

2017-01-01

Background: Poor balance performance and impaired postural control have been frequently reported in patients with low back pain. However, postural control is rarely monitored during the course of treatment even though poor postural control may contribute to chronicity and recurrence of symptoms. Therefore, the present study aimed at investigating the effect of a nonextensible lumbosacral orthosis (LSO) versus routine physical therapy on postural stability of patients with nonspecific chronic low back pain. Methods: This was a randomized controlled trial conducted between November 2015 and May 2016 at the outpatient physical therapy clinic of the School of Rehabilitation Sciences. Patients with nonspecific chronic low back pain aged 20 to 55 years were randomly allocated to the intervention and control groups. Both groups received 8 sessions of physical therapy twice weekly for 4 weeks. The intervention group received nonextensible LSO in addition to routine physical therapy. Pain intensity, functional disability, fear of movement/ (re)injury, and postural stability in 3 levels of postural difficulty were measured before and after 4 weeks of intervention. A 2×2×3 mixed model of analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to determine the main and interactive effects of the 3 factors including group, time, and postural difficulty conditions for each variable of postural stability. Results: The LSO and control groups displayed significant improvement in postural stability at the most difficult postural task conditions (P-value for 95% area ellipse was 0.003; and for phase plane, the mean total velocity and standard deviation of velocity was <0.001). Both groups exhibited a decrease in pain intensity, Oswestry Disability Index, and Tampa Scale of Kinesiophobia after 4 weeks of intervention. A significant difference between groups was found only for functional disability, with greater improvement in the orthosis group (t = 3.60, P<0.001). Conclusion: Both routine physical therapy and LSO significantly improved clinical and postural stability outcomes immediately after 4 weeks of intervention. The orthosis group did not display superior outcomes, except for functional disability. PMID:29445655

Province-level income inequality and health outcomes in Canadian adolescents.

PubMed

Quon, Elizabeth C; McGrath, Jennifer J

2015-03-01

To examine the effects of provincial income inequality (disparity between rich and poor), independent of provincial income and family socioeconomic status, on multiple adolescent health outcomes. Participants (aged 12-17 years; N = 11,899) were from the Canadian National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth. Parental education, household income, province income inequality, and province mean income were measured. Health outcomes were measured across a number of domains, including self-rated health, mental health, health behaviors, substance use behaviors, and physical health. Income inequality was associated with injuries, general physical symptoms, and limiting conditions, but not associated with most adolescent health outcomes and behaviors. Income inequality had a moderating effect on family socioeconomic status for limiting conditions, hyperactivity/inattention, and conduct problems, but not for other outcomes. Province-level income inequality was associated with some physical and mental health outcomes in adolescents, which has research and policy implications for this age-group. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society of Pediatric Psychology. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Edentulism and other variables associated with self-reported health status in Mexican adults

PubMed Central

Medina-Solís, Carlo Eduardo; Pontigo-Loyola, América Patricia; Pérez-Campos, Eduardo; Hernández-Cruz, Pedro; Avila-Burgos, Leticia; Mendoza-Rodríguez, Martha; Maupomé, Gerardo

2014-01-01

Background To determine if edentulism, controlling for other known factors, is associated with subjective self-report health status (SRH) in Mexican adults. Material/Methods We examined the SRH of 13 966 individuals 35 years and older, using data from the National Survey of Performance Assessment, a cross-sectional study that is part of the technical collaboration between the Ministry of Health of Mexico and the World Health Organization, which used the survey instrument and sampling strategies developed by WHO for the World Health Survey. Sociodemographic, socioeconomic, medical, and behavioral variables were collected using questionnaires. Self-reported health was our dependent variable. Data on edentulism were available from 20 of the 32 Mexican states. A polynomial logistic regression model adjusted for complex sampling was generated. Results In the SRH, 58.2% reported their health status as very good/good, 33.8% said they had a moderate health status, and 8.0% reported that their health was bad/very bad. The association between edentulism and SRH was modified by age and was significant only for bad/very bad SRH. Higher odds of reporting moderate health or poor/very poor health were found in women, people with lower socio-economic status and with physical disabilities, those who were not physically active, or those who were underweight or obese, those who had any chronic disease, and those who used alcohol. Conclusions The association of edentulism with a self-report of a poor health status (poor/very poor) was higher in young people than in adults. The results suggest socioeconomic inequalities in SRH. Inequality was further confirmed among people who had a general health condition or a disability. PMID:24852266

Barriers, Motivations, and Preferences for Physical Activity Among Female African American Older Adults.

PubMed

Gothe, Neha P; Kendall, Bradley J

2016-01-01

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, less than 11% of adults more than the age of 65 meet the 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans. Among minority populations, only 5% of non-Hispanic Black older adults met the guidelines. Given our limited understanding of psychosocial and environmental factors that affect physical activity participation in these groups, the purpose of our focus groups was to investigate barriers, motivators, and preferences of physical activity for community-dwelling African American older adults. Three focus groups were conducted with female African American older adults ( N = 20). Questions posed to each focus group targeted motivations and barriers toward physical activity as well as their preferences for physical activity. The motivations included perceived health benefits of physical activity, social support, and enjoyment associated with engagement in physical activity. Prominent barriers included time and physical limitations, peer pressure and family responsibilities, and weather and poor neighborhood conditions. Group activities involving a dance component and novel exercises such as tai-chi or yoga were preferred choices. These findings should be taken into consideration when designing and implementing research or community physical activity programs for female African American older adults.

INVITED SESSION: THE 2011 NATIONAL WETLAND ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

The first-ever National Wetland Condition Assessment (NWCA) was conducted in 2011 by the US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) and its federal and state partners, using a survey design allowing extrapolation of results to national and regional scales. At each of 1138 locations across the contiguous US, vegetation, algae, soil, water chemistry, and hydrologic data were collected. Ecological condition was assessed in relation to a disturbance gradient anchored by least (reference) and most disturbed sites and identified using chemical, physical, and biological indices based on site-level data. A vegetation multimetric index (VMMI) was developed as an indicator of condition, and included four metrics: a floristic quality assessment index, relative importance of native plants, number of disturbance-tolerant plant species, and relative cover of native monocots. Potential stressors to condition were identified and incorporated into four indices of hydrologic alteration, two indices of physical alteration, a soil heavy metal index, and a nonnative plant indicator. These indices were used to quantify national and regional stressor extent, and their associated relative and attributable risk. Approximately 48±6% of the national wetland area was found to be in good condition and 32±6% in poor condition as defined by the VMMI. Nationally, 19% of wetland area had high or very high stress related to nonnative plants. Vegetation removal, hardening, and ditching stressor

Obesity and Associated Health Disparities Among Understudied Multiracial, Pacific Islander, and American Indian Adults.

PubMed

Subica, Andrew M; Agarwal, Neha; Sullivan, J Greer; Link, Bruce G

2017-12-01

This study examined the state of obesity, diabetes, and associated health disparities among understudied multiracial, Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander (NHOPI), and American Indian and Alaskan Native (AIAN) adults. Aggregated data for 184,617 adults from the California Health Interview Survey (2005 to 2011) were analyzed to determine obesity, diabetes, poor/fair health, and physical disability prevalence by racial group. Logistic regressions controlling for age, gender, and key social determinants (education, marital status, poverty, health insurance) generated multiracial, NHOPI, and AIAN adults' odds ratios (ORs) for our targeted health conditions versus non-Hispanic white adults. Obesity, diabetes, and other targeted health conditions were highly prevalent among multiracial, NHOPI, and AIAN adults, who displayed significantly greater adjusted odds than non-Hispanic white adults for obesity (ORs = 1.2-1.9), diabetes (ORs = 1.6-2.4), poor/fair health (ORs = 1.4-1.7), and, with the exception of NHOPI adults, physical disability (ORs = 1.5-1.6). Multiracial and AIAN adults with obesity also had significantly higher adjusted odds of diabetes (OR = 1.5-2.6) than non-Hispanic white adults with obesity. Multiracial, NHOPI, and AIAN adults experience striking obesity-related disparities versus non-Hispanic white adults, urging further disparities research with these vulnerable minority populations. © 2017 The Obesity Society.

Black-white disparity in physical performance among older women with newly diagnosed non-metastatic breast cancer: Exploring the role of inflammation and physical activity.

PubMed

Owusu, Cynthia; Schluchter, Mark; Koroukian, Siran M; Schmitz, Kathryn H; Berger, Nathan A

2018-04-23

To examine racial differences in physical performance among older women with newly diagnosed non-metastatic breast cancer and identify clinical, behavioral and biological factors that might contribute to such disparities. This is a cross-sectional study of women aged ≥65 years with newly diagnosed stage I-III breast cancer recruited from ambulatory oncology clinics at an academic center, between September 2010 and August 2015. Participants completed a Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment and laboratory testing for biomarkers of inflammation [interleukin-6 (IL6)] prior to receiving systemic treatment for cancer. The primary outcome was poor physical performance, defined as scoring ≤7 on the Short Physical Performance Battery, Yes or No. Logistic regression analyses were undertaken. Among 135 women with mean age of 74.8 years (SD = 6.9), 31% were African-American (AA), and 33% had poor physical performance. Controlling for age, education, comorbidities and geriatric syndromes, participants with poor physical performance were more likely to be AA [versus (vs.) Non-Hispanic Whites (NHW)], odds ratio (OR) = 3.10, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.18-8.15. Controlling further for physical activity (PA) attenuated the racial disparity in physical performance (OR = 2.50, CI = 0.91-6.84). Lastly, controlling for IL6 further diminished the racial disparity in physical performance (OR = 1.93, CI = 0.67-5.56). In adjusted models, PA and IL6 explained 29% and 38%, respectively, of the racial disparity in poor physical performance. Among older women with newly diagnosed non-metastatic breast cancer, poor physical performance was prevalent and AA were disproportionately affected. Less engagement in physical activity and subclinical inflammation partly contributed to this disparity. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Physics-based approach to color image enhancement in poor visibility conditions.

PubMed

Tan, K K; Oakley, J P

2001-10-01

Degradation of images by the atmosphere is a familiar problem. For example, when terrain is imaged from a forward-looking airborne camera, the atmosphere degradation causes a loss in both contrast and color information. Enhancement of such images is a difficult task because of the complexity in restoring both the luminance and the chrominance while maintaining good color fidelity. One particular problem is the fact that the level of contrast loss depends strongly on wavelength. A novel method is presented for the enhancement of color images. This method is based on the underlying physics of the degradation process, and the parameters required for enhancement are estimated from the image itself.

Correlates of adverse childhood events among adults with schizophrenia spectrum disorders.

PubMed

Rosenberg, Stanley D; Lu, Weili; Mueser, Kim T; Jankowski, Mary Kay; Cournos, Francine

2007-02-01

Multiple studies have found that childhood adversity is related to a range of poor mental health, substance abuse, poor physical health, and poor social functioning outcomes in the general population of adults. However, despite the high rates of childhood adversity in schizophrenia, the clinical correlates of these events have not been systematically evaluated. This study evaluated the relationship between adverse experiences in childhood and functional, clinical, and health outcomes among adults with schizophrenia. The authors surveyed 569 adults with schizophrenia regarding adverse childhood events (including physical abuse, sexual abuse, parental mental illnesses, loss of a parent, parental separation or divorce, witnessing domestic violence, and foster or kinship care). The relationships between cumulative exposure to these events and psychiatric, physical, and functional outcomes were evaluated. Increased exposure to adverse childhood events was strongly related to psychiatric problems (suicidal thinking, hospitalizations, distress, and posttraumatic stress disorder), substance abuse, physical health problems (HIV infection), medical service utilization (physician visits), and poor social functioning (homelessness or criminal justice involvement). The findings extend the results of research in the general population by suggesting that childhood adversity contributes to worse mental health, substance abuse, worse physical health, and poor functional outcomes in schizophrenia.

The Association Between Self-Assessed Future Work Ability and Long-Term Sickness Absence, Disability Pension and Unemployment in a General Working Population: A 7-Year Follow-Up Study.

PubMed

Lundin, A; Kjellberg, K; Leijon, O; Punnett, L; Hemmingsson, T

2016-06-01

Purpose Work ability is commonly measured with self-assessments, in the form of indices or single items. The validity of these assessments lies in their predictive ability. Prospective studies have reported associations between work ability and sickness absence and disability pension, but few examined why these associations exist. Several correlates of work ability have been reported, but their mechanistic role is largely unknown. This study aims to investigate to what extent individual's own prognosis of work ability predicts labor market participation and whether this was due to individual characteristics and/or working conditions. Methods Self-assessed prognosis of work ability, 2 years from "now," in the Stockholm Public Health Questionnaire (2002-2003) was linked to national registers on sickness absence, disability pension and unemployment up to year 2010. Effects were studied with Cox regression models. Results Of a total of 12,064 individuals 1466 reported poor work ability. There were 299 cases of disability pension, 1466 long-term sickness absence cases and 765 long-term unemployed during follow-up. Poor work ability increased the risk of long-term sickness absence (HR 2.25, CI 95 % 1.97-2.56), disability pension (HR 5.19, CI 95 % 4.07-6.62), and long-term unemployment (HR 2.18, CI 95 % 1.83-2.60). These associations were partially explained by baseline health conditions, physical and (less strongly) psychosocial aspects of working conditions. Conclusions Self-assessed poor ability predicted future long-term sickness absence, disability pension and long-term unemployment. Self-assessed poor work ability seems to be an indicator of future labor market exclusion of different kinds, and can be used in public health monitoring.

How Older Persons Perceive the Loss of Independence: The Need of a Holistic Approach to Frailty.

PubMed

Escourrou, E; Cesari, M; Chicoulaa, B; Fougère, B; Vellas, B; Andrieu, S; Oustric, S

2017-01-01

Since 2004, the definition of the frailty syndrome has shifted from purely physical criteria to a more comprehensive consideration of the individual, including their psychosocial criteria. In this study, qualitative research methods were used as a complementary approach in order to enrich the existing quantitative results in this area. To understand the views of older persons on the risk of loss of independence. The study population comprised people over 75 years of age who were living at home in the south-west of France and were considered to be at risk of losing their independence. Data were collected using individual semi-structured in-depth interviews, accompanied by observations. Inductive analysis was carried out according to grounded theory methods. Fifteen individual interviews were conducted to achieve theoretical data saturation. Analysis of the content of the interviews revealed seven risk factors for the loss of independence: poor mental health, poor physical health, social isolation, no longer leaving the home, an unsuitable environment, unsuitable living conditions, and few resources. These results complement the purely physical approach to screening for the frailty syndrome and lead us to reconsider our screening approach to include a more holistic view of the older person and their circumstances.

Weight gain, metabolic disturbances, and physical health care in a Brazilian sample of outpatients with schizophrenia

PubMed Central

Gordon, Pedro Caldana; Xavier, Josefa Cynara; Louzã, Mario Rodrigues

2013-01-01

Background In the last few decades, a large number of studies have produced compelling evidence that patients with schizophrenia are at increased risk for developing several medical conditions and diseases, including obesity, metabolic disturbances, and cardiovascular diseases. Several protocols have been designed with the aim of reducing such risk. Objective: To investigate current physical health status in a population of outpatients with schizophrenia. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in our outpatient clinic, selecting subjects who met DSM-IV diagnosis criteria for schizophrenia. Data were collected regarding clinical characteristics, lifestyle, medication in use, and biometric and laboratory parameters. Results: A total of 261 patients were included. We found a high prevalence of elevated body mass index (BMI . 25) (70%), dyslipidemia (73.2%), and metabolic syndrome (28.7%). Patients’ ages were associated with worsened lipid profiles, but other variables, such as disorder duration or type of antipsychotic in use, were not associated with any metabolic disturbance. Despite the increased prevalence of these conditions, only a small portion of the sample was under regular medical treatment. Conclusion: Outpatients with schizophrenia show signs of poor physical health conditions. These findings reinforce the need for an intensive and appropriate approach to assure that these patients receive adequate clinical referral and treatment. PMID:23355783

Soil Physical Constraints on Intrinsic Biodegradation of Petroleum Vapors in a Layered Subsurface

PubMed Central

Kristensen, Andreas H.; Henriksen, Kaj; Mortensen, Lars; Scow, Kate M.; Moldrup, Per

2011-01-01

Naturally occurring biodegradation of petroleum hydrocarbons in the vadose zone depends on the physical soil environment influencing field-scale gas exchange and pore-scale microbial metabolism. In this study, we evaluated the effect of soil physical heterogeneity on biodegradation of petroleum vapors in a 16-m-deep, layered vadose zone. Soil slurry experiments (soil/water ratio 10:30 w/w, 25°C) on benzene biodegradation under aerobic and well-mixed conditions indicated that the biodegradation potential in different textured soil samples was related to soil type rather than depth, in the order: sandy loam > fine sand > limestone. Similarly, O2 consumption rates during in situ respiration tests performed at the site were higher in the sandy loam than in the fine sand, although the difference was less significant than in the slurries. Laboratory and field data generally agreed well and suggested a significant potential for aerobic biodegradation, even with nutrient-poor and deep subsurface conditions. In slurries of the sandy loam, the biodegradation potential declined with increasing in situ water saturation (i.e., decreasing air-filled porosity in the field). This showed a relation between antecedent undisturbed field conditions and the slurry biodegradation potential, and suggested airfilled porosity to be a key factor for the intrinsic biodegradation potential in the field. PMID:21617737

Climate and ecosystem linkages explain widespread declines in North American Atlantic salmon populations.

PubMed

Mills, Katherine E; Pershing, Andrew J; Sheehan, Timothy F; Mountain, David

2013-10-01

North American Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) populations experienced substantial declines in the early 1990s, and many populations have persisted at low abundances in recent years. Abundance and productivity declined in a coherent manner across major regions of North America, and this coherence points toward a potential shift in marine survivorship, rather than local, river-specific factors. The major declines in Atlantic salmon populations occurred against a backdrop of physical and biological shifts in Northwest Atlantic ecosystems. Analyses of changes in climate, physical, and lower trophic level biological factors provide substantial evidence that climate conditions directly and indirectly influence the abundance and productivity of North American Atlantic salmon populations. A major decline in salmon abundance after 1990 was preceded by a series of changes across multiple levels of the ecosystem, and a subsequent population change in 1997, primarily related to salmon productivity, followed an unusually low NAO event. Pairwise correlations further demonstrate that climate and physical conditions are associated with changes in plankton communities and prey availability, which are ultimately linked to Atlantic salmon populations. Results suggest that poor trophic conditions, likely due to climate-driven environmental factors, and warmer ocean temperatures throughout their marine habitat area are constraining the productivity and recovery of North American Atlantic salmon populations. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Improved self-confidence was a mechanism of action in two geriatric trials evaluating physical interventions.

PubMed

Peduzzi, Peter; Guo, Zhenchao; Marottoli, Richard A; Gill, Thomas M; Araujo, Katy; Allore, Heather G

2007-01-01

To evaluate the mechanisms of action in two successful geriatric clinical trials that tested multicomponent physical conditioning programs and to determine whether the pathways for overall benefit were through improvement in physical ability and/or self-confidence. PREHAB and DRIVER were conducted by the Yale Pepper Center. PREHAB participants received an individualized program that focused on the impairments present (standardly tailored design); DRIVER participants received the entire intervention (global design). PREHAB enrolled 188 community-living persons, aged 75 years or older, who were physically frail but ambulatory; DRIVER enrolled 178 drivers aged 70 years or older with physical impairments associated with poor driving performance. The primary outcome for PREHAB was a disability score and for DRIVER it was a driving score; potential mediators were measures of physical ability and self-confidence. In PREHAB, pathways for the intervention were established through improvement in physical ability and self-confidence. In DRIVER, there was some evidence for a pathway through improved driving self-confidence but not through physical ability; however, the intervention effect was largely unexplained. Multicomponent physical interventions may operate through psychological mechanisms, and these mechanisms should be anticipated in trial designs so that the component effects can be suitably evaluated.

Physical condition and maintenance of mosquito bed nets in Kwale County, coastal Kenya

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Despite the extensive ownership and use of insecticide-treated nets (ITNs) over the last decade, the effective lifespan of these nets, especially their physical integrity, under true operational conditions is not well-understood. Usefulness of nets declines primarily due to physical damage or loss of insecticidal activity. Methods A community based cross-sectional survey was used to determine the physical condition and to identify predictors of poor physical condition for bed nets owned by individuals from communities in Kwale County, coastal Kenya. A proportionate hole index (pHI) was used as a standard measure, and the cut-offs for an ‘effective net’ (offer substantial protection against mosquito bites) and ‘ineffective nets’ (offer little or no protection against mosquito bites) were determined (pHI ≤88 (about ≤500 cm2 of holes surface area) and pHI of >88 (≥500 cm2 of holes surface area), respectively). Results The vast majority (78%) of the surveyed nets had some holes. The median pHI was 92 (range: 1–2,980). Overall, half of the nets were categorized as ‘effective nets’ or ‘serviceable nets’. Physical deterioration of nets was associated with higher use and washing frequency. Young children and older children were found to use ineffective bed nets significantly more often than infants, while the physical integrity of nets owned by pregnant women was similar to those owned by infants. Estuarine environment inhabitants owned nets with the worst physical condition, while nets owned by the coastal slope inhabitants were in fairly good physical condition. The results suggest that bed nets are optimally utilized when they are new and physically intact. Thereafter, bed net utilization decreases gradually with increasing physical deterioration, with most net owners withdrawing physically damaged nets from routine use. This withdrawal commonly happens following 1.5 years of use, making bed net use the most important predictor of physical integrity. On average, the nets were washed twice within six months prior to the survey. Washing frequency was significantly influenced by the bed net colour and bed net age. Lack of knowledge on reasons for net retreatment and the retreatment procedure was evident, while net repair was minimal and did not seem to improve the physical condition of the nets. The “catch-up” bed net distribution strategies are sufficient for ensuring adequate ownership and utilization of ‘effective nets’ in the targeted groups, but bi-annual mass distribution is necessary to provide similar ownership and utilization for the other groups not targeted by “catch-up” strategies. Conclusions Monitoring and maintenance strategies that will deliver locally appropriate education messages on net washing and repair will enhance the effectiveness of malaria control programmes, and further research to assess ineffective nets need is needed. PMID:23374429

Social support and mastery influence the association between stress and poor physical health in parents caring for children with developmental disabilities.

PubMed

Cantwell, Joanne; Muldoon, Orla T; Gallagher, Stephen

2014-09-01

To date, much of the research linking the stress of caring for children with developmental disabilities (e.g. Autism & Down syndrome) with parental health outcomes have tended to concentrate on mental health with less attention paid to the physical health consequences. Thus, this study sought to explore the psychosocial predictors of poor physical health in these caring parents. One hundred and sixty-seven parents (109 caregivers and 58 control parents) completed measures of stress, child problem behaviours, social support, mastery and physical health. Parents of children with developmental disabilities had poorer physical health compared to control parents. Stress and mastery, but not social support and problem behaviours, were significant predictors of poor physical health within caring parents for children with developmental disabilities. However, the association between mastery and physical health was mediated by perceived stress such that those parents who were higher on mastery reported less stress and better physical health; furthermore, the association between stress and physical health was moderated by social support; those parents high on social support and low in stress had better physical health. These results indicate that the paths between psychosocial factors and poor physical health in the caring parents are working synergistically rather than in isolation. They also underscore the importance of providing multi-component interventions that offer a variety of psychosocial resources to meet the precise needs of the parents. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Indirect Effects of Social Skills on Health Through Stress and Loneliness.

PubMed

Segrin, Chris

2017-10-20

The social skills deficit vulnerability model predicts that people with inadequate social skills are at risk for a range of psychosocial problems, especially when confronted with stress. People with poor social skills often experience stress and loneliness and these two constructs were tested as potential pathways by which the poor social skills confer a risk for compromised mental and physical health. An online survey was completed by 775 adults, aged 18-91. The sample matched national demographics for race/ethnicity and age, among those over 18. Structural equation modeling revealed indirect effects of social skills on both mental and physical health through both stress and loneliness. The models showed that poor social skills were associated with poor mental and physical health through elevated stress and increased loneliness. The findings reveal that social skills deficits are associated with physical as well as mental health problems.

The influence of chronic conditions and the environment on pubertal development. An example from medieval England.

PubMed

Lewis, M E; Shapland, F; Watts, R

2016-03-01

Adolescence is a unique period in human development encompassing sexual maturation (puberty) and the physical and psychological transition into adulthood. It is a crucial time for healthy development and any adverse environmental conditions, poor nutrition, or chronic infection can alter the timing of these physical changes; delaying menarche in girls or the age of peak height velocity in boys. This study explores the impact of chronic illness on the tempo of puberty in 607 adolescent skeletons from medieval England (AD 900-1550). A total of 135 (22.2%) adolescents showed some delay in their pubertal development, and this lag increased with age. Of those with a chronic condition, 40.0% (n=24/60) showed delay compared to only 20.3% (n=111/547) of the non-pathology group. This difference was statistically significant. A binary logistic regression model demonstrated a significant association between increasing delay in pubertal stage attainment with age in the pathology group. This is the first time that chronic conditions have been directly associated with a delay in maturation in the osteological record, using a new method to assess stages of puberty in skeletal remains. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The relationship between science classroom facility conditions and ninth grade students' attitudes toward science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ford, Angela Y.

Over half of the school facilities in America are in poor condition. Unsatisfactory school facilities have a negative impact on teaching and learning. The purpose of this correlational study was to identify the relationship between high school science teachers' perceptions of the school science environment (instructional equipment, demonstration equipment, and physical facilities) and ninth grade students' attitudes about science through their expressed enjoyment of science, importance of time spent on science, and boredom with science. A sample of 11,523 cases was extracted, after a process of data mining, from a databank of over 24,000 nationally representative ninth graders located throughout the United States. The instrument used to survey these students was part of the High School Longitudinal Study of 2009 (HSLS:2009). The research design was multiple linear regression. The results showed a significant relationship between the science classroom conditions and students' attitudes. Demonstration equipment and physical facilities were the best predictors of effects on students' attitudes. Conclusions based on this study and recommendations for future research are made.

The psychiatric inpatient physical health assessment sheet (PIPHAS): a useful tool to improve the speed, efficiency, and documentation of physical examination in new psychiatric inpatients

PubMed Central

Pettipher, Alexander; Ovens, Richard

2015-01-01

There is increased morbidity and mortality among patients suffering from mental illness. This is believed to be multi-factorial. Poor access to healthcare, the stigma of mental illness, reduced clinic attendance, lifestyle factors, and side effects of medications are cited as possible contributing factors. It is therefore vital to perform a physical examination to identify previously undiagnosed conditions during the admission of a psychiatric inpatient. The Royal College of Psychiatrists recommends that all patients admitted to a psychiatric hospital should receive a full physical examination on admission, or within twenty-four hours of admission. A snapshot audit was carried out at Prospect Park Hospital in Reading, which highlighted that The Royal College of Psychiatrist's recommendation, along with Trust guidelines regarding physical examination were not being met, with only 78 out of 111 patients (70.3%) undergoing an examination during their admission. In addition to this, examinations were often poorly documented and not covering all examination domains. A psychiatric inpatient physical health assessment sheet (PIPHAS) was designed and introduced, providing a quick and standardised approach to the documentation of a physical examination. After the intervention was put into practice, its impact was assessed by performing a retrospective review of the admission clerking notes of the next 100 admissions to Prospect Park Hospital. Following the introduction of the PIPHAS form there was an increase in the number of patients undergoing physical examination on admission to hospital (75 out of 100 patients, 75%). There was also an increase in the thorough documentation of all examination domains (e.g. respiratory examination) for patients that had a completed PIPHAS form scanned within their medical records. This quality improvement project demonstrates that the PIPHAS form is a useful tool to improve the speed, efficiency, and documentation of a thorough physical examination in new psychiatric inpatients. PMID:26734362

The psychiatric inpatient physical health assessment sheet (PIPHAS): a useful tool to improve the speed, efficiency, and documentation of physical examination in new psychiatric inpatients.

PubMed

Pettipher, Alexander; Ovens, Richard

2015-01-01

There is increased morbidity and mortality among patients suffering from mental illness. This is believed to be multi-factorial. Poor access to healthcare, the stigma of mental illness, reduced clinic attendance, lifestyle factors, and side effects of medications are cited as possible contributing factors. It is therefore vital to perform a physical examination to identify previously undiagnosed conditions during the admission of a psychiatric inpatient. The Royal College of Psychiatrists recommends that all patients admitted to a psychiatric hospital should receive a full physical examination on admission, or within twenty-four hours of admission. A snapshot audit was carried out at Prospect Park Hospital in Reading, which highlighted that The Royal College of Psychiatrist's recommendation, along with Trust guidelines regarding physical examination were not being met, with only 78 out of 111 patients (70.3%) undergoing an examination during their admission. In addition to this, examinations were often poorly documented and not covering all examination domains. A psychiatric inpatient physical health assessment sheet (PIPHAS) was designed and introduced, providing a quick and standardised approach to the documentation of a physical examination. After the intervention was put into practice, its impact was assessed by performing a retrospective review of the admission clerking notes of the next 100 admissions to Prospect Park Hospital. Following the introduction of the PIPHAS form there was an increase in the number of patients undergoing physical examination on admission to hospital (75 out of 100 patients, 75%). There was also an increase in the thorough documentation of all examination domains (e.g. respiratory examination) for patients that had a completed PIPHAS form scanned within their medical records. This quality improvement project demonstrates that the PIPHAS form is a useful tool to improve the speed, efficiency, and documentation of a thorough physical examination in new psychiatric inpatients.

Economic rationality in choosing between short-term bad-health choices and longer-term good-health choices.

PubMed

Campbell, David

2013-11-08

Non-contagious, chronic disease has been identified as a global health risk. Poor lifestyle choices, such as smoking, alcohol, drug and solvent abuse, physical inactivity, and unhealthy diet have been identified as important factors affecting the increasing incidence of chronic disease. The following focuses on the circumstance affecting the lifestyle or behavioral choices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in remote-/very remote Australia. Poor behavioral choices are the result of endogenous characteristics that are influenced by a range of stressful exogenous variables making up the psychosocial determinants including social disenfranchisement, cultural loss, insurmountable tasks, the loss of volitional control and resource constraints. It is shown that poor behavioral choices can be economically rational; especially under highly stressful conditions. Stressful circumstances erode individual capacity to commit to long-term positive health alternatives such as self-investment in education. Policies directed at removing the impediments and providing incentives to behaviors involving better health choices can lead to reductions in smoking and alcohol consumption and improved health outcomes. Multijurisdictional culturally acceptable policies directed at distal variables relating to the psychosocial determinants of health and personal mastery and control can be cost effective. While the content of this paper is focused on the conditions of colonized peoples, it has broader relevance.

The combined effect of physical, psychosocial/organisational and/or environmental risk factors on the presence of work-related musculoskeletal symptoms and its consequences.

PubMed

Widanarko, Baiduri; Legg, Stephen; Devereux, Jason; Stevenson, Mark

2014-11-01

This study assessed the combined effect of physical and psychosocial/organisational and/or environmental factors on the presence of musculoskeletal symptoms (MSS) and its consequences (reduced activities and absenteeism due to MSS) in a random sample of 3003 workers in New Zealand. By telephone interview, participants reported their current workplace exposures and MSS (neck/shoulder, arm/elbow, wrist and low back) and its consequences. Data were analysed using multivariable logistic regression. Combined exposure to physical and psychosocial/organisational and/or environmental factors increased the odds of MSS in the neck/shoulder (OR 3.14, 95% CI 1.79-5.52), arms/elbow regions (OR 4.14, 95% CI 2.21-7.76) and low back (OR 1.74, 95% CI 1.28-2.37) and its consequences, i.e. reduced activities due to neck/shoulder symptoms (OR 5.45, 95% CI 2.28-13.00), absenteeism due to neck/shoulder symptoms (OR 5.19, 95% CI 2.24-12.01) and absenteeism due to low back symptoms (OR 4.37, 95% CI 2.92-6.53). In contrast, favourable psychosocial/organisational work conditions reduced the odds of wrist symptoms due to poor physical work conditions (OR 2.19, 95% CI 1.44-3.34). We conclude that to reduce MSS and its consequences, employers need to adopt a multifaceted approach: concentrate on improving physical conditions as well as the psychosocial/organisational and environmental aspects of the working environment. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd and The Ergonomics Society. All rights reserved.

Association between Body Image Dissatisfaction and Self-Rated Health, as Mediated by Physical Activity and Eating Habits: Structural Equation Modelling in ELSA-Brasil.

PubMed

de Oliveira da Silva, Patricia; Miguez Nery Guimarães, Joanna; Härter Griep, Rosane; Caetano Prates Melo, Enirtes; Maria Alvim Matos, Sheila; Del Carmem Molina, Maria; Maria Barreto, Sandhi; de Jesus Mendes da Fonseca, Maria

2018-04-18

This study investigated whether the association between body image dissatisfaction and poor self-rated health is mediated by insufficient physical activity and unhealthy eating habits. The participants were 6727 men and 8037 women from the baseline (2008–2010) of the Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (Estudo Longitudinal de Saúde do Adulto, ELSA-Brasil). Structural equation modelling was used. Associations were found between body image dissatisfaction and poor self-rated health in both sexes. Insufficient physical activity was a mediator. However, unhealthy eating habits were found to exert a mediator effect only via insufficient physical activity. Body image dissatisfaction was found to associate, both directly and possibly indirectly, with poor self-rated health, mediated by insufficient physical activity and unhealthy eating habits. Accordingly, encouraging physical activity and healthy eating can contribute to reducing body image dissatisfaction and favour better self-rated health.

A Strength Training Program for Primary Care Patients, Central Pennsylvania, 2012

PubMed Central

Patel, Vijay A.; Kraschnewski, Jennifer L.; Rovniak, Liza S.; Messina, Dino A.; Stuckey, Heather L.; Curry, William J.; Chuang, Cynthia H.; Sherwood, Lisa L.; Hess, Stacy L.

2014-01-01

Introduction Primary care providers can recommend strength training programs to use “Exercise as Medicine,” yet few studies have examined the interest of primary care patients in these programs. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional survey of primary care patients in central Pennsylvania. Interest in participating in free group-based strength training and weight control programs was assessed, in addition to patient demographics, medical history, and quality of life. Results Among 414 patients, most (61.0%) were aged 54 or older, and 64.0% were female. More patients were interested in a strength training program (55.3%) than in a weight control program (45.4%). Nearly three-quarters (72.8%) of those reporting 10 or more days of poor physical health were interested in a strength training program compared with 49.5% of those reporting no days of poor physical health. After adjusting for potential confounders, those reporting poorer physical health had 2.7 greater odds (95% confidence interval, 1.4–5.1) of being interested in a strength training program compared with those reporting better physical health. Patients with hypertension, diabetes, or high cholesterol were not more interested in a strength training program than those without these conditions. Conclusion Primary care practices may consider offering or referring patients to community-based strength training programs. This study observed high levels of interest in these widely available programs. Practices may also consider screening and referring those with poorer physical health, as they may be the most interested and have the most to gain from participating. PMID:24967829

Can the physical properties associated with uncertainties in the NASA MODIS AOD retrievals in the western U.S. be determined?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Loria Salazar, S. M.; Holmes, H.; Panorska, A. K.; Arnott, W. P.; Barnard, J.

2016-12-01

Previous investigations have used satellite remote sensing to estimate surface air pollution concentrations. While most of these studies rely on models developed for the dark-vegetated eastern U.S., they are being used in the semi-arid western U.S without modifications. These models are not robust in the western U.S. due to: 1. Irregular topography that leads to complicated boundary layer physics, 2. Pollutant mixtures, 3. Heterogeneous vertical profile of aerosol concentrations, and 4. High surface reflectance. Here, results from Nevada and California demonstrate poor AOD correlation between AERONET MODIS retrievals. Smoke from wildfires strengthened the aerosol signal, but the MODIS versus AERONET AOD correlation did not improve significantly during fire events [r2 0.17 (non-fire), r2 0.2 (fire)]. Furthermore, aerosol from fires increased the normalized mean bias (NMB) of MODIS retrievals of AOD[NMB 82% (non-fire), NMB 146% (fire)]. Additional results of this investigation found that aerosol plumes confined with the boundary layer improves MODIS AOD retrievals. However, when this condition is not met (i.e., 70% of the time downwind of mountains regions) MODIS AOD has a poor correlation and high bias with respect to AERONET AOD. Fire injection height, complicated boundary layer mixing, and entrainment disperse smoke plumes into the free atmosphere. Therefore, smoke plumes exacerbate the complex aerosol transport typical in the western U.S. and the non-linear relationship between surface pollutant concentrations and conditions aloft. This work uses stochastic methods, including regression to investigate the influence of each of these physical behaviors on the MODIS, AERONET AOD discrepancy using surrogates for each physical phenomenon, e.g., surface albedo for surface reflectance, boundary layer height and elevation for complex mixing, aerosol optical height for vertical aerosol concentrations, and fire radiative power for smoke plume injection height.

Linear Frequency Modulated Signals VS Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing Signals for Synthetic Aperture Radar Systems

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-06-01

antenna beamwidth and R is the range distance. Antenna beam width  is proportional to the real aperture size and is given as antennaL ...18) where  is the wavelength and antennaL is the physical length of the radar antenna; therefore, cross-range resolution for a real aperture... antennaL R  (20) A value of 50 meters for cross-range resolution is rather high and signifies poor resolution. Under these conditions, obtaining

Logistic regression models for predicting physical and mental health-related quality of life in rheumatoid arthritis patients.

PubMed

Alishiri, Gholam Hossein; Bayat, Noushin; Fathi Ashtiani, Ali; Tavallaii, Seyed Abbas; Assari, Shervin; Moharamzad, Yashar

2008-01-01

The aim of this work was to develop two logistic regression models capable of predicting physical and mental health related quality of life (HRQOL) among rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients. In this cross-sectional study which was conducted during 2006 in the outpatient rheumatology clinic of our university hospital, Short Form 36 (SF-36) was used for HRQOL measurements in 411 RA patients. A cutoff point to define poor versus good HRQOL was calculated using the first quartiles of SF-36 physical and mental component scores (33.4 and 36.8, respectively). Two distinct logistic regression models were used to derive predictive variables including demographic, clinical, and psychological factors. The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of each model were calculated. Poor physical HRQOL was positively associated with pain score, disease duration, monthly family income below 300 US$, comorbidity, patient global assessment of disease activity or PGA, and depression (odds ratios: 1.1; 1.004; 15.5; 1.1; 1.02; 2.08, respectively). The variables that entered into the poor mental HRQOL prediction model were monthly family income below 300 US$, comorbidity, PGA, and bodily pain (odds ratios: 6.7; 1.1; 1.01; 1.01, respectively). Optimal sensitivity and specificity were achieved at a cutoff point of 0.39 for the estimated probability of poor physical HRQOL and 0.18 for mental HRQOL. Sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of the physical and mental models were 73.8, 87, 83.7% and 90.38, 70.36, 75.43%, respectively. The results show that the suggested models can be used to predict poor physical and mental HRQOL separately among RA patients using simple variables with acceptable accuracy. These models can be of use in the clinical decision-making of RA patients and to recognize patients with poor physical or mental HRQOL in advance, for better management.

A preliminary index of biotic integrity for monitoring the condition of the Rio Paraiba do Sul, southeast Brazil.

PubMed

Araujo, Francisco Gerson; Fichberg, Ilana; Pinto, Benjamin Carvalho Teixeira; Peixoto, Magna Galvao

2003-10-01

The biodiversity of many Brazilian rivers is seriously threatened by industrial and municipal pollution, and Rio Paraiba do Sul, located between two major industrial centers is one example of this situation. A survey of the fish assemblage was conducted from October 1998 to September 1999 and the data were used to develop an index of biotic integrity (IBI). We sampled three zones in bracketing a large urban-industrial complex to evaluate water quality changes and the usefulness of the IBI as a monitoring tool. Water quality was classified as poor upstream of the effluent discharges, very poor near the discharges, and poor-fair downstream of the discharges, with this latter situation revealing the current biological capacity of the river. Physical and chemical habitat characteristics were also measured at each site to construct an independent environmental index to validate the IBI. The habitat and IBI indices were highly correlated, suggesting this IBI would be applicable to other large rivers in southeast Brazil.

Food Insecurity and Perceived Diet Quality Among Low-Income Older Americans with Functional Limitations.

PubMed

Chang, Yunhee; Hickman, Haley

2018-05-01

To evaluate how functional limitations are associated with food insecurity and perceived diet quality in low-income older Americans. Nationwide repeated cross-sectional surveys regarding health and nutritional status. The National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys, 2007-2008, 2009-2010, and 2011-2012. Individuals aged ≥65 years with household incomes ≤130% of the federal poverty level (n = 1,323). Dependent variables included dichotomous indicators of food insecurity and poor-quality diet, measured with the household food security survey module and respondents' own ratings, respectively. Independent variable was presence of limitations in physical functioning. Weighted logistic regressions with nested controls and interaction terms. Functional limitations in low-income older adults were associated with 1.69 times higher odds of food insecurity (P < .01) and 1.65 times higher odds of poor-quality diet (P < .01) after accounting for individuals' health care needs and socioeconomic conditions. These associations were greatest among those living alone (odds ratio = 3.38 for food insecurity; 3.07 for poor-quality diet; P < .05) and smallest among those living with a partner. Low-income older adults who live alone with functional limitations are exposed to significant nutritional risk. Resources should be directed to facilitating their physical access to healthful foods. Copyright © 2017 Society for Nutrition Education and Behavior. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Integrated medical care management and behavioral risk factor reduction for multicondition patients: behavioral outcomes of the TEAMcare trial.

PubMed

Rosenberg, Dori; Lin, Elizabeth; Peterson, Do; Ludman, Evette; Von Korff, Michael; Katon, Wayne

2014-01-01

The purpose of the study was to compare behavioral outcomes (physical activity, sedentary behavior, smoking cessation, diet) between the intervention and usual care conditions from the TEAMcare trial. TEAMcare was a randomized trial among 214 adults with depression and poorly controlled diabetes and/or coronary heart disease that promoted health behavior change and pharmacotherapy to improve health. Behavioral outcomes were measured with the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (physical activity, sitting time) and the Summary of Diabetes Self-Care Activities Measure (smoking, diet, exercise). Poisson regression models among completers (N=185) were conducted adjusting for age, education, smoking status and depression. Intervention participants had more days/week following a healthy eating plan [relative rate=1.2, 95% confidence interval (CI)=1.1-1.4] and more days of participation in 30 min of physical activity (relative rate=1.2, 95% CI=1.1-2.0) compared to usual care. Intervention participants were more likely to meet physical activity guidelines (7.5% increase) compared to usual care (12% decrease; P=.053). Diet and activity generally improved for those receiving the intervention, while there were no differences in some aspects of diet (fruit and vegetable and high-fat food intake), smoking status and sitting time between conditions in the TEAMcare trial. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Structural violence in long-term, residential care for older people: Comparing Canada and Scandinavia

PubMed Central

Banerjee, Albert; Daly, Tamara; Armstrong, Pat; Szebehely, Marta; Armstrong, Hugh; LaFrance, Stirling

2014-01-01

Canadian frontline careworkers are six times more likely to experience daily physical violence than their Scandinavian counterparts. This paper draws on a comparative survey of residential careworkers serving older people across three Canadian provinces (Manitoba, Nova Scotia, Ontario) and four countries that follow a Scandinavian model of social care (Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden) conducted between 2005 and 2006. Ninety percent of Canadian frontline careworkers experienced physical violence from residents or their relatives and 43 percent reported physical violence on a daily basis. Canadian focus groups conducted in 2007 reveal violence was often normalized as an inevitable part of elder-care. We use the concept of “structural violence” (Galtung, 1969) to raise questions about the role that systemic and organizational factors play in setting the context for violence. Structural violence refers to indirect forms of violence that are built into social structures and that prevent people from meeting their basic needs or fulfilling their potential. We applied the concept to long-term residential care and found that the poor quality of the working conditions and inadequate levels of support experienced by Canadian careworkers constitute a form of structural violence. Working conditions are detrimental to careworker’s physical and mental health, and prevent careworkers from providing the quality of care they are capable of providing and understand to be part of their job. These conditions may also contribute to the violence workers experience, and further investigation is warranted. PMID:22204839

Physical and microbiological stability of an extemporaneous tacrolimus suspension for paediatric use.

PubMed

Han, J; Beeton, A; Long, P F; Wong, I; Tuleu, C

2006-04-01

An extemporaneous suspension of tacrolimus for paediatric use has recently been developed but poor bioavailability and erratic plasma concentrations were observed during clinical use. It was not clear whether this was due to changes in the physical properties of the suspension during storage. The aim of this work was to investigate the physical and microbiological stability over the recommended 8-week shelf-life of this extemporaneous tacrolimus suspension. Suspensions (0.5 mg/mL) were custom made by a special manufacturer under Good Manufacturing Practice conditions. The procedure involved mixing tacrolimus capsule contents into Ora Plus and Simple Syrup (1 : 1) using a mortar and pestle followed by an homogenization step. The particle sizes of the suspensions were measured using a MasterSizer. A light microscope equipped with polarizers was used to visualize any particle size changes or crystal growth. Viable bacterial and fungal contamination was assessed using standard colony count techniques on solid media. The suspensions were kept at 22-26 degrees C and evaluated weekly. The volume mean diameter d((4,3)) from laser diffraction did not change significantly. Light microscopy did not reveal any significant change in particle size or crystal growth. Contamination by viable and culturable micro-organisms could not be detected. The suspension was physically (particle size) and microbiologically stable during the 8-week study period suggesting other factors including poor dosing could be responsible for the pharmacokinetic variation observed during clinical use which warrants further investigation.

Sleep quality, fatigue and physical activity following a cancer diagnosis.

PubMed

Humpel, N; Iverson, D C

2010-11-01

Research on physical activity for cancer survivors suggests a relationship with improved quality of life. The aim of this study was to explore if there was also a relationship of physical activity with sleep difficulties and fatigue, common effects of cancer and its treatments. Recruitment was by posters and flyers in medical waiting rooms and by letter of invitation. Thirty-two breast and 59 prostate cancer survivors completed the questionnaire. Poor sleep quality was reported by 57.8%. A greater proportion of breast cancer (36.7%) than prostate cancer survivors (15.5%) reported poor sleep latency, and sleep disturbance (48.4% vs. 17.2%). The mean minutes of moderate physical activity was lower among participants reporting poor sleep quality [F(1,89) = 11.36, P < 0.001]. A greater proportion of breast cancer (65.7%) than prostate cancer survivors (43.1%) reported high fatigue. Participants who reported no physical activity had significantly greater fatigue (M = 31) than those reporting high physical activity levels (M = 42). While at an early stage of research, results are suggestive of a relationship of physical activity with sleep problems among cancer survivors. Findings have implications for improving quality of life as poor sleep was associated with greater fatigue and regular physical activity shows promise as an aid to alleviating these problems. © 2009 The Authors. European Journal of Cancer Care © 2009 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Rationale, design and methods for a randomised and controlled trial of the impact of virtual reality games on motor competence, physical activity, and mental health in children with developmental coordination disorder.

PubMed

Straker, Leon M; Campbell, Amity C; Jensen, Lyn M; Metcalf, Deborah R; Smith, Anne J; Abbott, Rebecca A; Pollock, Clare M; Piek, Jan P

2011-08-18

A healthy start to life requires adequate motor development and physical activity participation. Currently 5-15% of children have impaired motor development without any obvious disorder. These children are at greater risk of obesity, musculoskeletal disorders, low social confidence and poor mental health. Traditional electronic game use may impact on motor development and physical activity creating a vicious cycle. However new virtual reality (VR) game interfaces may provide motor experiences that enhance motor development and lead to an increase in motor coordination and better physical activity and mental health outcomes. VR games are beginning to be used for rehabilitation, however there is no reported trial of the impact of these games on motor coordination in children with developmental coordination disorder. This cross-over randomised and controlled trial will examine whether motor coordination is enhanced by access to active electronic games and whether daily activity, attitudes to physical activity and mental health are also enhanced. Thirty children aged 10-12 years with poor motor coordination (≤ 15th percentile) will be recruited and randomised to a balanced ordering of 'no active electronic games' and 'active electronic games'. Each child will participate in both conditions for 16 weeks, and be assessed prior to participation and at the end of each condition. The primary outcome is motor coordination, assessed by kinematic and kinetic motion analysis laboratory measures. Physical activity and sedentary behaviour will be assessed by accelerometry, coordination in daily life by parent report questionnaire and attitudes to physical activity, self-confidence, anxiety and depressed mood will be assessed by self report questionnaire. A sample of 30 will provide a power of > 0.9 for detecting a 5 point difference in motor coordination on the MABC-2 TIS scale (mean 17, sd = 5). This is the first trial to examine the impact of new virtual reality games on motor coordination in children with developmental coordination disorder. The findings will provide critical information to understand whether these electronic games can be used to have a positive impact on the physical and mental health of these children. Given the importance of adequate motor coordination, physical activity and mental health in childhood, this project can inform interventions which could have a profound impact on the long term health of this group of children. Australia and New Zealand Clinical Trials Register (ANZCTR): ACTRN12611000400965.

Rationale, design and methods for a randomised and controlled trial of the impact of virtual reality games on motor competence, physical activity, and mental health in children with developmental coordination disorder

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background A healthy start to life requires adequate motor development and physical activity participation. Currently 5-15% of children have impaired motor development without any obvious disorder. These children are at greater risk of obesity, musculoskeletal disorders, low social confidence and poor mental health. Traditional electronic game use may impact on motor development and physical activity creating a vicious cycle. However new virtual reality (VR) game interfaces may provide motor experiences that enhance motor development and lead to an increase in motor coordination and better physical activity and mental health outcomes. VR games are beginning to be used for rehabilitation, however there is no reported trial of the impact of these games on motor coordination in children with developmental coordination disorder. Methods This cross-over randomised and controlled trial will examine whether motor coordination is enhanced by access to active electronic games and whether daily activity, attitudes to physical activity and mental health are also enhanced. Thirty children aged 10-12 years with poor motor coordination (≤ 15th percentile) will be recruited and randomised to a balanced ordering of 'no active electronic games' and 'active electronic games'. Each child will participate in both conditions for 16 weeks, and be assessed prior to participation and at the end of each condition. The primary outcome is motor coordination, assessed by kinematic and kinetic motion analysis laboratory measures. Physical activity and sedentary behaviour will be assessed by accelerometry, coordination in daily life by parent report questionnaire and attitudes to physical activity, self-confidence, anxiety and depressed mood will be assessed by self report questionnaire. A sample of 30 will provide a power of > 0.9 for detecting a 5 point difference in motor coordination on the MABC-2 TIS scale (mean 17, sd = 5). Discussion This is the first trial to examine the impact of new virtual reality games on motor coordination in children with developmental coordination disorder. The findings will provide critical information to understand whether these electronic games can be used to have a positive impact on the physical and mental health of these children. Given the importance of adequate motor coordination, physical activity and mental health in childhood, this project can inform interventions which could have a profound impact on the long term health of this group of children. Trial registration Australia and New Zealand Clinical Trials Register (ANZCTR): ACTRN12611000400965 PMID:21851587

[Quality of work life in nursing staff].

PubMed

Zavala, María Olga Quintana; Klijn, Tatiana Maria Paravic

2014-01-01

This article deals with aspects that are related to work, quality of life, and its relationship with the nursing staff within the Mexican context. Professionals in health areas present alterations that are commonly overlooked and barely dealt with, especially when the person is a woman and, the care they give to patients, families, and/or friends, or community members, precede their own self care. In the case of institutions or work areas, even when the job provides human beings with several benefits, it usually lacks the proper conditions to perform the job, carries negatives aspects or pathological conditions, all which can relate to poor levels of Quality of Life at Work. Members of the nursing team need to perform their work in the best possible conditions in order to maintain their physical and mental health.

United States Physical Therapists' Knowledge About Joint Hypermobility Syndrome Compared with Fibromyalgia and Rheumatoid Arthritis.

PubMed

Russek, Leslie N; LaShomb, Emily A; Ware, Amy M; Wesner, Sarah M; Westcott, Vanessa

2016-03-01

Joint hypermobility syndrome (JHS) is one of the most common inherited connective tissue disorders. It causes significant pain and disability for all age groups, ranging from developmental delay among children to widespread chronic pain in adults. Experts in JHS assert that the condition is under-recognized and poorly managed. The aim of this study was to assess US physical therapists' knowledge about JHS compared with other causes of widespread pain and activity limitations: fibromyalgia, juvenile rheumatoid arthritis and adult rheumatoid arthritis. Cross-sectional, Internet-based survey of randomly selected members of the American Physical Therapy Association and descriptive statistics were used to explore physical therapists' knowledge about JHS, fibromyalgia, juvenile rheumatoid arthritis and adult rheumatoid arthritis, and chi square was used to compare knowledge about the different conditions. The response rate was 15.5% (496). Although 36% recognized the Beighton Scale for assessing joint hypermobility, only 26.8% of respondents were familiar with the Brighton Criteria for diagnosing JHS. Few respondents (11-19%) realized that JHS has extra-articular features such as anxiety disorder, fatigue, headache, delayed motor development, easy bruising and sleep disturbance. Physical therapists working in environments most likely to see patients with JHS underestimated the likely prevalence in their patient population. The results suggest that many physical therapists in the United States are not familiar with the diagnostic criteria, prevalence or common clinical presentation of JHS. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Destroying God's Temple? Physical Inactivity, Poor Diet, Obesity, and Other "Sin" Behaviors.

PubMed

Faries, Mark D; McClendon, Megan; Jones, Eric J

2017-02-17

On average, our participants (N = 112), who self-proclaimed to be Christians, believed that physically inactive lifestyles, unhealthy eating, overeating, and being obese destroy the body, God's temple. However, these beliefs were less definitive, than those of other common "sin" behaviors, such as drug use, smoking, and excessive drinking of alcohol. In addition, destroying the body with physical inactivity or poor diet was not necessarily viewed as sinful. Subsequently, these beliefs did not relate to self-reported physical activity, dietary behavior, or body mass index. It is possible that inactivity, poor dietary habits, and obesity are not internalized into the spiritual perspective as destroying the body, God's temple, in the same way as other "sin" behaviors.

Lifestyle Patterns and Weight Status in Spanish Adults: The ANIBES Study.

PubMed

Pérez-Rodrigo, Carmen; Gianzo-Citores, Marta; Gil, Ángel; González-Gross, Marcela; Ortega, Rosa M; Serra-Majem, Lluis; Varela-Moreiras, Gregorio; Aranceta-Bartrina, Javier

2017-06-14

Limited knowledge is available on lifestyle patterns in Spanish adults. We investigated dietary patterns and possible meaningful clustering of physical activity, sedentary behavior, sleep time, and smoking in Spanish adults aged 18-64 years and their association with obesity. Analysis was based on a subsample ( n = 1617) of the cross-sectional ANIBES study in Spain. We performed exploratory factor analysis and subsequent cluster analysis of dietary patterns, physical activity, sedentary behaviors, sleep time, and smoking. Logistic regression analysis was used to explore the association between the cluster solutions and obesity. Factor analysis identified four dietary patterns, " Traditional DP ", " Mediterranean DP ", " Snack DP " and " Dairy-sweet DP ". Dietary patterns, physical activity behaviors, sedentary behaviors, sleep time, and smoking in Spanish adults aggregated into three different clusters of lifestyle patterns: " Mixed diet-physically active-low sedentary lifestyle pattern ", " Not poor diet-low physical activity-low sedentary lifestyle pattern " and " Poor diet-low physical activity-sedentary lifestyle pattern ". A higher proportion of people aged 18-30 years was classified into the " Poor diet-low physical activity-sedentary lifestyle pattern ". The prevalence odds ratio for obesity in men in the " Mixed diet-physically active-low sedentary lifestyle pattern " was significantly lower compared to those in the " Poor diet-low physical activity-sedentary lifestyle pattern ". Those behavior patterns are helpful to identify specific issues in population subgroups and inform intervention strategies. The findings in this study underline the importance of designing and implementing interventions that address multiple health risk practices, considering lifestyle patterns and associated determinants.

Global migration and health: ecofeminist perspectives.

PubMed

McGuire, S

1998-12-01

Global migration is occurring at an unprecedented rate. The phenomenon of migration is complex and poorly understood by most people in countries who host immigrants. People migrate for numerous reasons related to social, economic, political, cultural, and physical environmental conditions formed by historical antecedents. Migrating people, especially vulnerable women and children, are exposed to numerous health hazards, a situation calling for a response from nursing. To respond effectively nursing needs knowledge development of global migration and health that includes the precursors to migration in addition to the postmigration experience where nurses encounter immigrants. Ecofeminist perspectives allowing for reflection on historical determinants and interlocking socioeconomic, political, and environmental conditions are used as a prism to examine global migration and health.

A community-based cross-sectional study of sleep quality in middle-aged and older adults.

PubMed

Zhang, Hui-Shan; Li, Yuan; Mo, Hai-Yun; Qiu, De-Xing; Zhao, Jing; Luo, Jia-Li; Lin, Wei-Quan; Wang, Jia-Ji; Wang, Pei-Xi

2017-04-01

Sleep quality has been widely studied among western countries. However, there is limited population-based evidence on insomnia in Chinese adult populations, especially in middle-aged and older adults. The aims of present study are to (1) examine the prevalence of poor sleep among Chinese middle-age and older adults, (2) compare the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) seven domain scores across different physical health statuses, (3) explore factors associated with insomnia. A cross-sectional survey was conducted using a multi-instrument questionnaire. In total, 1563 residents aged 45 or older in the community were interviewed. The Chinese version of the PSQI was used to assess sleep quality while poor sleep was defined as a total PSQI score >5. Socio-demographic, lifestyle and physical health data were also collected. The prevalence of poor sleep among adults aged over 45 years was 20.67 %. Clusters logistic regression analysis identified that migrant workers, single marital status, lower education level, no physical exercise, illness within 2 weeks, and a higher total number of chronic diseases contribute to increased risk of poor sleep (P < 0.05). Among three clusters, physical health has the biggest independent contribution on sleep quality. Our results indicated that poor sleep was common in middle-aged and older adults. It was associated with identity of migrant worker, education level, exercise, illness within 2 weeks and number of chronic disease. Being ill within 2 weeks and having more chronic diseases were the major physical health-related factors contributing to poor sleep in the middle-aged and older people. Physical health may be a major determinant in sleep quality.

Sleep complaints in middle-aged women and men: the contribution of working conditions and work-family conflicts.

PubMed

Lallukka, Tea; Rahkonen, Ossi; Lahelma, Eero; Arber, Sara

2010-09-01

This study aimed to examine how physical working conditions, psychosocial working conditions and work-family conflicts are associated with sleep complaints, and whether health behaviours explain these associations. We used pooled postal questionnaire surveys collected in 2001-2002 among 40-60-year-old employees of the City of Helsinki (n = 5819, response rate 66%). Participants were classified as having sleep complaints if they reported sleep complaints at least once a week on average (24% of women and 20% of men). Independent variables included environmental work exposures, physical workload, computer work, Karasek's job strain and work-family conflicts. Age, marital status, occupational class, work arrangements, health behaviours and obesity were adjusted for. Most working conditions were associated strongly with sleep complaints after adjustment for age only. After adjustment for work-family conflicts, the associations somewhat attenuated. Work-family conflicts were also associated strongly with women's [odds ratio (OR) 5.90; confidence interval (CI) 4.16-8.38] and men's sleep (OR 2.56; CI 1.34-4.87). The associations remained robust even after controlling for unhealthy behaviours, obesity, health status, depression and medications. Physically strenuous working conditions, psychosocial job strain and work-family conflicts may increase sleep complaints. Efforts to support employees to cope with psychosocial stress and reach a better balance between paid work and family life might reduce sleep complaints. Sleep complaints need to be taken into account in worksite health promotion and occupational health care in order to reduce the burden of poor sleep.

Comorbid Arthritis Is Associated With Lower Health-Related Quality of Life in Older Adults With Other Chronic Conditions, United States, 2013-2014.

PubMed

Havens, Eric; Slabaugh, S Lane; Helmick, Charles G; Cordier, Tristan; Zack, Matthew; Gopal, Vipin; Prewitt, Todd

2017-07-27

Arthritis is related to poor health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in adults aged 18 years or older. We sought to determine whether this relationship persisted in an older population using claims-based arthritis diagnoses and whether people who also had arthritis and at least 1 of 5 other chronic conditions had lower HRQoL. We identified adults aged 65 years or older with Medicare Advantage coverage in November or December 2014 who responded to an HRQoL survey (Healthy Days). For respondents with and without arthritis, we used linear regression to compare mean physically, mentally, and total unhealthy days, overall and in 5 comorbidity subgroups (coronary artery disease, congestive heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, diabetes, and hypertension), accounting for age, sex, dual Medicaid/Medicare eligibility, rural/urban commuting area, and Charlson Comorbidity Index. Of the 58,975 survey respondents, 44% had arthritis diagnosed through claims. Respondents with arthritis reported significantly more adjusted mean physically, mentally, and total unhealthy days than those without arthritis (P < .001). Older adults with arthritis and either congestive heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, diabetes, or hypertension reported significantly more adjusted physically, mentally, and total unhealthy days than older adults without arthritis but with the same chronic conditions. In older adults, having arthritis is associated with lower HRQoL and even lower HRQoL among those with at least 1 of 5 other common chronic conditions. Because arthritis is so common among older adults, improving HRQoL depends on managing both underlying chronic conditions and any accompanying arthritis.

Use of different subjective health indicators to assess health inequalities in an urban immigrant population in north-western Italy: a cross-sectional study

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Despite the steady growth of the immigrant population in Italy, data on the health status of immigrants are scarce. Our main goals were to measure Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL), Self-Rated Health (SRH) and morbidity among immigrants in Genoa. We aimed to assess the relative contribution of some social, structural and behavioral determinants to “within-group” health disparities. Methods We enrolled 502 subjects by means of snowball sampling. The SF-12 questionnaire, integrated with socio-demographic and health-related items, was used. Multivariate logistic and Poisson regression models were applied in order to identify characteristics associated with poor SRH, lower SF-12 scores and prevalence of self-reported morbidities. Results Subjects showed relatively moderate levels of HRQoL (median physical and mental scores of 51.6 and 47.3, respectively) and about 15% of them rated their health as fair or poor. Lower scores in the physical dimension of HRQoL were associated with the presence of morbidities and immigration for work and religious reasons, while those who had migrated for religious and family reasons displayed a lower probability of lower scores in the mental dimension of HRQoL. Poor SRH was associated with female gender, overweight/obesity and presence of morbidities. Moreover, compared with immigrants from countries with a low human development index, immigrants from highly developed societies showed significantly lower odds of reporting poor SRH. About one-third of respondents reported at least one medical condition, while the prevalence of multi-morbidity was 10%. Females, over 45-year-olds, overweight and long-term immigrants had a higher prevalence of medical conditions. Conclusions Our study confirms the presence of health inequalities within a heterogeneous immigrant population. HRQoL, SRH and morbidity are valid, relatively rapid and cheap tools for measuring health inequalities, though they do so in different ways. These indicators should be used with caution and, if possible, simultaneously, as they could help to identify and to monitor more vulnerable subjects among immigrants. PMID:24156544

Use of different subjective health indicators to assess health inequalities in an urban immigrant population in north-western Italy: a cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Domnich, Alexander; Amicizia, Daniela; Panatto, Donatella; Signori, Alessio; Perelli, Valentina; Adamoli, Sergio; Riboli, Edoardo Berti; Gasparini, Roberto

2013-10-25

Despite the steady growth of the immigrant population in Italy, data on the health status of immigrants are scarce. Our main goals were to measure Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL), Self-Rated Health (SRH) and morbidity among immigrants in Genoa. We aimed to assess the relative contribution of some social, structural and behavioral determinants to "within-group" health disparities. We enrolled 502 subjects by means of snowball sampling. The SF-12 questionnaire, integrated with socio-demographic and health-related items, was used. Multivariate logistic and Poisson regression models were applied in order to identify characteristics associated with poor SRH, lower SF-12 scores and prevalence of self-reported morbidities. Subjects showed relatively moderate levels of HRQoL (median physical and mental scores of 51.6 and 47.3, respectively) and about 15% of them rated their health as fair or poor. Lower scores in the physical dimension of HRQoL were associated with the presence of morbidities and immigration for work and religious reasons, while those who had migrated for religious and family reasons displayed a lower probability of lower scores in the mental dimension of HRQoL. Poor SRH was associated with female gender, overweight/obesity and presence of morbidities. Moreover, compared with immigrants from countries with a low human development index, immigrants from highly developed societies showed significantly lower odds of reporting poor SRH. About one-third of respondents reported at least one medical condition, while the prevalence of multi-morbidity was 10%. Females, over 45-year-olds, overweight and long-term immigrants had a higher prevalence of medical conditions. Our study confirms the presence of health inequalities within a heterogeneous immigrant population. HRQoL, SRH and morbidity are valid, relatively rapid and cheap tools for measuring health inequalities, though they do so in different ways. These indicators should be used with caution and, if possible, simultaneously, as they could help to identify and to monitor more vulnerable subjects among immigrants.

Cardiac Cachexia: Perspectives for Prevention and Treatment.

PubMed

Okoshi, Marina Politi; Capalbo, Rafael Verardino; Romeiro, Fernando G; Okoshi, Katashi

2017-01-01

Cachexia is a prevalent pathological condition associated with chronic heart failure. Its occurrence predicts increased morbidity and mortality independent of important clinical variables such as age, ventricular function, or heart failure functional class. The clinical consequences of cachexia are dependent on both weight loss and systemic inflammation, which accompany cachexia development. Skeletal muscle wasting is an important component of cachexia; it often precedes cachexia development and predicts poor outcome in heart failure. Cachexia clinically affects several organs and systems. It is a multifactorial condition where underlying pathophysiological mechanisms are not completely understood making it difficult to develop specific prevention and treatment therapies. Preventive strategies have largely focused on muscle mass preservation. Different treatment options have been described, mostly in small clinical studies or experimental settings. These include nutritional support, neurohormonal blockade, reducing intestinal bacterial translocation, anemia and iron deficiency treatment, appetite stimulants, immunomodulatory agents, anabolic hormones, and physical exercise regimens. Currently, nonpharmacological therapy such as nutritional support and physical exercise are considered central to cachexia prevention and treatment.

Health status of illicit stimulant drug users in rural Ohio.

PubMed

Falck, Russel S; Wang, Jichuan; Carlson, Robert G

2007-11-01

The SF-8 health survey was used to assess the physical and mental health status of a community sample of not-in-treatment, illicit stimulant drug-using adults (n = 249) living in rural Ohio. Physical health status scores indicative of poor health were present in 30.5% of the sample. Poor physical health was associated with older age (OR = 1.06; 95% C.I. = 1.02-1.11), chronic disease (OR = 2.24, 95% C.I. = 1.14-4.40), and frequent opioid use (OR = 3.14, 95% C.I. = 1.16-8.50). Poor mental health status scores were present in 63.9% of the sample. Men were less likely (OR = 0.25, 95% C.I. = 0.11-0.53), and Whites more likely (OR = 3.97, 95% C.I. = 1.56-10.13), to have poor mental health scores. Frequency and type of drug use had no measurable effect on mental health status. Physical and mental health problems are likely to be pervasive among nonmedical drug users in rural areas.

Pediatrician-experienced barriers in the medical care for refugee children in the Netherlands.

PubMed

Baauw, A; Rosiek, S; Slattery, B; Chinapaw, M; van Hensbroek, M Boele; van Goudoever, J B; Kist-van Holthe, J

2018-04-20

Pediatricians in the Netherlands have been confronted with high numbers of refugee children in their daily practice. Refugee children have been recognized as an at-risk population because they may have an increased burden of physical and mental health conditions, and their caretakers may experience barriers in gaining access to the Dutch health care system. The aim of the study was to gain insight into the barriers in the health care for refugee children perceived by pediatricians by analyzing logistical problems reported through the Dutch Pediatric Surveillance Unit, an online system where pediatricians can report predefined conditions. Pediatricians reported 68 cases of barriers in health care ranging from mild to severe impact on the health outcome of refugee children, reported from November 2015 till January 2017. Frequent relocation of children between asylum seeker centers was mentioned in 28 of the reports on lack of continuity of care. Unknown medical history (21/68) and poor handoffs of medical records resulting in poor communication between health professionals (17/68) contributed to barriers to provide good medical care for refugee children, as did poor health literacy (17/68) and cultural differences (5/68). Frequent relocations and the unknown medical history were reported most frequently as barriers impacting the delivery of health care to refugee children. To overcome these barriers, the Committee of International Child Health of the Dutch Society of Pediatrics recommends stopping the frequent relocations, improving medical assessment upon entry in the Netherlands, improving handoff of medical records, and improving the health literacy of refugee children and their families. What is Known: • Pediatricians in the Netherlands are confronted with high numbers of refugee children • Refugee children represent a population that is especially at risk due to their increased burden of physical and mental health conditions What is New: • Refugee children experience barriers in accessing medical care • To start overcoming these barriers, we recommend that frequent relocations be stopped, health assessment upon entry in the Netherlands be improved, medical handoffs be improved, and that the refugees be empowered by increasing their health literacy.

The complex array of antecedents of depression in women with physical disabilities: implications for clinicians.

PubMed

Nosek, Margaret A; Hughes, Rosemary B; Robinson-Whelen, Susan

2008-01-01

This article discusses the complex interrelation of elements of the physical, psychological, social, and environmental life context of women with physical disabilities and the association of these elements with significant disparities in rates of depression and access to mental health care for this population. Literature and concept review. High rates of depression in women with physical disabilities are well documented in the literature. Many elements that are disproportionately common in the lives of women with physical disabilities, including socio-economic disadvantage, functional limitations, pain and other chronic health conditions, poor diet, physical inactivity, smoking, violence, low self-esteem, sexuality problems, chronic stress, environmental barriers, and barriers to health care, have also been linked with higher rates of depression and depressive symptomatology. Depression self-management interventions tailored for women with disabilities have been developed and proven effective. Many women who must deal with the stresses surrounding an array of health problems may experience symptoms of depression without necessarily meeting the criteria for clinical depression. Psychologists, counselors, primary care physicians, specialists, and other medical and rehabilitation professionals are challenged to recognize the symptoms of depression in women with physical disabilities and assist them in obtaining appropriate psychological and pharmacological interventions.

Measuring everyday functional competence using the Rasch assessment of everyday activity limitations (REAL) item bank.

PubMed

Oude Voshaar, Martijn A H; Ten Klooster, Peter M; Vonkeman, Harald E; van de Laar, Mart A F J

2017-11-01

Traditional patient-reported physical function instruments often poorly differentiate patients with mild-to-moderate disability. We describe the development and psychometric evaluation of a generic item bank for measuring everyday activity limitations in outpatient populations. Seventy-two items generated from patient interviews and mapped to the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) domestic life chapter were administered to 1128 adults representative of the Dutch population. The partial credit model was fitted to the item responses and evaluated with respect to its assumptions, model fit, and differential item functioning (DIF). Measurement performance of a computerized adaptive testing (CAT) algorithm was compared with the SF-36 physical functioning scale (PF-10). A final bank of 41 items was developed. All items demonstrated acceptable fit to the partial credit model and measurement invariance across age, sex, and educational level. Five- and ten-item CAT simulations were shown to have high measurement precision, which exceeded that of SF-36 physical functioning scale across the physical function continuum. Floor effects were absent for a 10-item empirical CAT simulation, and ceiling effects were low (13.5%) compared with SF-36 physical functioning (38.1%). CAT also discriminated better than SF-36 physical functioning between age groups, number of chronic conditions, and respondents with or without rheumatic conditions. The Rasch assessment of everyday activity limitations (REAL) item bank will hopefully prove a useful instrument for assessing everyday activity limitations. T-scores obtained using derived measures can be used to benchmark physical function outcomes against the general Dutch adult population.

Association of poor childhood fear conditioning and adult crime.

PubMed

Gao, Yu; Raine, Adrian; Venables, Peter H; Dawson, Michael E; Mednick, Sarnoff A

2010-01-01

Amygdala dysfunction is theorized to give rise to poor fear conditioning, which in turn predisposes to crime, but it is not known whether poor conditioning precedes criminal offending. This study prospectively assessed whether poor fear conditioning early in life predisposes to adult crime in a large cohort. Electrodermal fear conditioning was assessed in a cohort of 1,795 children at age 3, and registration for criminal offending was ascertained at age 23. In a case-control design, 137 cohort members with a criminal record were matched on gender, ethnicity, and social adversity with 274 noncriminal comparison members. Statistical analyses compared childhood fear conditioning for the two groups. Criminal offenders showed significantly reduced electrodermal fear conditioning at age 3 compared to matched comparison subjects. Poor fear conditioning at age 3 predisposes to crime at age 23. Poor fear conditioning early in life implicates amygdala and ventral prefrontal cortex dysfunction and a lack of fear of socializing punishments in children who grow up to become criminals. These findings are consistent with a neurodevelopmental contribution to crime causation.

De-educate to re-educate: aging and low back pain.

PubMed

Louw, Adriaan; Zimney, Kory; Johnson, Eldon A; Kraemer, Chris; Fesler, Justin; Burcham, Tyler

2017-12-01

Patients' beliefs about their condition have been shown to play a significant role in their pain experience and response to treatment, especially when a patient sees their tissue health as vulnerable or aged. Educational can alter these beliefs. Prior to new information, patients often have to be de-educated regarding common misbeliefs to undergo re-education. To determine if a brief de-education session regarding aging and low back pain (LBP) can shift pain ratings, fear-avoidance beliefs, beliefs regarding aging and LBP, and limited active trunk flexion. Fifty adults ranging from 50 to 93 years of age (SD = 10.73) with a 15.1 years of LBP were education on the poor correlation between aging and LBP. Prior to and immediately after the education pain ratings for LBP and leg pain (numeric pain rating scale-NPRS), fear-avoidance (fear avoidance beliefs questionnaire-FABQ), beliefs regarding aging and LBP (Likert scale) and active trunk flexion were measured. Significant changes were found in positive shifts with LBP (p = 0.002), leg pain (p = 0.042), FABQ-physical activity subscale (p = 0.004) and active trunk forward flexion (p < 0.001). The results show that education aimed at altering beliefs regarding LBP and aging result in a positive shift in pain, fear avoidance related to physical activity and active trunk flexion. Prior to providing patients with new healthcare information, de-educating them regarding poor beliefs may be helpful in shifting them towards new, healthier paradigms associated with their condition.

Conducting nanowires built by controlled self-assembly of amyloid fibers and selective metal deposition.

PubMed

Scheibel, Thomas; Parthasarathy, Raghuveer; Sawicki, George; Lin, Xiao-Min; Jaeger, Heinrich; Lindquist, Susan L

2003-04-15

Recent research in the field of nanometer-scale electronics has focused on the operating principles of small-scale devices and schemes to realize useful circuits. In contrast to established "top-down" fabrication techniques, molecular self-assembly is emerging as a "bottom-up" approach for fabricating nanostructured materials. Biological macromolecules, especially proteins, provide many valuable properties, but poor physical stability and poor electrical characteristics have prevented their direct use in electrical circuits. Here we describe the use of self-assembling amyloid protein fibers to construct nanowire elements. Self-assembly of a prion determinant from Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the N-terminal and middle region (NM) of Sup35p, produced 10-nm-wide protein fibers that were stable under a wide variety of harsh physical conditions. Their lengths could be roughly controlled by assembly conditions in the range of 60 nm to several hundred micrometers. A genetically modified NM variant that presents reactive, surface-accessible cysteine residues was used to covalently link NM fibers to colloidal gold particles. These fibers were placed across gold electrodes, and additional metal was deposited by highly specific chemical enhancement of the colloidal gold by reductive deposition of metallic silver and gold from salts. The resulting silver and gold wires were approximately 100 nm wide. These biotemplated metal wires demonstrated the conductive properties of a solid metal wire, such as low resistance and ohmic behavior. With such materials it should be possible to harness the extraordinary diversity and specificity of protein functions to nanoscale electrical circuitry.

Relationship of household food insecurity to health-related quality of life in a large sample of rural and urban women.

PubMed

Sharkey, Joseph R; Johnson, Cassandra M; Dean, Wesley R

2011-07-22

The authors examined the associations of household food insecurity and other characteristics with fair-to-poor general health, poor physical health, and frequent mental distress among 1,367 rural and urban women in Texas. The 2006 Brazos Valley Community Health Assessment provided data on demographic characteristics, economic risk factors, health-related quality of life, household food insecurity, and geographic residence. Multivariable logistic regression models were estimated for the three health-related quality of life measures: fair-to-poor health, poor physical health, and frequent mental distress, adjusting for confounding variables. Having less than 12 years of education, not being employed full-time, and being household food insecure were independently significantly associated with increased odds for all health-related quality of life outcomes. Rural residence and being nonwhite were associated with fair-to-poor general health, but not physical or mental health. Results from the separate urban and rural models indicated that household food insecurity was associated with fair-to-poor general health among rural women, not among urban women. Poverty and being nonwhite were also associated with increased odds of reporting fair-to-poor general health, but were significant only among urban women. These results emphasize the need for health promotion and policy efforts to consider household food access and availability as part of promoting healthful food choices and good physical and mental health among women, especially rural women.

Perception of health, suicidal ideation, and suicide attempt among adults in the community.

PubMed

Goodwin, Renee D; Marusic, Andrej

2011-01-01

There is a well-known association between perception of poor physical health and higher rates of physical and psychological morbidity. However, little is known about the possible link between perception of health and suicidality. The study examines the relationship between perception of poor health and suicidal ideation and suicide attempt among adults in the community. Data were drawn from the National Comorbidity Survey (n = 5,877), a representative sample of individuals 15-54 years of age in the United States. Multiple logistic regression analyses were used to determine the relationship between perception of poor health and the likelihood of suicidal ideation and suicide attempt. Sociodemographic characteristics, comorbid mental disorders, and physical illnesses were adjusted for in the final model. Perception of poor health was associated with a significantly increased likelihood of suicidal ideation (OR = 2.14 (1.36, 3.35) and suicide attempt (OR = 2.03 (1.06, 3.91)), which persisted after adjusting for differences in sociodemographic characteristics, mental disorders, and self-reported physical illnesses. Our findings provide initial evidence that perception of poor health is associated with a significantly increased likelihood of suicidal ideation and suicide attempt among adults in the community.

Physical and JIT Model Based Hybrid Modeling Approach for Building Thermal Load Prediction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Iino, Yutaka; Murai, Masahiko; Murayama, Dai; Motoyama, Ichiro

Energy conservation in building fields is one of the key issues in environmental point of view as well as that of industrial, transportation and residential fields. The half of the total energy consumption in a building is occupied by HVAC (Heating, Ventilating and Air Conditioning) systems. In order to realize energy conservation of HVAC system, a thermal load prediction model for building is required. This paper propose a hybrid modeling approach with physical and Just-in-Time (JIT) model for building thermal load prediction. The proposed method has features and benefits such as, (1) it is applicable to the case in which past operation data for load prediction model learning is poor, (2) it has a self checking function, which always supervises if the data driven load prediction and the physical based one are consistent or not, so it can find if something is wrong in load prediction procedure, (3) it has ability to adjust load prediction in real-time against sudden change of model parameters and environmental conditions. The proposed method is evaluated with real operation data of an existing building, and the improvement of load prediction performance is illustrated.

Socioeconomic inequalities in physical and mental functioning of Japanese civil servants: explanations from work and family characteristics.

PubMed

Sekine, Michikazu; Chandola, Tarani; Martikainen, Pekka; Marmot, Michael; Kagamimori, Sadanobu

2006-07-01

Poor physical and mental functioning is more common among people of low socioeconomic status (SES) and those with disadvantaged work and family characteristics. This study aims to clarify whether the SES inequalities in functioning can be explained by the SES differences in work and family characteristics. The subjects were 3787 male and female civil servants, aged 20-65, working in a local government on the west coast of Japan. Logistic regression analysis was performed to examine (1) whether there were employment-grade (SES) differences in poor physical and mental functioning as measured by the Short Form 36 (SF-36) and (2) whether these SES differences were explained by work and family characteristics. In general, low control at work, high demands, low social support, short and long work hours, shift work, being unmarried, high family-to-work conflict and high work-to-family conflict were independently associated with poor physical and mental functioning in both men and women. In men, the age-adjusted odds ratio (OR) of low-grade employees for poor physical functioning was 1.93 (95% confidence interval: 1.38-2.69) in comparison to high-grade employees. The grade difference was mildly attenuated, when adjusted for work and family characteristics (OR = 1.72)(1.20-2.47). The age-adjusted OR of the low-grade employees for poor mental functioning was 1.88 (1.29-2.74). The grade difference was attenuated and no longer significant when adjusted for work and family characteristics (OR = 1.51)(0.99-2.31). Among women, there were no significant grade-differences in poor physical and mental functioning. Although longitudinal research is necessary to clarify the causal nature of these associations, improvements in SES differences in work and family characteristics may be important for reducing SES inequalities in physical and mental functioning among Japanese men. The different patterns of SES inequalities in health between men and women deserve further research.

Association between Body Image Dissatisfaction and Self-Rated Health, as Mediated by Physical Activity and Eating Habits: Structural Equation Modelling in ELSA-Brasil

PubMed Central

de Oliveira da Silva, Patricia; Miguez Nery Guimarães, Joanna; Caetano Prates Melo, Enirtes; Maria Alvim Matos, Sheila; del Carmem Molina, Maria; Maria Barreto, Sandhi; de Jesus Mendes da Fonseca, Maria

2018-01-01

This study investigated whether the association between body image dissatisfaction and poor self-rated health is mediated by insufficient physical activity and unhealthy eating habits. The participants were 6727 men and 8037 women from the baseline (2008–2010) of the Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (Estudo Longitudinal de Saúde do Adulto, ELSA-Brasil). Structural equation modelling was used. Associations were found between body image dissatisfaction and poor self-rated health in both sexes. Insufficient physical activity was a mediator. However, unhealthy eating habits were found to exert a mediator effect only via insufficient physical activity. Body image dissatisfaction was found to associate, both directly and possibly indirectly, with poor self-rated health, mediated by insufficient physical activity and unhealthy eating habits. Accordingly, encouraging physical activity and healthy eating can contribute to reducing body image dissatisfaction and favour better self-rated health. PMID:29670031

Residential mobility and the association between physical environment disadvantage and general and mental health.

PubMed

Tunstall, H; Pearce, J R; Shortt, N K; Mitchell, R J

2015-12-01

Selective migration may influence the association between physical environments and health. This analysis assessed whether residential mobility concentrates people with poor health in neighbourhoods of the UK with disadvantaged physical environments. Data were from the British Household Panel Survey. Moves were over 1 year between adjacent survey waves, pooled over 10 pairs of waves, 1996-2006. Health outcomes were self-reported poor general health and mental health problems. Neighbourhood physical environment was defined using the Multiple Environmental Deprivation Index (MEDIx) for wards. Logistic regression analysis compared risk of poor health in MEDIx categories before and after moves. Analyses were stratified by age groups 18-29, 30-44, 45-59 and 60+ years and adjusted for age, sex, marital status, household type, housing tenure, education and social class. The pooled data contained 122 570 observations. 8.5% moved between survey waves but just 3.0% changed their MEDIx category. In all age groups odds ratios for poor general and mental health were not significantly increased in the most environmentally deprived neighbourhoods following moves. Over a 1-year time period residential moves between environments with different levels of multiple physical deprivation were rare and did not significantly raise rates of poor health in the most deprived areas. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Faculty of Public Health. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Physical Limits on the Predictability of Erosion and Sediment Transport by Landslides and Debris Flows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Iverson, R. M.

2015-12-01

Episodic landslides and debris flows play a key role in sculpting many steep landscapes, and they also pose significant natural hazards. Field evidence, laboratory experiments, and theoretical analyses show that variations in the quantity, speed, and distance of sediment transport by landslides and debris flows can depend strongly on nuanced differences in initial conditions. Moreover, initial conditions themselves can be strongly dependent on the geological legacy of prior events. The scope of these dependencies is revealed by the results of landslide dynamics experiments [Iverson et al., Science, 2000], debris-flow erosion experiments [Iverson et al., Nature Geosci., 2011], and numerical simulations of the highly destructive 2014 Oso, Washington, landslide [Iverson et al., Earth Planet. Sci. Let., 2015]. In each of these cases, feedbacks between basal sediment deformation and pore-pressure generation cause the speed and distance of sediment transport to be very sensitive to subtle differences in the ambient sediment porosity and water content. On the other hand, the onset of most landslides and debris flows depends largely on pore-water pressure distributions and only indirectly on sediment porosity and water content. Thus, even if perfect predictions of the locations and timing of landslides and debris flows were available, the dynamics of the events - and their consequent hazards and sediment transport - would be difficult to predict. This difficulty is a manifestation of the nonlinear physics involved, rather than of poor understanding of those physics. Consequently, physically based models for assessing the hazards and sediment transport due to landslides and debris flows must take into account both evolving nonlinear dynamics and inherent uncertainties about initial conditions. By contrast, landscape evolution models that use prescribed algebraic formulas to represent sediment transport by landslides and debris flows lack a sound physical basis.

Physical frailty and sarcopenia (PF&S): a point of view from the industry.

PubMed

Del Signore, Susanna; Roubenoff, Ronenn

2017-02-01

We have observed over the last 15 years a wide debate both in the medical scientific community and in the public health arena on the definition and operationalization of frailty, typically a geriatric condition, and in particular of physical frailty linked to sarcopenia. Because physical frailty in its initial phase can still be reversed, fighting sarcopenia in elderly persons has the potential to slow or halt progressive decline towards disability and dependency. Quite recently, regulators focused attention on frailty as an indicator of biological age to be measured to characterize elderly patients before their inclusion in clinical trials. A European guidance regarding most adapted evaluation instruments of frailty is currently under public consultation. Does the regulatory initiative imply we should now consider frailty, and particularly physical frailty, primarily as an important risk factor for adverse events and poor response, or mainly as a clinical tool helping the physician to opt for one therapeutic pathway or another? Or is physical frailty above all a specific geriatric condition deserving an effective and innovative therapeutic approach with the objective to curb the incidence of its most common result, e.g., mobility disability? Pharmaceutical industry developers consider both faces of the coin very relevant. We agree with regulators that better characterization of subpopulations, not only in elderly patients, can improve the benefit risk ratio of medicines. At the same time, we believe it is in the public health interest to develop novel drugs indicated for specific geriatric conditions, like osteoporosis in the 1990s and sarcopenia today. We consider it an important therapeutic goal to effectively delay mobility disability and to extend the active, independent, and healthy life years of aging people. The "Sarcopenia and Physical fRailty IN older people: multi-componenT Treatment strategies" (SPRINTT) collaborative project under IMI is paving the way for adapted methodologies to study the change of physical frailty and sarcopenia in at-risk older persons and to adequately characterize the population that needs to be treated.

Burden of poor oral health in older age: findings from a population-based study of older British men.

PubMed

Ramsay, S E; Whincup, P H; Watt, R G; Tsakos, G; Papacosta, A O; Lennon, L T; Wannamethee, S G

2015-12-29

Evidence of the extent of poor oral health in the older UK adult population is limited. We describe the prevalence of oral health conditions, using objective clinical and subjective measures, in a population-based study of older men. Cross-sectional study. A representative sample of men aged 71-92 years in 2010-2012 from the British Regional Heart Study, initially recruited in 1978-1980 from general practices across Britain. Physical examination among 1660 men included the number of teeth, and periodontal disease in index teeth in each sextant (loss of attachment, periodontal pocket, gingival bleeding). Postal questionnaires (completed by 2147 men including all participants who were clinically examined) included self-rated oral health, oral impacts on daily life and current perception of dry mouth experience. Among 1660 men clinically examined, 338 (20%) were edentulous and a further 728 (43%) had <21 teeth. For periodontal disease, 233 (19%) had loss of attachment (>5.5 mm) affecting 1-20% of sites while 303 (24%) had >20% sites affected. The prevalence of gingival bleeding was 16%. Among 2147 men who returned postal questionnaires, 35% reported fair/poor oral health; 11% reported difficulty eating due to oral health problems. 31% reported 1-2 symptoms of dry mouth and 20% reported 3-5 symptoms of dry mouth. The prevalence of edentulism, loss of attachment, or fair/poor self-rated oral health was greater in those from manual social class. These findings highlight the high burden of poor oral health in older British men. This was reflected in both the objective clinical and subjective measures of oral health conditions. The determinants of these oral health problems in older populations merit further research to reduce the burden and consequences of poor oral health in older people. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

Lifestyle Patterns and Weight Status in Spanish Adults: The ANIBES Study

PubMed Central

Pérez-Rodrigo, Carmen; Gianzo-Citores, Marta; Gil, Ángel; González-Gross, Marcela; Ortega, Rosa M.; Serra-Majem, Lluis; Varela-Moreiras, Gregorio; Aranceta-Bartrina, Javier

2017-01-01

Limited knowledge is available on lifestyle patterns in Spanish adults. We investigated dietary patterns and possible meaningful clustering of physical activity, sedentary behavior, sleep time, and smoking in Spanish adults aged 18–64 years and their association with obesity. Analysis was based on a subsample (n = 1617) of the cross-sectional ANIBES study in Spain. We performed exploratory factor analysis and subsequent cluster analysis of dietary patterns, physical activity, sedentary behaviors, sleep time, and smoking. Logistic regression analysis was used to explore the association between the cluster solutions and obesity. Factor analysis identified four dietary patterns, “Traditional DP”, “Mediterranean DP”, “Snack DP” and “Dairy-sweet DP”. Dietary patterns, physical activity behaviors, sedentary behaviors, sleep time, and smoking in Spanish adults aggregated into three different clusters of lifestyle patterns: “Mixed diet-physically active-low sedentary lifestyle pattern”, “Not poor diet-low physical activity-low sedentary lifestyle pattern” and “Poor diet-low physical activity-sedentary lifestyle pattern”. A higher proportion of people aged 18–30 years was classified into the “Poor diet-low physical activity-sedentary lifestyle pattern”. The prevalence odds ratio for obesity in men in the “Mixed diet-physically active-low sedentary lifestyle pattern” was significantly lower compared to those in the “Poor diet-low physical activity-sedentary lifestyle pattern”. Those behavior patterns are helpful to identify specific issues in population subgroups and inform intervention strategies. The findings in this study underline the importance of designing and implementing interventions that address multiple health risk practices, considering lifestyle patterns and associated determinants. PMID:28613259

Understanding the direction of the relationship between white matter hyperintensities of vascular origin, sleep quality, and chronic kidney disease-Results from the Atahualpa Project.

PubMed

Del Brutto, Oscar H; Mera, Robertino M

2018-02-01

The burden of cerebral small vessel disease, sleep disorders, and chronic kidney disease is on the rise in remote rural settings. However, information on potential links between these conditions is limited. We aimed to assess the relationships between these conditions in community-dwelling older adults living in rural Ecuador. Atahualpa residents aged ≥60 years were offered a brain MRI. A venous blood sample was obtained for serum creatinine determination. Baseline interviews and procedures were directed to assess demographics, cardiovascular risk factors, and sleep quality. Using generalized structural equation modeling (GSEM), we assessed the associations between white matter hyperintensities (WMH) of vascular origin, sleep quality and kidney function, as well as the directions of the relationships between these variables. Of 423 candidates, 314 (74%) were enrolled. Moderate-to-severe WMH were noticed in 74 (24%) individuals, poor sleep quality in 101 (31%), and moderate-to-severe chronic kidney disease in 28 (9%). GSEM showed that the direction of the effect was from kidney function to WMH and from the latter to sleep quality. Of independent variables investigated, worse kidney function was associated with age, high glucose levels and male sex. WMH was associated with cholesterol blood levels, blood pressure, level of education and severe edentulism. Poor sleep quality was associated with poor physical activity. This population based study shows that chronic kidney disease is associated with increased severity of WMH, which, in turn, is associated with a poor sleep quality. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Child maltreatment as a predictor of adult physical functioning in a prospective British birth cohort

PubMed Central

Pinto Pereira, Snehal; Power, Christine

2017-01-01

Objective Child maltreatment (abuse and neglect) has established associations with mental health; however, little is known about its relationship with physical functioning. Physical functioning (ie, the ability to perform the physical tasks of daily living) in adulthood is an important outcome to consider, as it is strongly associated with an individual’s ability to work, and future disability and dependency. We aimed to establish whether maltreatment was associated with physical functioning, independent of other early-life factors. Setting 1958 British birth cohort. Participants 8150 males and females with data on abuse and who participated at age 50 years. Outcome measures The primary outcome was poor physical functioning at 50 years (<65 on the Short-Form 36 survey physical functioning subscale). Secondary outcomes included mental health and self-reported health at 50 years. Results 23% of participants reported at least one type of maltreatment; 12% were identified with poor physical functioning. Neglect (ORadj 1.55, 95% CI 1.24 to 1.93), psychological abuse (ORadj 1.49, 1.17–1.88) and sexual abuse (ORadj 2.56, 1.66–3.96) were associated with poor physical functioning independent of other maltreatments and covariates, including childhood social class, birth weight and childhood illness. Odds of poor physical functioning increased with multiple types of maltreatment (ptrend <0.001); ORadj ranged from 1.49 (1.23–1.82) for a single type to 2.09 (1.53–2.87) for those reporting ≥3 types of maltreatment, compared with those with none. Associations of similar magnitude were observed for mental and self-reported health outcomes. Conclusions Child neglect, psychological and sexual abuse were associated with poor physical functioning at 50 years, with accumulating risk for those with multiple types of maltreatment. Associations were independent of numerous early-life factors and were comparable in magnitude to those observed for mental health and self-rated health. Prevention or alleviation of the ill effects of maltreatment could be an effective policy intervention to promote healthy ageing. PMID:29079607

Child maltreatment as a predictor of adult physical functioning in a prospective British birth cohort.

PubMed

Archer, Gemma; Pinto Pereira, Snehal; Power, Christine

2017-10-27

Child maltreatment (abuse and neglect) has established associations with mental health; however, little is known about its relationship with physical functioning. Physical functioning (ie, the ability to perform the physical tasks of daily living) in adulthood is an important outcome to consider, as it is strongly associated with an individual's ability to work, and future disability and dependency. We aimed to establish whether maltreatment was associated with physical functioning, independent of other early-life factors. 1958 British birth cohort. 8150 males and females with data on abuse and who participated at age 50 years. The primary outcome was poor physical functioning at 50 years ( < 65 on the Short-Form 36 survey physical functioning subscale). Secondary outcomes included mental health and self-reported health at 50 years. 23% of participants reported at least one type of maltreatment; 12% were identified with poor physical functioning. Neglect (OR adj 1.55, 95% CI 1.24 to 1.93), psychological abuse (OR adj 1.49, 1.17-1.88) and sexual abuse (OR adj 2.56, 1.66-3.96) were associated with poor physical functioning independent of other maltreatments and covariates, including childhood social class, birth weight and childhood illness. Odds of poor physical functioning increased with multiple types of maltreatment (p trend <0.001); OR adj ranged from 1.49 (1.23-1.82) for a single type to 2.09 (1.53-2.87) for those reporting > 3 types of maltreatment, compared with those with none. Associations of similar magnitude were observed for mental and self-reported health outcomes. Child neglect, psychological and sexual abuse were associated with poor physical functioning at 50 years, with accumulating risk for those with multiple types of maltreatment. Associations were independent of numerous early-life factors and were comparable in magnitude to those observed for mental health and self-rated health. Prevention or alleviation of the ill effects of maltreatment could be an effective policy intervention to promote healthy ageing. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

A systematic review of working conditions and occupational health among immigrants in Europe and Canada.

PubMed

Sterud, T; Tynes, T; Mehlum, I Sivesind; Veiersted, K B; Bergbom, B; Airila, A; Johansson, B; Brendler-Lindqvist, M; Hviid, K; Flyvholm, M-A

2018-06-20

A systematic attempt to summarize the literature that examines working conditions and occupational health among immigrant in Europe and Canada. We established inclusion criteria, searched systematically for articles included in the Medline, Embase and Social Sciences Citation Index databases in the period 2000-2016 and checked the reference lists of all included papers. Eighty-two studies were included in this review; 90% were cross-sectional and 80% were based on self-report. Work injuries were consistently found to be more prevalent among immigrants in studies from different countries and in studies with different designs. The prevalence of perceived discrimination or bullying was found to be consistently higher among immigrant workers than among natives. In general, however, we found that the evidence that immigrant workers are more likely to be exposed to physical or chemical hazards and poor psychosocial working conditions is very limited. A few Scandinavian studies support the idea that occupational factors may partly contribute to the higher risk of sick leave or disability pension observed among immigrants. However, the evidence for working conditions as a potential mediator of the associations between immigrant status and poor general health and mental distress was very limited. Some indicators suggest that immigrant workers in Europe and Canada experience poorer working conditions and occupational health than do native workers. However, the ability to draw conclusions is limited by the large gaps in the available data, heterogeneity of immigrant working populations, and the lack of prospectively designed cohort studies.

Childhood abuse is associated with stress-related sleep disturbance and poor sleep quality in pregnancy

PubMed Central

Gelaye, Bizu; Kajeepeta, Sandhya; Zhong, Qiu-Yue; Borba, Christina P.C.; Rondon, Marta B.; Sánchez, Sixto E.; Henderson, David C.; Williams, Michelle A.

2015-01-01

Objectives Childhood abuse is associated with increased risks of adult psychiatric disorders and physical health conditions. Accumulating evidence documents associations of childhood abuse with sleep disturbances in adulthood. However, to date, no study has evaluated associations of childhood abuse and sleep disturbances among pregnant women. Methods This cross-sectional study included 634 pregnant Peruvian women. In-person interviews were conducted in early pregnancy to collect information regarding socio-demographic characteristics, history of childhood abuse, and complaints of sleep disturbances. Spanish language version of the Ford Insomnia Response to Stress Test (FIRST-S) and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI-S) were used to assess stress-related sleep disturbance and sleep quality, respectively. Logistic regression was used to estimate adjusted odds ratios (aOR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs). Results Women who experienced any childhood abuse had a 1.65-fold increased odds of stress-related sleep disturbance (aOR=1.65; 95% CI: 1.15–2.38) and 2.11-fold increased odds of poor sleep quality during early pregnancy (aOR=2.11; 95% CI: 1.35–3.30) as compared with women who reported no abuse. Compared with women who reported no childhood abuse, those who reported both physical and sexual abuse during childhood were more than twice as likely to suffer from stress-related sleep disturbance (aOR=2.26; 95% CI:1.44–3.53) and poor sleep quality (aOR=2.43; 95% CI:1.45–4.09). Conclusions A history of childhood abuse is associated with increased odds of stress-related sleep disturbance and poor sleep quality during pregnancy. These findings, if replicated, should be used to inform the development of trauma-informed care for such sleep disturbances induced by childhood trauma. PMID:26429757

The social gradient in work and health: a cross-sectional study exploring the relationship between working conditions and health inequalities

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Social inequalities in health are widely examined. But the reasons behind this phenomenon still remain unclear in parts. It is undisputed that the work environment plays a crucial role in this regard. However, the contribution of psychosocial factors at work is unclear and inconsistent, and most studies are limited with regard to work factors and health outcomes. This study, therefore, aimed to explore the role and contribution of various physical and psychosocial working conditions to explaining social inequalities in different self-reported health outcomes. Methods Data from a postal survey among the workforces of four medium-sized and large companies from diverse industries of the secondary sector in Switzerland were used and analysed. The study sample covered 1,846 employees aged 20 and 64 and included significant proportions of unskilled manual workers and highly qualified non-manual workers. Cross tabulations and logistic regression analyses were performed to study multiple associations between social status, work factors and health outcomes. Combinations of educational level and occupational position wee used as a measure of social status or class. Results Clear social gradients were observed for almost all adverse working conditions and poor health outcomes studied, but in different directions. While physical workloads and other typical blue-collar job characteristics not suprisingly, were found to be much more common among the lower classes, most psychosocial work demands and job resources were more prevalent in the higher classes. Furthermore, workers in lower classes, i.e. with lower educational and occupational status, were more likely to report poor self-rated health, limited physical functioning and long sickness absence, but at the same time were less likely to experience increased stress feelings and burnout symptoms showing a reversed health gradient. Finally, blue-collar job characteristics contributed substantially to the social gradient found in general and physical health outcomes. In contrast, white-collar job characteristics made no contribution to explaining the gradient in these health outcomes, but instead largely explained the reversed social gradient observed for the mental health outcomes. Conclusion The findings suggest a more differentiated pattern of the commonly found social gradient in health and the differential role of work in this respect. PMID:24330543

Health-related quality of life and health behaviors in a population-based sample of older, foreign-born, Chinese American adults living in New York City.

PubMed

Wyatt, Laura C; Trinh-Shevrin, Chau; Islam, Nadia S; Kwon, Simona C

2014-10-01

Although the New York City Chinese population aged ≥ 65 years increased by 50% between 2000 and 2010, the health needs of this population are poorly understood. Approximately 3,001 Chinese individuals from high-density Asian American New York City areas were included in the REACH U.S. Risk Factor Survey; 805 (26.8%) were aged ≥ 65 years and foreign-born. Four health-related quality of life and three behavioral risk factor outcome variables were examined. Descriptive statistics were conducted by gender, and logistic regression models assessed sociodemographic and health factors associated with each outcome. Few women were current smokers (1.3% vs. 14.8% of men), 19% of respondents ate fruits and vegetables more than or equal to five times daily, and one-third of individuals received sufficient weekly physical activity. Days of poor health were similar to the national population aged ≥ 65 years, while self-reported fair or poor health was much greater among our Chinese sample; over 60% of respondents rated their health as fair or poor. Lower education and lower obesity were significantly associated with cigarette smoking among men, and older age was significantly associated with insufficient physical activity overall. Female gender was significantly associated with all poor health days; older age was significantly associated with poor days of physical health, and lower income was significantly associated with poor days of physical health and fair or poor self-reported health. This study provides important health-related information on a rapidly growing older population and highlights future research areas to inform culturally appropriate health promotion and disease prevention strategies and policies within community-based settings. © 2014 Society for Public Health Education.

The effects of undertreated chronic medical illnesses in patients with severe mental disorders.

PubMed

Fagiolini, Andrea; Goracci, Arianna

2009-01-01

Severe mental disorders such as bipolar disorder and schizophrenia often co-occur with chronic medical illnesses, especially cardiovascular disease and diabetes. These comorbidities are associated with a more severe course of mental illness, reduced quality of life, and premature mortality. Although the association between mental disorders and physical health complications has long been recognized, medical conditions remain undertreated in clinical psychiatric practice, and the life expectancy for individuals with serious psychiatric disorders is approximately 30% shorter than that of the general US population. Factors that are related to the mental illness (eg, cognitive impairment, reduced ability to function, and a lack of communication skills) as well as factors such as the high cost of medical care may make accessing general health care a difficult task for patients. Even when medical care is received by patients, the quality is often poor, and dangerous illnesses may be undiagnosed and untreated. In addition, harmful side effects of medications used to treat psychiatric disorders, unhealthy habits and lifestyles, and a possible genetic susceptibility to medical conditions increase the likelihood of comorbid physical conditions in patients with severe mental illness. Implementing behavioral interventions into clinical practice may help patients improve their overall health and prevent chronic medical conditions. © Copyright 2009 Physicians Postgraduate Press, Inc.

Physical Exercise for Treatment of Mood Disorders: A Critical Review

PubMed Central

Hearing, CM; Chang, WC; Szuhany, KL; Deckersbach, T; Nierenberg, AA; Sylvia, LG

2016-01-01

Purpose of the review The purpose of this review is to critically assess the evidence for exercise as an adjunct intervention for major depressive disorder and bipolar disorder, chronic conditions characterized by frequent comorbid conditions as well as interepisodic symptoms with poor quality of life and impaired functioning. Individuals with these mood disorders are at higher risk of cardiovascular disease and premature death in part because of increased rates of obesity, inactivity, and diabetes mellitus compared to the general population. Exercise may not only mitigate the increased risk of cardiovascular disease, but could also potentially improve the long term outcomes of mood disorders. Recent findings We conducted a literature review on the impact of exercise on mood disorders and associated comorbid conditions as well as possible biological mechanisms. We found that exercise impacts both the physical health parameters of mood disorders as well as mental health outcomes. Exercise also positively impacts conditions frequently comorbid with mood disorders (i.e. anxiety, pain, and insomnia). There are multiple candidate biomarkers for exercise, with brain-derived neurotrophic factor and oxidative stress as two main promising components of exercise’s anti-depressant effect. Summary Exercise appears to be a promising adjunct treatment for mood disorders. We conclude with recommendations for future research of exercise as an adjunct intervention for mood disorders. PMID:28503402

Physical Exercise for Treatment of Mood Disorders: A Critical Review.

PubMed

Hearing, C M; Chang, W C; Szuhany, K L; Deckersbach, T; Nierenberg, A A; Sylvia, L G

2016-12-01

The purpose of this review is to critically assess the evidence for exercise as an adjunct intervention for major depressive disorder and bipolar disorder, chronic conditions characterized by frequent comorbid conditions as well as interepisodic symptoms with poor quality of life and impaired functioning. Individuals with these mood disorders are at higher risk of cardiovascular disease and premature death in part because of increased rates of obesity, inactivity, and diabetes mellitus compared to the general population. Exercise may not only mitigate the increased risk of cardiovascular disease, but could also potentially improve the long term outcomes of mood disorders. We conducted a literature review on the impact of exercise on mood disorders and associated comorbid conditions as well as possible biological mechanisms. We found that exercise impacts both the physical health parameters of mood disorders as well as mental health outcomes. Exercise also positively impacts conditions frequently comorbid with mood disorders (i.e. anxiety, pain, and insomnia). There are multiple candidate biomarkers for exercise, with brain-derived neurotrophic factor and oxidative stress as two main promising components of exercise's anti-depressant effect. Exercise appears to be a promising adjunct treatment for mood disorders. We conclude with recommendations for future research of exercise as an adjunct intervention for mood disorders.

Surveillance of Social and Geographic Inequalities in Housing-Related Issues: The Case of the Eastern Townships, Quebec (Canada)

PubMed Central

Roy, Mathieu; Généreux, Mélissa; Laverdière, Émélie; Vanasse, Alain

2014-01-01

Even though health inequalities are conditioned by many aspects of the environment, much of the existing research focuses on the social environment. This emphasis has the effect to neglect other environmental aspects such as its physical dimension. The physical environment, which is linked to housing conditions, may contribute to the uneven distribution of health. In this study, we examined 19 housing-related issues among a representative sample of 2,000 adults residing in a Quebec (Canada) health region characterized by a mix of rural, semi-rural, and urban areas. The distribution of these issues was examined according to socioeconomic and geographic indicators of social position. Summary measures of inequalities were assessed. Our results showed that the prevalence of nearly all housing-related issues was higher among low-income households compared to more affluent ones. Highly educated individuals showed better housing conditions, whereas different issues tended to cluster in deprived or densely populated areas. To conclude, we observed steep gradients between social class and poor housing conditions. This may explain a substantial part of health inequality on the regional scale. The surveillance of housing-related issues is therefore essential to properly inform and mobilize local stakeholders and to develop interventions that target vulnerable groups on this level. PMID:24806192

Evidence for Deficits in the Temporal Attention Span of Poor Readers

PubMed Central

Visser, Troy A. W.

2014-01-01

Background While poor reading is often associated with phonological deficits, many studies suggest that visual processing might also be impaired. In particular, recent research has indicated that poor readers show impaired spatial visual attention spans in partial and whole report tasks. Given the similarities between competition-based accounts for reduced visual attention span and similar explanations for impairments in sequential object processing, the present work examined whether poor readers show deficits in their “temporal attention span” – that is, their ability to rapidly and accurately process sequences of consecutive target items. Methodology/Principal Findings Poor and normal readers monitored a sequential stream of visual items for two (TT condition) or three (TTT condition) consecutive target digits. Target identification was examined using both unconditional and conditional measures of accuracy in order to gauge the overall likelihood of identifying a target and the likelihood of identifying a target given successful identification of previous items. Compared to normal readers, poor readers showed small but consistent deficits in identification across targets whether unconditional or conditional accuracy was used. Additionally, in the TTT condition, final-target conditional accuracy was poorer than unconditional accuracy, particularly for poor readers, suggesting a substantial cost arising from processing the previous two targets that was not present in normal readers. Conclusions/Significance Mirroring the differences found between poor and normal readers in spatial visual attention span, the present findings suggest two principal differences between the temporal attention spans of poor and normal readers. First, the consistent pattern of reduced performance across targets suggests increased competition amongst items within the same span for poor readers. Second, the steeper decline in final target performance amongst poor readers in the TTT condition suggests a reduction in the extent of their temporal attention span. PMID:24651313

Evidence for deficits in the temporal attention span of poor readers.

PubMed

Visser, Troy A W

2014-01-01

While poor reading is often associated with phonological deficits, many studies suggest that visual processing might also be impaired. In particular, recent research has indicated that poor readers show impaired spatial visual attention spans in partial and whole report tasks. Given the similarities between competition-based accounts for reduced visual attention span and similar explanations for impairments in sequential object processing, the present work examined whether poor readers show deficits in their "temporal attention span"--that is, their ability to rapidly and accurately process sequences of consecutive target items. Poor and normal readers monitored a sequential stream of visual items for two (TT condition) or three (TTT condition) consecutive target digits. Target identification was examined using both unconditional and conditional measures of accuracy in order to gauge the overall likelihood of identifying a target and the likelihood of identifying a target given successful identification of previous items. Compared to normal readers, poor readers showed small but consistent deficits in identification across targets whether unconditional or conditional accuracy was used. Additionally, in the TTT condition, final-target conditional accuracy was poorer than unconditional accuracy, particularly for poor readers, suggesting a substantial cost arising from processing the previous two targets that was not present in normal readers. Mirroring the differences found between poor and normal readers in spatial visual attention span, the present findings suggest two principal differences between the temporal attention spans of poor and normal readers. First, the consistent pattern of reduced performance across targets suggests increased competition amongst items within the same span for poor readers. Second, the steeper decline in final target performance amongst poor readers in the TTT condition suggests a reduction in the extent of their temporal attention span.

Use of surfactants as plasticizers in preparing solid dispersions of poorly soluble API: stability testing of selected solid dispersions.

PubMed

Ghebremeskel, Alazar N; Vemavarapu, Chandra; Lodaya, Mayur

2006-08-01

The purpose of the study is to evaluate the effect of surfactant-plasticizers on the physical stability of amorphous drug in polymer matrices formed by hot melt extrusion. Solid dispersions of a poorly soluble drug were prepared using PVP-K30, Plasdone-S630, and HPMC-E5 as the polymeric carriers and surfactants as plasticizers. The solid dispersions were produced by hot melt extrusion at temperatures 10 degrees C above and below the glass transition temperature (Tg) of the carrier polymers using a 16 mm-Haake Extruder. The surfactants tested in this study included Tween-80 and Docusate Sodium. The particle size of the extrudate was reduced to have mean of 100-200 micron. The physical stability of the solid dispersions produced was monitored at 30 degrees C/60% for six-months and at 60 degrees C/85% for two-months in open HDPE bottles. Modulated differential scanning calorimetry, polarized light microscopy, powder X-ray diffraction and dissolution testing was performed to assess the physical stability of solid dispersions upon stress testing. The dispersions containing HPMC-E5 were observed especially to be susceptible to physical instability under an accelerated stress conditions (60 degrees C/85%RH) of the solid dispersion. About 6% conversion of amorphous drug to crystalline form was observed. Consequently, the system exhibits similar degree of re-crystallization upon addition of the surfactant. However, under 30 degrees C/60%RH condition, the otherwise amorphous Drug-HPMC-E5 system has been destabilized by the addition of the surfactant. This effect is much more reduced in the extruded solid dispersions where polymeric carriers such as Plasdone S-603 and PVP-K30 (in addition to surfactants) are present. Furthermore, the drug release from the solid dispersions was unaffected at the stress conditions reported above. Possible reasons for the enhanced stability of the dispersions are due to the surfactants ability to lower the viscosity of the melt, increase the API solubility and homogeneity in the carrier polymer. In contrast, while it is possible for the surfactants to destabilize the system by lowering the Tg and increasing the water uptake, the study confirms that this effect is minimal. By and large, the surfactants appear to be promising plasticizers to produce solid dispersions by hot melt extrusion, in so doing improving dissolution rate without compromising the physical stability of the systems.

Quality of life in Chinese patients with schizophrenia treated in primary care.

PubMed

Li, Yan; Hou, Cai-Lan; Ma, Xin-Rong; Zhong, Bao-Liang; Zang, Yu; Jia, Fu-Jun; Lin, Yong-Qiang; Lai, Kelly Y C; Chiu, Helen F K; Ungvari, Gabor S; Hall, Brian J; Cai, Mei-Ying; Ng, Chee H; Xiang, Yu-Tao

2017-08-01

In China, maintenance treatment for clinically stable patients with schizophrenia is usually provided by primary care physicians. This study examined the quality of life (QOL) in patients with schizophrenia treated in primary care and explored the demographic and clinical characteristics associated with QOL. Altogether, 612 patients with schizophrenia treated in 22 randomly selected primary care services in China formed the study sample. QOL, psychotic and depressive symptoms, extra-pyramidal symptoms and insight were assessed using standardized instruments. Data analyses were conducted with the one sample t-test and multiple linear regression analyses. Compared with the normative data for the Chinese general population, significantly lower scores in physical and mental QOL domains were found in the patient group. Older age, being unemployed, major medical conditions, no smoking, more severe depressive and negative symptoms, more frequent insomnia, and suicidality were independently associated with poor physical QOL. Male gender, more severe depressive and anxiety symptoms, more frequent insomnia, and suicidality were independently associated with poor mental QOL. Patients with schizophrenia treated in primary care had lower level of QOL in comparison with general population. Effective measures need to be implemented to improve their QOL. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

BEHAVIOUR CHARATERISTICS OF THE MENTALLY RETARTED IN A STATE MENTAL HOSPITAL—A COMPARATIVE STUDY1

PubMed Central

Somasundaram, O.; Kumar, M. Suresh

1984-01-01

SUMMARY 30 institutionalised severely subnormal (SSN) subjects and 30 matched severely subnormal individuals attending the outpatient services of the Institute of Mental Health, Madras were evaluated for their behaviour characteristics using a schedule containing two scales,the social and physical incapacity (SPI) scale and the speech, self help and literacy (SSL) scale. Destructive behaviour, self injury, overall poor speech, self help and literacy ability, overall social and physical incapacity, poor speech ability, poor speech comprehensibility, poor self help and poor literacy were the discriminating factors much more common for the institutionalised subjects than for the outpatient individuals. The usefulness of this informations in the planning and implementation of services for the institutionalised mentally retarded is discussed. PMID:21965969

Field assessment of alternative bed-load transport estimators

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gaeuman, G.; Jacobson, R.B.

2007-01-01

Measurement of near-bed sediment velocities with acoustic Doppler current profilers (ADCPs) is an emerging approach for quantifying bed-load sediment fluxes in rivers. Previous investigations of the technique have relied on conventional physical bed-load sampling to provide reference transport information with which to validate the ADCP measurements. However, physical samples are subject to substantial errors, especially under field conditions in which surrogate methods are most needed. Comparisons between ADCP bed velocity measurements with bed-load transport rates estimated from bed-form migration rates in the lower Missouri River show a strong correlation between the two surrogate measures over a wide range of mild to moderately intense sediment transporting conditions. The correlation between the ADCP measurements and physical bed-load samples is comparatively poor, suggesting that physical bed-load sampling is ineffective for ground-truthing alternative techniques in large sand-bed rivers. Bed velocities measured in this study became more variable with increasing bed-form wavelength at higher shear stresses. Under these conditions, bed-form dimensions greatly exceed the region of the bed ensonified by the ADCP, and the magnitude of the acoustic measurements depends on instrument location with respect to bed-form crests and troughs. Alternative algorithms for estimating bed-load transport from paired longitudinal profiles of bed topography were evaluated. An algorithm based on the routing of local erosion and deposition volumes that eliminates the need to identify individual bed forms was found to give results similar to those of more conventional dune-tracking methods. This method is particularly useful in cases where complex bed-form morphology makes delineation of individual bed forms difficult. ?? 2007 ASCE.

Women's Socialization into Nontraditional Heavy WorkA Case Study.

PubMed

Atwood Sanders, M

1994-01-01

An increasing number of opportunities are available for women in nontraditional, blue-collar work. However, for many women the lack of job skills, poor work conditions, differential treatment, shift work, and heavy physical labor deter them from entering or remaining in such jobs. This case study attempted to uncover workplace issues, the socialization process, and adaptive strategies for a female steel worker. Her strategies for survival included hard work, high work standards, "courteous but cool" relationships with coworkers, "standing up" for herself, and good friends or support systems.

Winter losses of Canada geese at Pea Island, North Carolina

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cowan, A.B.; Herman, C.M.

1955-01-01

Report of research and findings to date. Topics discussed include: studies on life history and biology of gizzard worm; results of autopsies; experiments on survival and transmission of gizzard worm eggs and larvae in both field and laboratory; persistence of infections; and results of infections in geese of different ages. Cause of deaths has not been finally determined, but indications are that gizzard worm is an important contributing factor and that poor physical condition, brought about at least partially by malnutrition, also contributes to the losses.

The Social Determinants of Mental Health.

PubMed

Sederer, Lloyd I

2016-02-01

Ninety percent of the determinants of our health derive from our lifetime social and physical environment-not from the provision of health care. The author describes behaviors, such as poor eating, excessive drinking and abuse of drugs, smoking, and physical inactivity, and social factors, such as adverse childhood experiences, poor education, food insecurity, poor housing quality, unemployment, and discrimination, that contribute to ill health and early demise. Better health and mental health can be achieved by understanding and responding to these determinants of health.

The Current Working Conditions in Ugandan Apparel Assembly Plants.

PubMed

Tebyetekerwa, Mike; Akankwasa, Nicholus Tayari; Marriam, Ifra

2017-12-01

The present rapid shift of industrialization from developed to developing countries requires developing countries to understand issues related to work organization, management, and working conditions. There are many factors slackening production, of which working conditions is part. A complete inquiry into the workers' working conditions can enable managements to reduce risks in the workplaces and improve productivity. Understanding and awareness of the benefits of workplace research and a probe into the working conditions in the Ugandan apparel assembly plants are urgently required. A total of 103 (70 women and 33 men) workers from five different plants were interviewed. Together with the top management of various plants, questionnaires about the workers' opinions of their physical working conditions were prepared. Data was collected using two methods: (1) questionnaire; and (2) observation of the workers during their work. The results indicated that poor plant working conditions were mainly contributed by the workers' social factors and the management policies. The government, together with the management, should work to improve the working conditions in the apparel assembly plants, as it greatly affects both.

The self-serving function of hypochondriacal complaints: physical symptoms as self-handicapping strategies.

PubMed

Smith, T W; Snyder, C R; Perkins, S C

1983-04-01

The present experiment tested the hypothesis that hypochondriacal individuals commonly use reports of physical illness and symptoms as a strategy to control attributions made about their performances in evaluative settings (i.e., self-handicapping strategies). Specifically, it was predicted that hypochondriacal individuals would report more recent physical illness and complaints and more current physical symptoms in an evaluative setting in which poor health could serve as an alternative explanation for poor performance than would either individuals in an evaluative setting in which poor health was precluded as an excuse or individuals in a nonevaluative setting. As predicted, results supported this self-protective pattern of complaints in a hypochondriacal sample but not in a nonhypochondriacal group. The self-protective role of hypochondriacal behavior is discussed in relation to other theory and research on the nature and treatment of hypochondriasis.

77 FR 26566 - Federal Property Suitable as Facilities To Assist the Homeless

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-05-04

... Comments: off-site removal only; sf varies; housing; fair to poor conditions; asbestos and lead indentified....; office space; extremely poor conditions; extensive repairs needed; asbestos & lead identified....; vacant; poor conditions; need repairs; asbestos & lead; remediation needed; secured area; contact Army re...

Cu2ZnGeS4 thin films deposited by thermal evaporation: the impact of Ge concentration on physical properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Courel, Maykel; Sanchez, T. G.; Mathews, N. R.; Mathew, X.

2018-03-01

In this work, the processing of Cu2ZnGeS4 (CZGS) thin films by a thermal evaporation technique starting from CuS, GeS and ZnS precursors, and post-deposition thermal processing, is discussed. Batches of films with GeS layers of varying thicknesses are deposited in order to study the role of Ge concentration on the structural, morphological, optical and electrical properties of CZGS films. The formation of the CZGS compound with a tetragonal phase and a kesterite structure is confirmed for all samples using XRD and Raman studies. An improvement in crystallite size for Ge-poor films is also observed in the XRD analysis, which is in good agreement with the grain size observed in the cross section SEM image. Furthermore, it is found that the band-gap of CZGS film can be tailored in the range of 2.0-2.23 eV by varying Ge concentration. A comprehensive electrical characterization is also performed which demonstrates that slightly Ge-poor samples are described by the lowest grain boundary defect densities and the highest photosensitivity and mobility values. A study of the work function of CZGS samples with different Ge concentrations is also presented. Finally, a theoretical evaluation is presented, considering, under ideal conditions, the possible impact of these films on device performance. Based on the characterization results, it is concluded that Ge-poor CZGS samples deposited by thermal evaporation present better physical properties for device applications.

Pathways from childhood abuse and other adversities to adult health risks: The role of adult socioeconomic conditions.

PubMed

Font, Sarah A; Maguire-Jack, Kathryn

2016-01-01

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), including child abuse, have been linked with poor health outcomes in adulthood. The mechanisms that explain these relations are less understood. This study assesses whether associations of ACEs and health risks are mediated by adult socioeconomic conditions, and whether these pathways are different for maltreatment than for other types of adversities. Using the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System 2012 survey (N=29,229), we employ structural equation modeling to (1) estimate associations of the number and type of ACEs with five health risks-depression, obesity, tobacco use, binge drinking, and self-reported sub-optimal health; and (2) assess whether adult socioeconomic conditions-marriage, divorce and separation, educational attainment, income and insurance status-mediate those associations. Findings suggest both direct and indirect associations between ACEs and health risks. At high numbers of ACEs, 15-20% of the association between number of ACEs and adult health risks was attributable to socioeconomic conditions. Associations of three ACEs (exposure to domestic violence, parental divorce, and residing with a person who was incarcerated) with health risks were nearly entirely explained by socioeconomic conditions in adulthood. However, child physical, emotional, and sexual abuse were significantly associated with several adult health risks, beyond the effects of other adversities, and socioeconomic conditions explained only a small portion of these associations. These findings suggest that the pathways to poor adult health differ by types of ACEs, and that childhood abuse is more likely than other adversities to have a direct impact. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Colloidally separated samples from Allende residues - Noble gases, carbon and an ESCA-study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ott, U.; Kronenbitter, J.; Flores, J.; Chang, S.

1984-01-01

Results are presented which strengthen the hypothesis of heterogeneity among the carbon- and nitrogen-bearing phases of the Allende meteorite. These data also highlight the possibility of performing physical separations yielding samples in which some of the noble gas- and carbon-bearing phases are extraordinarily predominant over others. The conclusion, based on mass and isotope balance arguments, that a significant portion of the carbonaceous matter in Allende is likely to be gas-poor or gas-free need not weaken the case for carbonaceous carriers for the major noble gas components. The concept that acid-soluble carbonaceous phases contain a multiplicity of components, each of which may have formed under a multiplicity of different physical-chemical conditions, is reemphasized by the results of the present study.

Physical activity participation by presence and type of functional deficits in older women: The Women's Health and Aging Studies.

PubMed

Jerome, Gerald J; Glass, Thomas A; Mielke, Michelle; Xue, Qian-Li; Andersen, Ross E; Fried, Linda P

2006-11-01

Physical activity is important for maintaining functional independence of older persons, especially for those with existing functional deficits. Since such deficits may pose barriers to activity, it would be instructive to examine activity patterns in relation to specific types of deficits to determine the amount and type of physical activity older women pursue. This study sought to identify categories of functional deficits associated with activity levels and evaluated the potential for older women to increase their physical activity levels. Community-dwelling women, aged 70-79 years, from the Women's Health and Aging Studies I and II (N = 710), were assessed for self-reported physical activity, functional deficits and chronic conditions, along with objective measures of muscle strength. Both type (household chores, exercise, and recreational activity) and amount of physical activity (min/wk) were examined. Meeting physical activity recommendations was defined as > or =150 minutes per week of moderate intensity physical activity, and inactivity was defined as no weekly moderate intensity physical activity. Hierarchical categories of functional deficits were based on self-reported difficulty in four functional domains (i.e., mobility/exercise tolerance, upper extremity, higher functioning, and self-care), and self-reports ranged from no difficulty to difficulty in all four domains. The prevalence of inactivity and meeting activity recommendations were 14.4% and 12.7%, respectively. Severity of functional deficits was associated with increased risk of inactivity (adjusted odds ratios [ORs(adj)] = 3.14-17.61) and reduced likelihood of meeting activity recommendations (ORs(adj) =.11-.40). Even among those with higher functioning or self-care difficulties, 30% reported walking for exercise. There was evidence that older women with functional deficits can remain physically active. However, for some of these women, meeting the recommended levels of activity may be unrealistic. Efforts to increase physical activity levels among older adults should include treatment or management of functional deficits, chronic conditions, and poor strength.

Urban environmental health applications of remote sensing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rush, M.; Goldstein, J.; Hsi, B. P.; Olsen, C. B.

1974-01-01

An urban area was studied through the use of the inventory-by-surrogate method rather than by direct interpretation of photographic imagery. Prior uses of remote sensing in urban and public research are examined. The effects of crowding, poor housing conditions, air pollution, and street conditions on public health are considered. Color infrared photography was used to categorize land use features and the grid method was used in photo interpretation analysis. The incidence of shigella and salmonella, hepatitis, meningitis, tuberculosis, myocardial infarction and veneral disease were studied, together with mortality and morbidity rates. Sample census data were randomly collected and validated. The hypothesis that land use and residential quality are associated with and act as an influence upon health and physical well-being was studied and confirmed.

Racial Discrimination and Racial Identity Attitudes in Relation to Self-Rated Health and Physical Pain and Impairment Among Two-Spirit American Indians/Alaska Natives

PubMed Central

Walters, Karina L.

2009-01-01

Objectives. We examined associations between racial discrimination and actualization, defined as the degree of positive integration between self-identity and racial group identity, and self-rated health and physical pain and impairment. Methods. We used logistic regressions to analyze data from 447 gay, lesbian, bisexual, and other sexual-minority American Indians/Alaska Natives. Results. Greater self-reported discrimination was associated with higher odds of physical pain and impairment (odds ratio [OR] = 1.42; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.13, 1.78); high levels of actualization were associated with lower odds of physical pain and impairment (OR = 0.59; 95% CI = 0.35, 0.99) and self-rated fair or poor health (OR = 0.54; 95% CI = 0.32, 0.90). Actualization also moderated the influence of discrimination on self-rated health (t = –2.33; P = .020). Discrimination was positively associated with fair or poor health among participants with low levels of actualization, but this association was weak among those with high levels of actualization. Conclusions. Among two-spirit American Indians/Alaska Natives, discrimination may be a risk factor for physical pain and impairment and for fair or poor self-rated health among those with low levels of actualization. Actualization may protect against physical pain and impairment and poor self-rated health and buffer the negative influence of discrimination. PMID:19218182

Application of transglycosylated stevia and hesperidin as drug carriers to enhance biopharmaceutical properties of poorly-soluble artemisinin.

PubMed

Letchmanan, Kumaran; Shen, Shou-Cang; Ng, Wai Kiong; Tan, Reginald B H

2018-01-01

Biopharmaceutical properties of poorly water-soluble antimalarial drug, Artemisinin (ART), were improved by formulating amorphous solid dispersions with transglycosylated food additives (Hsp-G and Stevia-G) via co-spray drying. Both the formulated ART/Hsp-G and ART/Stevia-G showed superior dissolution properties with a burst release of more than 95% of drug within 5 min, whereas untreated ART dissolved only 4% in 5min. The supersaturation solubility of the formulated ART was enhanced by 2-fold as compared with untreated counterpart. The storage stability tests indicated that these formulations chemically stable at room temperature and under low humidity (<18% RH) conditions. However, high humidity (75% RH) induced re-crystallization and caused changes in the physical appearance of the solid dispersions. In addition, both the food additives and ART formulated samples showed low cytotoxicity to Caco-2 cell line suggesting their good biocompatibility. Thus, the formation of solid dispersions of ART with transglycosylated food additives is a potentially safe and effective approach to enhance the bioavailability of poorly water-soluble ART. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Health Policy and the Underserved

PubMed Central

Roman, Stanford A.

1978-01-01

Historically, the provision of health benefits and health services has been wedded to the needs of an industrial society to maintain a productive labor force. The casual observer will note that since the late 19th century the role of government as a participant either in the provision for health services or the delivery of health services has been strongly tied to the labor movement in Western Europe. Overtime benefits, initially procured for the worker, were expanded to include the dependents of the worker and, finally, to include the former worker who was no longer able to work due to age or infirmity. The provision of health care to the poor was considered an act of charity and was never liberal enough to reward poverty nor was it essentially humane, for poverty was a condition to be punished. The rise of “alms houses” and public hospitals for the poor provided constant physical reassurance to the worker that he was, indeed, successful. Such institutions were also warnings to the worker lest he slip into the numbers of the poor. PMID:702542

Socioemotional Features and Resilience in Italian University Students with and without Dyslexia

PubMed Central

Ghisi, Marta; Bottesi, Gioia; Re, Anna M.; Cerea, Silvia; Mammarella, Irene C.

2016-01-01

Dyslexia is a permanent condition characterized by reading difficulties that include inaccurate or slow and effortful word reading, poor decoding, and poor spelling abilities. People with dyslexia may have psychological and psychopathological issues such as low self-esteem, poor resilience, and symptoms of depression and anxiety. They may also develop social problems and emotional issues, as well as low academic and social self-efficacy. The present study aimed to assess the psychological features of a sample of 28 Italian university students with dyslexia, comparing them with a control group of typically developing students matched for gender, education, and academic discipline, to enhance our knowledge of dyslexia outcomes in an Italian setting. The results show that university students with dyslexia experience higher levels of somatic complaints, social and attentional problems, lower self-esteem, and higher depression scores than controls, while no difference emerged between the two groups’ resilience scores. In conclusion, the present findings suggest that university students with dyslexia report more psychological issues than students without dyslexia and could benefit from intervention to improve their psychological and physical well-being. PMID:27065220

Impact of hygiene of housing conditions on performance and health of two pig genetic lines divergent for residual feed intake.

PubMed

Chatelet, A; Gondret, F; Merlot, E; Gilbert, H; Friggens, N C; Le Floc'h, N

2018-02-01

Pigs selected for high performance may be more at risk of developing diseases. This study aimed to assess the health and performance of two pig lines divergently selected for residual feed intake (RFI) (low RFI (LRFI) v. high RFI (HRFI)) and housed in two contrasted hygiene conditions (poor v. good) using a 2×2 factorial design (n=40/group). The challenge period (Period 1), started on week zero (W0) when 12-week-old pigs were transferred to good or poor housing conditions. At week 6 (W6), half of the pigs in each group were slaughtered. During a recovery period (Period 2) from W6 to W13 to W14, the remaining pigs (n=20/group) were transferred in good hygiene conditions before being slaughtered. Blood was collected every three (Period 1) or 2 weeks (Period 2) to assess blood indicators of immune and inflammatory responses. Pulmonary lesions at slaughter and performance traits were evaluated. At W6, pneumonia prevalence was greater for pigs housed in poor than in good conditions (51% v. 8%, respectively, P<0.001). Irrespective of hygiene conditions, lung lesion scores were lower for LRFI pigs than for HRFI pigs (P=0.03). At W3, LRFI in poor conditions had the highest number of blood granulocytes (hygiene×line, P=0.03) and at W6, HRFI pigs in poor conditions had the greatest plasma haptoglobin concentrations (hygiene×line, P=0.02). During Period 1, growth rate and growth-to-feed ratio were less affected by poor hygiene in LRFI pigs than in HRFI pigs (hygiene×line, P=0.001 and P=0.02, respectively). Low residual feed intake pigs in poor conditions ate more than the other groups (hygiene×line, P=0.002). Irrespective of the line, fasting plasma glucose concentrations were higher in poor conditions, whereas fasting free fatty acids concentrations were lower than in good conditions. At the end of Period 2, pneumonia prevalence was similar for both housing conditions (39% v. 38%, respectively). During Period 2, plasma protein concentrations were greater for pigs previously housed in poor than in good conditions during Period 1. Immune traits, gain-to-feed ratio, BW gain and feed consumption did not differ during Period 2. Nevertheless, at W12, BW of HRFI previously housed in poor conditions was 13.4 kg lower than BW of HRFI pigs (P<0.001) previously housed in good conditions. In conclusion, health of the most feed efficient LRFI pigs was less impaired by poor hygiene conditions. This line was able to preserve its health, growth performance and its feed ingestion to a greater extent than the less efficient HRFI line.

Impact of 5-h phase advance on sleep architecture and physical performance in athletes.

PubMed

Petit, Elisabeth; Mougin, Fabienne; Bourdin, Hubert; Tio, Grégory; Haffen, Emmanuel

2014-11-01

Travel across time zones causes jet lag and is accompanied by deleterious effects on sleep and performance in athletes. These poor performances have been evaluated in field studies but not in laboratory conditions. The purpose of this study was to evaluate, in athletes, the impact of 5-h phase advance on the architecture of sleep and physical performances (Wingate test). In a sleep laboratory, 16 male athletes (age: 22.2 ± 1.7 years, height: 178.3 ± 5.6 cm, body mass: 73.6 ± 7.9 kg) spent 1 night in baseline condition and 2 nights, 1 week apart, in phase shift condition recorded by electroencephalography to calculate sleep architecture variables. For these last 2 nights, the clock was advanced by 5 h. Core body temperature rhythm was assessed continuously. The first night with phase advance decreased total sleep time, sleep efficiency, sleep onset latency, stage 2 of nonrapid eye movement (N2), and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep compared with baseline condition, whereas the second night decreased N2 and increased slow-wave sleep and REM, thus improving the quality of sleep. After phase advance, mean power improved, which resulted in higher lactatemia. Acrophase and bathyphase of temperature occurred earlier and amplitude decreased in phase advance but the period was not modified. These results suggest that a simulated phase shift contributed to the changes in sleep architecture, but did not significantly impair physical performances in relation with early phase adjustment of temperature to the new local time.

Hunger, escaping excess.

PubMed

Gardner, G; Halweil, B

2000-01-01

According to the WHO, in spite of decades of global food surpluses, half of humanity, in both rich and poor nations, is still malnourished. Malnutrition has become a significant impediment to development in rich and poor countries, alike. At the individual level, both hunger and poor eating habits reduce a person's physical fitness, increase susceptibility to illness, and shorten lifespan. In addition, children deprived of adequate nutrients during development can suffer from permanently reduced mental capacity. At the national level, poor eating hampers educational performance, curtails economic productivity, increases the burden on health care, and reduces well-being. Confronting this epidemic of poor eating will have widespread benefits, but the myths and misconceptions permeating humanity¿s understanding of malnutrition should be addressed first. It is noted that the major cause of hunger is poverty, not scarcity of food; it is the lack of access to the goods and services essential for a healthy life. On the other hand, for those who have access to plenty of food, dietary intake includes meat, dairy products, and highly processed items loaded with fat and sugar. This leads to the problem of obesity, a condition that increases susceptibility to disease and disability, reduces worker productivity, and shortens lifespan. In view of this, efforts to improve nutrition should focus on poverty eradication, health education, agricultural change, and policy change towards promotion of good nutrition.

Associations between deprived life circumstances, wellbeing and self-rated health in a socially marginalized population.

PubMed

Pedersen, Pia V; Grønbæk, Morten; Curtis, Tine

2012-10-01

Previous studies of self-rated health among socially marginalized people provide insufficient understandings of what influences their self-rated health. This study aimed to examine how disadvantaged life circumstances (homelessness, substance abuse, poverty) and general well-being were associated with poor self-rated health among the socially marginalized. In a nationwide survey in Denmark, 1348 users of shelters, drop-in centres, treatment centres and social psychiatric centres answered a self-administered questionnaire. We analysed data using logistic regression. Disadvantaged life circumstances and well-being were associated with self-rated health, also when controlling for illness, mental disorder and age. Male respondents exposed to two or more disadvantaged life circumstances had higher odds of poor self-rated health [odds ratio (OR): 2.96; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.80-4.87] than males exposed to fewer disadvantages. A low sense of personal well-being implied higher odds of poor self-rated health among both men and women. Among men, not showering regularly (OR: 1.81; 95% CI: 1.17-2.79), and among women, not eating varied food (OR: 2.24; 95% CI: 1.20-4.20) and exposure to physical violence (borderline significant) implied higher odds of poor self-rated health. Male and female respondents reporting lack of sleep and loneliness (borderline significant among women) had higher odds of poor self-rated health. The poor self-rated health among socially marginalized is strongly associated with massive social problems, poor living conditions and poor well-being. This study elucidates the need for more broadly based and holistic initiatives by both the health sector and the social services, incorporating health promotion initiatives into social work.

Physical characteristics related to bra fit.

PubMed

Chen, Chin-Man; LaBat, Karen; Bye, Elizabeth

2010-04-01

Producing well-fitting garments has been a challenge for retailers and manufacturers since mass production began. Poorly fitted bras can cause discomfort or pain and result in lost sales for retailers. Because body contours are important factors affecting bra fit, this study analyses the relationship of physical characteristics to bra-fit problems. This study has used 3-D body-scanning technology to extract upper body angles from a sample of 103 college women; these data were used to categorise physical characteristics into shoulder slope, bust prominence, back curvature and acromion placement. Relationships between these physical categories and bra-fit problems were then analysed. Results show that significant main effects and two-way interactions of the physical categories exist in the fit problems of poor bra support and bra-motion restriction. The findings are valuable in helping the apparel industry create better-fitting bras. STATEMENT OF RELEVANCE: Poorly fitted bras can cause discomfort or pain and result in lost sales for retailers. The findings regarding body-shape classification provide researchers with a statistics method to quantify physical characteristics and the findings regarding the relationship analysis between physical characteristics and bra fit offer bra companies valuable information about bra-fit perceptions attributable to women with figure variations.

SABER: Airland Combat Training Model Credibility Assessment and Methodology

DTIC Science & Technology

1992-03-01

The three types of weather are good, VFR conditions (visual flight rules); fair , MVFR (marginal VFR), and; poor, IFR conditions (instrument flight rules...categories good, fair and poor represent VFR, MVFR and IFR flight conditions respectively. Darkness can be thought of as an attribute of weather, that... fair , poor, or very poor (VP). The meaning of these values were explained in section 4.3.5. Another value , called impassible (IMP), should be added to

Defining neighborhood boundaries in studies of spatial dependence in child behavior problems.

PubMed

Caughy, Margaret O'Brien; Leonard, Tammy; Beron, Kurt; Murdoch, James

2013-05-03

The purpose of this study was to extend the analysis of neighborhood effects on child behavioral outcomes in two ways: (1) by examining the geographic extent of the relationship between child behavior and neighborhood physical conditions independent of standard administrative boundaries such as census tracts or block groups and (2) by examining the relationship and geographic extent of geographic peers' behavior and individual child behavior. The study neighborhood was a low income, ethnic minority neighborhood of approximately 20,000 residents in a large city in the southwestern United States. Observational data were collected for 11,552 parcels and 1,778 face blocks in the neighborhood over a five week period. Data on child behavior problems were collected from the parents of 261 school-age children (81% African American, 14% Latino) living in the neighborhood. Spatial analysis methods were used to examine the spatial dependence of child behavior problems in relation to physical conditions in the neighborhood for areas surrounding the child's home ranging from a radius of 50 meters to a radius of 1000 meters. Likewise, the spatial dependence of child behavior problems in relation to the behavior problems of neighborhood peers was examined for areas ranging from a radius 255 meters to a radius of 600 meters around the child's home. Finally, we examined the joint influence of neighborhood physical conditions and geographic peers. Poor conditions of the physical environment of the neighborhood were related to more behavioral problems, and the geographic extent of the physical environment that mattered was an area with a radius between 400 and 800 meters surrounding the child's home. In addition, the average level of behavior problems of neighborhood peers within 255 meters of the child's home was also positively associated with child behavior problems. Furthermore, these effects were independent of one another. These findings demonstrate that using flexible geographies in the study of neighborhood effects can provide important insights into spatial influences on health outcomes. With regards to child behavioral outcomes, specifically, these findings support the importance of addressing the physical and social environment when planning community-level interventions to reduce child behavior problems.

Defining neighborhood boundaries in studies of spatial dependence in child behavior problems

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background The purpose of this study was to extend the analysis of neighborhood effects on child behavioral outcomes in two ways: (1) by examining the geographic extent of the relationship between child behavior and neighborhood physical conditions independent of standard administrative boundaries such as census tracts or block groups and (2) by examining the relationship and geographic extent of geographic peers’ behavior and individual child behavior. Methods The study neighborhood was a low income, ethnic minority neighborhood of approximately 20,000 residents in a large city in the southwestern United States. Observational data were collected for 11,552 parcels and 1,778 face blocks in the neighborhood over a five week period. Data on child behavior problems were collected from the parents of 261 school-age children (81% African American, 14% Latino) living in the neighborhood. Spatial analysis methods were used to examine the spatial dependence of child behavior problems in relation to physical conditions in the neighborhood for areas surrounding the child’s home ranging from a radius of 50 meters to a radius of 1000 meters. Likewise, the spatial dependence of child behavior problems in relation to the behavior problems of neighborhood peers was examined for areas ranging from a radius 255 meters to a radius of 600 meters around the child’s home. Finally, we examined the joint influence of neighborhood physical conditions and geographic peers. Results Poor conditions of the physical environment of the neighborhood were related to more behavioral problems, and the geographic extent of the physical environment that mattered was an area with a radius between 400 and 800 meters surrounding the child’s home. In addition, the average level of behavior problems of neighborhood peers within 255 meters of the child’s home was also positively associated with child behavior problems. Furthermore, these effects were independent of one another. Conclusions These findings demonstrate that using flexible geographies in the study of neighborhood effects can provide important insights into spatial influences on health outcomes. With regards to child behavioral outcomes, specifically, these findings support the importance of addressing the physical and social environment when planning community-level interventions to reduce child behavior problems. PMID:23642001

Mental and Physical Health-Related Quality of Life among US Cancer Survivors: Population Estimates from the 2010 National Health Interview Survey

PubMed Central

Weaver, Kathryn E.; Forsythe, Laura P.; Reeve, Bryce B.; Alfano, Catherine M.; Rodriguez, Juan L.; Sabatino, Susan A.; Hawkins, Nikki A.; Rowland, Julia H.

2012-01-01

Background Despite extensive data on health-related quality of life (HRQOL) among cancer survivors, we do not yet have an estimate of the percent of survivors with poor mental and physical HRQOL compared to population norms. HRQOL population means for adult-onset cancer survivors of all ages and across the survivorship trajectory also have not been published. Methods Survivors (n=1,822) and adults with no cancer history (n=24,804) were identified from the 2010 National Health Interview Survey. The PROMIS® Global Health Scale was used to assess HRQOL. Poor HRQOL was defined as one standard deviation or more below the PROMIS population norm. Results Poor physical and mental HRQOL were reported by 24.5% and 10.1% of survivors, respectively, compared to 10.2% and 5.9% of adults without cancer (both p<.0001). This represents a population of approximately 3.3 million and 1.4 million US survivors with poor physical and mental HRQOL. Adjusted mean mental and physical HRQOL scores were similar for breast, prostate, and melanoma survivors compared to adults without cancer. Survivors of cervical, colorectal, hematologic, short-survival, and other cancers had worse physical HRQOL; cervical and short-survival cancer survivors reported worse mental HRQOL. Conclusion These data elucidate the burden of cancer diagnosis and treatment among US survivors and can be used to monitor the impact of national efforts to improve survivorship care and outcomes. Impact We present novel data on the number of US survivors with poor HRQOL. Interventions for high-risk groups that can be easily implemented are needed to improve survivor health at a population level. PMID:23112268

The long-term effects of maternal depression: early childhood physical health as a pathway to offspring depression.

PubMed

Raposa, Elizabeth; Hammen, Constance; Brennan, Patricia; Najman, Jake

2014-01-01

Cross-sectional and retrospective studies have highlighted the long-term negative effects of maternal depression on offspring physical, social, and emotional development, but longitudinal research is needed to clarify the pathways by which maternal depression during pregnancy and early childhood affects offspring outcomes. The current study tested one developmental pathway by which maternal depression during pregnancy might negatively impact offspring mental health in young adulthood, via poor physical health in early childhood. The sample consisted of 815 Australian youth and their mothers who were followed for 20 years. Mothers reported on their own depressive symptoms during pregnancy and offspring early childhood. Youth completed interviews about health-related stress and social functioning at age 20 years, and completed a questionnaire about their own depressive symptoms 2 to 5 years later. Path analysis indicated that prenatal maternal depressive symptoms predicted worse physical health during early childhood for offspring, and this effect was partially explained by ongoing maternal depression in early childhood. Offspring poor physical health during childhood predicted increased health-related stress and poor social functioning at age 20. Finally, increased health-related stress and poor social functioning predicted increased levels of depressive symptoms later in young adulthood. Maternal depression had a significant total indirect effect on youth depression via early childhood health and its psychosocial consequences. Poor physical health in early childhood and its effects on young adults' social functioning and levels of health related stress is one important pathway by which maternal depression has long-term consequences for offspring mental health. Copyright © 2014 Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The economic burden of ill health due to diet, physical inactivity, smoking, alcohol and obesity in the UK: an update to 2006-07 NHS costs.

PubMed

Scarborough, Peter; Bhatnagar, Prachi; Wickramasinghe, Kremlin K; Allender, Steve; Foster, Charlie; Rayner, Mike

2011-12-01

Estimates of the economic cost of risk factors for chronic disease to the NHS provide evidence for prioritization of resources for prevention and public health. Previous comparable estimates of the economic costs of poor diet, physical inactivity, smoking, alcohol and overweight/obesity were based on economic data from 1992-93. Diseases associated with poor diet, physical inactivity, smoking, alcohol and overweight/obesity were identified. Risk factor-specific population attributable fractions for these diseases were applied to disease-specific estimates of the economic cost to the NHS in the UK in 2006-07. In 2006-07, poor diet-related ill health cost the NHS in the UK £5.8 billion. The cost of physical inactivity was £0.9 billion. Smoking cost was £3.3 billion, alcohol cost £3.3 billion, overweight and obesity cost £5.1 billion. The estimates of the economic cost of risk factors for chronic disease presented here are based on recent financial data and are directly comparable. They suggest that poor diet is a behavioural risk factor that has the highest impact on the budget of the NHS, followed by alcohol consumption, smoking and physical inactivity.

Health-related quality of life surveillance--United States, 1993-2002.

PubMed

Zahran, Hatice S; Kobau, Rosemarie; Moriarty, David G; Zack, Matthew M; Holt, James; Donehoo, Ralph

2005-10-28

Population-based surveillance of health-related quality of life (HRQOL) is needed to promote the health and quality of life of U.S. residents and to monitor progress in achieving the two overall Healthy People 2010 goals: 1) increase the quality and years of healthy life and 2) eliminate health disparities. This report examines surveillance-based HRQOL data from 1993 through 2002. Survey data from a validated set of HRQOL measures (CDC HRQOL-4) were analyzed for 1993-2001 from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) surveys for the 50 states and the District of Columbia (DC) and for 2001-2002 from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). These measures assessed self-rated health; physically unhealthy days (i.e., the number of days during the preceding 30 days for which physical health, including physical illness and injury, was not good); mentally unhealthy days (i.e., the number of days during the preceding 30 days for which mental health, including stress, depression, and problems with emotions, was not good); and days with activity limitation (i.e., number of days during the preceding 30 days that poor physical or mental health prevented normal daily activities). A summary measure of overall unhealthy days also was computed from the sum of a respondent's physically unhealthy and mentally unhealthy days, with a maximum of 30 days. During 1993-2001, the mean number of physically unhealthy days, mentally unhealthy days, overall unhealthy days, and activity limitation days was higher after 1997 than before 1997. During 1993-1997, the percentage of respondents with zero overall unhealthy days was stable (51%-53%) but declined to 48% by 2001. The percentage of respondents with >/=14 overall unhealthy days increased from 15%-16% during 1993-1997 to 18% by 2001. Adults increasingly rated their health as fair or poor and decreasingly rated it as excellent or very good. Women, American Indians/Alaska Natives, persons of "other races," separated or divorced persons, unmarried couples, unemployed persons, those unable to work, those with a <$15,000 annual household income, and those with less than a high school education reported worse HRQOL (i.e., physically unhealthy days, mentally unhealthy days, overall unhealthy days, and activity limitation days). Older adults reported more physically unhealthy days and activity limitation days, whereas younger adults reported more mentally unhealthy days. A seasonal pattern was observed in physically unhealthy days and overall unhealthy days. During 1993-2001, BRFSS respondents in 13 states reported increasing physically unhealthy days; respondents in 13 states and DC reported increasing mentally unhealthy days; respondents in Alabama, Connecticut, Maine, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, and Oregon reported both increasing physically and mentally unhealthy days; and respondents in 16 states and DC reported increasing activity limitation days. During 2001-2002, NHANES respondents with one or more medical conditions (e.g., arthritis or stroke) reported worse HRQOL than those without such conditions, and those with an increasing number of medical conditions reported increasingly worse HRQOL. Policy makers and researchers should continue to monitor HRQOL and its correlates in the U.S. population. In addition, public health professionals should expand monitoring to populations currently missed by existing surveys, including institutionalized and homeless persons, adolescents, and children. A key aspect is to study and identify the personal and community determinants of HRQOL in prevention research and population studies, to understand how to improve HRQOL, and to reduce HRQOL disparities. In addition, population health assessment professionals should continue to refine and validate HRQOL, functional status, and self-reported health measures.

Should I stay or should I go? Physical education teachers' career intentions.

PubMed

Mäkelä, Kasper; Hirvensalo, Mirja; Whipp, Peter R

2014-06-01

This study investigated Finnish physical education (PE) teachers' intentions to leave the profession and the reasons behind them. A large sample (N = 808) of PE teachers who graduated between 1980 and 2008 (432 women, 376 men) answered a modified job satisfaction and teacher follow-up questionnaire that elicited career perceptions, intentions, and current work duties. In this sample, 26% of the respondents were contemplating leaving their jobs as PE teachers and an additional 13% were actually in the process of transferring from PE teaching but planned to remain in school teaching. To determine the reasons for considering leaving the PE teaching profession, principal axis factoring with direct oblimin rotation was performed on the 35 items of the questionnaire. These factors were labeled as status of the PE teaching profession, pupils, working conditions, colleagues, expertise, workload, administration, and stress. The most influential factors were poor facilities, poor equipment, and isolation from the peers. Additional factors included working conditions, low status of the PE teachers, and workload. For women, workload and stress were more significant reasons for leaving the profession than they were for men (p = .010-.040, d = 0.34-0.43). PE teachers in the age group of 40 to 44 years old constituted the largest group who were considering leaving the profession. Thirty-nine percent of the PE teachers considered leaving the profession. Even though PE teachers face a variety of challenges in their work, the majority intend to remain in the teaching profession. Improved resourcing and collegial support could potentially reduce PE teachers' intention to leave.

Mechanical erosion of xenoliths by magmatic shear flow

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Del Gaudio, Piero; Ventura, Guido

2008-05-01

We focus on the role of mechanical erosion by magmatic shear flow in the formation of xenoliths occurring in lava flows. The process is analyzed by combining the physics of fragmentation and erosion to the concept of rock mass. The conditions for the country rock fragmentation are analyzed as a function of the magma viscosity, strain rate and tensile strength of the rock mass. In reservoirs, mechanical processes play a subordinate role and thermal erosion processes prevail. In conduits, intermediate and silicic magmas may erode and, eventually, fragment good to poor quality country rock masses. Basalts may erode poor quality country rocks. A crystal-rich magma has more chance to break up the conduit walls with respect to a vesiculated melt. The variety of xenoliths of a lava reflects a set of wall-rocks with similar mechanical properties and may not mirror the stratigraphy of the substratum of a volcanic area.

The health status of retired American football players: Super Bowl III revisited.

PubMed

Nicholas, Stephen J; Nicholas, James A; Nicholas, Calvin; Diecchio, Jennifer R; McHugh, Malachy P

2007-10-01

Despite a perception that retired professional football players have poor health, there are little supporting data. Retired football players have poor health compared with age-matched population norms. Cross-sectional study; Level of evidence, 4. Thirty-six of 41 members of the 1969 Super Bowl winning team were contacted 35 years after that event (3 were deceased, and no contact information was available for 2). Players completed an SF-36 health survey and a medical history and football-specific questionnaire. Each player's football-related injury history before 1969 was documented from medical records. It was estimated that there was 80% power to detect a 10% difference in physical and mental health scores between the retired football players (age, 62 +/- 3 y) and population norms (n = 741) at an alpha level of 0.05. SF-36 scores for physical and mental health were not different from age-matched norms (physical health P = .69; mental health P = .49). The most prevalent medical conditions were arthritis (24 of 36 players), hypertension (13 of 36 players), and chronic low back pain (13 of 36 players). SF-36 physical health scores were 21% lower in players with arthritis (P < .01) and back pain (P < .05) compared with the other players. Physical health scores were 19% above normal for players without arthritis (P < .01) and not different from normal for players with arthritis (6% lower; P = .6). Four of 8 players who had major ligamentous injuries to the knee before 1969 had total knee arthroplasty in the intervening years, compared with 3 of the remaining 28 players (P < .05). The men played professional football for 8.3 +/- 3.8 years, and 33 players (94%) reported having had "very fulfilling" (n = 24) or "somewhat fulfilling" (n = 9) careers. These professional football players had long and fulfilling careers with no apparent long-term detrimental effects on physical or mental health scores despite a high prevalence of arthritis.

Physical conditions of the molecular gas in metal-poor galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hunt, L. K.; Weiß, A.; Henkel, C.; Combes, F.; García-Burillo, S.; Casasola, V.; Caselli, P.; Lundgren, A.; Maiolino, R.; Menten, K. M.; Testi, L.

2017-10-01

Studying the molecular component of the interstellar medium (ISM) in metal-poor galaxies has been challenging because of the faintness of carbon monoxide emission, the most common proxy of H2. Here we present new detections of molecular gas at low metallicities, and assess the physical conditions in the gas through various CO transitions for 8 galaxies. For one, NGC 1140 (Z/Z⊙ 0.3), two detections of 13CO isotopologues and atomic carbon, [Ci](1-0) and an upper limit for HCN(1-0) are also reported. After correcting to a common beam size, we compared 12CO(2-1)/12CO(1-0) (R21) and 12CO(3-2)/12CO(1-0) (R31) line ratios of our sample with galaxies from the literature and find that only NGC 1140 shows extreme values (R21 R31 2). Fitting physical models to the 12CO and 13CO emission in NGC 1140 suggests that the molecular gas is cool (kinetic temperature Tkin ≲ 20 K), dense (H2 volume density nH2 ≳ 106 cm-3), with moderate CO column density (NCO 1016 cm-2) and low filling factor. Surprisingly, the [12CO]/[13CO] abundance ratio in NGC 1140 is very low ( 8-20), lower even than the value of 24 found in the Galactic Center. The young age of the starburst in NGC 1140 precludes 13CO enrichment from evolved intermediate-mass stars; instead we attribute the low ratio to charge-exchange reactions and fractionation, because of the enhanced efficiency of these processes in cool gas at moderate column densities. Fitting physical models to 12CO and [Ci](1-0) emission in NGC 1140 gives an unusually low [12CO]/[12C] abundance ratio, suggesting that in this galaxy atomic carbon is at least 10 times more abundant than 12CO. Based on observations carried out with the IRAM 30 m and the Atacama Pathfinder Experiment (APEX). IRAM is supported by the INSU/CNRS (France), MPG (Germany), and IGN (Spain), and APEX is a collaboration between the Max-Planck-Institut fur Radioastronomie, the European Southern Observatory, and the Onsala Space Observatory.

Correlates of Leisure-Time Physical Activity Participation Among Latino Children and Adolescents with Acanthosis Nigricans.

PubMed

Wen, Ming; Su, Dejun

2015-10-01

Little is known about leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) correlates in high-risk youth prone to obesity, insulin resistance, and associated morbidities. This study examined LTPA correlates among Latino youth identified with acanthosis nigricans (AN), a skin condition typically caused by metabolic impairment. Data were collected on 305 AN-positive Latino youth of ages 5-15 and one of their biological parents in 2012 from Texas. Ordinal logit regression was performed to analyze the data. Five health and behavioral LTPA correlates were identified, including child time spent in TV watching or videogame playing (OR of highest quartile vs. lowest quartile = 0.45; p = 0.01), child fair/poor health (OR 0.42; p = 0.01), parent obesity (OR 0.63; p = 0.06), parent daily physical exercise for more than 30 min (OR 2.20; p < 0.01), and parent housework time (OR 0.76; p < 0.05). Parent socioeconomic status was insignificant. For at-risk Latino youth, physical activity intervention strategies should take both behavioral and health factors into account.

A Community Needs Assessment of the Physical Activity and Food Environment in a Predominantly Hispanic U.S. City.

PubMed

Lebron, Cynthia; Stoutenberg, Mark; Portacio, Francia; Zollinger, Terrell W

2016-09-01

Hispanics suffer disproportionately compared with non-Hispanic Whites from health conditions that are affected by physical inactivity and poor dietary habits. A needs assessment was conducted in Hialeah, Florida, the largest enclave of Cubans in the United States, to assess the perspectives of community stakeholders and members regarding the roles of physical activity and nutrition environments. Interviews were performed with community stakeholders (n = 21), and responses were grouped into major themes. Surveys were conducted with community members (n = 85). Descriptive analyses were used to categorize responses and potential differences across responses were explored. Both community members and stakeholders reported that the local park system was a major asset to healthy living in Hialeah and agreed that traffic issues and a lack of walkability were major barriers to being physically active; however, there was variability in the response to the quality of the food environment. The perspectives of the community members and stakeholders will be valuable in highlighting pathways to enhancing the health and wellness of the residents of Hialeah. © The Author(s) 2016.

Physical therapy modalities and rehabilitation techniques in the management of neuropathic pain.

PubMed

Akyuz, Gulseren; Kenis, Ozge

2014-03-01

Neuropathic pain is an important problem because of its complex natural history, unclear etiology, and poor response to standard physical therapy agents. It causes severe disability unrelated to its etiology. The primary goals of the management of neuropathic pain are to detect the underlying cause, to define the differential diagnosis and eliminate risk factors, and to reduce the pain. The physician should also know the functional and psychologic conditions of the patient. Therefore, a multimodal management plan in neuropathic pain is essential. This review aimed to reflect a diverse point of view about various physical therapy modalities and rehabilitation techniques. Physical therapy modalities and rehabilitation techniques are important options and must be considered when pharmacotherapy alone is not sufficient. In addition, psychosocial support and cognitive behavioral therapy could also be taken into consideration. It has been suggested that the importance of pain rehabilitation techniques will increase in time and these will take a larger part in the management of neuropathic pain. However, it is now early to comment on these methods because of the lack of adequate publications.

Multi-scale assessment of human-induced changes to ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Context: Land use change and forest degradation have myriad effects on tropical ecosystems. Yet their consequences for low-order streams remain very poorly understood, including in the world´s largest freshwater basin, the Amazon.Objectives: Determine the degree to which physical and chemical characteristics of the instream habitat of low-order Amazonian streams change in response to past local- and catchment-level anthropogenic disturbances. Methods: To do so, we collected field instream habitat (i.e., physical habitat and water quality) and landscape data from 99 stream sites in two eastern Brazilian Amazon regions. We used random forest regression trees to assess the relative importance of different predictor variables in determining changes in instream habitat response variables. Adaptations the USEPA’s National Aquatic Resource Survey (NARS) designs, field methods, and approaches for assessing ecological condition have been applied in state and basin stream surveys throughout the U.S., and also in countries outside of the U.S. These applications not only provide valuable tests of the NARS approaches, but generate new understandings of natural and anthropogenic controls on biota and physical habitat in streams. Results from applications in Brazil, for example, not only aid interpretation of the condition of Brazilian streams, but also refine approaches for interpreting aquatic resource surveys in the U.S. and elsewhere. In this article, the authors des

Work conditions and socioeconomic inequalities in work ability.

PubMed

Aittomäki, Akseli; Lahelma, Eero; Roos, Eva

2003-04-01

The objective of this study was to investigate socioeconomic inequalities in work ability among municipal employees and the contribution of work conditions to these inequalities. The subjects were employees of the City of Helsinki and were all over 40 years of age. Data (N=1,827) were collected in the age-group-based medical check-ups by occupational health personnel. Work ability was measured with a work ability index. The association between the work ability index with socioeconomic status was examined by fitting logistic regression models. There was a consistent gradient in work ability, lower socioeconomic groups having poorer work ability. Adjusting for physical stress accounted for a substantial part of the socioeconomic inequalities. Adjusting for possibilities for influence and development at work accounted for some of the difference between white-collar and blue-collar employees, but not for differences between the white-collar subgroups among the women. Mental stress and problems in the social environment were not clearly associated with the inequalities. Socioeconomic inequalities in work ability among municipal employees correspond to the inequalities in ill health found in general populations. Physical stress at work explained a large part of the inequality. Poor possibilities to influence one's work contributed to the excess of lowered work ability among the blue-collar employees, but not to the inequalities between white-collar subgroups of women. Apart from physical workload, work conditions did not explain socioeconomic inequalities between white-collar subgroups of women.

Relationship Between Poor Physical Function, Inflammatory Markers, and Comorbidities in HIV-Infected Women on Antiretroviral Therapy

PubMed Central

Harris, Ariana; Michaels, Daniel; Miciek, Renee; Storer, Thomas; Sebastiani, Paola; Montano, Monty

2014-01-01

Abstract Background: HIV-infected individuals may be at increased risk of poor physical function. Chronic inflammation has been associated with decreased physical function in the elderly and may also influence physical function in HIV-infected individuals. Methods: This cross-sectional study assessed physical function in 65 HIV-infected women aged 40 and older on stable antiretroviral treatment using the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB): a standardized test of balance, walking speed, and lower- extremity strength developed for elderly populations. The relationship between low SPPB score, selected demographic and medical characteristics, and high inflammatory biomarker profile was analyzed using Fisher's exact test and Wilcoxon rank sum test. Results: The median age of subjects was 49 years (interquartile range [IQR] 45–55), and the median CD4 T-cell count was 675 cells/mm3 (IQR 436–828). Thirteen subjects (20%) had a low SPPB score. Subjects with a low SPPB score were more likely to be cigarette smokers (p=0.03), had more medical comorbidities (p=0.01), and had higher levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6) (p<0.05). They also tended to be older (median age 55 vs. 48, p=0.06), more likely to have diabetes (p=0.07), and have higher levels of soluble tumor necrosis factor-1 (p=0.09). Conclusions: Twenty percent of women aged 40 and older with well-treated HIV had poor physical-function performance, which was associated with the high burden of comorbidities in this population and with increased IL-6. However, it is unclear from this cross-sectional study whether increased inflammation was related to poor physical function or to other factors, such as age and medical comorbidities. PMID:24219874

Relationship between poor physical function, inflammatory markers, and comorbidities in HIV-infected women on antiretroviral therapy.

PubMed

Baranoski, Amy S; Harris, Ariana; Michaels, Daniel; Miciek, Renee; Storer, Thomas; Sebastiani, Paola; Montano, Monty

2014-01-01

HIV-infected individuals may be at increased risk of poor physical function. Chronic inflammation has been associated with decreased physical function in the elderly and may also influence physical function in HIV-infected individuals. This cross-sectional study assessed physical function in 65 HIV-infected women aged 40 and older on stable antiretroviral treatment using the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB): a standardized test of balance, walking speed, and lower- extremity strength developed for elderly populations. The relationship between low SPPB score, selected demographic and medical characteristics, and high inflammatory biomarker profile was analyzed using Fisher's exact test and Wilcoxon rank sum test. The median age of subjects was 49 years (interquartile range [IQR] 45-55), and the median CD4 T-cell count was 675 cells/mm(3) (IQR 436-828). Thirteen subjects (20%) had a low SPPB score. Subjects with a low SPPB score were more likely to be cigarette smokers (p=0.03), had more medical comorbidities (p=0.01), and had higher levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6) (p<0.05). They also tended to be older (median age 55 vs. 48, p=0.06), more likely to have diabetes (p=0.07), and have higher levels of soluble tumor necrosis factor-1 (p=0.09). Twenty percent of women aged 40 and older with well-treated HIV had poor physical-function performance, which was associated with the high burden of comorbidities in this population and with increased IL-6. However, it is unclear from this cross-sectional study whether increased inflammation was related to poor physical function or to other factors, such as age and medical comorbidities.

The prediction of disability by self-reported physical frailty components of the Tilburg Frailty Indicator (TFI).

PubMed

Gobbens, R J J; van Assen, M A L M; Schalk, M J D

2014-01-01

Disability is an important health outcome for older persons; it is associated with impaired quality of life, future hospitalization, and mortality. Disability also places a high burden on health care professionals and health care systems. Disability is regarded as an adverse outcome of physical frailty. The main objective of this study was to assess the predictive validity of the eight individual self-reported components of the physical frailty subscale of the TFI for activities of daily living (ADL) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) disability. This longitudinal study was carried out with a sample of Dutch citizens. At baseline the sample consisted at 429 people aged 65 years and older and a subset of all respondents participated again two and a half years later (N=355, 83% response rate). The respondents completed a web-based questionnaire comprising the TFI and the Groningen Activity Restriction Scale (GARS) for measuring disability. Five components together (unintentional weakness, weakness, poor endurance, slowness, low physical activity), referring to the phenotype of Fried et al., predicted disability, even after controlling for previous disability and other background characteristics. The other three components of the physical frailty subscale of the TFI (poor balance, poor hearing, poor vision) together did not predict disability. Low physical activity predicted both total and ADL disability, and slowness both total and IADL disability. In conclusion, self-report assessment using the physical subscale of the TFI aids the prediction of future ADL and IADL disability in older persons two and a half years later. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Towards Age-Friendly Hospitals in Developing Countries: A Case Study in Iran

PubMed Central

Ahmadi, Ahmad; Seyedin, Hesam; Fadaye-Vatan, Reza

2015-01-01

Background: Developing countries such as Iran are experiencing a growth in the elderly population. This is a challenge for healthcare providers and their families. This study investigated the extent in which hospitals at Tehran meet the criteria of age-friendly hospitals. Methods: In this descriptive study, using convenience sampling, 26 hospitals were selected in Tehran, the capital city of Iran. The instrument was a checklist included 50 items in the three dimensions of information and training of service providers, management systems in health care centers, physical environment and accessibility of hospitals. Results: Most hospitals were in a good condition regarding physical environment and access to public transportation, but in a poor condition for special healthcare programs for the elderly, teaching principles of geriatrics and gerontology, interaction of medical staff, physicians and nurses with senior patients and systems of priority for them. Conclusion: Due to the growing elderly population, it is necessary for health policymakers, especially in developing countries, to consider seriously the issue of elderly healthcare and their need for special outpatient and inpatient services. PMID:26000245

Marine debris boost in juvenile Magellanic penguins stranded in south-eastern Brazil in less than a decade: Insights into feeding habits and habitat use.

PubMed

Di Beneditto, Ana Paula Madeira; Siciliano, Salvatore

2017-12-15

The Magellanic penguin (Spheniscus magellanicus) is a marine sentinel for the southern Atlantic Ocean that is a proxy of environmental quality. The presence of marine debris (macro-debris) in the stomach contents of emaciated juvenile penguins stranded from 21°S to 23°S was compared at different times (2000 and 2008), and the debris ingestion pathway was determined. The frequency of marine debris in the stomachs doubled in less than a decade, and flexible plastics remained the main ingested item over time (68-70%). The pelagic octopus, Argonauta nodosa, which inhabits the sea surface, was the most important prey species recovered in the stomach contents. The poor physical condition of the penguins that reach the northern migration limit (study area) reduces the diving capacity of the animals and increases their vulnerability to debris ingestion. Considering their preferred prey and physical condition, we conclude that the penguins likely ingested the marine debris in surface waters. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Housing for Female Factory Workers: The Association between Renting Accommodation and Satisfaction with Income and Living Conditions

PubMed Central

Nguyen, Quynh Thuy; Tran, Thuy Thi Thu; Phan, Chinh Thi Thuy; Pham, Tuan Cong

2016-01-01

Background Vietnam has experienced a strong wave of migrants to urban and industrialized areas. This is a challenge for both local and national governments, which need to address the problems of the poor and socially marginalized, including providing housing for rural-to-urban migrants. Poor housing and the economic burden of house renting are increasingly recognized as determinants of both physical and mental health. Objectives This paper examined the association between renting accommodation and income satisfaction and living conditions of female workers in light manufacturing industries in Vietnam. Methods A cross-sectional study was implemented with quantitative survey of 2,818 female workers in 10 light manufacturing factories in 3 industrial zones by a self-administered questionnaire. Results Over 38% of female workers had to rent accommodation. The average expense for accommodation, water and electricity accounted for 30.1% of renters' income, which is 7.2% (CI 95%, 5.3–9.3%) higher than for non-renters. A higher proportion of renters than non-renters considered their income was unstable and insufficient for living costs. In addition, only 7.2% of renters reported that their living conditions were suitable, notably lower than non-renters (22.4%). Conclusion The study showed the economic burden of renting accommodation on workers' income satisfaction and living conditions. The findings have implications for an adequate housing access strategy for workers including the integration of housing development in the planning and development of industrial zones and factories. PMID:29546198

Effects of substrata and environmental conditions on ecological succession on historic shipwrecks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

González-Duarte, Manuel M.; Fernández-Montblanc, Tomás; Bethencourt, Manuel; Izquierdo, Alfredo

2018-01-01

An understanding of the interactions between biological, chemical and physical dynamics is especially important for the adequate conservation of the Underwater Cultural Heritage. However, while physical and chemical processes are relatively well-investigated, the biological communities associated with these habitats are poorly studied. We compared the sessile community developed on panels of different materials placed on two historical shipwrecks, the Fougueux and the Bucentaure, from the Battle of Trafalgar (October 1805). Six materials used at the construction of vessels at the 18th and 19th centuries were selected: copper, brass, cast iron, carbon steel, pine and oak. The sessile community developed on the panels was studied two and 15 months after their immersion at the water to determine the effects of materials and environmental conditions (sediments, waves, hydrodynamic conditions, temperature and salinity) on ecological succession and the possible implications at the conservation of historical shipwrecks. On the Fougueux, the environmental conditions more strongly influenced the biological succession than the material type, with pioneer colonisers dominating the communities in both sampling periods. On the Bucentaure, exposed to more stable environmental conditions, the sessile community showed differences between sampling periods and among materials at the end of the experiment. Under these more stable environmental conditions, the material type showed a higher influence on the sessile community. Species that produce calcareous concretions developed on metallic panels, but were absent on wood panels, where the shipworm Teredo navalis was more abundant. The relationship between environmental conditions, sessile organisms and material type can influence the conservation status of the archaeological sites.

The influence of age on the distribution of self-rated health, burnout and their associations with psychosocial work conditions.

PubMed

Cheng, Yawen; Chen, I-Shin; Chen, Chiou-Jong; Burr, Hermann; Hasselhorn, Hans Martin

2013-03-01

Self-rated health (SRH) and burnout are commonly used health indicators. This study was designed to examine the age-specific patterns of SRH and burnout and their correlations with self-reported disease symptoms, and to investigate the moderating effects of age on the associations of psychosocial work conditions with these two health measures. Study subjects were 20,454 male and 16,875 female employees from 2 representative surveys conducted in 2007 and 2010 in Taiwan. SRH was assessed by a single item and burnout was assessed by the general burnout subscale of the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory (CBI). Psychosocial work conditions including working hours, psychological and physical job demands, job control, job insecurity and workplace justice were assessed by a validated questionnaire. Older workers were at higher risk for poor SRH which was correlated with the presence of multiple disease symptoms. In contrast, employees aged 30-40 years had higher burnout which was strongly correlated with emotional disturbance. Among all the examined work factors, low workplace justice was found to be the most predominant predictor for poor SRH and high burnout, and the associations were more profound in younger workers than in older workers. SRH and burnout were differentially related to age, and there were evidences of moderating effects of age on the associations between psychosocial work conditions and health. Researchers and health practitioners should pay attention to the influence of age when using the measures of SRH and burnout as indicators to detect health risk in association with adverse psychosocial work conditions. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Arctic Sea Ice, Eurasia Snow, and Extreme Winter Haze in China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zou, Y.; Wang, Y.; Xie, Z.; Zhang, Y.; Koo, J. H.

2017-12-01

Eastern China is experiencing more severe haze pollution in winter during recent years. Though the environmental deterioration in this region is usually attributed to the high intensity of anthropogenic emissions and large contributions from secondary aerosol formation, the impact of climate variability is also indispensable given its significant influence on regional weather systems and pollution ventilation. Here we analyzed the air quality related winter meteorological conditions over Eastern China in the last four decades and showed a worsening trend in poor regional air pollutant ventilation. Such variations increased the probability of extreme air pollution events, which is in good agreement with aerosol observations of recent years. We further identified the key circulation pattern that is conducive to the weakening ventilation and investigated the relationship between synoptic circulation changes and multiple climate forcing variables. Both statistical analysis and numerical sensitivity experiments suggested that the poor ventilation condition is linked to boreal cryosphere changes including Arctic sea ice in preceding autumn and Eurasia snowfall in earlier winter. We conducted comprehensive dynamic diagnosis and proposed a physical mechanism to explain the observed and simulated circulation changes. At last, we examined future projections of winter extreme stagnation events based on the CMIP5 projection data.

Cultural beliefs among people with epilepsy or physical impairment in Guinea-Bissau: Differences and similarities.

PubMed

Otte, Willem M; Nhaga, Abu A; Tchuda, Domingos L; Abna, Binhansan; van der Maas, Frank

2013-12-01

People living with a disability in sub-Saharan Africa have poorer health outcomes, lower educational successes, less economic participation, and higher levels of poverty than people without disability. Disability-inclusive development promotes the involvement of people with disabilities in programs that reduce these inequalities. This requires a good understanding of how individuals with disability perceive their condition. In this study, we identified cultural beliefs among 31 individuals with epilepsy or physical impairment, known to a community-based rehabilitation service in Guinea-Bissau, using face-to-face interviews. We related these beliefs to religious background and type of disability. We found poor knowledge of and attitudes towards disability among persons with epilepsy and physical impairment. Cultural beliefs were significantly shaped by religious background. Islamic respondents were more positive about their disability as compared to Christians and traditional believers. A better understanding of cultural beliefs among people with disabilities may help to launch and adapt disability-inclusive community-based rehabilitation services. © 2013.

A precise measurement of the magnetic field in the corona of the black hole binary V404 Cygni.

PubMed

Dallilar, Yigit; Eikenberry, Stephen S; Garner, Alan; Stelter, Richard D; Gottlieb, Amy; Gandhi, Poshak; Casella, Piergiorgio; Dhillon, Vik S; Marsh, Tom R; Littlefair, Stuart P; Hardy, Liam; Fender, Rob; Mooley, Kunal; Walton, Dominic J; Fuerst, Felix; Bachetti, Matteo; Castro-Tirado, A J; Charcos, Miguel; Edwards, Michelle L; Lasso-Cabrera, Nestor M; Marin-Franch, Antonio; Raines, S Nicholas; Ackley, Kendall; Bennett, John G; Cenarro, A Javier; Chinn, Brian; Donoso, H Veronica; Frommeyer, Raymond; Hanna, Kevin; Herlevich, Michael D; Julian, Jeff; Miller, Paola; Mullin, Scott; Murphey, Charles H; Packham, Chris; Varosi, Frank; Vega, Claudia; Warner, Craig; Ramaprakash, A N; Burse, Mahesh; Punnadi, Sujit; Chordia, Pravin; Gerarts, Andreas; de Paz Martín, Héctor; Calero, María Martín; Scarpa, Riccardo; Acosta, Sergio Fernandez; Hernández Sánchez, William Miguel; Siegel, Benjamin; Pérez, Francisco Francisco; Viera Martín, Himar D; Rodríguez Losada, José A; Nuñez, Agustín; Tejero, Álvaro; Martín González, Carlos E; Rodríguez, César Cabrera; Molgó, Jordi; Rodriguez, J Esteban; Cáceres, J Israel Fernández; Rodríguez García, Luis A; Lopez, Manuel Huertas; Dominguez, Raul; Gaggstatter, Tim; Lavers, Antonio Cabrera; Geier, Stefan; Pessev, Peter; Sarajedini, Ata

2017-12-08

Observations of binary stars containing an accreting black hole or neutron star often show x-ray emission extending to high energies (>10 kilo--electron volts), which is ascribed to an accretion disk corona of energetic particles akin to those seen in the solar corona. Despite their ubiquity, the physical conditions in accretion disk coronae remain poorly constrained. Using simultaneous infrared, optical, x-ray, and radio observations of the Galactic black hole system V404 Cygni, showing a rapid synchrotron cooling event in its 2015 outburst, we present a precise 461 ± 12 gauss magnetic field measurement in the corona. This measurement is substantially lower than previous estimates for such systems, providing constraints on physical models of accretion physics in black hole and neutron star binary systems. Copyright © 2017 The Authors, some rights reserved; exclusive licensee American Association for the Advancement of Science. No claim to original U.S. Government Works.

Association Between Sleep and Physical Function in Older Veterans in an Adult Day Healthcare Program.

PubMed

Song, Yeonsu; Dzierzewski, Joseph M; Fung, Constance H; Rodriguez, Juan C; Jouldjian, Stella; Mitchell, Michael N; Josephson, Karen R; Alessi, Cathy A; Martin, Jennifer L

2015-08-01

To examine whether sleep disturbance is associated with poor physical function in older veterans in an adult day healthcare (ADHC) program. Cross-sectional. One ADHC program in a Veterans Affairs Ambulatory Care Center. Older veterans (N = 50) enrolled in a randomized controlled trial of a sleep intervention program who had complete baseline data. Information on participant characteristics (e.g., age, depression, relationship to caregiver, pain, comorbidity) was collected using appropriate questionnaires. Physical function was measured using activity of daily living (ADL) and instrumental ADL (IADL) total scores from the Older Americans Resources and Services Multidimensional Functional Assessment Questionnaire. Sleep was assessed subjectively (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, Insomnia Severity Index) and objectively (wrist actigraphy). Participants required substantial assistance with ADLs and IADLs. A regression model showed that participant characteristics (marital status, use of sleep medication, comorbidity, posttraumatic stress disorder) and living arrangement (living with a spouse or others) were significantly associated with poor physical function. Poorer objective sleep (total sleep time, total numbers of awakenings, total wake time) was significantly associated with poor physical function, accounting for a significant proportion of the variance other than participant characteristics. Objective measures of nighttime sleep disturbance were associated with poor physical function in older veterans in an ADHC program. Further research is needed to determine whether interventions to improve sleep will delay functional decline in this vulnerable population. © 2015, Copyright the Authors Journal compilation © 2015, The American Geriatrics Society.

Why Rural Community Day Secondary Schools Students' Performance in Physical Science Examinations Is Poor in Lilongwe Rural West Education District in Malawi

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mlangeni, Angstone Noel J. Thembachako; Chiotha, Sosten Staphael

2015-01-01

A study was conducted to investigate factors that affect students' poor performance in physical science examinations at Malawi School Certificate of Education and Junior Certificate of Education levels in Community day secondary schools (CDSS) in Lilongwe Rural West Education District in Malawi. Students' performance was collected from schools'…

Physical Activity as a Vital Sign: A Systematic Review

PubMed Central

Allen, Kelli D.; Ambrose, Kirsten R.; Stiller, Jamie L.; Evenson, Kelly R.; Voisin, Christiane; Hootman, Jennifer M.; Callahan, Leigh F.

2017-01-01

Introduction Physical activity (PA) is strongly endorsed for managing chronic conditions, and a vital sign tool (indicator of general physical condition) could alert providers of inadequate PA to prompt counseling or referral. This systematic review examined the use, definitions, psychometric properties, and outcomes of brief PA instruments as vital sign measures, with attention primarily to studies focused on arthritis. Methods Electronic databases were searched for English-language literature from 1985 through 2016 using the terms PA, exercise, vital sign, exercise referral scheme, and exercise counseling. Of the 838 articles identified for title and abstract review, 9 articles qualified for full text review and data extraction. Results Five brief PA measures were identified: Exercise Vital Sign (EVS), Physical Activity Vital Sign (PAVS), Speedy Nutrition and Physical Activity Assessment (SNAP), General Practice Physical Activity Questionnaire (GPPAQ), and Stanford Brief Activity Survey (SBAS). Studies focusing on arthritis were not found. Over 1.5 years of using EVS in a large hospital system, improvements occurred in relative weight loss among overweight patients and reduction in glycosylated hemoglobin among diabetic patients. On PAVS, moderate physical activity of 5 or more days per week versus fewer than 5 days per week was associated with a lower body mass index (−2.90 kg/m2). Compared with accelerometer-defined physical activity, EVS was weakly correlated (r = 0.27), had low sensitivity (27%–59%), and high specificity (74%–89%); SNAP showed weak agreement (κ = 0.12); GPPAQ had moderate sensitivity (46%) and specificity (50%), and SBAS was weakly correlated (r = 0.10–0.28), had poor to moderate sensitivity (18%–67%), and had moderate specificity (58%–79%). Conclusion Few studies have examined a brief physical activity tool as a vital sign measure. Initial investigations suggest the promise of these simple and quick assessment tools, and research is needed to test the effects of their use on chronic disease outcomes. PMID:29191260

Medication and physical activity and physical fitness in severe mental illness.

PubMed

Perez-Cruzado, David; Cuesta-Vargas, Antonio; Vera-Garcia, Elisa; Mayoral-Cleries, Fermín

2018-05-23

Anti-psychotic medication has emerged as the primary medical treatment for people with severe mental illness, despite the great risks involved in the use of this medication. In addition, this population suffers from problems of obesity, sedentary lifestyle and poor physical fitness, which is aggravated by the use of this type of medication. The objective of this study is to explore the influence of the most commonly used antipsychotics in this population (Olanzapine and Risperidone) on physical activity and the physical fitness of people with severe mental illness. Sixty-two people between 26 and 61 years of age with severe mental illness were assessed. All participants were evaluated with a battery of 11 physical tests to assess their physical fitness and with the IPAQ-short version questionnaire to determine their level of physical activity. The doses of Risperidone and Olanzapine were also evaluated in all participants. Significant differences were found for physical activity, with higher levels reported in those patients with severe mental illness who did not take any of these medications. Regarding physical fitness, significant differences were only found for the consumption of Risperidone, with better physical fitness levels seen in patients who did not consume this medication; on the other hand, for the consumption of Olanzapine, differences were found in muscular strength, balance and aerobic condition with better values in non-Olanzapine consumers compared with Olanzapine consumers. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Green qualities in the neighbourhood and mental health – results from a longitudinal cohort study in Southern Sweden

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Poor mental health is a major issue worldwide and causality is complex. For diseases with multifactorial background synergistic effects of person- and place- factors can potentially be preventive. Nature is suggested as one such positive place-factor. In this cohort study we tested the effect of defined green qualities (Serene, Space, Wild, Culture, Lush) in the environment at baseline on mental health at follow-up. We also studied interaction effects on mental health of those place factors and varied person factors (financial stress, living conditions, and physical activity). Methods Data on person factors were extracted from a longitudinal (years 1999/2000 and 2005) population health survey (n = 24945). The participants were geocoded and linked to data on green qualities from landscape assessments, and stored in the Geographical Information System (GIS). Crude odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated, and multivariate logistic analyses were performed. Results Mental health was not affected by access to the chosen green qualities, neither in terms of amount nor in terms of any specific quality. However, we found a reduced risk for poor mental health at follow-up among women, through a significant interaction effect between physical activity and access to the qualities Serene or Space. For men the tendencies were similar, though not significant. Regarding the other three green qualities, as well as amount of qualities, no statistically certain synergistic effects were found. Likewise, no significant synergies were detected between green qualities and the other person-factors. Only advanced exercise significantly reduced the risk for poor mental health among women, but not for men, compared to physical inactivity. Conclusions The results do not directly support the hypothesis of a preventive mental health effect by access to the green qualities. However, the additive effect of serene nature to physical activity contributed to better mental health at follow-up. This tendency was equal for both sexes, but statistically significant only for women. Objective landscape assessments may be important in detangling geographic determinants of health. This study stresses the importance of considering interaction effects when dealing with disorders of multifactorial background. PMID:22568888

Bullying and Being Bullied in Childhood Are Associated With Different Psychosocial Risk Factors for Poor Physical Health in Men

PubMed Central

Matthews, Karen A.; Jennings, J. Richard; Lee, Laisze; Pardini, Dustin

2017-01-01

Bullying perpetration and victimization in childhood are linked with later adjustment problems. The impact of childhood bullying on risk for poor physical health in adulthood is understudied. Black and White men (N=305; mean age=32.3) enrolled in the Pittsburgh Youth Study since the first grade underwent a comprehensive assessment of psychosocial, behavioral, and biological risk factors for poor health. Indices of bullying and victimization were created by averaging annual ratings collected from caregivers and boys when they were between 10 to 12 years. Results showed that childhood bullying was associated with more stress and aggression, and worse health behaviors in adulthood, whereas childhood victimization was associated with lower socioeconomic resources, less optimism, and greater unfair treatment in adulthood. Unexpectedly, neither childhood bullying nor victimization was related to inflammation or metabolic syndrome. Childhood bullying and victimization are associated with distinct domains of psychosocial risk in adulthood, which may lead to later poor physical health. PMID:28452573

Watching television for more than two hours increases the likelihood of reporting poor sleep quality among Brazilian schoolteachers.

PubMed

de Souza, Sara Carolina Scremin; Campanini, Marcela Zambrim; de Andrade, Selma Maffei; González, Alberto Durán; de Melo, Juliana Moura; Mesas, Arthur Eumann

2017-10-01

Although time spent watching television and sleep problems have increased in the last few decades, it is unclear whether these conditions are associated in working adults after controlling for lifestyle, job characteristics and other individual aspects. The present study analyzed the association between time spent watching television and sleep quality among teachers from public schools in Londrina, Brazil. In this cross-sectional study, information from the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and about time spent watching television was obtained during personal interviews. Logistic regression models adjusted by the main confounders (sociodemographic, occupational and lifestyle variables) were used in the analyses. Among the 959 studied teachers (68.2% women, median age: 42years), teachers who watched >120min/day had a higher likelihood of reporting poor sleep quality (PSQI>5) (odds ratio=1.41; 95% confidence interval=1.01; 1.98) compared with those who watched television for up to 60min/day, regardless of gender, age, work hours, leisure time physical activity and other lifestyle variables. This association did not remain significant after the adjustment for health conditions, i.e., obesity, anxiety, depression and chronic pain, which may act as confounding variables in the relationship between watching television and poor sleep quality. Watching television for >120min/day was independently associated with poorer sleep quality, which should be considered in the prevention and treatment of sleep disturbances among working population. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Using health psychology to help patients: common mental health disorders and psychological distress.

PubMed

Barley, Elizabeth; Lawson, Victoria

2016-09-22

This article provides an overview of how health psychology can be used by nurses to help patients experiencing common mental health problems and psychological distress. Mental health problems are common and are associated with poor outcomes, especially for patients with comorbid physical health conditions. Mental health problems are associated with unhealthy behaviours such as smoking, physical inactivity, overeating and excessive alcohol use, which will result in poorer outcomes for patients. Consideration of a patient's psychological health is therefore important for all nurses providing holistic care. Awareness of the symptoms of psychological distress, good communication skills and simple screening instruments can be used by nurses to assess patients' mental health. The cognitive and behavioural risk factors associated with depression and anxiety are also explored, as an understanding of these can help nurses to provide appropriate care.

Powerful Leverages and Counter-Currents in the Unborn Child Spiritual Care: A Qualitative Study

PubMed Central

Heidari, Tooba; Ziaei, Saeideh; Ahmadi, Fazlollah; Mohammadi, Eesa

2015-01-01

In different cultures, pregnancy, birth and motherhood are perceived as spiritual events through their miraculous processes and create an ideal context for spiritual enrichment. However, studies on spirituality and birth are at very early stages. The purpose of this study was to understand the facilitators and barriers of the unborn child spiritual care in Iranian women. Twenty-two mothers with live pregnancy experience who were willing and able to share their life stories were selected purposefully in Tehran (Iran) from May 2012 to April 2013. Qualitative content analysis was used to analyze 27 interviews. Active and passive acquisition of information, inner inspirational messages, receiving effective support from the people around as well as modeling of self and significant others created “powerful leverages” to accelerate mother for caring her unborn child. “Counter-currents” in the form of unsuitable physical conditions during pregnancy, poor economic and social conditions, unsuitable psychological and cognitive conditions and finally understanding unsuitable ideological conditions of the self and care giver were identified as barriers. Iranian cultural and religious perspective on the unborn child physical and mental influence from mother has an important role in mother’s self-care behaviors during pregnancy. It seems that using interdisciplinary professionals’ skills based on understanding facilitators and barriers of mother care of the unborn child can lead to providing comprehensive prenatal care according to mothers’ cultural, religious and social context. PMID:25560343

Effect of environment on Pekin duck behaviour and its correlation with body condition on commercial farms in the UK.

PubMed

Jones, T A; Dawkins, M S

2010-06-01

1. Forty-six flocks of commercially-reared Pekin ducks were studied to determine the effects of housing system and environment on the behaviour of farmed ducks and its correlation with physical condition. Houses differed predominantly in their ventilation, drinking, feeding and brooding systems, and were indicative of systems currently in use in the UK. 2. At 41 d of age ducks spent 15% of the time feeding, 67% drinking, 42% rooting and 155% dry preening. They spent large amounts of time relatively inactive, 435%, or performing comfort behaviours, 17%. On average 46% of their time was spent walking and only 18% wet preening. 3. A greater proportion of the maximum number of ducks able to use the drinker at any one time used the trough; nipple use was least and Plasson use intermediate. The proportion of ducks wet preening was not affected by drinker type but increased with increasing drinker space (mm/bird). 4. Duck behaviour was little affected by commercial production system and was influenced more by environment, age and physical condition. Activity at an older age incorporated more of the behaviours associated with thermal comfort (panting) and maintenance of plumage condition (dry and wet preening). These behaviours increased with increasing temperature, relative humidity and atmospheric ammonia. Poor walking ability was correlated to increased frequency of panting, reduced activity at the drinker, and longer resting bouts.

Promoting fit bodies, healthy eating and physical activity among Indigenous Australian men: a study protocol.

PubMed

Ricciardelli, Lina A; Mellor, David; McCabe, Marita P; Mussap, Alexander J; Hallford, David J; Tyler, Matthew

2012-01-11

Overall the physical health of Indigenous men is among the worst in Australia. Research has indicated that modifiable lifestyle factors, such as poor nutrition and physical inactivity, appear to contribute strongly to these poor health conditions. To effectively develop and implement strategies to improve the health of Australia's Indigenous peoples, a greater understanding is needed of how Indigenous men perceive health, and how they view and care for their bodies. Further, a more systematic understanding of how sociocultural factors affect their health attitudes and behaviours is needed. This article presents the study protocol of a community-based investigation into the factors surrounding the health and body image of Indigenous Australian men. The study will be conducted in a collaborative manner with Indigenous Australian men using a participatory action research framework. Men will be recruited from three locations around Australia (metropolitan, regional, and rural) and interviewed to understand their experiences and perspectives on a number of issues related to health and health behaviour. The information that is collected will be analysed using modified grounded theory and thematic analysis. The results will then be used to develop and implement community events in each location to provide feedback on the findings to the community, promote health enhancing strategies, and determine future action and collaboration. This study will explore both risk and protective factors that affect the health of Indigenous Australian men. This knowledge will be disseminated to the wider Indigenous community and can be used to inform future health promotion strategies. The expected outcome of this study is therefore an increased understanding of health and health change in Indigenous Australian men, the development of strategies that promote healthy eating and positive patterns of physical activity and, in the longer term, more effective and culturally-appropriate interventions to improve health.

The role of perceived barriers and objectively measured physical activity in adults aged 65-100.

PubMed

Gellert, Paul; Witham, Miles D; Crombie, Iain K; Donnan, Peter T; McMurdo, Marion E T; Sniehotta, Falko F

2015-05-01

to test the predictive utility of perceived barriers to objectively measured physical activity levels in a stratified sample of older adults when accounting for social-cognitive determinants proposed by the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB), and economic and demographic factors. data were analysed from the Physical Activity Cohort Scotland survey, a representative and stratified (65-80 and 80+ years; deprived and affluent) sample of 584 community-dwelling older people, resident in Tayside, Scotland. Physical activity was measured objectively by accelerometry. perceived barriers clustered around the areas of poor health, lack of interest, lack of safety and lack of access. Perceived poor health and lack of interest, but not lack of access or concerns about personal safety, predicted physical activity after controlling for demographic, economic and TPB variables. perceived person-related barriers (poor health and lack of interest) seem to be more strongly associated with physical activity levels than perceived environmental barriers (safety and access) in a large sample of older adults. Perceived barriers are modifiable and may be a target for future interventions. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Geriatrics Society. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Adherence to physical activity in adults with chronic diseases: ELSA-Brasil.

PubMed

Forechi, Ludimila; Mill, José Geraldo; Griep, Rosane Härter; Santos, Itamar; Pitanga, Francisco; Molina, Maria Del Carmen Bisi

2018-04-09

The objective of this study is to investigate the adherence and the factors that influence adherence to physical activity in adults with dyslipidemia, hypertension, or diabetes. The analyses were based on data collected at the baseline of the 14,521 participants from the study ELSA-Brasil aged between 35 and 74 years. The level of leisure time physical activity was determined using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire. Logistic regression analyses were performed to examine the influence of the demographic data, socioeconomic conditions, perceived health status, and access to exercise facilities in the neighborhood on adherence to physical activity. Men with hypertension and dyslipidemia were more active than women. The results show that 17.8%, 15.1%, and 13.9% of the subjects who reported dyslipidemia, hypertension, and diabetes, respectively, adhere to the physical activity recommendations. The factors positively associated with adherence were higher education and income. Older individuals who reported poor perceived health, were overweight and obese, regularly smoked, and had fewer opportunities to exercise in the neighborhood presented lower adherence. The number of adults with dyslipidemia, hypertension, and diabetes who adhere to the physical activity recommendations is very low. Higher education and income are positively associated with adherence, while age, excess body weight, negative perceived health, regular smoking, and lack of opportunity to exercise in the neighborhood were considered barriers to physical activity.

Poor working conditions and work stress among Canadian sex workers.

PubMed

Duff, P; Sou, J; Chapman, J; Dobrer, S; Braschel, M; Goldenberg, S; Shannon, K

2017-10-01

While sex work is often considered the world's oldest profession, there remains a dearth of research on work stress among sex workers (SWs) in occupational health epidemiological literature. A better understanding of the drivers of work stress among SWs is needed to inform sex work policy, workplace models and standards. To examine the factors that influence work stress among SWs in Metro Vancouver. Analyses drew from a longitudinal cohort of SWs, known as An Evaluation of Sex Workers' Health Access (AESHA) (2010-14). A modified standardized 'work stress' scale, multivariable linear regression with generalized estimating equations was used to longitudinally examine the factors associated with work stress. In multivariable analysis, poor working conditions were associated with increased work stress and included workplace physical/sexual violence (β = 0.18; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.06, 0.29), displacement due to police (β = 0.26; 95% CI 0.14, 0.38), working in public spaces (β = 0.73; 95% CI 0.61, 0.84). Older (β = -0.02; 95% CI -0.03, -0.01) and Indigenous SWs experienced lower work stress (β = -0.25; 95% CI -0.43, -0.08), whereas non-injection (β = 0.32; 95% CI 0.14, 0.49) and injection drug users (β = 0.17; 95% CI 0.03, 0.31) had higher work stress. Vancouver-based SWs' work stress was largely shaped by poor work conditions, such as violence, policing, lack of safe workspaces. There is a need to move away from criminalized approaches which shape unsafe work conditions and increase work stress for SWs. Policies that promote SWs' access to the same occupational health, safety and human rights standards as workers in other labour sectors are also needed. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society of Occupational Medicine. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com

Effects of rain and fog on the Shuttle Ku-band microwave scanning beam landing system range and accuracy performance

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Butler, D.

1981-01-01

The microwave Scanning Beam Landing System's (MSBLS) performance in fog and rain was studied. The fog and rain effects on the Shuttle Ku-band system were determined. Specifically, microwave attenuation, beam distortion, and coordinate errors resulting from operation of the MSBLS in poor weather conditions were evaluated. The main physical processes giving rise to microwave attenuation were found to be absorption and scattering by water droplets. The general theory of scattering and absorption used is discussed and a listing of applicable computer programs is provided.

Death by a thousand cuts: The health implications of black respectability politics

PubMed Central

Lee, Hedwig; Hicken, Margaret Takako

2017-01-01

The authors introduce the concept of “vigilance,” capturing behaviors that reflect attempts to navigate racialized social spaces on a daily basis. Specifically, vigilant behaviors include care about appearance and language to be treated with respect, avoidance of social spaces, and psychological preparation for potential prejudice and discrimination. Furthermore, these behaviors align with those discussed in Black respectability politics debates. Using data from a population-representative sample of Black adults in Chicago, they report that vigilance is associated with poor physical and mental health indexed through chronic health conditions, depressive symptoms, and self-rated health. PMID:29187782

Association of Maternal Depressive Symptoms and Offspring Physical Health in Low-Income Families.

PubMed

Thompson, Sarah M; Jiang, Lu; Hammen, Constance; Whaley, Shannon E

2018-06-01

Objectives The present study sought to examine the association between maternal depressive symptoms and characteristics of offspring physical health, including health status, health behaviors, and healthcare utilization, among low-income families. Maternal engagement was explored as a mediator of observed effects. Methods Cross-sectional survey data from a community sample of 4589 low-income women and their preschool-age children participating in the WIC program in Los Angeles County were analyzed using logistic, Poisson, and zero-inflated negative binomial regression. Mediation was tested via conditional process analyses. Results After controlling for the effects of demographic characteristics including maternal health insurance coverage, employment status, education, and preferred language, children of depressed women (N = 1025) were significantly more likely than children of non-depressed women (N = 3564) to receive a "poor" or "fair" maternal rating of general health (OR 2.34), eat fewer vegetables (IRR: 0.94) more sweets (IRR: 1.20) and sugary drinks daily (IRR: 1.32), and consume fast food more often (OR 1.21). These children were also less likely to have health insurance (OR 1.59) and more likely to receive medical care from a public medical clinic or hospital emergency room (OR 1.30). Reduced maternal engagement partially mediated associations between maternal depressive symptoms and several child health outcomes including poor diet, health insurance coverage, and use of public medical services. Conclusions for Practice Maternal depressive symptoms are associated with poor health among preschool-age children in low-income families. Prevention, screening, and treatment efforts aimed at reducing the prevalence of maternal depression may positively affect young children's health.

Disparities in chronic conditions and health status by type of disability

PubMed Central

Horner-Johnson, Willi; Dobbertin, Konrad; Lee, Jae Chul; Andresen, Elena M.

2013-01-01

Background Prior research has established health disparities between people with and without disabilities. However, disparities within the disability population, such as those related to type of disability, have been much less studied. Objective To examine differences in chronic conditions and health status between subgroups of people with different types of disability. Methods We analyzed Medical Expenditure Panel Survey annual data files from 2002-2008. Logistic regression analyses considered disparity from three perspectives: 1) basic differences, unadjusted for other factors; 2) controlling for key demographic and health covariates; and 3) controlling for a larger set of demographic variables and socioeconomic status as well as health and access to healthcare. Results Individuals with vision, physical, cognitive, or multiple disability types fared worse than people with hearing impairment on most health outcomes. This was most consistently true for people with multiple disabilities. Even when all covariates were accounted for, people with multiple types of disability were significantly more likely (p < 0.05) than those with hearing impairment (reference group) to report every poor health outcome with the exception of BMI ≥ 25 and lung disease. Conclusions While many of the differences between disability types were reduced when controlling for other factors, some differences remained significant. This argues for a more individualized approach to understanding and preventing chronic conditions and poor health in specific disability groups. PMID:24060250

Associations between adolescent risk for restrictive disordered eating and long-term outcomes related to somatic symptoms, body mass index, and poor well-being.

PubMed

Landstedt, Evelina; Hammarström, Anne; Fairweather-Schmidt, A Kate; Wade, Tracey

2018-05-01

To date, no longitudinal, community-based studies have examined the association between disordered eating emerging in adolescence and long-term physical well-being. This study sought to explore the longitudinal associations between risk for restrictive disordered eating (DE-R; those not presenting with binge-purge symptoms) in adolescence and trajectories of functional somatic symptoms (FSS) and body mass index (BMI), and several indicators of poor physical well-being across early- to mid-adulthood, including medication, number of doctor visits, and sick leave. Data were obtained from the Northern Swedish Cohort Study (N = 1,001), a prospective longitudinal study including four time points from age 16 to 42 years. A cumulative measure of DE-R risk was computed. Latent class growth analysis was used to identify subpopulation trajectories of FSS and BMI. The three-step method for auxiliary variables and logistic regressions were used to assess associations between DE-R and the trajectory classes as well as indicators of poor physical well-being. Three trajectories were identified for FSS. A gender by BMI interaction led to a classification of four BMI trajectories in men, but three in women. The presence of DE-R risk in adolescence increased odds of unfavourable FSS development, increasing BMI in women, and continually low BMI in men. Indicators of poor physical well-being at ages 21, 30, and 42 years were associated with DE-R risk in adolescence. Data spanning nearly three decades suggest that physical well-being impairment is related to DE-R risk measured earlier in life, underscoring the urgency for targeted, gender-sensitive preventive interventions for teenagers. Statement of contribution What is already known on this subject? Disordered eating is linked to poor physical and mental well-being and quality of life. No longitudinal studies have examined long-term physical well-being consequences of adolescent disordered eating risk. What does this study add? Non-purging disordered eating symptoms in adolescence predict adverse physical well-being outcomes in middle-aged men and women. Targeted interventions and preventative work during adolescence are needed. © 2018 The British Psychological Society.

Impact of polymer type on bioperformance and physical stability of hot melt extruded formulations of a poorly water soluble drug.

PubMed

Mitra, Amitava; Li, Li; Marsac, Patrick; Marks, Brian; Liu, Zhen; Brown, Chad

2016-05-30

Amorphous solid dispersion formulations have been widely used to enhance bioavailability of poorly soluble drugs. In these formulations, polymer is included to physically stabilize the amorphous drug by dispersing it in the polymeric carrier and thus forming a solid solution. The polymer can also maintain supersaturation and promote speciation during dissolution, thus enabling better absorption as compared to crystalline drug substance. In this paper, we report the use of hot melt extrusion (HME) to develop amorphous formulations of a poorly soluble compound (FaSSIF solubility=1μg/mL). The poor solubility of the compound and high dose (300mg) necessitated the use of amorphous formulation to achieve adequate bioperformance. The effect of using three different polymers (HPMCAS-HF, HPMCAS-LF and copovidone), on the dissolution, physical stability, and bioperformance of the formulations was demonstrated. In this particular case, HPMCAS-HF containing HME provided the highest bioavailability and also had better physical stability as compared to extrudates using HPMCAS-LF and copovidone. The data demonstrated that the polymer type can have significant impact on the formulation bioperformance and physical stability. Thus a thorough understanding of the polymer choice is imperative when designing an amorphous solid dispersion formulation, such that the formulation provides robust bioperformance and has adequate shelf life. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

"There's a housing crisis going on in Sydney for Aboriginal people": focus group accounts of housing and perceived associations with health.

PubMed

Andersen, Melanie J; Williamson, Anna B; Fernando, Peter; Redman, Sally; Vincent, Frank

2016-05-24

Poor housing is widely cited as an important determinant of the poor health status of Aboriginal Australians, as for indigenous peoples in other wealthy nations with histories of colonisation such as Canada, the United States of America and New Zealand. While the majority of Aboriginal Australians live in urban areas, most research into housing and its relationship with health has been conducted with those living in remote communities. This study explores the views of Aboriginal people living in Western Sydney about their housing circumstances and what relationships, if any, they perceive between housing and health. Four focus groups were conducted with clients and staff of an Aboriginal community-controlled health service in Western Sydney (n = 38). Inductive, thematic analysis was conducted using framework data management methods in NVivo10. Five high-level themes were derived: the battle to access housing; secondary homelessness; overcrowding; poor dwelling conditions; and housing as a key determinant of health. Participants associated their challenging housing experiences with poor physical health and poor social and emotional wellbeing. Housing issues were said to affect people differently across the life course; participants expressed particular concern that poor housing was harming the health and developmental trajectories of many urban Aboriginal children. Housing was perceived as a pivotal determinant of health and wellbeing that either facilitates or hinders prospects for full and healthy lives. Many of the specific health concerns participants attributed to poor housing echo existing epidemiological research findings. These findings suggest that housing may be a key intervention point for improving the health of urban Aboriginal Australians.

The Transition of Medical Students Through Residency: Effects on Physical Activity and Other Lifestyle-Related Behaviors.

PubMed

Pardo, Alba; Mitjans, Anna; Baranda, Lucía; Salamero, Manel; McKenna, James; Arteman, Antoni; Violán, Mariona

2016-05-01

Little is known about lifestyle choices and preventive healthcare-seeking behaviors during the transition from medical school graduation to residency training, a period characterized by increased rates of stress and lack of free time due to demanding working conditions. All of these issues are likely to affect physical activity (PA) level. This study explored the evolution of PA and other lifestyle behaviors during this transition. A cross-sectional study and a cohort study were conducted with medical students (2010) and physicians before and after the first year of residency (2013 and 2014). A self-administered questionnaire assessed PA, health and lifestyle behaviors. From a sample of 420 medical students and 478 residents, 74% comply with current PA guidelines. PA decreased by 16% during residency. Low levels of PA were found among (i) females and in respondents who reported (ii) poor self-perceived health and (iii) unhealthy body weight (P < .05). Low PA level was also significantly associated with poor mental health in first-year residents. The transition has a negative effect on physicians' PA level that may affect physicians' own health and patient care. Medical programs should encourage residents to engage in PA to assure physicians' personal and mental health.

[Multistep surgery for spondylosyndesis. Treatment concept of destructive spondylodiscitis in patients with reduced general condition].

PubMed

Isenberg, J; Jubel, A; Hahn, U; Seifert, H; Prokop, A

2005-02-01

Retrospective assessment of multistage surgery in the treatment of progressive spondylodiscitis in patients with critical physical status. A total of 34 patients (mean age 58.6 years) with 37 progressive spondylodiscitis foci and destruction of one to three vertebral segments (1.9 mean) were recorded within an 8-year period. Time between first complaints and operative treatment was 3 months (mean). Preoperative health status was critically reduced in 11 patients (ASA IV) and poor general condition (ASA III) was seen in 23 patients when vital indication was seen preoperatively. Considerable systemic disease (n=31), further infection focus (n=18), and nosocomial trauma (n=5) were causally related. Spondylodiscitis was seen more frequently in the lumbar (n=20) and thoracolumbar than in the thoracic (n=10) and cervical spine (n=1). Staphylococcus aureus was detectable from operative specimens and hemoculture in 15 cases, MRSA in 6 of these. In cases of monosegmentary involvement (n=7) ventral debridement, biopsy, and application of antibiotic chains were followed by autologous interbody bone grafting in a second stage operation. In 29 cases with destruction of two (n=27) and three (n=3) segments, posterior instrumentation including laminectomy in 4 patients was completed by anterior debridement and application of antibiotic chains during a first surgical intervention. After stabilization of physical condition and having reached a macroscopically indisputable implant bed, the ventral fusion with autologous interbody bone grafting or cage in combination with a plate or internal fixation system was performed as the last of several surgical steps. No case of perioperative mortality was observed. Intensive care continued 9.1 days and hospitalization 49.5 days (mean). During a 37.6-month follow-up two late recurrences were observed. A multistep surgical procedure under protection of dorsal instrumentation can limit perioperative mortality in patients in critical general condition by avoiding an extended one stage dorsoventral spondylodesis. After eradication of further infection foci and stabilization of physical condition, ventral instrumentation is completed under elective conditions.

Physical activity attitudes and preferences among inpatient adults with mental illness.

PubMed

Fraser, Sarah J; Chapman, Justin J; Brown, Wendy J; Whiteford, Harvey A; Burton, Nicola W

2015-10-01

The life expectancy of adults with mental illness is worse than that of the general population and is largely due to poor physical health status. Physical activity has been consistently recommended for the prevention and management of many chronic physical health conditions and can also have benefits for mental health. This cross sectional study assessed the attitudes towards and preferences for physical activity among inpatient adults with mental illness, and differences by distress and gender. Self-report questionnaires were completed by 101 patients. Findings indicated that inpatient adults with mental illness are interested in doing physical activity while in hospital, primarily to maintain good physical health and improve emotional wellbeing. Fewer than half of participants agreed that physical activity has benefits for serious mental illness. Participants indicated a preference for walking and physical activity that can be done alone, at a fixed time and with a set routine and format. Major barriers were fatigue and lack of motivation. Females were more likely than males to prefer activities done with others of the same gender (P = 0.001) and at the same level of ability (P < 0.001). There were no significant differences by level of distress. These findings can inform physical activity intervention programming in hospital settings, which may contribute to decreasing the chronic disease burden and improve the psychological wellbeing in adults with mental illness. © 2015 Australian College of Mental Health Nurses Inc.

Remote sensing of surface water quality in relation to catchment condition in Zimbabwe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Masocha, Mhosisi; Murwira, Amon; Magadza, Christopher H. D.; Hirji, Rafik; Dube, Timothy

2017-08-01

The degradation of river catchments is one of the most important contemporary environmental problems affecting water quality in tropical countries. In this study, we used remotely sensed Normalised Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) to assess how catchment condition varies within and across river catchments in Zimbabwe. We then used non-linear regression to test whether catchment condition assessed using the NDVI is significantly (α = 0.05) related with levels of Total Suspended Solids (TSS) measured at different sampling points in thirty-two sub-catchments in Zimbabwe. The results showed a consistent negative curvilinear relationship between Landsat 8 derived NDVI and TSS measured across the catchments under study. In the drier catchments of the country, 98% of the variation in TSS is explained by NDVI, while in wetter catchments, 64% of the variation in TSS is explained by NDVI. Our results suggest that NDVI derived from free and readily available multispectral Landsat series data (Landsat 8) is a potential valuable tool for the rapid assessment of physical water quality in data poor catchments. Overall, the finding of this study underscores the usefulness of readily available satellite data for near-real time monitoring of the physical water quality at river catchment scale, especially in resource-constrained areas, such as the sub-Saharan Africa.

Explaining educational differences in sickness absence: a population-based follow-up study.

PubMed

Kaikkonen, Risto; Härkänen, Tommi; Rahkonen, Ossi; Gould, Raija; Koskinen, Seppo

2015-07-01

There is a marked socioeconomic gradient in sickness absences, but the causes of this gradient are poorly understood. This study examined the role of health and work-related factors as determinants of educational differences in long-term sickness absence in an 8-year follow-up. The study comprised a population-based sample of 5835 Finns aged 30-64 years (participation 89%, N=3946) in a register-based 8-year follow-up. This is a novel method to predict the population average of sickness absence days per working year (DWY) based on the expected outcome values using Poisson and gamma regression models. The difference in the DWY between the lowest and highest educational level was clear among both men (3.2 days/year versus 8.0 days/year) and women (women 4.4 days/year versus 10.1 days/year). Adjusting for physical working conditions, health status and health behavior, and obesity attenuated the differences. Psychosocial working conditions had only a minor effect on the association. After adjusting for health and work-related factors, the difference attenuated by 1.8 days and 2.6 days among men and women, respectively. Our results suggest that improvements in physical working conditions and reducing smoking, particularly among employees with a low level of education, may markedly reduce educational differences in sickness absence.

Childhood Environments and Cytomegalovirus Serostatus and Reactivation in Adults

PubMed Central

Janicki-Deverts, Denise; Cohen, Sheldon; Doyle, William J.; Marsland, Anna L.; Bosch, Jos A.

2014-01-01

Childhood adversity, defined in terms of material hardship or physical or emotional maltreatment has been associated with risk for infection with cytomegalovirus (CMV) among children and adolescents, and with CMV reactivation in children and adults. The present study examined whether different dimensions of childhood experience—those pertaining to socioeconomic status (SES), physical environment, or family relationships, relate differentially to CMV serostatus and reactivation during adulthood. Participants were 140 healthy adults, aged 18–55 years (41% female; 64% white). Childhood environments were assessed retrospectively and included family SES (parental housing tenure); childhood neighborhood environment (urban residence; physical conditions; safety; and social atmosphere); residential exposures (parental smoking and physical condition of home); and family relationships (parental divorce; warmth; harmony; dysfunction; parental bonding). Approximately 39% (n = 53) of participants were CMV+. In individual analyses controlling for age, sex, race, body mass, current adult SES and smoking status, fewer years of parental home ownership, having a parent who smoked, and living in a poorly maintained or unsafe neighborhood each were associated with greater odds of infection with CMV. By comparison, in individual analyses limited to CMV+ participants, less family warmth, less harmony, greater dysfunction, and suboptimal parental bonding each were related to higher antibody levels, independent of the aforementioned covariates. Findings were not attributable to current adult perceptions of psychological stress or relative levels of emotional stability. These results suggest that different types of childhood adversity may be associated with differential effects on CMV infection and latency. PMID:24675032

Childhood environments and cytomegalovirus serostatus and reactivation in adults.

PubMed

Janicki-Deverts, Denise; Cohen, Sheldon; Doyle, William J; Marsland, Anna L; Bosch, Jos

2014-08-01

Childhood adversity, defined in terms of material hardship or physical or emotional maltreatment has been associated with risk for infection with cytomegalovirus (CMV) among children and adolescents, and with CMV reactivation in children and adults. The present study examined whether different dimensions of childhood experience-those pertaining to socioeconomic status (SES), physical environment, or family relationships-relate differentially to CMV serostatus and reactivation during adulthood. Participants were 140 healthy adults, aged 18-55years (41% female; 64% white). Childhood environments were assessed retrospectively and included family SES (parental housing tenure); childhood neighborhood environment (urban residence; physical conditions; safety; and social atmosphere); residential exposures (parental smoking and physical condition of home); and family relationships (parental divorce; warmth; harmony; dysfunction; parental bonding). Approximately 39% (n=53) of participants were CMV+. In individual analyses controlling for age, sex, race, body mass, current adult SES and smoking status, fewer years of parental home ownership, having a parent who smoked, and living in a poorly maintained or unsafe neighborhood each were associated with greater odds of infection with CMV. By comparison, in individual analyses limited to CMV+ participants, less family warmth, less harmony, greater dysfunction, and suboptimal parental bonding each were related to higher antibody levels, independent of the aforementioned covariates. Findings were not attributable to current adult perceptions of psychological stress or relative levels of emotional stability. These results suggest that different types of childhood adversity may be associated with differential effects on CMV infection and latency. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Psychiatric, Psychosocial, and Physical Health Correlates of Co-Occurring Cannabis Use Disorders and Nicotine Dependence

PubMed Central

Peters, Erica N.; Schwartz, Robert P.; Wang, Shuai; O’Grady, Kevin E.; Blanco, Carlos

2013-01-01

Background Several gaps in the literature on individuals with co-occurring cannabis and tobacco use exist, including the extent of psychiatric, psychosocial, and physical health problems. We examine these gaps in an epidemiological study, the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC), of a large, nationally representative sample. Methods The sample was drawn from Wave 2 NESARC respondents (N = 34,653). Adults with current cannabis use disorders and nicotine dependence (CUD + ND) (n = 74), CUD only (n = 100), and ND only (n = 3424) were compared on psychiatric disorders, psychosocial correlates (e.g., binge drinking; partner violence), and physical health correlates (e.g., medical conditions). Results Relative to those with CUD only, respondents with CUD + ND were significantly more likely to meet criteria for bipolar disorder, Clusters A and B personality disorders, and narcissistic personality disorder, and reported engaging in a significantly higher number of antisocial behaviors. Relative to those with ND only, respondents with CUD + ND were significantly more likely to meet criteria for bipolar disorder, anxiety disorders, and paranoid, schizotypal, narcissistic, and borderline personality disorders; were significantly more likely to report driving under the influence of alcohol and being involved in partner violence; and reported engaging in a significantly higher number of antisocial behaviors. CUD + ND was not associated with physical health correlates. Conclusions Poor treatment outcomes for adults with co-occurring cannabis use disorders and nicotine dependence may be explained in part by differences in psychiatric and psychosocial problems. PMID:24183498

Psychiatric, psychosocial, and physical health correlates of co-occurring cannabis use disorders and nicotine dependence.

PubMed

Peters, Erica N; Schwartz, Robert P; Wang, Shuai; O'Grady, Kevin E; Blanco, Carlos

2014-01-01

Several gaps in the literature on individuals with co-occurring cannabis and tobacco use exist, including the extent of psychiatric, psychosocial, and physical health problems. We examine these gaps in an epidemiological study, the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC), of a large, nationally representative sample. The sample was drawn from Wave 2 NESARC respondents (N=34,653). Adults with current cannabis use disorders and nicotine dependence (CUD+ND) (n=74), CUD only (n=100), and ND only (n=3424) were compared on psychiatric disorders, psychosocial correlates (e.g., binge drinking; partner violence), and physical health correlates (e.g., medical conditions). Relative to those with CUD only, respondents with CUD+ND were significantly more likely to meet criteria for bipolar disorder, Clusters A and B personality disorders, and narcissistic personality disorder, and reported engaging in a significantly higher number of antisocial behaviors. Relative to those with ND only, respondents with CUD+ND were significantly more likely to meet criteria for bipolar disorder, anxiety disorders, and paranoid, schizotypal, narcissistic, and borderline personality disorders; were significantly more likely to report driving under the influence of alcohol and being involved in partner violence; and reported engaging in a significantly higher number of antisocial behaviors. CUD+ND was not associated with physical health correlates. Poor treatment outcomes for adults with co-occurring cannabis use disorders and nicotine dependence may be explained in part by differences in psychiatric and psychosocial problems. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

The dilemma of saving water or being cool: What determines the stomatal response under a changing climate?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haghighi, Erfan; Kirchner, James W.; Entekhabi, Dara

2017-04-01

Stomata play a critical role in terrestrial water and carbon cycles, regulating the trade-off between photosynthetic carbon gain and water loss in leaves. They adjust their aperture in response to a number of physiological and environmental factors, yet the mechanisms driving this response, particularly under climate extremes, remain poorly understood. Partial or complete stomatal closure reduces plant water stress under water-limited or high atmospheric evaporative demand conditions, but at the cost of reduced productivity, elevated heat, leaf shedding, and mortality. A proper account of such complex stomatal behavior is of particular importance for current ecosystem models that poorly capture observed vegetation responses in the context of climate change which is predicted to cause more frequent and intense temperature extremes along with an increase in the frequency of drought in many regions in the future. This study seeks to explore stomatal responses to environmental change accounted for by a varying soil-plant resistance under different atmospheric and soil moisture conditions. To this end, we developed a physically based transpiration model that couples stomatal control of leaf gas exchange to the leaf surface energy balance and the entire plant hydraulic system by considering the interdependence of the guard cell water potential (or turgor pressure) and transpiration rates. Model simulations of diurnal variations in transpiration rates were in good agreement with field observations, and facilitated quantitative prediction of stomatal and xylem flow regulation under a wide range of environmental conditions. Preliminary results demonstrate how soil and plant hydraulic conductances regulating stomatal opening and closure can help mitigate climatic water deficit (e.g., at midday) by boosting evaporative cooling. Our results are expected to advance physical understanding of the water cycle in the soil-plant-atmosphere continuum, and shed light on observed differences in vegetation responses to climate extremes.

Is statin use associated with new joint-related symptoms, physical function, and quality of life? Results from two population-based cohorts of women.

PubMed

Peeters, Geeske; Tett, Susan E; Conaghan, Philip G; Mishra, Gita D; Dobson, Annette J

2015-01-01

Previous studies have suggested that statins may prevent development of osteoarthritis and have antiinflammatory effects. Our aim was to examine the associations between statin use and patient-reported joint symptoms in 2 large cohorts of middle-aged and older women. Data were from 6,966 middle-aged (born 1946-1951) and 4,806 older (born 1921-1926) participants in the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health who completed surveys from 2001 to 2011, including questions about joint pain/stiffness, physical functioning, and self-rated health (SRH). Administrative pharmaceutical data were used to classify participants according to statin use, cumulative volume of statin use, and type of drug. Associations between statin use and newly reported symptoms were analyzed using logistic regression with generalized estimating equations to account for repeated measures. A total of 2,096 (31.3%) of the middle-aged women and 2,473 (51.5%) of the older women were classified as statin users. After adjustment for confounders, statin use in middle-aged women was weakly associated with poor physical functioning (odds ratio [OR] 1.29, 99% confidence interval [99% CI] 1.07-1.55) and poor SRH (OR 1.35, 99% CI 1.13-1.61), but not with new joint pain/stiffness (OR 1.09, 99% CI 0.88-1.34). No dose-response relationships were found. Pravastatin and atorvastatin were associated with poor physical functioning, while atorvastatin was also associated with poor SRH. Associations found in older women were mostly explained by confounders. This large study did not demonstrate an association between statin use and reduced onset of joint pain/stiffness. Associations between statin use and poor physical functioning and poor SRH may be explained by factors other than joint pain/stiffness, e.g., muscle pain. Copyright © 2015 by the American College of Rheumatology.

Socioeconomic inequalities in physical and mental functioning of British, Finnish, and Japanese civil servants: role of job demand, control, and work hours.

PubMed

Sekine, Michikazu; Chandola, Tarani; Martikainen, Pekka; Marmot, Michael; Kagamimori, Sadanobu

2009-11-01

This study aims to evaluate whether the pattern of socioeconomic inequalities in physical and mental functioning as measured by the Short Form 36 (SF-36) differs among employees in Britain, Finland, and Japan and whether work characteristics contribute to some of the health inequalities. The participants were 7340 (5122 men and 2218 women) British employees, 2297 (1638 men and 659 women) Japanese employees, and 8164 (1649 men and 6515 women) Finnish employees. All the participants were civil servants aged 40-60 years. Both male and female low grade employees had poor physical functioning in all cohorts. British and Japanese male low grade employees tended to have poor mental functioning but the associations were significant only for Japanese men. No consistent employment-grade differences in mental functioning were observed among British and Japanese women. Among Finnish men and women, high grade employees had poor mental functioning. In all cohorts, high grade employees had high control, high demands and long work hours. The grade differences in poor physical functioning and disadvantaged work characteristics among non-manual workers were somewhat smaller in the Finnish cohort than in the British and Japanese cohorts. Low control, high demands, and both short and long work hours were associated with poor functioning. When work characteristics were adjusted for, the socioeconomic differences in poor functioning were mildly attenuated in men, but the differences increased slightly in women. This study reconfirms the generally observed pattern of socioeconomic inequalities in health for physical functioning but not for mental functioning. The role of work characteristics in the relationship between socioeconomic status and health differed between men and women but was modest overall. We suggest that these differences in the pattern and magnitude of grade differences in work characteristics and health among the 3 cohorts may be attributable to the different welfare regimes among the 3 countries.

Socioeconomic Inequalities in Physical and Mental Functioning of British, Finnish, and Japanese Civil Servants: Role of Job Demand, Control, and Work Hours

PubMed Central

Chandola, Tarani; Martikainen, Pekka; Marmot, Michael; Kagamimori, Sadanobu

2009-01-01

This study aims to evaluate whether the pattern of socioeconomic inequalities in physical and mental functioning as measured by the Short Form 36 (SF-36) differs among employees in Britain, Finland, and Japan and whether work characteristics contribute to some of the health inequalities. The participants were 7340 (5122 men and 2218 women) British employees, 2297 (1638 men and 659 women) Japanese employees, and 8164 (1649 men and 6515 women) Finnish employees. All the participants were civil servants aged 40–60 years. Both male and female low grade employees had poor physical functioning in all cohorts. British and Japanese male low grade employees tended to have poor mental functioning but the associations were significant only for Japanese men. No consistent employment-grade differences in mental functioning were observed among British and Japanese women. Among Finnish men and women, high grade employees had poor mental functioning. In all cohorts, high grade employees had high control, high demands and long work hours. The grade differences in poor physical functioning and disadvantaged work characteristics among non-manual workers were somewhat smaller in the Finnish cohort than in the British and Japanese cohorts. Low control, high demands, and both short and long work hours were associated with poor functioning. When work characteristics were adjusted for, the socioeconomic differences in poor functioning were mildly attenuated in men, but the differences increased slightly in women. This study reconfirms the generally observed pattern of socioeconomic inequalities in health for physical functioning but not for mental functioning. The role of work characteristics in the relationship between socioeconomic status and health differed between men and women but was modest overall. We suggest that these differences in the pattern and magnitude of grade differences in work characteristics and health among the 3 cohorts may be attributable to the different welfare regimes among the 3 countries. PMID:19767137

Psychological Factors in Chronic Pelvic Pain in Women: Relevance and Application of the Fear-Avoidance Model of Pain

PubMed Central

Bishop, Mark D.

2011-01-01

Chronic pelvic pain in women is a debilitating, costly condition often treated by physical therapists. The etiology of this condition is multifactorial and poorly understood, given the complex interplay of muscles, bones, and soft tissue that comprise the pelvis. There are few guidelines directing treatment interventions for this condition. In the last decade, several investigators have highlighted the role of psychological variables in conditions such as vulvodynia and painful bladder syndrome. Pain-related fear is the focus of the fear-avoidance model (FAM) of pain, which theorizes that some people are more likely to develop and maintain pain after an injury because of their emotional and behavioral responses to pain. The FAM groups people into 2 classes on the basis of how they respond to pain: people who have low fear, confront pain, and recover from injury and people who catastrophize pain—a response that leads to avoidance/escape behaviors, disuse, and disability. Given the presence of pain-related cognitions in women with chronic pelvic pain, including hypervigilance, catastrophizing, and anxiety, research directed toward the application of the FAM to guide therapeutic interventions is warranted. Isolated segments of the FAM have been studied to theorize why traditional approaches (ie, medications and surgery) may not lead to successful outcomes. However, the explicit application of the FAM to guide physical therapy interventions for women with chronic pelvic pain is not routine. Integrating the FAM might direct physical therapists' clinical decision making on the basis of the pain-related cognitions and behaviors of patients. The aims of this article are to provide information about the FAM of musculoskeletal pain and to provide evidence for the relevance of the FAM to chronic pelvic pain in women. PMID:21835893

Physical inactivity among older adults across Europe based on the SHARE database.

PubMed

Gomes, Marcos; Figueiredo, Daniela; Teixeira, Laetitia; Poveda, Verónica; Paúl, Constança; Santos-Silva, Alice; Costa, Elísio

2017-01-20

Regular physical activity is one of the key components of a healthy lifestyle. It is associated with better physical and cognitive functioning in later life and with increased life expectancy. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of, and factors related to, physical inactivity among older adults across Europe. In this cross-sectional analysis, we used data from participants aged 55 or older in Wave 4 of the Survey of Health, Ageing, and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) database, a multidisciplinary and cross-national panel database covering health, socioeconomic status, and social and family networks. Individuals included in this study were classified as physically active or physically inactive. Clinical, psychosocial and sociodemographic variables were evaluated for their association with physical inactivity. From the total of 58,489 individuals in SHARE, we selected 19,298 people age 55 or older (mean age 67.8 ± 8.9 years; 11,430 (59.2%) female). The overall prevalence of inactivity among individuals age 55 or older in the 16 included countries was 12.5%. The prevalence of physical inactivity varied between countries, ranging from 4.9% (Sweden) to 29% (Portugal). Increasing age, depression, physical limitations, poor sense of meaning in life, social support and memory loss were significant variables associated with physical inactivity. Physical inactivity can be explained by physical, cognitive and psychological conditions. Interventions aimed at promoting physical activity among older people are needed to address this diversity of factors. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Geriatrics Society. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com

Association Between Early Life Adversity and Risk for Poor Emotional and Physical Health in Adolescence: A Putative Mechanistic Neurodevelopmental Pathway.

PubMed

Luby, Joan L; Barch, Deanna; Whalen, Diana; Tillman, Rebecca; Belden, Andy

2017-12-01

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) have been associated with poor mental and physical health outcomes. However, the mechanism of this effect, critical to enhancing public health, remains poorly understood. To investigate the neurodevelopmental trajectory of the association between early ACEs and adolescent general and emotional health outcomes. A prospective longitudinal study that began when patients were aged 3 to 6 years who underwent neuroimaging later at ages 7 to 12 years and whose mental and physical health outcomes were observed at ages 9 to 15 years. Sequential mediation models were used to investigate associations between early ACEs and brain structure, emotion development, and health outcomes longitudinally. Children were recruited from an academic medical center research unit. Early life adversity. Early ACEs in children aged 3 to 7 years; volume of a subregion of the prefrontal cortex, the inferior frontal gyrus, in children aged 6 to 12 years; and emotional awareness, depression severity, and general health outcomes in children and adolescents aged 9 to 15 years. The mean (SD) age of 119 patients was 9.65 (1.31) years at the time of scan. The mean (SD) ACE score was 5.44 (3.46). The mean (SD) depression severity scores were 2.61 (1.78) at preschool, 1.77 (1.58) at time 2, and 2.16 (1.64) at time 3. The mean (SD) global physical health scores at time 2 and time 3 were 0.30 (0.38) and 0.33 (0.42), respectively. Sequential mediation in the association between high early ACEs and emotional and physical health outcomes were found. Smaller inferior frontal gyrus volumes and poor emotional awareness sequentially mediated the association between early ACEs and poor general health (model parameter estimate = 0.002; 95% CI, 0.0002-0.056) and higher depression severity (model parameter estimate = 0.007; 95% CI, 0.001-0.021) in adolescence. An increase from 0 to 3 early ACEs was associated with 15% and 25% increases in depression severity and physical health problems, respectively. Study findings highlight 1 putative neurodevelopmental mechanism by which the association between early ACEs and later poor mental and physical health outcomes may operate. This identified risk trajectory may be useful to target preventive interventions.

The clinical usefulness of ESR, CRP, and disease duration in ankylosing spondylitis: the product of these acute-phase reactants and disease duration is associated with patient's poor physical mobility.

PubMed

Chen, Chun-Hsiung; Chen, Hung-An; Liao, Hsien-Tzung; Liu, Chin-Hsiu; Tsai, Chang-Youh; Chou, Chung-Tei

2015-07-01

We evaluated the clinical usefulness of ESR, CRP, and disease duration in ankylosing spondylitis (AS) disease severity. There were 156 Chinese AS patients included in Taiwan. Patients completed the questionnaires, containing demographic data, disease activity (BASDAI), functional status (BASFI), and patient's global assessment (BASG). Meanwhile, patient's physical mobility (BASMI) and acute-phase reactants, including ESR and CRP levels were measured. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) plot analysis was used to evaluate the performance of ESR, CRP, and disease duration in the AS patients. ESR mildly correlated with BASFI (r = 0.176, p = 0.028) and disease duration (r = 0.214, p = 0.008), and moderately correlated with BASMI (r = 0.427, p < 0.001). CRP moderately correlated with BASMI (r = 0.410, p < 0.001). By using ROC plot analysis, ESR, CRP, and disease duration showed the best and significant "area under the curve (AUC)", in distinguishing the AS patients with poor physical mobility (BASMI ≥ 3.6, the Median) (AUC = 0.748, 0.751 and 0.738, respectively, all p < 0.001), as compared to BASDAI, BASFI, and BASG. ESR × disease duration (AUC = 0.801, p < 0.001) and CRP × disease duration (AUC = 0.821, p < 0.001) showed higher AUC values than ESR or CRP alone in indicating poor physical mobility. For detecting poor physical mobility (BASMI ≥ 3.6) in the AS patients: ESR × disease duration (≥60.0 mm/h × year): sensitivity = 72.7 % and specificity = 72.8 %; CRP × disease duration (≥8.3 mg/dl × year): sensitivity = 72.7 % and specificity = 74.6 %. ESR, CRP, and disease duration are particularly related to AS patient's poor physical mobility. Combining the usefulness of acute-phase reactants and disease duration, the values of ESR × disease duration and CRP × disease duration demonstrate better association with poor physical mobility in AS patients.

Improvements in physical function and pain sustained for up to 10 years after knee or hip arthroplasty irrespective of mental health status before surgery.

PubMed

Geeske Peeters, G M E E; Rainbird, Sophia; Lorimer, Michelle; Dobson, Annette J; Mishra, Gita D; Graves, Stephen E

2017-04-01

Background and purpose - There are concerns that mental health (MH) may influence outcomes of total knee arthroplasty (TKA) or total hip arthroplasty (THA). We examined effects of poor MH before surgery on long-term outcomes of osteoarthritis-related TKA or THA in women. Patients and methods - The data were from 9,737 middle-aged participants (47-52 years) and 9,292 older participants (73-78 years) in the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health who completed surveys between 1998 and 2013. Dates of arthroplasties were obtained from the Australian Orthopaedics Association National Joint Replacement Registry. Participants without procedures were matched with participants with procedures. Trajectories of the Short-Form 36 scores for physical functioning, bodily pain, social functioning, and mental health based on mixed modeling were plotted for participants with and without surgery (stratified according to mental health, separately for TKA and THA, and for middle-aged and older participants). Results - In middle-aged women with poor and good MH, TKA improved physical function and reduced bodily pain, with improvements sustained up to 10 years after surgery. TKA contributed to restoration of social function in women with good MH, but this was less clear in women with poor MH. In both MH groups, mental health appeared to be unaffected by TKA. Similar patterns were observed after THA, and in older women. Interpretation - Recovery of physical and social function and reductions in pain were sustained for up to 10 years after surgery. Improvements in physical function and pain were also observed in women with poor mental health. Thus, in our view poor mental health should not be a contraindication for arthroplasty.

Importance of physical capacity and the effects of exercise in heart transplant recipients

PubMed Central

Yardley, Marianne; Gullestad, Lars; Nytrøen, Kari

2018-01-01

One of the most important prognostic factors in heart failure patients is physical capacity. Patients with very poor physical performance and otherwise eligible, may be listed as candidates for heart transplantation (HTx). After such surgery, life-long immunosuppression therapy is needed to prevent rejection of the new heart. The dark side of immunosuppression is the increased risk of infections, kidney failure, cancer and advanced atherosclerosis (cardiac allograft vasculopathy), with the two latter conditions as the main causes of later mortality. In a worldwide perspective, 50% of the HTx patients survive past 10 years. Poor aerobic capacity prior to graft deterioration is not only limited to the failing heart, but also caused by peripheral factors, such as limited function in the skeletal muscles and in the blood vessels walls. Exercise rehabilitation after HTx is of major importance in order to improve physical capacity and prognosis. Effects of high-intensity interval training (HIT) in HTx recipients is a growing field of research attracting worldwide focus and interest. Accumulating evidence has shown that HIT is safe and efficient in maintenance HTx recipients; with superior effects on physical capacity compared to conventional moderate exercise. This article generates further evidence to the field by summarizing results from a decade of research performed at our center supported by a broad, but not strict formal, literature review. In short, this article demonstrates a strong association between physical capacity measured after HTx and long-term survival. It describes the possible “HIT-effect” with increased levels of inflammatory mediators of angiogenesis. It also describes long-term effects of HIT; showing a positive effect in development of anxiety symptoms despite that the improved physical capacity was not sustained, due to downregulation of exercise and intensity. Finally, our results are linked to the ongoing HITTS study, which investigates safety and efficiency of HIT in de novo HTx recipients. Together with previous results, this study may have the potential to change existing guidelines and contribute to a better prognosis for the HTx population as a whole. PMID:29507857

Time trends in leisure time physical activity and physical fitness in the elderly: five-year follow-up of the Spanish National Health Survey (2006-2011).

PubMed

Casado-Pérez, Carmen; Hernández-Barrera, Valentín; Jiménez-García, Rodrigo; Fernández-de-las-Peñas, Cesar; Carrasco-Garrido, Pilar; López-de-Andrés, Ana; Jimenez-Trujillo, Ma Isabel; Palacios-Ceña, Domingo

2015-04-01

To estimate the trends in the practice of leisure time physical activity, walking up 10 steps, and walking for 1h, during the years 2006-2011, in elderly Spanish people. Observational study, retrospective analysis of Spanish National Health Surveys. We analysed data collected from the Spanish National Health Surveys conducted in 2006 (n=30,072) and 2011 (n=21,007), through self-reported information. The number of subjects aged ≥65 years included in the current study was n=5756 in 2006 (19.14%) and n=4617 in 2011 (21.97%). We included responses from adults aged 65 years and older. The main variables included leisure-time physical activity, walking up 10 steps, and walking for 1h. We analysed socio-demographic characteristics, individuals' self-rated health status, lifestyle habits, co-morbid conditions and disability using multivariable logistic regression models. The total number of subjects was 10,373 (6076 women, 4297 men). The probability of self-reported capacity was significantly higher in 2006 than in 2011 for leisure-time physical activity, walking up 10 steps, and walking for 1h for both sexes (women: OR 2.20, 95%IC 1.91-5.55; OR 2.50, 95%IC 1.99-3.14; OR 1.04, 95%IC 1.01-1.07; men: OR 2.20, 95%IC 1.91-2.55; OR 2.01, 95%IC 1.40-2.89; OR 1.05, 95%IC 1.0-1.1) respectively. Both sexes were associated with a significantly lower probability of performing leisure-time physical activity, walking up 10 steps, and walking for 1h. Additionally, those over 80 years of age, on average, showed a poor or very poor perception of their health and presented with some type of disability. A decrease in the proportion of respondents who self-reported undertaking leisure-time physical activity, walking up 10 steps, and walking for 1h was observed in the Spanish population of over 65 years between 2006 and 2011. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Objectively measured sedentary behavior and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity on the health-related quality of life in US adults: The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2003-2006.

PubMed

Kim, Junghoon; Im, Jeong-Soo; Choi, Yoon-Hyeong

2017-05-01

Health-related quality of life (HRQOL) represents an individual's perception of physical, mental, and social well-being and is a strong predictor of health status. Few studies have examined associations of sedentary behavior (SB) and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) with HRQOL in the general population. This study aimed to determine combined associations of objectively measured SB and MVPA on the risk of poor HRQOL in the general US population, after controlling for potential confounding factors. We analyzed data from 5359 adults from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2003-2006. HRQOL was measured using a HRQOL-4 consisting of four questions focused on the self-perception of general health, physical health, mental health, and activity limitation. We dichotomized each HRQOL-4 component as good versus poor and defined poor overall HRQOL when participants had any poor HRQOL components. SB and MVPA were measured using an accelerometer. Survey logistic models were examined to estimate the odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) for poor HRQOL by SB and MVPA as tertiles. When examined as a combination of SB and MVPA, a substantial decrease in the risk of poor overall HRQOL was found in individuals with low SB/high MVPA [OR 0.69 (95% CI 0.51-0.94) and moderate SB/high MVPA (OR 0.56 (95% CI 0.40-0.78)], but no significant decrease was found in individuals with high SB/high MVPA (vs. high SB/low MVPA). Our findings suggest that both increasing MVPA and reducing time spent in SB may be useful strategies to improve HRQOL.

Fixing atmospheric CO2 by environment adaptive sorbent and renewable energy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, T.; Liu, J.; Ge, K.; Fang, M.

2014-12-01

Fixing atmospheric CO2, followed by geologic storage in remote areas is considered an environmentally secure approach to climate mitigation. A moisture swing sorbent was investigated in the laboratory for CO2 capture at a remote area with humid and windy conditions. The energy requirement of moisture swing absorption could be greatly reduced compared to that of traditional high-temperature thermal swing, by assuming that the sorbent can be naturally dried and regenerated at ambient conditions. However, for currently developed moisture swing materials, the CO2 capacity would drop significantly at high relative humidity. The CO2 capture amount can be reduced by the poor thermodynamics and kinetics at high relative humidity or low temperature. Similar challenges also exist for thermal or vacuum swing sorbents. Developing sorbent materials which adapt to specific environments, such as high humidity or low temperature, can ensure sufficient capture capacity on the one hand, and realize better economics on the other hand (Figure 1) .An environment adaptive sorbent should have the abilities of tunable capacity and fast kinetics at extreme conditions, such as high humidity or low temperature. In this presentation, the possibility of tuning CO2 absorption capacity of a polymerized ionic liquid material is discussed. The energy requirement evaluation shows that tuning the CO2 binding energy of sorbent, rather than increasing the temperature or reducing the humidity of air, could be much more economic. By determining whether the absorption process is controlled by physical diffusion controlled or chemical reaction, an effective approach to fast kinetics at extreme conditions is proposed. A shrinking core model for mass transfer kinetics is modified to cope with the relatively poor kinetics of air capture. For the studied sample which has a heterogeneous structure, the kinetic analysis indicates a preference of sorbent particle size optimization, rather than support layer optimization. Chemical reaction kinetics could be enhanced by stronger binding energy or higher temperature. However, the total kinetics can only be significantly improved by chemical reaction enhancement if the physical diffusion is fast enough.

Fear of falling predicts incidence of functional disability two years later: A perspective from an international cohort study.

PubMed

Auais, Mohammad; French, Simon; Alvarado, Beatriz; Pirkle, Catherine; Belanger, Emmanuelle; Guralnik, Jack

2017-12-06

To study the extent to which fear of falling (FOF) is associated with the onset of functional disability over a 2-year period in older adults using self-reported and performance-based measures. In 2012, 1,601 participants (aged 65-74) were recruited from four sites: Kingston and Saint-Hyacinthe, Canada; Manizales, Colombia; and Natal, Brazil. They were re-assessed in 2014. We quantified FOF using the Fall Efficacy Scale-International (FES-I; range: 16-64). Functional disability measures were 1) self-reported incident mobility disability, defined as difficulty climbing a flight of stairs or walking 400 meters and 2) incident poor physical performance, defined as a score <9 on the Short Physical Performance Battery. In the Poisson regression analysis, we included only those participants without functional disability at baseline to calculate incident risk ratios in 2014. 1,355 participants completed the 2014 assessment, of which 917 and 1,078 had no mobility disability and poor physical performance at baseline, respectively. In 2014, 131 (14.3%), and 166 (15.4%) participants reported incident mobility disability and poor physical performance, respectively. After adjusting for age, sex, socioeconomic, and health covariates, a one-point increase in FES-I at baseline was associated with a 4% increase in the risk of reporting incident mobility disability (95% CI: 1.02-1.05) and a 3% increase in the risk of developing poor physical performance at follow up in the overall sample (95%CI: 1.01-1.05). FOF is associated with a higher risk of incident mobility disability and poor physical performance in a cohort of older adults. It is increasingly important to study FOF's effect on functional disability and to take necessary measures to prevent the transition to end-stage disability. © The Author(s) 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Gerontological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Impact of clinical osteoarthritis of the hip, knee and hand on self-rated health in six European countries: the European Project on OSteoArthritis.

PubMed

van Schoor, N M; Zambon, S; Castell, M V; Cooper, C; Denkinger, M; Dennison, E M; Edwards, M H; Herbolsheimer, F; Maggi, S; Sánchez-Martinez, M; Pedersen, N L; Peter, R; Schaap, L A; Rijnhart, J J M; van der Pas, S; Deeg, D J H

2016-06-01

Osteoarthritis (OA) has been shown to be associated with decreased physical function, which may impact upon a person's self-rated health (SRH). Only a few studies have examined the association between OA and SRH in the general population, but to date none have used a clinical definition of OA. The objectives are: (1) To examine the cross-sectional association between clinical OA and fair-to-poor SRH in the general population; (2) To examine whether this association differs between countries; (3) To examine whether physical function is a mediator in the association between clinical OA and SRH. Baseline data of the European Project on OSteoArthritis (EPOSA) were used, which includes pre-harmonized data from six European cohort studies (n = 2709). Clinical OA was defined according to the American College of Rheumatology criteria. SRH was assessed using one question: How is your health in general? Physical function was assessed using the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities OA Index and Australian/Canadian OA Hand Index. The prevalence of fair-to-poor SRH ranged from 19.8 % in the United Kingdom to 63.5 % in Italy. Although country differences in the strength of the associations were observed, clinical OA of the hip, knee and hand were significantly associated with fair-to-poor SRH in five out of six European countries. In most countries and at most sites, the association between clinical OA and fair-to-poor SRH was partly or fully mediated by physical function. Clinical OA at different sites was related to fair-to-poor SRH in the general population. Most associations were (partly) mediated by physical functioning, indicating that deteriorating physical function in patients with OA should be a point of attention in patient care.

Naturally occurring workplace facilities to increase the leisure time physical activity of workers: A propensity-score weighted population study.

PubMed

Biswas, Aviroop; Smith, Peter M; Gignac, Monique A M

2018-06-01

The benefit of providing access to physical activity facilities at or near work to support the leisure time physical activity (LTPA) of workers is uncertain. We examined the association between access to physical activity facilities at or near work and the LTPA of workers after adjusting for a range of individual and occupational characteristics. Data was obtained from 60,650 respondents to the 2007-2008 Canadian Community Health Survey. Participants were employed adults ≥18 years of age who had no long-term health condition which reduced their participation in physical activity. Latent class analysis determined naturally occurring combinations of physical activity facilities at or near work. Each combination was balanced by 19 individual and occupational covariate characteristics using inverse probability of treatment weights derived from propensity scores. The association between combinations of physical activity facilities at or near work on LTPA level was estimated by multinomial logistic regression. Five different combinations of physical activity facilities were available to respondents at or near work. Data were analyzed in 2017. All possible physical facilities increased the likelihood for LTPA (OR, 2.08, 95% CI, 1.03-4.20) and other combinations were also positively associated. Respondents with no physical activity facilities were characterized as having a low education, low income, high physically demanding work, poor health and mental health, non-white racial background, and being an immigrant. Access to supportive workplace environments can help workers be physically active. Future research should assess a range of personal, social and environmental factors that may be driving this relationship.

Physiological condition of autumn-banded mallards and its relationship to hunting vulnerability

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hepp, G.R.; Blohm, R.J.; Reynolds, R.E.; Hines, J.E.; Nichols, J.D.

1986-01-01

An important topic of waterfowl ecology concerns the relationship between the physiological condition of ducks during the nonbreeding season and fitness, i.e., survival and future reproductive success. We investigated this subject using direct band recovery records of mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) banded in autumn (1 Oct-15 Dec) 1981-83 in the Mississippi Alluvial Valley (MAV) [USA]. A condition index, weight (g)/wing length (mm), was calculated for each duck, and we tested whether condition of mallards at time of banding was related to their probability of recovery during the hunting season. In 3 years, 5,610 mallards were banded and there were 234 direct recoveries. Three binary regression model was used to test the relationship between recovery probability and condition. Likelihood-ratio tests were conducted to determine the most suitable model. For mallards banded in autumn there was a negative relationship between physical condition and the probability of recovery. Mallards in poor condition at the time of banding had a greater probability of being recovered during the hunting season. In general, this was true for all ages and sex classes; however, the strongest relationship occurred for adult males.

Effect of health literacy on the quality of life of older patients with long-term conditions: a large cohort study in UK general practice.

PubMed

Panagioti, Maria; Skevington, Suzanne M; Hann, Mark; Howells, Kelly; Blakemore, Amy; Reeves, David; Bower, Peter

2018-05-01

The levels of health literacy in patients with long-term conditions (LTCs) are critical for better disease management and quality of life (QoL). However, the impact of health literacy on QoL in older adults with LTCs is unclear. This study examined the association between health literacy and domains of QoL in older people with LTCs, investigating key socio-demographic and clinical variables, as confounders. A prospective cohort study was conducted on older adults (n = 4278; aged 65 years and over) with at least one LTC, registered in general practices in Salford, UK. Participants completed measures of health literacy, QoL, multi-morbidity, depression, social support, and socio-demographic characteristics. Multivariate linear regressions were performed to examine the effects of health literacy on four QoL domains at baseline, and then changes in QoL over 12 months. At baseline, poor health literacy was associated with lower scores in all four QoL domains (physical, psychological, social relationships and environment), after adjusting for the effects of multi-morbidity, depression, social support and socio-demographic factors. At 12-month follow-up, low health literacy significantly predicted declines in the physical, psychological and environment domains of QoL, but not in social relationships QoL. This is the largest, most complete assessment of the effects of health literacy on QoL in older adults with LTCs. Low health literacy is an independent indicator of poor QoL older patients with LTCs. Interventions to improve health literacy in older people with LTCs are encouraged by these findings.

Upper-extremity musculoskeletal symptoms and physical health related quality of life among women employed in poultry processing and other low-wage jobs in northeastern North Carolina.

PubMed

McPhee, C S; Lipscomb, H J

2009-04-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the association between upper-extremity musculoskeletal symptoms (MS) and diminished physical health related quality of life (PHRQoL) in a population of women, mostly African-American working in poultry processing and other low-wage jobs in rural northeastern North Carolina. A cross-sectional analysis was performed on baseline data of self-reported PHRQoL and musculoskeletal symptoms for 291 poultry processing workers and 299 community comparison women. Logarithmic binomial regression was performed to assess the relationship between moderate to severe MS on low PHRQoL. Prevalence of poor PHRQoL was 35.5% among poultry processing workers, and 14.7% among community comparison group. Moderate to severe upper-extremity musculoskeletal symptoms were present in 34.4% of the poultry workers and 10.7% of the comparison group. After adjusting for age and other chronic conditions, moderate to severe musculoskeletal symptoms were associated with low PHRQoL in both groups. Although the observed effect was stronger among the comparison group (adjusted prevalence ratios (95% confidence interval): poultry workers = 1.89 (1.36, 2.64), community comparison = 4.26 (2.51, 7.24), the population attributable risk percent was similar (poultry workers = 28.9, community comparison = 31.3%)) due to the higher prevalence of moderate to severe symptoms in the poultry workers. Significant upper-extremity musculoskeletal symptoms were associated with poor PHRQoL among both groups of women employed in low-wage jobs. Nationwide, poultry work is over-represented by minorities and immigrants. Though challenging, we need to search for ways to improve the conditions of these women as a matter of social justice.

Relationship between sleep duration and self-reported health-related quality of life among US adults with or without major chronic diseases, 2014.

PubMed

Liu, Yong; Wheaton, Anne G; Croft, Janet B; Xu, Fang; Cunningham, Timothy J; Greenlund, Kurt J

2018-06-01

To assess the association between sleep duration and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) among adults with or without chronic conditions. Using the 2014 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, we analyzed self-reported data from adult respondents aged ≥18 years with (n=277,757, unhealthy group) and without (n=172,052. healthy group) reported history of any of nine chronic conditions (coronary heart disease, stroke, cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, diabetes, asthma, arthritis, depression, chronic kidney disease). Multivariable logistic regressions were separately constructed to assess the associations between sleep duration and four self-reported HRQOL measures after adjustment for sociodemographics, leisure-time physical activity, body mass index, and smoking status among unhealthy and healthy adults. The prevalence of poor/fair health, frequent physical distress, frequent mental distress, frequent activity limitation, and short sleep duration was 27.9%, 19.3%, 17.0%, 13.6%, and 38.3% in the unhealthy group and 6.9%, 4.0%, 5.3%, 2.1%, and 31.0% in the healthy group, respectively. U-shaped relationships of sleep duration to all four HRQOL indicators were observed among the unhealthy group and to poor/fair health, frequent mental distress, and frequent activity limitation among the healthy group. The relationships further varied by sex, age, race/ethnicity, and BMI category among the healthy group. Relationships between extreme sleep duration and HRQOLs were observed among both healthy and unhealthy groups. These results can help inform public awareness campaigns and physician-counseling regarding the importance of sleep for mental health and well-being. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Analysis of the Variability of Poor Visibility Events in North and Central United Arab Emirates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aldababseh, Amal; Temimi, Marouane

2016-12-01

Good visibility is essential for the safety of ground transportation and aviation sectors. Degradation in visibility can occur during wet or dry conditions and can therefore be a proxy for air pollution and atmospheric conditions. Moreover, visibility indicates the long-term impact on human health and climate and the relationship with local atmospheric pollution. The major factors triggering the degradation of visibility can be inferred by analyzing visibility long-term trends. In the UAE, we expect that the unprecedented growth in urban development and the aviation sector has impacted visibility records. This study is the first attempt to thoroughly investigate temporal and spatial variations in poor visibility measurements in the UAE and at four different visibility observation levels; less than 5000m, 2500m, 1000m and 100m, as well as to analyze the correlation between poor visibility measurements and different meteorological parameters (relative humidity, air temperature, wind direction and speed) under two weather conditions; wet and dry. Results show that eliminating all meteorological conditions (fog, mist, haze, and precipitation and dust) does not change the overall decreasing trend in visibility, this suggests that the changes in the air quality might be responsible for the long-term visibility degradation. The decreasing trends in visibility vary from the different major cities in the UAE. All the meteorological parameters studied are significantly related to visibility, indicating the existence of complex mechanisms (physical and chemical) that affect the visibility in the atmosphere. Visibility is positively correlated to relative humidity and wind direction, however, it is negatively correlated with temperature, wind speed and dew point. This is possibly related to the weather systems in summer and winter. In summer the presence of synoptic systems along with the very high temperature, low pressure, very high humidity, and very high wind speed due to the Shamal often lead to low visibility, whereas in winter the relatively high wind speed suggests more efficient diffusion conditions and dilutes pollutions and dust particulates to low concentration, with lower temperature and limited precipitation favors high visibility.

Relationship between functional vision and balance and mobility performance in community-dwelling older adults.

PubMed

Aartolahti, Eeva; Häkkinen, Arja; Lönnroos, Eija; Kautiainen, Hannu; Sulkava, Raimo; Hartikainen, Sirpa

2013-10-01

Vision is an important prerequisite for balance control and mobility. The role of objectively measured visual functions has been previously studied but less is known about associations of functional vision, that refers to self-perceived vision-based ability to perform daily activities. The aim of the study was to investigate the relationship between functional vision and balance and mobility performance in a community-based sample of older adults. This study is part of a Geriatric Multidisciplinary Strategy for the Good Care of the Elderly project (GeMS). Participants (576) aged 76-100 years (mean age 81 years, 70 % women) were interviewed using a seven-item functional vision questionnaire (VF-7). Balance and mobility were measured by the Berg balance scale (BBS), timed up and go (TUG), chair stand test, and maximal walking speed. In addition, self-reported fear of falling, depressive symptoms (15-item Geriatric Depression Scale), cognition (Mini-Mental State Examination) and physical activity (Grimby) were assessed. In the analysis, participants were classified into poor, moderate, or good functional vision groups. The poor functional vision group (n = 95) had more comorbidities, depressed mood, cognition decline, fear of falling, and reduced physical activity compared to participants with moderate (n = 222) or good functional vision (n = 259). Participants with poor functional vision performed worse on all balance and mobility tests. After adjusting for gender, age, chronic conditions, and cognition, the linearity remained statistically significant between functional vision and BBS (p = 0.013), TUG (p = 0.010), and maximal walking speed (p = 0.008), but not between functional vision and chair stand (p = 0.069). Poor functional vision is related to weaker balance and mobility performance in community-dwelling older adults. This highlights the importance of widespread assessment of health, including functional vision, to prevent balance impairment and maintain independent mobility among older population.

Prader-Willi Syndrome

MedlinePlus

... baby may seem unusually tired, respond poorly to stimulation, have a hard time waking up or have ... voices may never fully deepen. Poor growth and physical development. Underproduction of growth hormone can result in ...

Effects of the source of social comparison information on former cancer patients' quality of life.

PubMed

Brakel, Thecla M; Dijkstra, Arie; Buunk, Abraham P

2012-11-01

Life, following curative treatment, can be a struggle for former cancer patients. In this phase of their illness, social comparison information may help to improve a patient's quality of life (QOL). The objective of this study was to determine whether the effects of this information depend on the following two variables: (1) the individual's physical health and (2) the individual's sensitivity to social comparison. In the current study, the effects on a patient's QOL were tested that occur when they are listening to a psychological oncological expert talking about cancer patients' experiences. Three different recorded interviews with experts were compared (on negative emotions, effective coping, or both), and individual differences were tested as moderators. In addition, the expert source conditions were compared with a condition in which the source was not an expert but a former patient. In a randomized field experiment, 154 Dutch former cancer patients (M(age) = 55 years; 68% women) were assigned to one of the four conditions (three expert source and one former patient source condition). QOL was assessed after 2 months. The effects of the expert source conditions on QOL depended on the participants' physical health (good vs. poor) and on the participants' sensitivity to social comparison (whether the recipient reacts with contrast or identification), as indicated by significant three-way interactions (p < .001). Depending on these two variables, one of the three expert source conditions was at least as effective as the former patient source condition. The results show that desired and undesired effects are found when individual differences relevant to the processing of intervention information are examined. ©2012 The British Psychological Society.

Bullying and Being Bullied in Childhood Are Associated With Different Psychosocial Risk Factors for Poor Physical Health in Men.

PubMed

Matthews, Karen A; Jennings, J Richard; Lee, Laisze; Pardini, Dustin A

2017-06-01

Bullying and being bullied in childhood are both linked with later adjustment problems. The impact of childhood bullying on risk for poor physical health in adulthood is understudied. Black and White men ( n = 305; mean age = 32.3 years) enrolled in the Pittsburgh Youth Study since the first grade underwent a comprehensive assessment of psychosocial, behavioral, and biological risk factors for poor health. Indices of bullying and being bullied were created by averaging annual ratings collected from participants and their caregivers when the participants were 10 to 12 years old. Results showed that being a bully in childhood was associated with greater stress and aggression and poorer health behaviors in adulthood, whereas being a victim of bullies in childhood was associated with lower socioeconomic resources, less optimism, and greater unfair treatment in adulthood. Unexpectedly, neither bullying nor being bullied in childhood was related to inflammation or metabolic syndrome. Bullying and being bullied in childhood were associated with distinct domains of psychosocial risk in adulthood that may later lead to poor physical health.

Description of interventions is under-reported in physical therapy clinical trials.

PubMed

Hariohm, K; Jeyanthi, S; Kumar, J Saravan; Prakash, V

Amongst several barriers to the application of quality clinical evidence and clinical guidelines into routine daily practice, poor description of interventions reported in clinical trials has received less attention. Although some studies have investigated the completeness of descriptions of non-pharmacological interventions in randomized trials, studies that exclusively analyzed physical therapy interventions reported in published trials are scarce. To evaluate the quality of descriptions of interventions in both experimental and control groups in randomized controlled trials published in four core physical therapy journals. We included all randomized controlled trials published from the Physical Therapy Journal, Journal of Physiotherapy, Clinical Rehabilitation, and Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation between June 2012 and December 2013. Each randomized controlled trial (RCT) was analyzed and coded for description of interventions using the checklist developed by Schroter et al. Out of 100 RCTs selected, only 35 RCTs (35%) fully described the interventions in both the intervention and control groups. Control group interventions were poorly described in the remaining RCTs (65%). Interventions, especially in the control group, are poorly described in the clinical trials published in leading physical therapy journals. A complete description of the intervention in a published report is crucial for physical therapists to be able to use the intervention in clinical practice. Copyright © 2017 Associação Brasileira de Pesquisa e Pós-Graduação em Fisioterapia. Publicado por Elsevier Editora Ltda. All rights reserved.

Tree Morphologic Plasticity Explains Deviation from Metabolic Scaling Theory in Semi-Arid Conifer Forests, Southwestern USA

PubMed Central

O’Connor, Christopher D.; Lynch, Ann M.

2016-01-01

A significant concern about Metabolic Scaling Theory (MST) in real forests relates to consistent differences between the values of power law scaling exponents of tree primary size measures used to estimate mass and those predicted by MST. Here we consider why observed scaling exponents for diameter and height relationships deviate from MST predictions across three semi-arid conifer forests in relation to: (1) tree condition and physical form, (2) the level of inter-tree competition (e.g. open vs closed stand structure), (3) increasing tree age, and (4) differences in site productivity. Scaling exponent values derived from non-linear least-squares regression for trees in excellent condition (n = 381) were above the MST prediction at the 95% confidence level, while the exponent for trees in good condition were no different than MST (n = 926). Trees that were in fair or poor condition, characterized as diseased, leaning, or sparsely crowned had exponent values below MST predictions (n = 2,058), as did recently dead standing trees (n = 375). Exponent value of the mean-tree model that disregarded tree condition (n = 3,740) was consistent with other studies that reject MST scaling. Ostensibly, as stand density and competition increase trees exhibited greater morphological plasticity whereby the majority had characteristically fair or poor growth forms. Fitting by least-squares regression biases the mean-tree model scaling exponent toward values that are below MST idealized predictions. For 368 trees from Arizona with known establishment dates, increasing age had no significant impact on expected scaling. We further suggest height to diameter ratios below MST relate to vertical truncation caused by limitation in plant water availability. Even with environmentally imposed height limitation, proportionality between height and diameter scaling exponents were consistent with the predictions of MST. PMID:27391084

Tree Morphologic Plasticity Explains Deviation from Metabolic Scaling Theory in Semi-Arid Conifer Forests, Southwestern USA.

PubMed

Swetnam, Tyson L; O'Connor, Christopher D; Lynch, Ann M

2016-01-01

A significant concern about Metabolic Scaling Theory (MST) in real forests relates to consistent differences between the values of power law scaling exponents of tree primary size measures used to estimate mass and those predicted by MST. Here we consider why observed scaling exponents for diameter and height relationships deviate from MST predictions across three semi-arid conifer forests in relation to: (1) tree condition and physical form, (2) the level of inter-tree competition (e.g. open vs closed stand structure), (3) increasing tree age, and (4) differences in site productivity. Scaling exponent values derived from non-linear least-squares regression for trees in excellent condition (n = 381) were above the MST prediction at the 95% confidence level, while the exponent for trees in good condition were no different than MST (n = 926). Trees that were in fair or poor condition, characterized as diseased, leaning, or sparsely crowned had exponent values below MST predictions (n = 2,058), as did recently dead standing trees (n = 375). Exponent value of the mean-tree model that disregarded tree condition (n = 3,740) was consistent with other studies that reject MST scaling. Ostensibly, as stand density and competition increase trees exhibited greater morphological plasticity whereby the majority had characteristically fair or poor growth forms. Fitting by least-squares regression biases the mean-tree model scaling exponent toward values that are below MST idealized predictions. For 368 trees from Arizona with known establishment dates, increasing age had no significant impact on expected scaling. We further suggest height to diameter ratios below MST relate to vertical truncation caused by limitation in plant water availability. Even with environmentally imposed height limitation, proportionality between height and diameter scaling exponents were consistent with the predictions of MST.

Stressful working conditions and poor self-rated health among financial services employees.

PubMed

Silva, Luiz Sérgio; Barreto, Sandhi Maria

2012-06-01

To assess the association between exposure to adverse psychosocial working conditions and poor self-rated health among bank employees. A cross-sectional study including a sample of 2,054 employees of a government bank was conducted in 2008. Self-rated health was assessed by a single question: "In general, would you say your health is (...)." Exposure to adverse psychosocial working conditions was evaluated by the effort-reward imbalance model and the demand-control model. Information on other independent variables was obtained through a self-administered semi-structured questionnaire. A multiple logistic regression analysis was performed and odds ratio calculated to assess independent associations between adverse psychosocial working conditions and poor self-rated health. The overall prevalence of poor self-rated health was 9%, with no significant gender difference. Exposure to high demand and low control environment at work was associated with poor self-rated health. Employees with high effort-reward imbalance and overcommitment also reported poor self-rated health, with a dose-response relationship. Social support at work was inversely related to poor self-rated health, with a dose-response relationship. Exposure to adverse psychosocial work factors assessed based on the effort-reward imbalance model and the demand-control model is independently associated with poor self-rated health among the workers studied.

Physical Chemistry of Nanomedicine: Understanding the Complex Behaviors of Nanoparticles in Vivo

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lane, Lucas A.; Qian, Ximei; Smith, Andrew M.; Nie, Shuming

2015-04-01

Nanomedicine is an interdisciplinary field of research at the interface of science, engineering, and medicine, with broad clinical applications ranging from molecular imaging to medical diagnostics, targeted therapy, and image-guided surgery. Despite major advances during the past 20 years, there are still major fundamental and technical barriers that need to be understood and overcome. In particular, the complex behaviors of nanoparticles under physiological conditions are poorly understood, and detailed kinetic and thermodynamic principles are still not available to guide the rational design and development of nanoparticle agents. Here we discuss the interactions of nanoparticles with proteins, cells, tissues, and organs from a quantitative physical chemistry point of view. We also discuss insights and strategies on how to minimize nonspecific protein binding, how to design multistage and activatable nanostructures for improved drug delivery, and how to use the enhanced permeability and retention effect to deliver imaging agents for image-guided cancer surgery.

Shift Work and Sleep: Medical Implications and Management

PubMed Central

Jehan, Shazia; Zizi, Ferdinand; Pandi-Perumal, Seithikurippu R; Myers, Alyson K; Auguste, Evan; Jean-Louis, Girardin; McFarlane, Samy I

2018-01-01

The primary occupation of a worker can play an important role in achieving good sleep, as well as good physical and mental health. Shift Work Sleep Disorder (SWSD) is a condition that results from working atypical shifts (i.e. other than the typical 9 am to 5 pm schedule). Individuals who manifest SWSD usually complaint of trouble sleeping, excessive sleepiness and fatigue which interfere with overall functioning. Misalignment of circadian timing system results in undesirable health consequences. Among shift workers, good sleep is essential for efficient functioning. Disturbed sleep is associated with anxiety, depression, poor physical and mental health and eventually, leads to impaired quality of life. The economic burden of undiagnosed, under-and untreated shift work is high. The healthcare workers and policymakers can play a pivotal role in dealing with this issue by educating the public and providing them with adequate privileges to perform their work. PMID:29517053

Side Effects of HIV Medicines: HIV and Osteoporosis

MedlinePlus

... risk factors for osteoporosis include a poor diet, physical inactivity, and smoking. These risk factors can be managed ... and vitamin D increases the risk of osteoporosis. Physical inactivity : Bones become stronger with exercise, so physical inactivity ...

Morphological diagnostics of star formation in molecular clouds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beaumont, Christopher Norris

Molecular clouds are the birth sites of all star formation in the present-day universe. They represent the initial conditions of star formation, and are the primary medium by which stars transfer energy and momentum back to parsec scales. Yet, the physical evolution of molecular clouds remains poorly understood. This is not due to a lack of observational data, nor is it due to an inability to simulate the conditions inside molecular clouds. Instead, the physics and structure of the interstellar medium are sufficiently complex that interpreting molecular cloud data is very difficult. This dissertation mitigates this problem, by developing more sophisticated ways to interpret morphological information in molecular cloud observations and simulations. In particular, I have focused on leveraging machine learning techniques to identify physically meaningful substructures in the interstellar medium, as well as techniques to inter-compare molecular cloud simulations to observations. These contributions make it easier to understand the interplay between molecular clouds and star formation. Specific contributions include: new insight about the sheet-like geometry of molecular clouds based on observations of stellar bubbles; a new algorithm to disambiguate overlapping yet morphologically distinct cloud structures; a new perspective on the relationship between molecular cloud column density distributions and the sizes of cloud substructures; a quantitative analysis of how projection effects affect measurements of cloud properties; and an automatically generated, statistically-calibrated catalog of bubbles identified from their infrared morphologies.

Effects of house prices on health: New evidence from Australia.

PubMed

Atalay, Kadir; Edwards, Rebecca; Liu, Betty Y J

2017-11-01

Recent house price variation has strongly affected households' housing wealth and debt, yet the non-economic consequences of these changes in housing wealth are still poorly understood. Using a sample of 19,000 individuals from the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia Survey (HILDA) for 2001-2015, we examine the relationship between house price fluctuations and individual health by exploiting large exogenous changes in house prices in Australia. We find that an increase in local house prices is associated with a positive effect on the physical health of outright owners and a negative effect on the physical and mental health of renters. Improvements in physical health for outright owners can be partially attributed to health-related investments and behaviours such as a reduction in weight, an increase in physical exercise and an increase in time allocated to home production. These findings support the presence of a health-wealth gradient through the wealth mechanism distinct from the effects of local area amenities and macroeconomic conditions. Our findings highlight some of the often-overlooked social impacts - both positive and negative - of fluctuations in the housing market. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Working memory and social functioning in children.

PubMed

McQuade, Julia D; Murray-Close, Dianna; Shoulberg, Erin K; Hoza, Betsy

2013-07-01

This study extends previous research and examines whether working memory (WM) is associated with multiple measures of concurrent social functioning (peer rejection, overall social competence, relational aggression, physical aggression, and conflict resolutions skills) in typically developing fourth- and fifth-grade children (N=116). Poor central executive WM was associated with both broad social impairments (peer rejection and poor overall social competence) and specific social impairments (physical aggression, relational aggression, and impaired conflict resolution skills); poor verbal storage was associated only with greater peer rejection, and spatial storage was not associated with any measures of social impairment. Analyses also examined whether specific impairments in aggressive behavior and conflict resolution skills mediated the association between central executive and broad measures of social functioning. Greater physical aggression and impaired conflict resolution skills were both significant mediators; relational aggression was not. Implications for theory and future research are discussed. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A randomized controlled trial to evaluate utilization of physical activity recommendations among patients of cardiovascular healthcare centres in Eastern Slovakia: study design and rationale of the AWATAR study.

PubMed

Zelko, Aurel; Bukova, Alena; Kolarcik, Peter; Bakalar, Peter; Majercak, Ivan; Potocnikova, Jana; Reijneveld, Sijmen A; van Dijk, Jitse P

2018-04-04

Guidelines on modifiable risk factors regarding cardiological patients are poorly implemented in clinical practice perhaps due to low health literacy. Several digital tools for improving lifestyle and behavioural intervention were developed. Our primary aim is to evaluate the effectiveness of a digital exercise prescription tool on the adherence to physical activity recommendations among patients with cardiovascular diseases. A randomized controlled trial will be realized in cooperation with Cardiovascular Health Centres in Eastern Slovakia. Patients recruited through their cardiologists, will be randomised at 1:1 ratio to the three-months' experimental condition or control condition. The experimental group will receive standard lifestyle consultation leading to individually optimized prescription of physical activity. The control group will receive standard, usual-cardio-care lifestyle counselling, also in the domain of physical activity. The digital system will be used for optimized exercise prescription. The primary outcome is a change in the patient's adherence to exercise recommendations. Data will be collected in both groups prior to consultation and after 3 months. This study protocol presents background and design of a randomized control trial to investigate the effectiveness of a digital system-provide exercise prescription tool on the adherence to physical activity recommendations. An optimized exercise prescription that better reflects patient's diagnosis, comorbidities and medication can have a significant impact on secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease. This trial can provide important evidence about the effectiveness of digital exercise guidance in everyday practice of cardiovascular healthcare. The study was registered on 1st November, 2017 and is available online at ClinicalTrials.gov (ID: NCT03329053 ).

Physical activity guidelines for older adults.

PubMed

Elsawy, Bassem; Higgins, Kim E

2010-01-01

Few older adults in the United States achieve the minimum recommended amount of physical activity. Lack of physical activity contributes to many chronic diseases that occur in older adults, including heart disease, stroke, diabetes mellitus, lung disease, Alzheimer disease, hypertension, and cancer. Lack of physical activity, combined with poor dietary habits, has also contributed to increased obesity in older persons. Regular exercise and increased aerobic fitness are associated with a decrease in all-cause mortality and morbidity, and are proven to reduce disease and disability, and improve quality of life in older persons. In 2008, The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services released guidelines to provide information and guidance on the amount of physical activity recommended to maintain health and fitness. For substantial health benefits, the guidelines recommend that most older adults participate in at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity, 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity, or an equivalent combination of each per week. Older adults should also engage in strengthening activities that involve all major muscle groups at least two days a week. Those at risk of falling should add exercises that help maintain or improve balance. Generally healthy adults without chronic health conditions do not need to consult with a physician before starting an exercise regimen. (c) 2010 American Academy of Family Physicians.

Intimate Partner Violence among General and Urban Poor Populations in Kathmandu, Nepal

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oshiro, Azusa; Poudyal, Amod K.; Poudel, Krishna C.; Jimba, Masamine; Hokama, Tomiko

2011-01-01

Comparative studies are lacking on intimate partner violence (IPV) between urban poor and general populations. The objective of this study is to identify the prevalence and risk factors of physical IPV among the general and poor populations in urban Nepal. A cross-sectional study was conducted by structured questionnaire interview. Participants…

Verbal and physical abuse against nurses in Turkey.

PubMed

Celik, S S; Celik, Y; Ağirbaş, I; Uğurluoğlu, O

2007-12-01

This study of verbal and physical abuse against nurses in Turkey aimed to describe prevalence, sources, important effects on work, family and social life of the nurses, coping methods and factors. A sample of 622 nurses working in eight hospitals located in the capital city of Turkey was surveyed using verbal and physical abuse questionnaires. The prevalence of verbal and physical abuse against nurses in the sample of this study were found to be as 91.1% and 33.0% respectively. Colleagues were found to be the most important source of verbally abusive behaviours while patients and patients' relatives were the important sources of physically abusive behaviours. Disturbed mental health, decreased job performance and headache were the more frequently reported negative effects of verbal and physical abuses on nurses. The most common reactions against abusive behaviours were anger, helplessness, humiliation and depression. It is interesting to find that 'did nothing' was the most reported coping method with verbal abuse. The findings also suggested that working in inpatient units and increasing work experience in the nursing profession were statistically significant variables increasing the likelihood of being abused physically. All the results on sources, negative effects, feelings and coping methods on verbally and physically abusive behaviours lead us to discuss that lower working status and power of the nurses at the work, poor working conditions in healthcare settings and insufficient administrative mechanisms as well as law and regulations against the abusers are the important factors forcing the nurses to work in an inappropriate work environment in Turkey.

Evaluation of active transition, a website-delivered physical activity intervention for university students: pilot study.

PubMed

Kwan, Matthew; Faulkner, Guy; Bray, Steven

2013-04-29

While physical activity in individuals tends to decline steadily with age, there are certain periods where this decline occurs more rapidly, such as during early adulthood. Interventions aimed at attenuating the declines in physical activity during this transition period appear warranted. The purpose of the study was to test the feasibility and efficacy of a theoretically informed, website-delivered physical activity intervention aimed at students entering university. Using a quasi-experimental design, 65 participants (44 females; mean age 18.51, SD 0.91) were assigned to either an intervention (receiving website access plus weekly prompts) or comparison condition (receiving unprompted website access only), completing questionnaires at baseline and follow-up 8 weeks later. The intervention website, "Active Transition", was specifically designed to target students' physical activity cognitions and self-regulatory skills. Intervention usage was low, with only 47% (18/38) of participants assigned to the intervention condition logging into the website 2 or more times. Among the broader student sample, there were significant declines in students' physical activity behaviors (F1,63=18.10, P<.001), attitudes (F1,62=55.19, P<.001), and perceived behavioral control (F1,62 =17.56, P<.001). In comparisons between intervention users (29/65, individuals logging in 2 or more times) and non-users (36/65, individuals logging in once or not at all), there was a significant interaction effect for intervention usage and time on perceived behavioral control (F1,62=5.13, P=.03). Poor intervention usage suggests that future efforts need to incorporate innovative strategies to increase intervention uptake and better engage the student population. The findings, however, suggest that a website-delivered intervention aimed at this critical life stage may have positive impact on students' physical activity cognitions. Future studies with more rigorous sampling designs are required.

Self-rated health and its determinants among adults in Syria: a model from the Middle East

PubMed Central

Asfar, Taghrid; Ahmad, Balsam; Rastam, Samer; Mulloli, Tanja P; Ward, Kenneth D; Maziak, Wasim

2007-01-01

Background Self-rated health (SRH) has been widely used to research health inequalities in developed western societies, but few such studies are available in developing countries. Similar to many Arab societies, little research has been conducted in Syria on the health status of its citizens, particularly in regards to SRH. This Study aims to investigate and compare determinants of SRH in adult men and women in Aleppo, Syria. Methods A cross-sectional survey of adults 18 to 65 years old residing in Aleppo (2,500,000 inhabitants), Syria was carried out in 2004, involving 2038 household representatives (45.2% men, age range 18–65 years, response rate 86%). SRH was categorized as excellent, normal, and poor. Odds ratios for poor and normal SRH, compared to excellent, were calculated separately for men and women using logistic regression. Results Women were more likely than men to describe their health as poor. Men and women were more likely to report poor SRH if they were older, reported two or more chronic health problems, or had high self perceived functional disability. Important gender-specific determinants of poor SRH included being married, low socioeconomic status, and not having social support for women, and smoking, low physical activity for men. Conclusion Women were more likely than men to describe their health as poor. The link with age and pre-existing chronic conditions seems universal and likely reflects natural aging process. Determinants of SRH differed between men and women, possibly highlighting underlying cultural norms and gender roles in the society. Understanding the local context of SRH and its determinants within the prevailing culture will be important to tailor intervention programs aimed at improving health of the Syrian and similar Arab societies. PMID:17651491

Determinants of self-rated health and the role of acculturation: implications for health inequalities.

PubMed

Todorova, Irina L G; Tucker, Katherine L; Jimenez, Marcia Pescador; Lincoln, Alisa K; Arevalo, Sandra; Falcón, Luis M

2013-01-01

Self-rated health (SRH) is an important indicator of overall health, predicting morbidity and mortality. This paper investigates what individuals incorporate into their self-assessments of health and how acculturation plays a part in this assessment. The relationship of acculturation to SRH and whether it moderates the association between indicators of health and SRH is also examined. The paper is based on data from adults in the Boston Puerto Rican Health Study, living in the greater Boston area (n=1357) mean age 57.2 (SD = 7.6). We used multiple regression analysis and testing for moderation effects. The strongest predictors of poor SRH were the number of existing medical conditions, functional problems, allostatic load and depressive symptoms. Poor SRH was also associated with being female, fewer years of education, heavy alcohol use, smoking, poverty, and low emotional support. More acculturated Puerto Rican adults rated their health more positively, which corresponded to better indicators of physical and psychological health. Additionally, acculturation moderated the association between some indicators of morbidity (functional status and depressive symptoms) and SRH.Self-assessments of overall health integrate diverse indicators, including psychological symptoms, functional status and objective health indicators such as chronic conditions and allostatic load. However, adults' assessments of overall health differed by acculturation, which moderated the association between health indicators and SRH. The data suggest that when in poor health, those less acculturated may understate the severity of their health problems when rating their overall health, thus SRH might thus conceal disparities. Using SRH can have implications for assessing health disparities in this population.

Physical performance and frailty in chronic kidney disease.

PubMed

Reese, Peter P; Cappola, Anne R; Shults, Justine; Townsend, Raymond R; Gadegbeku, Crystal A; Anderson, Cheryl; Baker, Joshua F; Carlow, Dean; Sulik, Michael J; Lo, Joan C; Go, Alan S; Ky, Bonnie; Mariani, Laura; Feldman, Harold I; Leonard, Mary B

2013-01-01

Poor physical performance and frailty are associated with elevated risks of death and disability. Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is also strongly associated with these outcomes. The risks of poor physical performance and frailty among CKD patients, however, are not well established. We measured the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB; a summary test of gait speed, chair raises and balance; range 0-12) and the five elements of frailty among 1,111 Chronic Renal Insufficiency Cohort participants. Adjusting for demographics and multiple comorbidities, we fit a linear regression model for the outcome of SPPB score and an ordinal logistic regression model for frailty status. Median (interquartile range, IQR) age was 65 (57-71) years, median estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) for non-dialysis patients was 49 (36-62) ml/min/1.73 m(2), and median SPPB score was 9 (7-10). Seven percent of participants were frail and 43% were pre-frail. Compared with the SPPB score for eGFR >60 ml/min/1.73 m(2), the SPPB was 0.51 points lower for eGFR 30-59; 0.61 points lower for eGFR 15-29, and 1.75 points lower for eGFR <15 (p < 0.01 for all comparisons). eGFR 30-59 (odds ratio, OR 1.45; p = 0.024), eGFR 15-29 (OR 2.02; p = 0.002) and eGFR <15 (OR 4.83; p < 0.001) were associated with worse frailty status compared with eGFR >60 ml/min/1.73 m(2). CKD severity was associated with poor physical performance and frailty in a graded fashion. Future trials should determine if outcomes for CKD patients with frailty and poor physical performance are improved by targeted interventions. © 2013 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Health-Related Quality of Life of the Roma in Greece: The Role of Socio-Economic Characteristics and Housing Conditions.

PubMed

Pappa, Evelina; Chatzikonstantinidou, Simela; Chalkiopoulos, George; Papadopoulos, Angelos; Niakas, Dimitris

2015-06-12

The aim was to assess the health-related quality of life (HRQL) of the Roma and further to detect the significant determinants that are associated with their HRQL. The cross-sectional study involved 1068 Roma adults living in settlements (mean age 36). HRQL was measured by the Greek version of SF-36 Health Survey and further socio-demographic characteristics (sex, age, marital status, education, permanent occupation etc.) and housing conditions (stable housing, access to basic amenities such as drinkable water, drainage, electricity which compose material deprivation) were involved. Non parametric tests and multiple linear regression models were applied to identify the factors that have significant association with HRQL. After controlling for socio-demographic characteristics, health status and housing conditions, sex, age, education, chronic diseases, stable housing and material deprivation were found to be significant determinants of the Roma's HRQL. Men reported significantly better health than women as well as those who attended school compared to the illiterate. Chronic diseases were remarkably associated with poor HRQL from 10 units in MH (Mental Health) to 34 units in RP (Role Physical). Material deprivation was related to lower GH (General Health), and VT (Vitality) scores and higher RP (Role Physical) and RE (Role Emotional) scores. Chronic conditions and illiteracy are two key areas that contribute significantly to worse HRQL. Policies should be part of a comprehensive and holistic strategy for the Roma through intervention to education, housing and public health.

Physical fitness and injury reporting among active duty and National Guard/Reserve women: associations with risk and lifestyle factors.

PubMed

Kazman, Josh B; de la Motte, Sarah; Bramhall, Elizabeth M S; Purvis, Dianna L; Deuster, Patricia A

2015-01-01

As more women enter the military, it is important to understand how different risks and lifestyle factors influence physical fitness and injury among women in both active duty (AD) and National Guard/Reserve (NG/R). Women in military service are less fit and more likely to suffer musculoskeletal injuries during physical training than men. They also use more medical care during deployment than men. Using data from the Comprehensive Soldier and Family Fitness Global Assessment Tool 2.0 (GAT 2.0), self-reported health and lifestyle and behavioral risk factors were analyzed in nondeployed Army personnel, with the goals of examining (1) service-component differences across traditional risk and lifestyle factors, and (2) correlates of physical performance and physical activity-related injury. Self-report GAT 2.0 data included health risk factors (overall perceived health, sleep, diet, tobacco and alcohol use), self-reported health metrics (height, weight, Army Physical Fitness Test (APFT) scores), and history of physical activity-related injury. The GAT 2.0 was completed by 1,322 AD and 1,033 NG/R women, and APFT data were available for a subsample of 605 AD and 582 NG/R women. Initial analyses of GAT 2.0 data indicated that AD had higher rates of fair/poor perceived health, poor sleep, and unhealthy diet compared to NG/R women. However, AD women had a lower APFT fail rate (8%) than NG (27%) and R (28%). Active duty women were more likely to experience a physical injury in the past 6 months (38%) than NG (19%) and R (22%) women, and more likely to seek medical care than NG/R women. Across all service components, predictive factors for APFT failure included high body mass index (BMI), fair/poor health, and unhealthy diet. Predictive factors for physical injury included high BMI, fair/poor health, and binge drinking. Our analyses suggest that AD women Soldiers are more physically fit than NG/R women Soldiers, which is accompanied by a greater prevalence of physical activity-related injuries. As women's roles expand into combat military occupation specialties, a thorough understanding of service component differences will be critical to inform training programs, mitigate physical injury, and enhance force health protection and readiness.

Equal and universal access?: water at mealtimes, inequalities, and the challenge for schools in poor and rural communities.

PubMed

Ramirez, Sarah M; Stafford, Randall

2013-05-01

As a result of the rising national obesity rates, public health researchers and advocates have initiated a number of obesity prevention interventions to reduce the rates of overweight and obesity along with their related medical conditions and costs. Policymakers have also initiated a wide range of environmental and policies to support healthy eating and physical activity. Policies such as California's SB1413, which requires that free drinking water be served in school cafeterias during mealtimes, and subsequently the Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010, assume an equal access to safe and healthy drinking water. As a result, these policies and their application may unintentionally, exacerbate the inequities already present. Unless we take reasonable steps to address the needs of high-need communities, these one-size-fits-all policy efforts may result in an unequal patchwork of disparities and may have a greater negative impact in high-need poor and rural areas.

Equal and Universal Access? Water at Mealtimes, Inequalities, and the Challenge for Schools in Poor and Rural Communities

PubMed Central

Ramirez, Sarah M.; Stafford, Randall S.

2014-01-01

As a result of the rising national obesity rates, public health researchers and advocates have initiated a number of obesity prevention interventions to reduce the rates of overweight and obesity along with their related medical conditions and costs. Policymakers have also initiated a wide range of environmental and policies to support healthy eating and physical activity. Policies such as California’s SB1413, which requires that free drinking water be served in school cafeterias during mealtimes, and subsequently the Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010, assume an equal access to safe and healthy drinking water. As a result, these policies and their application may unintentionally, exacerbate the inequities already present. Unless we take reasonable steps to address the needs of high-need communities, these one-size-fits-all policy efforts may result in an unequal patchwork of disparities and may have a greater negative impact in high-need poor and rural areas. PMID:23728054

Etiology of the protein-energy wasting syndrome in chronic kidney disease: a consensus statement from the International Society of Renal Nutrition and Metabolism (ISRNM).

PubMed

Carrero, Juan Jesús; Stenvinkel, Peter; Cuppari, Lilian; Ikizler, T Alp; Kalantar-Zadeh, Kamyar; Kaysen, George; Mitch, William E; Price, S Russ; Wanner, Christoph; Wang, Angela Y M; ter Wee, Pieter; Franch, Harold A

2013-03-01

Protein-energy wasting (PEW), a term proposed by the International Society of Renal Nutrition and Metabolism (ISRNM), refers to the multiple nutritional and catabolic alterations that occur in chronic kidney disease (CKD) and associate with morbidity and mortality. To increase awareness, identify research needs, and provide the basis for future work to understand therapies and consequences of PEW, ISRNM provides this consensus statement of current knowledge on the etiology of PEW syndrome in CKD. Although insufficient food intake (true undernutrition) due to poor appetite and dietary restrictions contribute, other highly prevalent factors are required for the full syndrome to develop. These include uremia-induced alterations such as increased energy expenditure, persistent inflammation, acidosis, and multiple endocrine disorders that render a state of hypermetabolism leading to excess catabolism of muscle and fat. In addition, comorbid conditions associated with CKD, poor physical activity, frailty, and the dialysis procedure per se further contribute to PEW. Published by Elsevier Inc.

The Health of the Nation’s Custodial Grandfathers and Older Single Fathers: Findings From the Behavior Risk Factor Surveillance System

PubMed Central

Whitley, Deborah M.; Fuller-Thomson, Esme

2015-01-01

Two important parent groups are solo grandfathers and single fathers raising children alone. The health of male caregivers raising children has received little attention by scholars. Investigating the health of single male caregivers raises awareness about their physical vulnerability. This study uses the 2012 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System to compare health characteristics of 82 solo grandfathers with 396 single fathers aged 50 years and older. The findings suggest that grandfathers exhibited a high prevalence for various health conditions, including diabetes (44%), heart attack (27%), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (23%), and stroke (6%). Almost half of grandfathers rated their health as fair/poor (47%), and nearly two in five had functional limitations (38%). Although older single fathers had better health characteristics than grandfathers, their health profile was poorer than population norms. Logistic regression analysis suggests that solo grandfathers are more at risk for poor health outcomes than older single fathers. Practice interventions to minimize health risks are discussed. PMID:26669777

What mediates the inverse association between education and occupational disability from back pain?--A prospective cohort study from the Nord-Trøndelag health study in Norway.

PubMed

Hagen, Kåre Birger; Tambs, Kristian; Bjerkedal, Tor

2006-09-01

Low education is consistently associated with an increased risk of back pain disability, but the underlying mechanisms for this relationship are poorly understood. In a seven-year prospective observational study of 38,426 employed men and women between 25 and 59 years in Norway, we investigated to what extent occupational class, working conditions and individual lifestyle mediated the effect of formal education on disability pensioning from back pain. Each additional year of formal education was associated with decreased risk for disability pensioning from back pain for both men [age adjusted Hazard Ratio (HR) 0.77; (95% Confidence Interval, 0.72-0.82)] and women [HR 0.76(0.71-0.82)]. Adjustment for occupational class and factors related to working conditions (authority to plan own work, physically demanding work, concentration and attention and job satisfaction) and individual lifestyle (smoking, body mass index, physical exercise and alcohol consumption) reduced the effect of education by 39% [HR 0.86(0.79-0.93)] for men and by 21% [HR 0.81(0.73-0.89)] for women. Working conditions contributed most to the explanation for men, while occupational class, working conditions and life style factors contributed equally for women. Subgroup analyses indicate small differences between full-time and part-time employees, while some differences were found between subcategories of back diseases. The study indicates that there is a strong and unexplained effect of education on back pain disability pensioning, which is not mediated by occupational class, working conditions or individual lifestyle.

The microbial habitability of weathered volcanic glass inferred from continuous sensing techniques.

PubMed

Bagshaw, Elizabeth A; Cockell, Charles S; Magan, Naresh; Wadham, Jemma L; Venugopalan, T; Sun, Tong; Mowlem, Matt; Croxford, Anthony J

2011-09-01

Basaltic glasses (hyaloclastite) are a widespread habitat for life in volcanic environments, yet their interior physical conditions are poorly characterized. We investigated the characteristics of exposed weathered basaltic glass from a surface outcrop in Iceland, using microprobes capable of continuous sensing, to determine whether the physical conditions in the rock interior are hospitable to microbial life. The material provided thermal protection from freeze-thaw and rapid temperature fluctuations, similar to data reported for other rock types. Water activity experiments showed that at moisture contents less than 13% wet weight, the glass and its weathering product, palagonite, had a water activity below levels suitable for bacterial growth. In pore spaces, however, these higher moisture conditions might be maintained for many days after a precipitation event. Gas exchange between the rock interior and exterior was rapid (< 10 min) when the rocks were dry, but when saturated with water, equilibration took many hours. During this period, we demonstrated the potential for low oxygen conditions within the rock caused by respiratory stimulation of the heterotrophic community within. These conditions might exist within subglacial environments during the formation of the rocks or in micro-environments in the interior of exposed rocks. The experiments showed that microbial communities at the site studied here could potentially be active for 39% of the year, if the depth of the community within the outcrop maintains a balance between access to liquid water and adequate protection from freezing. In the absence of precipitation, the interior of weathered basaltic glass is an extreme and life-limiting environment for microorganisms on Earth and other planets.

A study of the health-related quality of life and work-related stress of white-collar migrant workers.

PubMed

Tsai, Su-Ying

2012-10-19

Little is known about the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and work-related stress and its risk factors among white-collar businessmen and management workers that migrate to high-income developing countries. A structural questionnaire survey was administered to 156 white-collar Taiwanese management personnel of representative companies of their industries in Taiwan, who were assigned long-term job positions in China. Questionnaire content included demographics and medical history, self-reported physical and mental conditions, personal lifestyle and behavior, Beck Depression Inventory, and information on HRQoL. White-collar migrant workers reported a high prevalence of alcohol consumption (72.4%) and perceived work-related stress (62.2%), and a lower prevalence of regular exercise (12.2%). Workers with higher levels of perceived work-related stress reported more alcohol consumption, a history of hyperlipidemia, and a higher prevalence of self-reported neck pain, poor sleep, and mild/moderate/severe depression. In our primary multivariate risk model to determine lifestyle and work-related stress variables and HRQoL, perceived work-related stress and a feeling of depression negatively impacted both the Physical Component Summary (PCS) and Mental Component Summary (MCS) scores of the SF-36 health survey. Hyperlipidemia and self-reported neck pain were associated with significantly lower PCS scores, whereas cardiovascular disease, gastric ulcer, and poor sleep were associated with statistically lower MCS scores. White-collar migrant workers are generally younger with high socioeconomic status. Perceived work-related stress and a feeling of depression indirectly affect HRQoL. Hyperlipidemia, self-reported neck pain, cardiovascular disease, gastric ulcer, and poor sleep also had a significant negative impact on HRQoL.

Analysis of the stormwater drainage of the historic walls of Cartagena de Indias between the bastions of San Lucas, Santa Catalina and Santa Clara

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Utria, A.; Saba, M.; Quiñones-Bolaños, E.

2017-12-01

The city walls of Cartagena between the Baluarte of San Lucas and Santa Clara reflects the consequences of poor stormwater drainage. In the present investigation the current drainage state of this area have been evaluated, assessing its sizing and conditions to be then modelled through SWMM 5 software for return periods of 5, 10, 15 and 20 years respectively. Finally, it has been determined that the physical deterioration of the drainage elements justifies the malfunction of the whole system, therefore cleaning and periodic maintenance of the drainage elements is strongly suggested.

Palliative Care for Patients with Nonmalignant Respiratory Disease

PubMed Central

Gupta, Nishkarsh; Garg, Rakesh; Kumar, Vinod; Bharati, Sachidanand Jee; Mishra, Seema; Bhatnagar, Sushma

2017-01-01

Nonmalignant respiratory diseases are chronic and life-limiting conditions that need holistic palliative care. Such patients not only have a variety of physical symptoms such as dyspnea, pain, cough, depression, and anxiety, but also have a number of psychosocial and spiritual issues, which are not addressed to by us. This leads to a poor quality of life. Hence, these patients require supportive palliative care to relieve their sufferings, but unfortunately such care is not available to them in our country. In this article, we have tried to discuss the barriers to the provision of palliative care to such patients and suggested some measures to overcome them. PMID:28827944

Toward a definition of sarcopenia.

PubMed

Cederholm, Tommy E; Bauer, Juergen M; Boirie, Yves; Schneider, Stephane M; Sieber, Cornel C; Rolland, Yves

2011-08-01

The definition of sarcopenia has been thoroughly discussed by scientific stakeholders and industry representatives to increase the clinical applicability of the concept. The pooled consensus from 3 of 5 recent and parallel processes, of which 2 are pending, is that sarcopenia is mainly, but not only, an age-related condition defined by the combined presence of reduced muscle mass and muscle function. Contributing factors to sarcopenia are senescence, chronic disease, physical inactivity, and poor food intake. Cachexia may be considered as one etiologic pathway of an accelerated sarcopenia. The adjusted and extended definitions of sarcopenia promote the clinical use of the concept. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Chemical-Reaction-Controlled Phase Separated Drops: Formation, Size Selection, and Coarsening

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wurtz, Jean David; Lee, Chiu Fan

2018-02-01

Phase separation under nonequilibrium conditions is exploited by biological cells to organize their cytoplasm but remains poorly understood as a physical phenomenon. Here, we study a ternary fluid model in which phase-separating molecules can be converted into soluble molecules, and vice versa, via chemical reactions. We elucidate using analytical and simulation methods how drop size, formation, and coarsening can be controlled by the chemical reaction rates, and categorize the qualitative behavior of the system into distinct regimes. Ostwald ripening arrest occurs above critical reaction rates, demonstrating that this transition belongs entirely to the nonequilibrium regime. Our model is a minimal representation of the cell cytoplasm.

Success Continues: NASA-Developed Plant Health Measurement Technology is Becoming Big Business for Illinois Company

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2003-01-01

Originally produced in 2001, sales of Spectrum Technologies' CM 1000 chlorophyll meter have now topped $290,000 on 140 units. Up-to-date sales figures for 2003 have shown an almost 50% increase over the combined sales totals of 2001 and 2002. The CM 1000 chlorophyll meter identifies the failing health of a plant based on the chlorophyll content of the plant up to 16 days before it is physically detectable by the human eye. Poor health, 'stress' in a plant, is a result of unfavorable growing conditions; lack of nutrients, insufficient water, disease or insect damage.

Exercise leukocyte profiles in healthy, type 1 diabetic, overweight, and asthmatic children.

PubMed

Rosa, Jaime S; Schwindt, Christina D; Oliver, Stacy R; Leu, Szu-Yun; Flores, Rebecca L; Galassetti, Pietro R

2009-02-01

Leukocytosis contributes to exercise-induced immune modulation, which is a mechanism of cardiovascular protection. However, this process is poorly defined in children. We therefore measured leukocytes in 45 healthy, 18 overweight, 16 type 1 diabetic, and 8 asthmatic children at pre, end-, and 30-min postexercise (30-min intermittent or 6-min continuous). In all groups, total leukocytes, neutrophils, lymphocytes, and monocytes increased at end-exercise, but returned to baseline by 30-min postexercise, including neutrophils, previously reported to remain elevated for at least some exercise formats. This highly preserved pattern indicates the importance of the adaptive response to physical stress across multiple health conditions.

Health Status of Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer Survivors

PubMed Central

Tai, Eric; Buchanan, Natasha; Townsend, Julie; Fairley, Temeika; Moore, Angela; Richardson, Lisa C.

2017-01-01

BACKGROUND Adolescents and young adults (AYA) ages 15 to 29 years who are diagnosed with cancer are at risk for long-term morbidity and mortality associated with treatment of their cancer and the cancer itself. In this article, the authors describe the self-reported health status of AYA cancer survivors. METHODS The authors examined 2009 data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, including demographic characteristics, risk behaviors, chronic conditions, health status, and health care access, among AYA cancer survivors compared with respondents who had no history of cancer. RESULTS The authors identified 4054 AYA cancer survivors and 345,592 respondents who had no history of cancer. AYA cancer survivors, compared with respondents who had no history of cancer, reported a significantly higher prevalence of current smoking (26% vs 18%); obesity (31% vs 27%); chronic conditions, including cardiovascular disease (14% vs 7%), hypertension (35% vs 29%), asthma (15% vs 8%), disability (36% vs 18%), and poor mental health (20% vs 10%) and physical health (24% vs 10%); and not receiving medical care because of cost (24% vs 15%). CONCLUSIONS AYA cancer survivors commonly reported adverse behavioral, medical, and health care access characteristics that may lead to poor long-term medical and psychosocial outcomes. Increased adherence to established follow-up guidelines may lead to improved health among AYA cancer survivors.* PMID:22688896

Profiling outcomes of ambulatory care: casemix affects perceived performance.

PubMed

Berlowitz, D R; Ash, A S; Hickey, E C; Kader, B; Friedman, R; Moskowitz, M A

1998-06-01

The authors explored the role of casemix adjustment when profiling outcomes of ambulatory care. The authors reviewed the medical records of 656 patients with hypertension, diabetes, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) receiving care at one of three Department of Veterans Affairs medical centers. Outcomes included measures of physiological control for hypertension and diabetes, and of exacerbations for COPD. Predictors of poor outcomes, including physical examination findings, symptoms, and comorbidities, were identified and entered into regression models. Observed minus expected performance was described for each site, both before and after casemix adjustment. Risk-adjustment models were developed that were clinically plausible and had good performance properties. Differences existed among the three sites in the severity of the patients being cared for. For example, the percentage of patients expected to have poor blood pressure control were 35% at site 1, 37% at site 2, and 44% at site 3 (P < 0.01). Casemix-adjusted measures of performance were different from unadjusted measures. Sites that were outliers (P < 0.05) with one approach had observed performance no different from expected with another approach. Casemix adjustment models can be developed for outpatient medical conditions. Sites differ in the severity of patients they treat, and adjusting for these differences can alter judgments of site performance. Casemix adjustment is necessary when profiling outpatient medical conditions.

Geographic Variations in Cardiovascular Health in the United States: Contributions of State- and Individual-Level Factors

PubMed Central

Gebreab, Samson Y; Davis, Sharon K; Symanzik, Jürgen; Mensah, George A; Gibbons, Gary H; Diez-Roux, Ana V

2015-01-01

Background Improving cardiovascular health (CVH) of all Americans by 2020 is a strategic goal of the American Heart Association. Understanding the sources of variation and identifying contextual factors associated with poor CVH may suggest important avenues for prevention. Methods and Results Cross-sectional data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System for the year 2011 were linked to state-level coronary heart disease and stroke mortality data from the National Vital Statistics System and to state-level measures of median household income, income inequality, taxes on soda drinks and cigarettes, and food and physical activity environments from various administrative sources. Poor CVH was defined according to the American Heart Association definition using 7 self-reported CVH metrics (current smoking, physical inactivity, obesity, poor diet, hypertension, diabetes, and high cholesterol). Linked micromap plots and multilevel logistic models were used to examine state variation in poor CVH and to investigate the contributions of individual- and state-level factors to this variation. We found significant state-level variation in the prevalence of poor CVH (median odds ratio 1.32, P<0.001). Higher rates of poor CVH and cardiovascular disease mortality were clustered in the southern states. Minority and low socioeconomic groups were strongly associated with poor CVH and explained 51% of the state-level variation in poor CVH; state-level factors explained an additional 28%. State-level median household income (odds ratio 0.89; 95% CI 0.84–0.94), taxes on soda drinks (odds ratio 0.94; 95% CI 0.89–0.99), farmers markets (odds ratio 0.91; 95% CI 0.85–0.98), and convenience stores (odds ratio 1.09; 95% CI 1.01–1.17) were predictive of poor CVH even after accounting for individual-level factors. Conclusions There is significant state-level variation in poor CVH that is partly explained by individual- and state-level factors. Additional longitudinal research is warranted to examine the influence of state-level policies and food and physical activity environments on poor CVH. PMID:26019131

Comparison of wrist-worn and hip-worn activity monitors under free living conditions.

PubMed

Hargens, Trent A; Deyarmin, Kayla N; Snyder, Kelsey M; Mihalik, Allison G; Sharpe, Lauren E

2017-04-01

Current recommendations state that individuals engage in 150 min of moderate or 75 min of vigorous intensity physical activity (PA) each week. Commercial PA monitors are becoming popular for everyday use. The accuracy of these devices, however, is not well understood. We sought to examine the accuracy of two commercial devices, one wrist and one hip-worn, under free-living conditions. Twenty-two subjects wore two commercially available devices and one ActiGraph (AG) for seven consecutive days under normal activity. Mean steps per day between all three devices differed significantly. No differences were found in moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity (MPVA). Daily energy expenditure (EE) also differed significantly between the AG and the commercial devices. Bland-Altman analysis found poor agreement between the AG and the commercial devices with regards to steps and EE, but good agreement in MVPA. Results suggest that the commercial devices are less accurate in estimating steps and EE. These devices did show good agreement with regards to MVPA, suggesting that they may provide useful feedback for individuals seeking to achieve the current PA guidelines for MVPA. Improvements are needed with regards to steps and EE estimation.

Exploring the Relationship between Housing and Health for Refugees and Asylum Seekers in South Australia: A Qualitative Study

PubMed Central

Walsh, Moira

2017-01-01

Housing is an important social determinant of health; however, little is known about the impact of housing experiences on health and wellbeing for people from refugee and asylum-seeking backgrounds. In this paper, we outline a qualitative component of a study in South Australia examining these links. Specifically, interviews were conducted with 50 refugees and asylum seekers who were purposively sampled according to gender, continent and visa status, from a broader survey. Interviews were analysed thematically. The results indicated that housing was of central importance to health and wellbeing and impacted on health through a range of pathways including affordability, the suitability of housing in relation to physical aspects such as condition and layout, and social aspects such as safety and belonging and issues around security of tenure. Asylum seekers in particular reported that living in housing in poor condition negatively affected their health. Our research reinforces the importance of housing for both the physical and mental health for asylum seekers and refugees living in resettlement countries. Improving housing quality, affordability and tenure security all have the potential to lead to more positive health outcomes. PMID:28885594

Health Behaviors and Quality of Life Among Colorectal Cancer Survivors

PubMed Central

Rohan, Elizabeth A.; Townsend, Julie S.; Fairley, Temeika L.; Stewart, Sherri L.

2015-01-01

Purpose To examine, at the population level, health behaviors, comorbidities, and health-related quality of life among colorectal cancer (CRC) survivors compared with other cancer survivors and persons without cancer. Methods We used data from the 2009 and 2010 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System cancer survivor modules. We calculated descriptive statistics, conducted chi-square tests for comparisons, and used multivariable logistic regression analysis to compare CRC survivors with other cancer survivors and persons without cancer. Results Of the 52,788 cancer survivors included in this analysis, 4001 reported being CRC survivors. When compared with other cancer survivors, CRC survivors reported higher percentages of obesity and lack of physical activity; however, they had lower levels of current smoking. Adjusted results show that CRC survivors were significantly more likely to report lack of physical activity, fair/poor health, and other chronic health conditions compared with persons without a cancer diagnosis. Conversely, CRC survivors reported lower levels of current smoking than persons without cancer. Conclusions CRC survivors have a higher proportion of heath conditions and behaviors that may significantly increase their risks for recurrence or development of a second cancer. Targeted interventions to address these health issues should be considered. PMID:25736006

Health behaviors and quality of life among colorectal cancer survivors.

PubMed

Rohan, Elizabeth A; Townsend, Julie S; Fairley, Temeika L; Stewart, Sherri L

2015-03-01

To examine, at the population level, health behaviors, comorbidities, and health-related quality of life among colorectal cancer (CRC) survivors compared with other cancer survivors and persons without cancer. We used data from the 2009 and 2010 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System cancer survivor modules. We calculated descriptive statistics, conducted chi-square tests for comparisons, and used multivariable logistic regression analysis to compare CRC survivors with other cancer survivors and persons without cancer. Of the 52,788 cancer survivors included in this analysis, 4001 reported being CRC survivors. When compared with other cancer survivors, CRC survivors reported higher percentages of obesity and lack of physical activity; however, they had lower levels of current smoking. Adjusted results show that CRC survivors were significantly more likely to report lack of physical activity, fair/poor health, and other chronic health conditions compared with persons without a cancer diagnosis. Conversely, CRC survivors reported lower levels of current smoking than persons without cancer. CRC survivors have a higher proportion of heath conditions and behaviors that may significantly increase their risks for recurrence or development of a second cancer. Targeted interventions to address these health issues should be considered. Copyright © 2015 by the National Comprehensive Cancer Network.

The relationship between physical inactivity and mental wellbeing: Findings from a gamification-based community-wide physical activity intervention

PubMed Central

Harris, Marc Ashley

2018-01-01

Mental ill health accounts for 13 per cent of total global disease burden with predictions that depression alone will be the leading cause of disease burden globally by 2030. Poor mental health is consistently associated with deprivation, low income, unemployment, poor education, poorer physical health and increased health-risk behaviour. A plethora of research has examined the relationship between physical activity and mental wellbeing; however, the influence of community-wide gamification-based physical activity interventions on mental wellbeing, to the authors’ knowledge, is yet to be explored. In view of this paucity of attention, the current study examined the relationship between physical activity and mental wellbeing pre/post a community-wide, gamification-based intervention. The findings revealed that increases in mental wellbeing were significantly greater for the least active prior to the intervention, and a strong, positive correlation between increase in physical activity and increase in mental wellbeing was observed. PMID:29372067

The relationship between physical inactivity and mental wellbeing: Findings from a gamification-based community-wide physical activity intervention.

PubMed

Harris, Marc Ashley

2018-01-01

Mental ill health accounts for 13 per cent of total global disease burden with predictions that depression alone will be the leading cause of disease burden globally by 2030. Poor mental health is consistently associated with deprivation, low income, unemployment, poor education, poorer physical health and increased health-risk behaviour. A plethora of research has examined the relationship between physical activity and mental wellbeing; however, the influence of community-wide gamification-based physical activity interventions on mental wellbeing, to the authors' knowledge, is yet to be explored. In view of this paucity of attention, the current study examined the relationship between physical activity and mental wellbeing pre/post a community-wide, gamification-based intervention. The findings revealed that increases in mental wellbeing were significantly greater for the least active prior to the intervention, and a strong, positive correlation between increase in physical activity and increase in mental wellbeing was observed.

The value of physical examination in mental health nursing.

PubMed

Martin, Carolyn T

2016-03-01

This article explores the use of a physical examination assignment in a mental health general nursing clinical placement course that addresses the poor physical health of people with mental illness and the barriers traditionally impeding health care provision for this population. A descriptive qualitative approach utilizes inductive content analysis to investigate 145 student survey responses. The assignment assists student nurses in understanding that physical and mental well-being are intrinsically linked. Students report increased comfort performing a physical examination on patients with mental illness post assignment. Students' initial bias towards this population was minimized post the clinical assignment. Poor physical health is common among people with mental health problems. Many view the provision of care as a major public health issue. Nurses are the front line caregivers of mental health service consumers and are well positioned to assess their physical needs. Their assessment may be the first step in recognizing health care issues in this population. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Demand-specific work ability, poor health and working conditions in middle-aged full-time employees.

PubMed

Nabe-Nielsen, Kirsten; Thielen, Karsten; Nygaard, Else; Thorsen, Sannie Vester; Diderichsen, Finn

2014-07-01

We investigated the prevalence of reduced demand-specific work ability, its association with age, gender, education, poor health, and working conditions, and the interaction between poor health and working conditions regarding reduced demand-specific work ability. We used cross-sectional questionnaire data from 3381 full-time employees responding to questions about vocational education, job demands and social support (working conditions), musculoskeletal pain (MSP) and major depression (MD) (poor health) and seven questions about difficulty managing different job demands (reduced demand-specific work ability). Reduced demand-specific work ability varied from 9% to 19% among the 46-year old and from 11% to 21% among the 56-year old. Age was associated with two, gender with four, and education with all measures of reduced demand-specific work ability. MSP was associated with four and MD was associated with six measures of reduced demand-specific work ability. We found no interaction between working conditions and poor health regarding reduced demand-specific work ability. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd and The Ergonomics Society. All rights reserved.

Dietary and Physical Activity Behaviors of Middle School Youth: The Youth Physical Activity and Nutrition Survey

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zapata, Lauren B.; Bryant, Carol A.; McDermott, Robert J.; Hefelfinger, Jennie A.

2008-01-01

Background: Obesity has become a national epidemic among youth. Declining physical activity and poor nutrition contribute to this epidemic. The purpose of this study was to obtain data on middle school students' physical activity and nutrition knowledge and practices. Methods: The Youth Physical Activity and Nutrition Survey was developed and…

Mild cognitive impairment is associated with poor physical function but not bone structure or density in late adulthood: findings from the Hertfordshire cohort study.

PubMed

Patel, A; Jameson, K A; Edwards, M H; Ward, K; Gale, C R; Cooper, C; Dennison, Elaine M

2018-04-24

This study investigated the association between mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and physical function and bone health in older adults. MCI was associated with poor physical performance but not bone mineral density or bone microarchitecture. Cross-sectional study to investigate the association between mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and physical performance, and bone health, in a community-dwelling cohort of older adults. Cognitive function of 222 men and 221 women (mean age 75.5 and 75.8 years in men and women, respectively) was assessed by the Strawbridge questionnaire and Mini Mental State Exam (MMSE). Participants underwent dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), peripheral-quantitative computed tomography (pQCT) and high-resolution peripheral-quantitative computed tomography (HR-pQCT) scans to assess their bone density, strength and microarchitecture. Their physical function was assessed and a physical performance (PP) score was recorded. In the study, 11.8% of women and 8.1% of men were cognitively impaired on the MMSE (score < 24). On the Strawbridge questionnaire, 24% of women were deemed cognitively impaired compared to 22.3% of men. Cognitive impairment on the Strawbridge questionnaire was associated with poorer physical performance score in men but not in women in the unadjusted analysis. MMSE < 24 was strongly associated with the risk of low physical performance in men (OR 12.9, 95% CI 1.67, 99.8, p = 0.01). Higher MMSE score was associated with better physical performance in both sexes. Poorer cognitive function, whether assessed by the Strawbridge questionnaire, or by MMSE score, was not associated with bone density, shape or microarchitecture, in either sex. MCI in older adults was associated with poor physical performance, but not bone density, shape or microarchitecture.

Quality of Life of Persons Suffering from Schizophrenia, Psoriasis and Physical Disabilities.

PubMed

Palijan, Tija Žarković; Kovačević, Dražen; Vlastelica, Mirela; Dadić-Hero, Elizabeta; Sarilar, Marijana

2017-03-01

Studies have addressed the impact of chronic diseases and their treatment on quality of life (Qol), but the relative impact of different chronic conditions on patients' level of subjective functioning is mostly unknown. Stigma is associated with poor Qol in various chronic diseases. The aim of this study was to compare the quality of life of people suffering from schizophrenia with the quality of life of patients with psoriasis and physical disabilities. Study was conducted on a sample of 88 persons suffering from schizophrenia, 60 persons with physical disabilities and 57 persons with psoriasis. All three groups completed The Scale of Life-Quality assessment. Persons suffering from schizophrenia were less satisfied with their education level and social life. They were less satisfied with life if continued the same as present than persons with physical disabilities and people suffering from psoriasis. However, persons suffering from schizophrenia have higher expectations for the future than persons with physical disabilities and people suffering from psoriasis. Our results show lower quality of life in the group of patients with schizophrenia in comparisons with group with physical disabilities and psoriasis, which indicates that it is necessary, not only to make the treatment of schizophrenia more successful, but also to improve the process of rehabilitation and social reintegration in order to increase the quality of life of people with schizophrenia.

Stability of physical assessment of older drivers over 1 year.

PubMed

Smith, Andrew; Marshall, Shawn; Porter, Michelle; Ha, Linda; Bédard, Michel; Gélinas, Isabelle; Man-Son-Hing, Malcolm; Mazer, Barbara; Rapoport, Mark; Tuokko, Holly; Vrkljan, Brenda

2013-12-01

Older adults represent the fastest-growing population of drivers with a valid driver's licence. Also common in this age group are multiple chronic medical conditions that may have an effect on physical function and driving ability. Determining the reliability of physical measures used to assess older drivers' functional ability is important to identifying those who are safe to continue driving. Most previous reliability studies of clinical physical measures of health used test-retest intervals shorter than those between patient visits with a clinician. In the present study we examined a more clinically representative interval of 1 year to determine the stability of commonly used physical measures collected during the Candrive II prospective cohort study of older drivers. Reliability statistics indicate that the sequential finger-thumb opposition, rapid pace walk and the Pelli-Robson contrast sensitivity tests have adequate stability over 1 year. Poor stability was observed for the one-legged stance and Snellen visual acuity test. Several assessments with nominal data (Marottoli method [functional neck range of motion], whispered voice test, range of motion and strength testing) lacked sufficient variability to conduct reliability analyses; however, a lack of variability between test days suggests consistency over a 1-year time frame. Our results provide evidence that specific physical measures are stable in monitoring functional ability over the course of a year. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Learning to manage COPD: a qualitative study of reasons for attending and not attending a COPD-specific self-management programme.

PubMed

Sohanpal, Ratna; Seale, Clive; Taylor, Stephanie J C

2012-08-01

The aim of this article is to understand the reasons for attending a chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)-specific self-management (SM) programme and how attendance at such programmes might be improved. A total of 20 qualitative semistructured interviews were carried out with patients and with lay programme tutors involved in the Better Living with Long term Airways disease (BELLA) pilot trial. Thematic framework data analysis was used. Common reasons for participant attendance arising from patients and tutors include (1) desire to learn about SM, (2) social benefits of meeting others with COPD and (3) altruism. Patients' reasons for poor attendance include (1) being too ill or not feeling ill enough and (2) practical, physical and emotional barriers. Tutor's explanations for patients' poor attendance were (1) failure to accept their condition, (2) fear of making a change, (3) lack of adequate support, (4) guilt about smoking and (5) the 'scripted' nature of the course. Suggestions for improving programme participation included (1) having choice of several start dates, (2) minimal delay inviting participant onto courses, (3) planning for 'special needs'. Participation may be better amongst those who have accepted their condition or who are motivated towards improving their condition or to help others. Providing solutions for practical barriers may improve participation. However, alternatives to group-based interventions need to be developed for people with functional and emotional barriers to attendance.

Classification of extremely metal-poor stars: absent region in A(C)-[Fe/H] plane and the role of dust cooling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chiaki, Gen; Tominaga, Nozomu; Nozawa, Takaya

2017-11-01

Extremely metal-poor (EMP) stars are the living fossils with records of chemical enrichment history at the early epoch of galaxy formation. By the recent large observation campaigns, statistical samples of EMP stars have been obtained. This motivates us to reconsider their classification and formation conditions. From the observed lower limits of carbon and iron abundances of Acr(C) ∼ 6 and [Fe/H]cr ∼ -5 for C-enhanced EMP (CE-EMP) and C-normal EMP (CN-EMP) stars, we confirm that gas cooling by dust thermal emission is indispensable for the fragmentation of their parent clouds to form such low mass, i.e. long-lived stars, and that the dominant grain species are carbon and silicate, respectively. We constrain the grain radius r_i^cool of a species i and condensation efficiency fij of a key element j as r_C^cool / f_C,C = 10 {μ m} and r_Sil^cool / f_Sil,Mg = 0.1 {μ m} to reproduce Acr(C) and [Fe/H]cr, which give a universal condition 10[C/H] - 2.30 + 10[Fe/H] > 10-5.07 for the formation of every EMP star. Instead of the conventional boundary [C/Fe] = 0.7 between CE-EMP and CN-EMP stars, this condition suggests a physically meaningful boundary [C/Fe]b = 2.30 above and below which carbon and silicate grains are dominant coolants, respectively.

Inter-rater reliability of direct observations of the physical and psychosocial working conditions in eldercare: An evaluation in the DOSES project.

PubMed

Karstad, Kristina; Rugulies, Reiner; Skotte, Jørgen; Munch, Pernille Kold; Greiner, Birgit A; Burdorf, Alex; Søgaard, Karen; Holtermann, Andreas

2018-05-01

The aim of the study was to develop and evaluate the reliability of the "Danish observational study of eldercare work and musculoskeletal disorders" (DOSES) observation instrument to assess physical and psychosocial risk factors for musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) in eldercare work. During 1.5 years, sixteen raters conducted 117 inter-rater observations from 11 nursing homes. Reliability was evaluated using percent agreement and Gwet's AC1 coefficient. Of the 18 examined items, inter-rater reliability was excellent for 7 items (AC1>0.75) fair to good for 7 items (AC1 0.40-0.75) and poor for 2 items (AC1 0-0.40). For 2 items there was no agreement between the raters (AC1 <0). The reliability did not differ between the first and second half of the data collection period and the inter-rater observations were representative regarding occurrence of events in eldercare work. The instrument is appropriate for assessing physical and psychosocial risk factors for MSD among eldercare workers. Copyright © 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

The life and death of film bubbles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Poulain, S.; Villermaux, E.; Bourouiba, L.

2017-11-01

Following its burst, the fragmentation of a large bubble (film bubble) at the air-water interface can release hundreds of micrometer-sized film-drops in the air we breathe. This mechanism of droplet formation is one of the most prominent sources of sea spray. Indoor or outdoor, pathogens from contaminated water are transported by these droplets and have also been linked to respiratory infection. The lifetime and thickness of bubbles govern the number and size of the droplets they produce. Despite these important implications, little is known about the factors influencing the life and death of surface film bubbles. In particular, the fundamental physical mechanisms linking bubble aging, thinning, and lifetime remain poorly understood. To address this gap, we present the results of an extensive investigation of the aging of film-drop-producing bubbles in various ambient air, water composition, and temperature conditions. We present and validate a generalized physical picture and model of bubble cap thickness evolution. The model and physical picture are linked to the lifetime of bubbles via a series of cap rupture mechanisms of increasing efficiency.

Mode detection in turbofan inlets from near field sensor arrays.

PubMed

Castres, Fabrice O; Joseph, Phillip F

2007-02-01

Knowledge of the modal content of the sound field radiated from a turbofan inlet is important for source characterization and for helping to determine noise generation mechanisms in the engine. An inverse technique for determining the mode amplitudes at the duct outlet is proposed using pressure measurements made in the near field. The radiated sound pressure from a duct is modeled by directivity patterns of cut-on modes in the near field using a model based on the Kirchhoff approximation for flanged ducts with no flow. The resulting system of equations is ill posed and it is shown that the presence of modes with eigenvalues close to a cutoff frequency results in a poorly conditioned directivity matrix. An analysis of the conditioning of this directivity matrix is carried out to assess the inversion robustness and accuracy. A physical interpretation of the singular value decomposition is given and allows us to understand the issues of ill conditioning as well as the detection performance of the radiated sound field by a given sensor array.

Ice nucleation activity of diesel soot particles at Cirrus relevant conditions: Effects of hydration, secondary organics coating, hydration, soot morphology, and coagulation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kulkarni, Gourihar R.; China, Swarup; Liu, Shang

The role of atmospheric relevant soot particles that are processed in the atmosphere toward ice nucleation at cirrus cloud condition is poorly understood. In this study, the ice nucleating properties of diesel soot particles subjected to various physical and chemical aging treatments were investigated at temperatures ranging from -40 to -50 °C. We show that bare soot particles nucleate ice in deposition mode, but coating with secondary organics suppresses the heterogeneous ice nucleation potential of soot particles requiring homogeneous freezing threshold conditions. However, the ice nucleation efficiency of soot particles coated with an aqueous organic layer was similar to baremore » soot particles. Hydration of bare soot particles slightly enhanced the ice nucleation efficiency, and the IN abilities of compact soot particles (roundness = ~ 0.6) were similar to bare lacey soot particles (roundness = ~ 0.4). These results indicate that ice nucleation properties are sensitive to the various aging treatments.« less

The health of Inuit children under age 6 in Canada.

PubMed

Findlay, Leanne C; Janz, Teresa A

2012-01-01

Previous research has suggested that Inuit children experience poor health as compared to their non-Aboriginal counterparts, although social determinants such as family and social conditions, lifestyle or behaviour, and cultural factors may be at play. The purpose of the current study was to examine the parent-reported health of Inuit children under 6 years of age living in Canada. Data from the 2006 Aboriginal Children's Survey were used to examine measures of Inuit child health as rated by parents including child health, limitations to physical activity, chronic conditions, ear infections, and dental problems. Associations between social determinants of health and parent-rated Inuit child health were also explored. Most Inuit children under age 6 were reported by their parents or guardians to be in excellent or very good health. The most common chronic conditions identified were asthma, speech and language difficulties, allergies, lactose intolerance, and hearing impairment. Several social determinants of health were associated with child health, including parental education, household income, breastfeeding, and perceived housing conditions. The findings show that social determinants of health, including both socio-economic and household characteristics, are associated with Inuit child health.

[Working and health conditions of preschool teachers of the public school network of Pelotas, State of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil].

PubMed

da Silva, Luciane Goulart; da Silva, Marcelo Cozzensa

2013-11-01

This study describes the working and health conditions of preschool teachers from the public school network in Pelotas, State of Rio Grande do Sul. A descriptive census was conducted in schools of the city and the state that offered preschool classes. The questionnaire included social and demographic, behavioral, nutritional, health and work issues. All teachers were female, more than 55% were classified as being overweight, 12.6% were smokers and 73% were not sufficiently physically active during their leisure time. With respect to the working conditions, 66.7% reported working in an uncomfortable posture, 40.5% considered the desks and furniture inadequate, 50.5% replied that the intervals between classes and activities are insufficient for resting. The prevalence of back, thoracic, neck and shoulder pain was high, and 17.8% tested positive for minor psychiatric disorders. The prevalence rates for occupational exposure and poor health conditions of preschool teachers are significant and can interfere in the quality of life and work of these individuals.

Extreme conditioning programs and injury risk in a US Army Brigade Combat Team.

PubMed

Grier, Tyson; Canham-Chervak, Michelle; McNulty, Vancil; Jones, Bruce H

2013-01-01

Brigades and battalions throughout the US Army are currently implementing a variety of exercise and conditioning programs with greater focus on preparation for mission-specific tasks. An Army physical therapy clinic working with a light infantry brigade developed the Advanced Tactical Athlete Conditioning (ATAC) program. The ATAC program is a unique physical training program consisting of high-intensity aquatic exercises, tactical agility circuits, combat core conditioning, and interval speed training. Along with ATAC, battalions have also incorporated components of fitness programs such as the Ranger Athlete Warrior program and CrossFit (Crossfit, Inc, Santa Monica, CA) an extreme conditioning program (ECP). To determine if these new programs (ATAC, ECP) had an effect on injury rates and physical fitness. Surveys were administered to collect personal characteristics, tobacco use, personal physical fitness training, Army physical fitness test results, and self-reported injuries. Medical record injury data were obtained 6 months before and 6 months after the implementation of the new program. Predictors of injury risk were assessed using multivariate logistic regression. Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were reported. Injury incidence among Soldiers increased 12% for overall injuries and 16% for overuse injuries after the implementation of the ATAC/ECPs. However, injury incidence among Soldiers not participating in ATAC/ECPs also increased 14% for overall injuries and 10% for overuse injuries. Risk factors associated with higher injury risk for Soldiers participating in ATAC/ECPs included: greater mileage run per week during unit physical training (OR (>16 miles per week÷≤7 miles per week)=2.24, 95% CI, 1.33-3.80); higher body mass index (BMI) (OR (BMI 25-29.9÷BMI<25)=1.77, 95% CI, 1.29-2.44), (OR (BMI =30÷BMI<25)=2.72, 95% CI, 1.67-4.43); cigarette use (OR (smoker÷nonsmoker)=1.80, 95% CI, 1.34-2.42); poor performance on the 2-mile run during the Army Physical Fitness Test (APFT) (OR (=15.51 minutes÷≤13.52 minutes)=1.76, 95% CI, 1.13-2.74); Injury risk was lower for those reporting resistance training, (OR (<1 time per week÷none)=0.53, 95% CI, 0.31-0.92), (OR (1-2 times per week÷none)=0.50, 95% CI, 0.29-0.84), (OR (≥3 times per week÷none)=0.45, 95% CI, 0.24-0.85). Given that Soldiers participating in ATAC/ECPs showed similar changes in injury rates compared to Soldiers not participating in ATAC/ECPs, no recommendation can be made for or against implementation of ATAC/ECPs.

The Association between Mental Health and Acute Infectious Illness among a National Sample of 18- To 24-Year-Old College Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Adams, Troy B.; Wharton, Christopher M.; Quilter, Lyndsay; Hirsch, Tiffany

2008-01-01

Poor mental health is associated with physical illness, but this association is poorly characterized among college students. Objective and Participants: Using American College Health Association-National College Health Assessment data, the authors characterized poor mental health (depression, anxiety, negative affect) and examined the relationship…

Visual impairment at baseline is associated with future poor physical functioning among middle-aged women: The Study of Women's Health Across the Nation, Michigan Site.

PubMed

Chandrasekaran, Navasuja; Harlow, Sioban; Moroi, Sayoko; Musch, David; Peng, Qing; Karvonen-Gutierrez, Carrie

2017-02-01

Emerging evidence suggests that the prevalence rates of poor functioning and of disability are increasing among middle-aged individuals. Visual impairment is associated with poor functioning among older adults but little is known about the impact of vision on functioning during midlife. The objective of this study was to assess the impact of visual impairment on future physical functioning among middle-aged women. In this longitudinal study, the sample consisted of 483 women aged 42 to 56 years, from the Michigan site of the Study of Women's Health Across the Nation. At baseline, distance and near vision were measured using a Titmus vision screener. Visual impairment was defined as visual acuity worse than 20/40. Physical functioning was measured up to 10 years later using performance-based measures, including a 40-foot timed walk, timed stair climb and forward reach. Women with impaired distance vision at baseline had 2.81 centimeters less forward reach distance (95% confidence interval (CI): -4.19, -1.42) and 4.26s longer stair climb time (95% CI: 2.73, 5.79) at follow-up than women without impaired distance vision. Women with impaired near vision also had less forward reach distance (2.26 centimeters, 95% CI: -3.30, -1.21) than those without impaired near vision. Among middle-aged women, visual impairment is a marker of poor physical functioning. Routine eye testing and vision correction may help improve physical functioning among midlife individuals. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Visual Impairment at Baseline is Associated with Future Poor Physical Functioning Among Middle-Aged Women: The Study of Women's Health Across the Nation, Michigan site

PubMed Central

Chandrasekaran, Navasuja; Harlow, Sioban; Moroi, Sayoko; Musch, David; Peng, Qing; Karvonen-Gutierrez, Carrie

2016-01-01

Objectives Emerging evidence suggests that the prevalence rates of poor functioning and of disability are increasing among middle-aged individuals. Visual impairment is associated with poor functioning among older adults but little is known about the impact of vision on functioning during midlife. The objective of this study was to assess the impact of visual impairment on future physical functioning among middle-aged women. Study design In this longitudinal study, the sample consisted of 483 women aged 42 to 56 years, from the Michigan site of the Study of Women's Health Across the Nation. Main Outcome Measures At baseline, distance and near vision were measured using a Titmus vision screener. Visual impairment was defined as visual acuity worse than 20/40. Physical functioning was measured up to 10 years later using performance-based measures, including a 40-foot timed walk, timed stair climb and forward reach. Results Women with impaired distance vision at baseline had 2.81 centimeters less forward reach distance (95% confidence interval (CI): −4.19,−1.42) and 4.26 seconds longer stair climb time (95% CI: 2.73, 5.79) at follow-up than women without impaired distance vision. Women with impaired near vision also had less forward reach distance (2.26 centimeters, 95% CI: −3.30,−1.21) than those without impaired near vision. Conclusion Among middle-aged women, visual impairment is a marker of poor physical functioning. Routine eye testing and vision correction may help improve physical functioning among midlife individuals. PMID:28041592

Symptom-Hemodynamic Mismatch and Heart Failure Event Risk

PubMed Central

Lee, Christopher S.; Hiatt, Shirin O.; Denfeld, Quin E.; Mudd, James O.; Chien, Christopher; Gelow, Jill M.

2014-01-01

Background Heart failure (HF) is a heterogeneous condition of both symptoms and hemodynamics. Objective The goal of this study was to identify distinct profiles among integrated data on physical and psychological symptoms and hemodynamics, and quantify differences in 180-day event-risk among observed profiles. Methods A secondary analysis of data collected during two prospective cohort studies by a single group of investigators was performed. Latent class mixture modeling was used to identify distinct symptom-hemodynamic profiles. Cox proportional hazards modeling was used to quantify difference in event-risk (HF emergency visit, hospitalization or death) among profiles. Results The mean age (n=291) was 57±13 years, 38% were female, and 61% had class III/IV HF. Three distinct symptom-hemodynamic profiles were identified. 17.9% of patients had concordant symptoms and hemodynamics (i.e. moderate physical and psychological symptoms matched the comparatively hemodynamic profile), 17.9% had severe symptoms and average hemodynamics, and 64.2% had poor hemodynamics and mild symptoms. Compared to those in the concordant profile, both profiles of symptom-hemodynamic mismatch were associated with a markedly increased event-risk (severe symptoms hazards ratio = 3.38, p=0.033; poor hemodynamics hazards ratio = 3.48, p=0.016). Conclusions A minority of adults with HF have concordant symptoms and hemodynamics. Either profile of symptom-hemodynamic mismatch in HF is associated with a greater risk of healthcare utilization for HF or death. PMID:24988323

Higher screen time is associated with overweight, poor dietary habits and physical inactivity in Brazilian adolescents, mainly among girls.

PubMed

Christofaro, Diego Giulliano Destro; De Andrade, Selma Maffei; Mesas, Arthur Eumann; Fernandes, Rômulo Araújo; Farias Júnior, José Cazuza

2016-01-01

To analyse the associations between high screen time and overweight, poor dietary habits and physical activity in adolescents according to sex. The study comprised 515 boys and 716 girls aged 14-17 years from Londrina, Brazil. Nutritional status (normal weight or overweight/obese) was assessed by calculating the body mass index. Eating habits and time spent in physical activity were reported using a questionnaire. The measurement of screen time considered the time spent watching television, using a computer and playing video games during a normal week. Associations between high screen time and dependent variables (nutritional status, eating habits and physical activity levels) were assessed by binary logistic regression, adjusted for sociodemographic and lifestyle variables. Most adolescents (93.8% of boys and 87.2% of girls) spent more than 2 hours per day in screen-time activities. After adjustments, an increasing trend in the prevalence of overweight and physical inactivity with increasing time spent on screen activities was observed for both sexes. Screen times of >4 hours/day compared with <2 hours/day were associated with physical inactivity, low consumption of vegetables and high consumption of sweets only in girls and the consumption of soft drinks in both sexes. The frequency of overweight and physical inactivity increased with increasing screen time in a trending manner and independently of the main confounders. The relationship between high screen time and poor eating habits was particularly relevant for adolescent girls.

Poverty and behavior problems trajectories from 1.5 to 8 years of age: Is the gap widening between poor and non-poor children?

PubMed

Mazza, Julia Rachel S E; Boivin, Michel; Tremblay, Richard E; Michel, Gregory; Salla, Julie; Lambert, Jean; Zunzunegui, Maria Victoria; Côté, Sylvana M

2016-08-01

Poverty has been associated with high levels of behavior problems across childhood, yet patterns of associations over time remain understudied. This study aims: (a) to examine whether poverty predicts changes in behavior problems between 1.5 and 8 years of age; (b) to estimate potential selection bias for the observed associations. We used the 1998-2006 waves of the Quebec Longitudinal Study of Child Development (N = 2120). Main outcomes were maternal ratings of hyperactivity, opposition and physical aggression from 1.5 to 8 years of age. Linear mixed-effects models were used to assess the longitudinal association between poverty and behavior problems. Models were re-estimated adjusting for wave nonresponse and using multiple imputation to account for attrition. Poverty predicted higher levels of behavior problems between 1.5 and 8 years of age. Poverty predicted hyperactivity and opposition in a time dependent manner. Hyperactivity [Bpoverty*age = 0.052; CI 95 % (0.002; 0.101)] and opposition [Bpoverty*age = 0.049; CI 95 % (0.018; 0.079)] increased at a faster rate up to age 5 years, and then decreased at a slower rate for poor than non-poor children. Physical aggression decreased at a steady rate over time for all children [Bpoverty*age = -0.030; p = 0.064). Estimates remained similar when accounting for attrition. Poverty predicted higher levels of behavior problems between 1.5 and 8 years of age. The difference between poor and non-poor children was stable over time for physical aggression, but increased with age for hyperactivity and opposition. Attrition among poor children did not compromise the validity of results.

Harvesting in the Dark

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Martinez, Douglas R.

1978-01-01

Migrant mushroom workers suffer from poor housing and living conditions, low wages, poor health, unsafe working conditions, abuse from crew leaders, and isolation. Farm work advocates feel these abuses will continue without laws guaranteeing access to the camps, minimum standards for camp conditions, and the outlawing or strict regulation of crew…

EFFECT OF STRUCTURED PHYSICAL ACTIVITY ON SLEEP-WAKE BEHAVIORS IN SEDENTARY ELDERS WITH MOBILITY LIMITATIONS

PubMed Central

Vaz Fragoso, Carlos A.; Miller, Michael E.; King, Abby C.; Kritchevsky, Stephen B.; Liu, Christine K.; Myers, Valerie H.; Nadkarni, Neelesh K.; Pahor, Marco; Spring, Bonnie J.; Gill, Thomas M.

2016-01-01

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the effect of structured physical activity on sleep-wake behaviors in sedentary community-dwelling elders with mobility limitations. DESIGN Multicenter, randomized trial of moderate-intensity physical activity versus health education, with sleep-wake behaviors pre-specified as a tertiary outcome over a planned intervention period ranging between 24 and 30 months. SETTING Lifestyle Interventions and Independence in Elder (LIFE) Study. PARTICIPANTS 1635 community-dwelling persons, aged 70–89 years, who were initially sedentary with a Short Physical Performance Battery score <10. MEASUREMENTS Sleep-wake behaviors were evaluated by the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) (≥8 defined insomnia), Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) (≥10 defined daytime drowsiness), and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) (> 5 defined poor sleep quality) — administered at baseline and subsequently at 6, 18, and 30 months. RESULTS The randomized groups were similar on baseline demographic variables, including mean age (79 years) and sex (67% female). Relative to health education, structured physical activity significantly reduced the likelihood of having poor sleep quality (adjusted odds ratios [adjOR] for PSQI >5 of 0.80 [0.68, 0.94]), including a reduction in new cases (adjOR for PSQI >5 of 0.70 [0.54, 0.89]) but not in resolution of prevalent cases (adjOR for PSQI ≤5 of 1.13 [0.90, 1.43]). No significant intervention effects were observed for ISI or ESS. CONCLUSION Structured physical activity reduced the likelihood of developing poor sleep quality (PSQI >5) over the intervention period, when compared with health education, but had no effect on prevalent cases of poor sleep quality, or on sleep-wake behaviors evaluated by the ISI or ESS. These results suggest that the benefit of physical activity in this sample was preventive and limited to sleep-wake behaviors evaluated by the PSQI. PMID:26115386

Effect of Structured Physical Activity on Sleep-Wake Behaviors in Sedentary Elderly Adults with Mobility Limitations.

PubMed

Vaz Fragoso, Carlos A; Miller, Michael E; King, Abby C; Kritchevsky, Stephen B; Liu, Christine K; Myers, Valerie H; Nadkarni, Neelesh K; Pahor, Marco; Spring, Bonnie J; Gill, Thomas M

2015-07-01

To evaluate the effect of structured physical activity on sleep-wake behaviors in sedentary community-dwelling elderly adults with mobility limitations. Multicenter, randomized trial of moderate-intensity physical activity versus health education, with sleep-wake behaviors prespecified as a tertiary outcome over a planned intervention period ranging from 24 to 30 months. Lifestyle Interventions and Independence for Elders Study. Community-dwelling persons aged 70 to 89 who were initially sedentary and had a Short Physical Performance Battery score less than 10 (N = 1,635). Sleep-wake behaviors were evaluated using the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) (≥8 defined insomnia), Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) (≥10 defined daytime drowsiness), and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) (>5 defined poor sleep quality) administered at baseline and 6, 18, and 30 months. The randomized groups were similar in terms of baseline demographic variables, including mean age (79) and sex (67% female). Structured physical activity resulted in a significantly lower likelihood of having poor sleep quality (adjusted odds ratios (aOR) for PSQI >5 = 0.80, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.68-0.94), including fewer new cases (aOR for PSQI >5 = 0.70, 95% CI = 0.54-0.89), than health education but not in resolution of prevalent cases (aOR for PSQI ≤5 = 1.13, 95% CI = 0.90-1.43). No significant intervention effects were observed for the ISI or ESS. Structured physical activity resulted in a lower likelihood of developing poor sleep quality (PSQI >5) over the intervention period than health education but had no effect on prevalent cases of poor sleep quality or on sleep-wake behaviors evaluated using the ISI or ESS. These results suggest that the benefit of physical activity in this sample was preventive and limited to sleep-wake behaviors evaluated using the PSQI. © 2015, Copyright the Authors Journal compilation © 2015, The American Geriatrics Society.

Disability transitions and health expectancies among adults 45 years and older in Malawi: a cohort-based model.

PubMed

Payne, Collin F; Mkandawire, James; Kohler, Hans-Peter

2013-01-01

Falling fertility and increasing life expectancy contribute to a growing elderly population in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA); by 2060, persons aged 45 y and older are projected to be 25% of SSA's population, up from 10% in 2010. Aging in SSA is associated with unique challenges because of poverty and inadequate social supports. However, despite its importance for understanding the consequences of population aging, the evidence about the prevalence of disabilities and functional limitations due to poor physical health among older adults in SSA continues to be very limited. Participants came from 2006, 2008, and 2010 waves of the Malawi Longitudinal Survey of Families and Health, a study of the rural population in Malawi. We investigate how poor physical health results in functional limitations that limit the day-to-day activities of individuals in domains relevant to this subsistence-agriculture context. These disabilities were parameterized based on questions from the SF-12 questionnaire about limitations in daily living activities. We estimated age-specific patterns of functional limitations and the transitions over time between different disability states using a discrete-time hazard model. The estimated transition rates were then used to calculate the first (to our knowledge) microdata-based health expectancies calculated for SSA. The risks of experiencing functional limitations due to poor physical health are high in this population, and the onset of disabilities happens early in life. Our analyses show that 45-y-old women can expect to spend 58% (95% CI, 55%-64%) of their remaining 28 y of life (95% CI, 25.7-33.5) with functional limitations; 45-y-old men can expect to live 41% (95% CI, 35%-46%) of their remaining 25.4 y (95% CI, 23.3-28.8) with such limitations. Disabilities related to functional limitations are shown to have a substantial negative effect on individuals' labor activities, and are negatively related to subjective well-being. Individuals in this population experience a lengthy struggle with disabling conditions in adulthood, with high probabilities of remitting and relapsing between states of functional limitation. Given the strong association of disabilities with work efforts and subjective well-being, this research suggests that current national health policies and international donor-funded health programs in SSA inadequately target the physical health of mature and older adults.

Physical activity in anorexia nervosa: How relevant is it to therapy response?

PubMed

Sauchelli, S; Arcelus, J; Sánchez, I; Riesco, N; Jiménez-Murcia, S; Granero, R; Gunnard, K; Baños, R; Botella, C; de la Torre, R; Fernández-García, J C; Fernández-Real, J M; Frühbeck, G; Gómez-Ambrosi, J; Tinahones, F J; Casanueva, F F; Menchón, J M; Fernandez-Aranda, F

2015-11-01

Elevated physical activity has been observed in some patients with anorexia nervosa (AN) despite their emaciated condition. However, its effects on treatment outcome remain unclear. This study aimed to examine objectively measured physical activity in this clinical population and how it might be related to a partial hospitalization therapy response, after considering potential confounders. The sample comprised 88 AN patients consecutively enrolled in a day hospital treatment program, and 116 healthy-weight controls. All participants were female and a baseline assessment took place using an accelerometer (Actiwatch AW7) to measure physical activity, the Eating Disorders Inventory-2 and the Depression subscale of the Symptom Checklist-Revised. Outcome was evaluated upon the termination of the treatment program by expert clinicians. Although AN patients and controls did not differ in the average time spent in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) (P=.21), nor daytime physical activity (P=.34), fewer AN patients presented a high physical activity profile compared to the controls (37% vs. 61%, respectively; P=.014). Both lower levels of MVPA and greater eating disorder severity had a direct effect on a poor treatment outcome. Depression symptoms in the patients were associated with lower MVPA, as well as with an older age, a shorter duration of the disorder and greater eating disorder psychopathology. There is a notable variation in the physical activity profile of AN patients, characterized by either low or very high patterns. Physical activity is a highly relevant issue in AN that must be taken into account during the treatment process. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

[Low level of physical fitness in Spanish adolescents. Relevance for future cardiovascular health (AVENA study)].

PubMed

Ortega, Francisco B; Ruiz, Jonatan R; Castillo, Manuel J; Moreno, Luis A; González-Gross, Marcela; Wärnberg, Julia; Gutiérrez, Angel

2005-08-01

Several studies have demonstrated that physical fitness in childhood and adolescence is related to cardiovascular risk in adulthood. Current data on the physical fitness of Spanish adolescents are not available. Therefore, the aims of this study were: a) to assess the physical fitness of Spanish adolescents and establish reference values for use in health and educational settings as indicators of cardiovascular health, and b) to determine the percentage of Spanish adolescents below the minimum level of aerobic fitness needed to guarantee future cardiovascular health. The modified EUROFIT battery of tests was used to assess physical fitness in a representative sample of Spanish adolescents (n=2859; 1357 boys and 1502 girls) taking part in the AVENA (Alimentación y Valoración del Estado Nutricional de los Adolescentes) study. Standard parameters for the physical condition of Spanish adolescents are reported in this study. The 5th percentile for maximum aerobic capacity (Course Navette test) ranged from 2.0-3.3 palier in boys and from 1.4-1.9 palier in girls. The findings indicate that, on the basis of aerobic fitness, approximately 20% of Spanish adolescents have an increased risk of future cardiovascular disease. This subgroup also performed poorly in all other tests of physical fitness used. The results reported in this study enable the level of physical fitness in adolescents to be interpreted as an indicator of future cardiovascular health. They also indicate that the physical fitness of Spanish adolescents must be improved to help protect against cardiovascular disease in adulthood.

Sleep disturbances and nocturnal symptoms: relationships with quality of life in a population-based sample of women with interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome.

PubMed

Troxel, Wendy M; Booth, Marika; Buysse, Daniel J; Elliott, Marc N; Suskind, Anne M; Clemens, J Quentin; Berry, Sandra H

2014-12-15

To characterize the nature and impact of sleep disturbances on quality of life (QOL) in women with interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome (IC/BPS). Participants were 3,397 women from a telephone probability survey who met IC/BPS symptom criteria. Sleep quality, duration, and IC/BPS nocturnal symptoms (i.e., trouble sleeping due to bladder pain, urgency, or needing to use the bathroom), general QOL (mental and physical health and sexual functioning), and IC/BPS QOL impairment were assessed via self-report during telephone interview. Over half of the sample reported poor sleep quality, sleep duration ≤ 6 hours, or trouble sleeping due to IC/BPS symptoms. After covariate adjustment, short sleep duration was significantly associated with greater IC/BPS QOL impairment (β = -0.04; p < 0.001) and poorer self-reported physical health (β = 1.86; p < 0.001). Poor sleep quality was significantly associated with greater IC/BPS QOL impairment (β = 0.06; p < 0.001), poorer self-reported physical health (β = -2.86; p < 0.001), and greater sexual dysfunction (β = -0.04; p < 0.05). IC/BPS nocturnal symptoms were significantly associated with greater IC/BPS impairment (β = 0.14; p < 0.001), poorer physical health (β = -2.76; p < 0.001) and mental health (β = 0.52; p < 0.01), and greater sexual dysfunction (β = -0.10; p < 0.001), after covariate adjustment. After further adjustment for IC/BPS nocturnal symptoms, we found that poor sleep quality and short sleep duration were independent correlates of poor self-reported physical health. Poor sleep quality and short sleep duration, as well as disorder-specific sleep disturbances, are highly prevalent in women with IC/BPS and are associated with poorer disease-specific and general QOL. © 2014 American Academy of Sleep Medicine.

Improving Student Learning and Views of Physics in a Large Enrollment Introductory Physics Class

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shan, Kathy J.

2013-01-01

Introductory physics courses often serve as gatekeepers for many scientific and engineering programs and, increasingly, colleges are relying on large, lecture formats for these courses. Many students, however, leave having learned very little physics and with poor views of the subject. In interactive engagement (IE), classroom activities encourage…

Relationships Between Sleep Quality and Pain-Related Factors for People with Chronic Low Back Pain: Tests of Reciprocal and Time of Day Effects.

PubMed

Gerhart, James I; Burns, John W; Post, Kristina M; Smith, David A; Porter, Laura S; Burgess, Helen J; Schuster, Erik; Buvanendran, Asokumar; Fras, Anne Marie; Keefe, Francis J

2017-06-01

Poor sleep quality among people with chronic low back pain appears to be related to worse pain, affect, poor physical function, and pain catastrophizing. The causal direction between poor sleep and pain remains an open question, however, as does whether sleep quality exerts effects on low back pain differently across the course of the day. This daily diary study examined lagged temporal associations between prior night sleep quality and subsequent day pain, affect, physical function and pain catastrophizing, the reverse lagged temporal associations between prior day pain-related factors and subsequent night sleep quality, and whether the time of day during which an assessment was made moderated these temporal associations. Chronic low back pain patients (n = 105) completed structured electronic diary assessments five times per day for 14 days. Items included patient ratings of their pain, affect, physical function, and pain catastrophizing. Collapsed across all observations, poorer sleep quality was significantly related to higher pain ratings, higher negative affect, lower positive affect, poorer physical function, and higher pain catastrophizing. Lagged analyses averaged across the day revealed that poorer prior night sleep quality significantly predicted greater next day patient ratings of pain, and poorer physical function and higher pain catastrophizing. Prior poorer night sleep quality significantly predicted greater reports of pain, and poorer physical function, and higher pain catastrophizing, especially during the early part of the day. Sleep quality × time of day interactions showed that poor sleepers reported high pain, and negative mood and low function uniformly across the day, whereas good sleepers reported relatively good mornings, but showed pain, affect and function levels comparable to poor sleepers by the end of the day. Analyses of the reverse causal pathway were mostly nonsignificant. Sleep quality appears related not only to pain intensity but also to a wide range of patient mood and function factors. A good night's sleep also appears to offer only temporary respite, suggesting that comprehensive interventions for chronic low back pain not only should include attention to sleep problems but also focus on problems with pain appraisals and coping.

Relationships Between Sleep Quality and Pain-Related Factors for People with Chronic Low Back Pain: Tests of Reciprocal and Time of Day Effects

PubMed Central

Gerhart, James I.; Burns, John W.; Post, Kristina M.; Smith, David A.; Porter, Laura S.; Burgess, Helen J.; Schuster, Erik; Buvanendran, Asokumar; Fras, Anne Marie; Keefe, Francis J.

2016-01-01

Background Poor sleep quality among people with chronic low back pain appears to be related to worse pain, affect, poor physical function and pain catastrophizing. The causal direction between poor sleep and pain remains an open question, however, as does whether sleep quality exerts effects on low back pain differently across the course of the day. Purpose This daily diary study examined lagged temporal associations between prior night sleep quality and subsequent day pain, affect, physical function and pain catastrophizing, the reverse lagged temporal associations between prior day pain-related factors and subsequent night sleep quality, and whether the time of day during which an assessment was made moderated these temporal associations. Methods Chronic low back pain patients (n = 105) completed structured electronic diary assessments five times per day for 14 days. Items included patient ratings of their pain, affect, physical function and pain catastrophizing. Results Collapsed across all observations, poorer sleep quality was significantly related to higher pain ratings, higher negative affect, lower positive affect, poorer physical function and higher pain catastrophizing. Lagged analyses averaged across the day revealed that poorer prior night sleep quality significantly predicted greater next day patient ratings of pain, and poorer physical function and higher pain catastrophizing. Prior poorer night sleep quality significantly predicted greater reports of pain, and poorer physical function, and higher pain catastrophizing, especially during the early part of the day. Sleep Quality × Time of Day interactions showed that poor sleepers reported high pain, and negative mood and low function uniformly across the day, whereas good sleepers reported relatively good mornings, but showed pain, affect and function levels comparable to poor sleepers by the end of the day. Analyses of the reverse causal pathway were mostly nonsignificant. Conclusions Sleep quality appears related not only to pain intensity but also to a wide range of patient mood and function factors. A good night’s sleep also appears to offer only temporary respite, suggesting that comprehensive interventions for chronic low back pain not only should include attention to sleep problems but also focus on problems with pain appraisals and coping. PMID:27844327

Social inequality in dynamic balance performance in an early old age Spanish population: the role of health and lifestyle associated factors.

PubMed

Rodríguez López, Santiago; Nilsson, Charlotte; Lund, Rikke; Montero, Pilar; Fernández-Ballesteros, Rocío; Avlund, Kirsten

2012-01-01

This study investigates the association between socioeconomic status (SES) and dynamic balance performance and whether lifestyle factors explained any possible associations. A total of 448 nondisabled individuals, age-range 54-75 years and enrolled in the Active Aging Longitudinal Study of Spain in 2006, constituted the study population. Baseline data of this cross-sectional study were obtained by personal interviews and objective measures of balance performance. The present study shows an educational gradient in poor dynamic balance, where individuals with no formal education had higher risk of poor balance, also after adjustment for age, gender, obesity and physical activity. In addition, obesity and sedentary physical activity were related to poor dynamic balance. The findings suggest an independent effect of both SES and behavioral factors on poor balance performance in the older Spanish population. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Physical health, self-reliance, and emotional control as moderators of the relationship between locus of control and mental health among men treated for prostate cancer.

PubMed

Burns, Shaun Michael; Mahalik, James R

2006-12-01

This investigation examined the moderating effects of physical health and scripts for masculinity (i.e., self-reliance and emotional control) on the relationship between powerful other people locus of control and mental health for 230 men treated for prostate cancer. Regression analyses indicated that physical health and masculine gender scripts moderated the association between powerful other people locus of control and mental health. Specifically, men with poor physical health evinced negative mental health when they endorsed masculine gender scripts and believed powerful other people (i.e., family, friends, or peers) were influential in controlling their cancer. By comparison, men reporting poor physical health, strong beliefs that powerful other people controlled their cancer, and less adherence to masculine scripts experienced positive mental health. The authors discuss future research directions and potential mental health implications for men treated for prostate cancer.

Health App Use Among US Mobile Phone Users: Analysis of Trends by Chronic Disease Status

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

Background Mobile apps hold promise for serving as a lifestyle intervention in public health to promote wellness and attenuate chronic conditions, yet little is known about how individuals with chronic illness use or perceive mobile apps. Objective The objective of this study was to explore behaviors and perceptions about mobile phone–based apps for health among individuals with chronic conditions. Methods Data were collected from a national cross-sectional survey of 1604 mobile phone users in the United States that assessed mHealth use, beliefs, and preferences. This study examined health app use, reason for download, and perceived efficacy by chronic condition. Results Among participants, having between 1 and 5 apps was reported by 38.9% (314/807) of respondents without a condition and by 6.6% (24/364) of respondents with hypertension. Use of health apps was reported 2 times or more per day by 21.3% (172/807) of respondents without a condition, 2.7% (10/364) with hypertension, 13.1% (26/198) with obesity, 12.3% (20/163) with diabetes, 12.0% (32/267) with depression, and 16.6% (53/319) with high cholesterol. Results of the logistic regression did not indicate a significant difference in health app download between individuals with and without chronic conditions (P>.05). Compared with individuals with poor health, health app download was more likely among those with self-reported very good health (odds ratio [OR] 3.80, 95% CI 2.38-6.09, P<.001) and excellent health (OR 4.77, 95% CI 2.70-8.42, P<.001). Similarly, compared with individuals who report never or rarely engaging in physical activity, health app download was more likely among those who report exercise 1 day per week (OR 2.47, 95% CI 1.6-3.83, P<.001), 2 days per week (OR 4.77, 95% CI 3.27-6.94, P<.001), 3 to 4 days per week (OR 5.00, 95% CI 3.52-7.10, P<.001), and 5 to 7 days per week (OR 4.64, 95% CI 3.11-6.92, P<.001). All logistic regression results controlled for age, sex, and race or ethnicity. Conclusions Results from this study suggest that individuals with poor self-reported health and low rates of physical activity, arguably those who stand to benefit most from health apps, were least likely to report download and use these health tools. PMID:29258981

78 FR 47000 - Federal Property Suitable as Facilities To Assist the Homeless

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-08-02

...; poor conditions; asbestos, fluorescent lighting; Contact Agriculture for more info. Building 1007 10025... Status: Excess Comments: Off-site removal only; 1,677 sf.; office; poor conditions; lead, asbestos and...

Is high job control a risk factor for poor quality of life in workers with high autism spectrum tendencies? A cross-sectional survey at a factory in Japan.

PubMed

Hayakawa, Norika; Okada, Takashi; Nomura, Kenji; Tsukada, Tsukimi; Nakamura, Mieko

2015-01-01

To examine the effect of autism spectrum (AS) tendencies and psychosocial job characteristics on health-related quality of life (HRQOL) among factory workers. A questionnaire survey was administered to 376 Japanese factory employees from the same company (response rate: 83.6%) in 2010. Psychosocial job characteristics, including job demand, job control, and social support, were evaluated using the Job Content Questionnaire (JCQ). AS tendencies was assessed using the Autism-Spectrum Quotient (AQ), and HRQOL was assessed using the Medical Outcomes Study Short-Form General Health Survey (SF-8). Associations were investigated using multiple logistic regression analysis adjusted for confounders. In the multivariate analysis, AQ was positively (odds ratio [OR]: 3.94; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.70-9.73) and social support in the workplace was inversely (OR: 0.25; 95% CI: 0.10-0.57) associated with poor mental HRQOL. No significant interaction was observed between AQ and JCQ subitems. Only social support was inversely associated with poor physical HRQOL (OR and 95% CI for medium social support: 0.45 and 0.21-0.94), and a significant interaction between AQ and job control was observed (p=0.02), suggesting that high job control was associated with poor physical HRQOL among workers with high AQ, whereas low job control tended to be associated with poor physical HRQOL among others. Our results suggest that AS tendencies have a negative effect on workers' HRQOL and social support is a primary factor in maintaining HRQOL. Moreover, a structured work environment can maintain physical HRQOL in workers with high AS tendencies since higher job control will be stressful.

Impact of poor sleep quality and physical inactivity on cognitive function in community-dwelling older adults.

PubMed

Nakakubo, Sho; Makizako, Hyuma; Doi, Takehiko; Tsutsumimoto, Kota; Lee, Sangyoon; Lee, Sungchul; Hotta, Ryo; Bae, Seongryu; Suzuki, Takao; Shimada, Hiroyuki

2017-11-01

The purpose of the present study was to examine whether the combination of subjective sleep quality and physical activity is associated with cognitive performance among community-dwelling older adults. Cross-sectional data on 5381 older adults who participated in part of the National Center for Geriatrics and Gerontology - Study of Geriatric Syndromes were analyzed. We assessed general cognitive impairment using the Mini-Mental State Examination, and also assessed story memory, attention, executive function and processing speed using the National Center for Geriatrics and Gerontology Functional Assessment Tool. Physical activity was assessed using two questionnaires, and participants were categorized as active or inactive. Sleep quality was assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, and participants were categorized as having poor (PS) or good sleep quality (GS). Participants in the inactive + PS group had worse performances than those in the active + GS group in all cognitive measures (Mini-Mental State Examination: P = 0.008, story memory: P = 0.007, other cognitive measures: P < 0.001), and also had worse performances than those in the inactive + GS and active + PS groups in the trail-making test, part B, and the symbol digit substitution test (P < 0.001, respectively). Additionally, participants in the inactive + GS group had worse performances than in the active + GS in the trail-making test, part B, and the symbol digit substitution test (P = 0.002 and P = 0.001, respectively). Inactivity and poor sleep quality were associated with poor cognitive performance among community-dwelling older adults. The combination of poor sleep quality and physical inactivity also worsened cognitive performance. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2017; 17: 1823-1828. © 2017 Japan Geriatrics Society.

Sex differences in physical and mental functioning of Japanese civil servants: explanations from work and family characteristics.

PubMed

Sekine, Michikazu; Chandola, Tarani; Martikainen, Pekka; Marmot, Michael; Kagamimori, Sadanobu

2010-12-01

Poor physical and mental functioning are more common among women than men and those with disadvantaged work and family characteristics. This study aims to clarify whether sex differences in health functioning can be explained by sex differences in work and family characteristics. The subjects were 3787 civil servants (2525 men and 1262 women), aged 20-65, working in a local government on the west coast of Japan. A questionnaire survey was conducted in January 2003. Low employment grade, high demands, long work hours, shift work, being unmarried, having no young children, high family-to-work conflict and high work-to-family conflict were more common among women than men and were independently associated with poor physical and mental functioning. The age-adjusted odds ratios (ORs) of women for poor health functioning were 1.80 for poor physical functioning and 1.77 for poor mental functioning. When adjusted for employment grade and work characteristics (control, demand, support, work hours, and shift work), the sex differences in health functioning attenuated. When adjusted for family characteristics (family structure and work-family conflicts), the sex differences in health functioning further attenuated and were no longer statistically significant. Sex differences in family characteristics contributed more to sex difference in mental functioning than sex differences in work characteristics. Japan belongs to conservative welfare regimes. In such countries, men are able to concentrate on their work with relative freedom from their family tasks and responsibilities, whereas women feel difficulties in maintaining their work-life balances. Such sex differences in work- and family-related stresses may contribute to sex difference in health. Longitudinal research is necessary to clarify the causal nature of these associations. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

U-shaped associations between time in bed and the physical and mental functioning of Japanese civil servants: the roles of work, family, behavioral and sleep quality characteristics.

PubMed

Sekine, M; Tatsuse, T; Cable, N; Chandola, T; Marmot, M

2014-09-01

This study aimed to evaluate (i) whether work, family, behavioral and sleep quality characteristics differ among individuals with different time in bed (TIB), and (ii) whether and how much the U-shaped associations between TIB and health can be explained by these characteristics. Participants were 3510 employees (2371 males and 1139 females) aged 20-65 years working in local government in Japan. They completed a questionnaire regarding work, family, and behavioral characteristics. Sleep quality and physical and mental functioning were evaluated using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and the Short Form 36. High job demands, long work hours, and high work-family conflict were more prevalent among those with short TIB. Those with long TIB had daily drinking habits. Whereas those with short TIB had poor sleep, mainly due to poor subjective sleep quality and daytime dysfunction, those with long TIB had poor sleep, mainly due to long sleep latency, poor sleep efficiency and sleep disturbances. The U-shaped associations between TIB and poor physical and mental health, with the best health observed in those spending ~8 h in bed, weakened considerably after adjustment for sleep quality, followed by work and family characteristics. After adjusting for behavioral characteristics and long-standing illnesses, the associations hardly changed. The U-shaped associations between TIB and health may be explained by U-shaped associations between TIB and poor sleep and psychosocial stress in work and family life. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Considering sex and gender in Alzheimer disease and other dementias.

PubMed

Podcasy, Jessica L; Epperson, C Neill

2016-12-01

Suffering related to dementia is multifaceted because cognitive and physical functioning slowly deteriorates. Advanced age and sex, two of the most prominent risk factors for dementia, are not modifiable. Lifestyle factors such as smoking, excessive alcohol use, and poor diet modulate susceptibility to dementia in both males and females. The degree to which the resulting health conditions (eg, obesity, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease) impact dementia risk varies by sex. Depending on the subtype of dementia, the ratio of male to female prevalence differs. For example, females are at greater risk of developing Alzheimer disease dementia, whereas males are at greater risk of developing vascular dementia. This review examines sex and gender differences in the development of dementia with the goal of highlighting factors that require further investigation. Considering sex as a biological variable in dementia research promises to advance our understanding of the pathophysiology and treatment of these conditions.

Model Predictive Optimal Control of a Time-Delay Distributed-Parameter Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nguyen, Nhan

2006-01-01

This paper presents an optimal control method for a class of distributed-parameter systems governed by first order, quasilinear hyperbolic partial differential equations that arise in many physical systems. Such systems are characterized by time delays since information is transported from one state to another by wave propagation. A general closed-loop hyperbolic transport model is controlled by a boundary control embedded in a periodic boundary condition. The boundary control is subject to a nonlinear differential equation constraint that models actuator dynamics of the system. The hyperbolic equation is thus coupled with the ordinary differential equation via the boundary condition. Optimality of this coupled system is investigated using variational principles to seek an adjoint formulation of the optimal control problem. The results are then applied to implement a model predictive control design for a wind tunnel to eliminate a transport delay effect that causes a poor Mach number regulation.

Loss of superhydrophobicity of hydrophobic micro/nano structures during condensation.

PubMed

Jo, HangJin; Hwang, Kyung Won; Kim, DongHyun; Kiyofumi, Moriyama; Park, Hyun Sun; Kim, Moo Hwan; Ahn, Ho Seon

2015-04-23

Condensed liquid behavior on hydrophobic micro/nano-structured surfaces is a subject with multiple practical applications, but remains poorly understood. In particular, the loss of superhydrophobicity of hydrophobic micro/nanostructures during condensation, even when the same surface shows water-repellant characteristics when exposed to air, requires intensive investigation to improve and apply our understanding of the fundamental physics of condensation. Here, we postulate the criterion required for condensation to form from inside the surface structures by examining the grand potentials of a condensation system, including the properties of the condensed liquid and the conditions required for condensation. The results imply that the same hydrophobic micro/nano-structured surface could exhibit different liquid droplet behavior depending on the conditions. Our findings are supported by the observed phenomena: the initiation of a condensed droplet from inside a hydrophobic cavity, the apparent wetted state changes, and the presence of sticky condensed droplets on the hydrophobic micro/nano-structured surface.

Occupational Stress Among Home Healthcare Workers: Integrating Worker and Agency-Level Factors.

PubMed

Zoeckler, Jeanette M

2018-02-01

Home healthcare work is physically and emotionally exhausting. In addition, home healthcare workers frequently work under precarious work arrangements for low wages and in poor work conditions. Little is known about how sources of job strain for home healthcare workers might be reduced. This research examines the occupational stressors among paid home care workers by analyzing home healthcare agency characteristics and individual home healthcare workers' experiences in upstate New York agencies (n = 9). The study augments existing theoretical models and describes new sources of stress arising from the nature of agency-based caregiving. Results feature the analysis of both agency executives' (n = 20) and home healthcare workers' narratives (n = 25) to make the agency's inner workings more transparent. Agency structures and culture are implicated in the lack of progress to address home care workers' health problems. Policy change should focus on compensation, healthier work conditions, and training requirements.

Considering sex and gender in Alzheimer disease and other dementias

PubMed Central

Podcasy, Jessica L.; Epperson, C. Neill

2016-01-01

Suffering related to dementia is multifaceted because cognitive and physical functioning slowly deteriorates. Advanced age and sex, two of the most prominent risk factors for dementia, are not modifiable. Lifestyle factors such as smoking, excessive alcohol use, and poor diet modulate susceptibility to dementia in both males and females. The degree to which the resulting health conditions (eg, obesity, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease) impact dementia risk varies by sex. Depending on the subtype of dementia, the ratio of male to female prevalence differs. For example, females are at greater risk of developing Alzheimer disease dementia, whereas males are at greater risk of developing vascular dementia. This review examines sex and gender differences in the development of dementia with the goal of highlighting factors that require further investigation. Considering sex as a biological variable in dementia research promises to advance our understanding of the pathophysiology and treatment of these conditions. PMID:28179815

Visual and cognitive predictors of performance on brake reaction test: Salisbury eye evaluation driving study.

PubMed

Zhang, Lei; Baldwin, Kevin; Munoz, Beatriz; Munro, Cynthia; Turano, Kathleen; Hassan, Shirin; Lyketsos, Constantine; Bandeen-Roche, Karen; West, Sheila K

2007-01-01

Concern for driving safety has prompted research into understanding factors related to performance. Brake reaction speed (BRS), the speed with which persons react to a sudden change in driving conditions, is a measure of performance. Our aim is to determine the visual, cognitive, and physical factors predicting BRS in a population sample of 1425 older drivers. The Maryland Department of Motor Vehicles roster of persons aged 67-87 and residing in Salisbury, MD, was used for recruitment of the study population. Procedures included the following: habitual, binocular visual acuity using ETDRS charts, contrast sensitivity using a Pelli-Robson chart, visual fields assessed with a 81-point screening Humphrey field at a single intensity threshold, and a questionnaire to ascertain medical conditions. Cognitive status was assessed using a standard battery of tests for attention, memory, visuo-spatial, and scanning. BRS was assessed using a computer-driven device that measured separately the initial reaction speed (IRS) (from light change to red until removing foot from accelerator) and physical response speed (PRS) (removing foot from accelerator to full brake depression). Five trial times were averaged, and time was converted to speed. The median brake reaction time varied from 384 to 5688 milliseconds. Age, gender, and cognition predicted total BRS, a non-informative result as there are two distinct parts to the task. Once separated, decrease in IRS was associated with low scores on cognitive factors and missing points on the visual field. A decrease in PRS was associated with having three or more physical complaints related to legs and feet, and poorer vision search. Vision was not related to PRS. We have demonstrated the importance of segregating the speeds for the two tasks involved in brake reaction. Only the IRS depends on vision. Persons in good physical condition may perform poorly on brake reaction tests if their vision or cognition is compromised.

A Causal Relationship of Occupational Stress among University Employees.

PubMed

Kaewanuchit, Chonticha; Muntaner, Carles; Isha, Nizam

2015-07-01

Occupational stress is a psychosocial dimension of occupational health concept on social determinants of health, especially, job & environmental condition. Recently, staff network of different government universities of Thailand have called higher education commission, and Ministry of Education, Thailand to resolve the issue of government education policy (e.g. wage inequity, poor welfare, law, and job & environment condition) that leads to their job insecurity, physical and mental health problems from occupational stress. The aim of this study was to investigate a causal relationship of occupational stress among the academic university employees. This cross sectional research was conducted in 2014 among 2,000 academic university employees at Thai government universities using stratified random sampling. Independent variables were wage, family support, periods of duty, and job & environmental condition. Dependent variable was stress. Job & environmental condition, as social and environmental factor, and periods of duty as individual factor had direct effect to stress (P< 0.05). Family support, as family factor, and wage, as individual factor had direct effect to stress (P < 0.05). Both family support and wage were the causal endogenous variables. Job & environmental condition and periods of duty were increased so that it associated with occupational stress among academic university employees at moderate level.

Understanding patient participation behaviour in studies of COPD support programmes such as pulmonary rehabilitation and self-management: a qualitative synthesis with application of theory.

PubMed

Sohanpal, Ratna; Steed, Liz; Mars, Thomas; Taylor, Stephanie J C

2015-09-17

In chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), the problem of poor patient participation in studies of self-management (SM) and pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) programmes (together referred to as COPD support programmes) is established. Understanding this problem beyond the previously reported socio-demographics and clinical factors is critical. The aim of this study was to explore factors that explain patient participation in studies of COPD support programmes. Thematic 'framework' synthesis was conducted on literature published from 1984 to 1 February 2015. Emergent themes and subthemes were mapped onto the adapted 'attitude-social influence-external barriers' and the 'self-regulation' models to produce analytical themes. Ten out of 12 studies were included: PR (n=9) and SM (n=1). Three descriptive themes with 38 subthemes were mapped onto the models' constructs, and it generated four analytical themes: 'attitude', 'social influences' and 'illness' and 'intervention representations'. The following factors influenced (1) attendance-helping oneself through health improvements, perceived control of worsening condition, perceived benefits and positive past experience of the programme, as well as perceived positive influence of professionals; (2) non-attendance-perceived negative effects and negative past experience of the programme, perceived physical/practical concerns related to attendance, perceived severity of condition/symptoms and perceived negative influence of professionals/friends; (3) dropout-no health improvements perceived after attending a few sessions of the programme, perceived severity of the condition and perceived physical/practical concerns related to attendance. Psychosocial factors including perceived practical/physical concerns related to attendance influenced patients' participation in COPD support programmes. Addressing the negative beliefs/perceptions via behaviour change interventions may help improve participation in COPD support programmes and, ultimately, patient outcomes.

Risk of low Apgar scores and socioeconomic status over a 30-year period.

PubMed

Odd, D; Lewis, G; Gunnell, D; Rasmussen, Finn

2014-04-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the stability of associations between social factors, as assessed by maternal occupation and education, and poor birth condition (an Apgar score of below 7 at 1 and 5 minutes) over a 30-year period in Sweden. The dataset was based on infants born in Sweden between 1973 and 2002. Poor birth condition was defined as an Apgar score below 7 at 1 and 5 minutes. Logistic regression was used to investigate the association of between socioeconomic status and poor birth condition. In the adjusted model, mothers in non-manual occupations (OR 0.91 (0.88, 0.95)) or with higher educational status (OR 0.88 (0.84, 0.93)) were less likely to have an infant born in poor condition than the reference group. Limiting the analysis to the last decade showed less evidence for an association (OR 0.94 (0.86, 1.02) and OR 0.94 (0.82, 1.09), respectively). While maternity, delivery and child healthcare are free of charge in Sweden, poor birth condition was more common among infants of mothers in manual occupations or low levels of education. However, this association appeared to attenuate over the calendar period studied.

The effectiveness of cognitive behavioral therapy on the quality of life of patients with inflammatory bowel disease: multi-center design and study protocol (KL!C- study).

PubMed

Bennebroek Evertsz', Floor; Bockting, Claudi L H; Stokkers, Pieter C F; Hinnen, Chris; Sanderman, Robbert; Sprangers, Mirjam A G

2012-12-14

Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) patients report poorer quality of life (QoL) and more anxiety and depressive symptoms than controls from the general population. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is effective for anxiety and depression, but questionable in case of co-morbidity with IBD. Therefore, an adapted new CBT specifically designed for IBD patients was developed. The objective of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of adapted CBT on QoL. IBD patients with a poor level of mental QoL (score less than or equal to 23 on the mental health scale of SF-36) will be randomly assigned to the experimental (n = 40) or waiting-list control condition (n = 40). The experimental condition will then immediately start CBT. The waiting-list control condition will wait 3,5 months before CBT begins with pre- and post assessments. Both conditions will complete a baseline and follow-up assessment following CBT and a mid-treatment assessment. The primary outcome is IBD-specific QoL (IBDQ). Secondary outcomes are generic QoL (SF-36) and anxiety and depression complaints (HADS, CES-D). Additionally, we will examine the working mechanism of the psychological intervention by investigating the impact of the intervention on illness-related cognitions, attitudes, coping styles and their associations with outcome. Data will be analysed on an intention to treat (ITT) as well as treatment completer basis (greater than or equal to five sessions followed). If found effective, this IBD-specific CBT is a first step to enhance poor QoL in IBD patients and possibly, other gastroenterological diseases. By enhancing IBD patients' QoL, we may also improve their mental and physical health, and lower unnecessary health care consumption. NTR (TC = 1869).

Translating research into action: An evaluation of the World Trade Center Health Registry's Treatment Referral Program.

PubMed

Welch, Alice E; Debchoudhury, Indira; Jordan, Hannah T; Petrsoric, Lysa J; Farfel, Mark R; Cone, James E

2014-01-01

This manuscript describes the design, implementation and evaluation of the World Trade Center (WTC) Health Registry's Treatment Referral Program (TRP), created to respond to enrollees' self-reported 9/11-related physical and mental health needs and promote the use of WTC-specific health care. In 2009-2011, the TRP conducted personalized outreach, including an individualized educational mailing and telephone follow-up to 7,518 selected enrollees who resided in New York City, did not participate in rescue/recovery work, and reported symptoms of 9/11-related physical conditions or posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) on their most recently completed Registry survey. TRP staff spoke with enrollees to address barriers to care and schedule appointments at the WTC Environmental Health Center for those eligible. We assessed three nested outcomes: TRP participation (e.g., contact with TRP staff), scheduling appointments, and keeping scheduled appointments. A total of 1,232 (16.4%) eligible enrollees participated in the TRP; 32% of them scheduled a first-time appointment. We reached 84% of participants who scheduled appointments; 79.4% reported having kept the appointment. Scheduling an appointment, but not keeping it, was associated with self-reported unmet health care need, PTSD, and poor functioning (≥14 days of poor physical or mental health in the past 30 days) ( P < 0.05). Neither scheduling nor keeping an appointment was associated with demographic characteristics. Successful outreach to disaster-exposed populations may require a sustained effort that employs a variety of methods in order to encourage and facilitate use of post-disaster services. Findings from this evaluation can inform outreach to the population exposed to 9/11 being conducted by other organizations.

Predictors of marriage and divorce in adult survivors of childhood cancers: a report from the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study.

PubMed

Janson, Christopher; Leisenring, Wendy; Cox, Cheryl; Termuhlen, Amanda M; Mertens, Ann C; Whitton, John A; Goodman, Pamela; Zeltzer, Lonnie; Robison, Leslie L; Krull, Kevin R; Kadan-Lottick, Nina S

2009-10-01

Adult survivors of childhood cancer can have altered social functioning. We sought to identify factors that predict marriage and divorce outcomes in this growing population. This was a retrospective cohort study of 8,928 > or = 5-year adult survivors of childhood malignancy and 2,879 random sibling controls participating in the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study. Marital status, current health, psychological status, and neurocognitive functioning were determined from surveys and validated instruments. Survivors were more likely to be never-married than siblings [relative risk (RR), 1.21; 95% confidence interval (95% CI), 1.15-1.26] and the U.S. population (RR, 1.25; 95% CI, 1.21-1.29), after adjusting for age, gender, and race. Patients with central nervous system tumors were at greatest risk of not marrying (RR, 1.50; 95% CI, 1.41-1.59). Married survivors divorced at frequencies similar to controls. In multivariable regression analysis, nonmarriage was most associated with cranial radiation (RR, 1.15; 95% CI, 1.02-1.31 for > 2,400 centigray). In analysis of neurobehavioral functioning, nonmarriage was associated with worse task efficiency (RR, 1.27; 95% CI, 1.20-1.35), but not with emotional distress, or problems with emotional regulation, memory, or organization. Physical conditions predictive of nonmarriage included short stature (RR, 1.27; 95% CI, 1.20-1.34) and poor physical function (RR, 1.08; 95% CI, 1.00-1.18). Structural equation modeling suggested that cranial radiation influenced marriage status through short stature, cognitive problems, and poor physical function. Childhood cancer survivors married at lower frequencies compared with peers. Patients with central nervous system tumors, cranial radiation, impaired processing efficiency, and short stature were more likely to never marry. Divorce patterns in survivors were similar to peers.

Physical performance and its association with anthropometric and body composition variables in the elderly.

PubMed

Silva, Nathalie de Almeida; Pedraza, Dixis Figueroa; de Menezes, Tarciana Nobre

2015-12-01

The aging process leads to biological changes that affect the physical performance and nutritional status of older adults. The objective this study is to determine the association between physical performance and anthropometric and body composition variables in the elderly. This is a cross-sectional study. Were assessed: sex, age, handgrip strength (HGS), flexibility/mobility, balance, body mass index, waist and calf circumference, triceps skinfold thickness, arm fat area and arm muscle circumference. Multiple logistic regression was used (p<0.05). Overall, 420 elderly were evaluated. Malnourished individuals were more likely to show poor HGS. Elderly aged 70-79 years, 80 years or older and those malnourished were more likely to show poor balance. Older women were less likely to show poor flexibility/mobility. We conclude that lowercalf circumferencewas associatedwithworse performance inHGSand balance.The ageincreased the chanceof the elderlypresentinstability.The flexibility/mobilitydoesn't seem tobe influenced bychanges in body composition. Therefore, these resultsmay beimportantguidingspecific actionsto ensurehealthy aging.

Integrated analysis of well logs and seismic data to estimate gas hydrate concentrations at Keathley Canyon, Gulf of Mexico

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lee, M.W.; Collett, T.S.

2008-01-01

Accurately detecting and quantifying gas hydrate or free gas in sediments from seismic data require downhole well-log data to calibrate the physical properties of the gas hydrate-/free gas-bearing sediments. As part of the Gulf of Mexico Joint Industry Program, a series of wells were either cored or drilled in the Gulf of Mexico to characterize the physical properties of gas hydrate-bearing sediments, to calibrate geophysical estimates, and to evaluate source and transport mechanisms for gas within the gas hydrates. Downhole acoustic logs were used sparingly in this study because of degraded log quality due to adverse wellbore conditions. However, reliable logging while drilling (LWD) electrical resistivity and porosity logs were obtained. To tie the well-log information to the available 3-D seismic data in this area, a velocity log was calculated from the available resistivity log at the Keathley Canyon 151-2 well, because the acoustic log or vertical seismic data acquired at the nearby Keathley Canyon 151-3 well were either of poor quality or had limited depth coverage. Based on the gas hydrate saturations estimated from the LWD resistivity log, the modified Biot-Gassmann theory was used to generate synthetic acoustic log and a synthetic seismogram was generated with a fairly good agreement with a seismic profile crossing the well site. Based on the well-log information, a faintly defined bottom-simulating reflection (BSR) in this area is interpreted as a reflection representing gas hydrate-bearing sediments with about 15% saturation overlying partially gas-saturated sediments with 3% saturation. Gas hydrate saturations over 30-40% are estimated from the resistivity log in two distinct intervals at 220-230 and 264-300 m below the sea floor, but gas hydrate was not physically recovered in cores. It is speculated that the poor recovery of cores and gas hydrate morphology are responsible for the lack of physical gas hydrate recovery.

The contribution of lifestyle and work factors to social inequalities in self-rated health among the employed population in Switzerland.

PubMed

Hämmig, Oliver; Gutzwiller, Felix; Kawachi, Ichiro

2014-11-01

We sought to examine the joint and independent contributions of working conditions and health-related behaviours in explaining social gradients in self-rated health (SRH). Nationally representative cross-sectional data from the Swiss Health Survey of 2007 were used for this study. Bi- and multivariate statistical analyses were carried out on a sample of 6950 adult employees of working age. We examined a comprehensive set of five health behaviours and lifestyle factors as well as twelve physical and psychosocial work factors as potential mediators of the relationship between social status and SRH. Analyses were stratified by sex and performed using two measures of social status, educational level and occupational position. Strong social gradients were found for SRH, but mainly in men whereas in women the associations were either not linear (educational level) or not statistically significant (occupational position). Social gradients were also found for most lifestyle and all physical and psychosocial work factors studied. These three groups of factors equally contributed to and largely accounted for the social gradients in SRH although not all of the individual factors turned out to be independent and significant risk factors for poor SRH. Such risk factors included physical inactivity and obesity, poor posture and no or low social support at work (both sexes), heavy smoking (men) and underweight, overweight, uniform arm or hand movements at work, monotonous work and job insecurity (women). In conclusion, social inequalities (or more precisely educational and occupational status differences) in SRH were more pronounced in men and can be attributed for the most part to a sedentary lifestyle and to a physically demanding and socially unsupportive and insecure work environment. Apart from this main finding and overall pattern, sex-specific risk profiles were observed with regard to SRH and need to be taken into consideration. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Promoting fit bodies, healthy eating and physical activity among Indigenous Australian men: a study protocol

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Overall the physical health of Indigenous men is among the worst in Australia. Research has indicated that modifiable lifestyle factors, such as poor nutrition and physical inactivity, appear to contribute strongly to these poor health conditions. To effectively develop and implement strategies to improve the health of Australia's Indigenous peoples, a greater understanding is needed of how Indigenous men perceive health, and how they view and care for their bodies. Further, a more systematic understanding of how sociocultural factors affect their health attitudes and behaviours is needed. This article presents the study protocol of a community-based investigation into the factors surrounding the health and body image of Indigenous Australian men. Methods and design The study will be conducted in a collaborative manner with Indigenous Australian men using a participatory action research framework. Men will be recruited from three locations around Australia (metropolitan, regional, and rural) and interviewed to understand their experiences and perspectives on a number of issues related to health and health behaviour. The information that is collected will be analysed using modified grounded theory and thematic analysis. The results will then be used to develop and implement community events in each location to provide feedback on the findings to the community, promote health enhancing strategies, and determine future action and collaboration. Discussion This study will explore both risk and protective factors that affect the health of Indigenous Australian men. This knowledge will be disseminated to the wider Indigenous community and can be used to inform future health promotion strategies. The expected outcome of this study is therefore an increased understanding of health and health change in Indigenous Australian men, the development of strategies that promote healthy eating and positive patterns of physical activity and, in the longer term, more effective and culturally-appropriate interventions to improve health. PMID:22236166

Physical Aggression and Language Ability from 17 to 72 Months: Cross-Lagged Effects in a Population Sample

PubMed Central

Girard, Lisa-Christine; Pingault, Jean-Baptiste; Falissard, Bruno; Boivin, Michel; Dionne, Ginette; Tremblay, Richard E.

2014-01-01

Background Does poor language ability in early childhood increase the likelihood of physical aggression or is language ability delayed by frequent physical aggression? This study examined the longitudinal associations between physical aggression and language ability from toddlerhood to early childhood in a population sample while controlling for parenting behaviours, non-verbal intellectual functioning, and children’s sex. Methods Children enrolled in the Quebec Longitudinal Study of Child Development (QLSCD) (N = 2, 057) were assessed longitudinally from 17 to 72 months via parent reports and standardized assessments. Results The cross-lagged models revealed modest reciprocal associations between physical aggression and language performance from 17 to 41 months but not thereafter. Conclusions Significant associations between physical aggression and poor language ability are minimal and limited to the period when physical aggression and language performance are both substantially increasing. During that period parenting behaviours may play an important role in supporting language ability while reducing the frequency of physical aggression. Further studies are needed that utilize multiple assessments of physical aggression, assess multiple domains of language abilities, and that examine the potential mediating role of parenting behaviours between 12 and 48 months. PMID:25375971

A Pilot Survey of Physical Activity in Men with an Intellectual Disability

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McKeon, Michael; Slevin, Eamonn; Taggart, Laurence

2013-01-01

People with intellectual disability (ID) are reported as a sedentary population with increased risks of poor health due to an inactive and sedentary lifestyle. As the benefits of physical activity are acknowledged, measuring physical activity accurately is important to help identify reasons for low and high physical activity in order to assist and…

"We're Not Just Sitting on the Periphery": A Staff Perspective of Physical Activity in Older Adults with Schizophrenia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Leutwyler, Heather; Hubbard, Erin M.; Jeste, Dilip V.; Vinogradov, Sophia

2013-01-01

Targeted physical activity interventions to improve the poor physical function of older adults with schizophrenia are necessary but currently not available. Given disordered thought processes and institutionalization, it is likely that older adults with schizophrenia have unique barriers and facilitators to physical activity. It is necessary to…

77 FR 52397 - Federal Property Suitable as Facilities To Assist the Homeless

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-08-29

...: 26305, 40132 Comments: Off-site removal only; sf. varies; use varies; fair conditions; restricted area..., 912, 913 Comments: Off-site removal only; sf varies; housing; fair to poor conditions; asbestos and...; office space; fair to poor conditions; secured area; prior approval to access property 258 7th Division...

Health: The No-Man's-Land Between Physics and Biology.

PubMed

Mansfield, Peter J

2015-10-01

Health as a positive attribute is poorly understood because understanding requires concepts from physics, of which physicians and other life scientists have a very poor grasp. This paper reviews the physics that bears on biology, in particular complex quaternions and scalar fields, relates these to the morphogenetic fields proposed by biologists, and defines health as an attribute of living action within these fields. The distinction of quality, as juxtaposed with quantity, proves essential. Its basic properties are set out, but a science and mathematics of quality are awaited. The implications of this model are discussed, particularly as proper health enhancement could set a natural limit to demand for, and therefore the cost of, medical services.

Developmental and Adapted Physical Education. Second Edition.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clarke, H. Harrison; Clarke, David H.

This book concentrates on activities to meet the needs of children and adults who are deficient in basic physical fitness components, who are handicapped in some respect: posture faults, poor flexibility, weight problems, or other inadequacies which interfere with their effective participation in physical education activities. It stresses…

Same Sneakers, New Tricks: Curricular Alternatives for Physical Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lund, Jacalyn L.

1993-01-01

As societal demands for health and fitness are changing, physical education curricula must also change. The traditional multiactivity curriculum is inadequate, because poorly skilled students lack enough time to learn the necessary skills. Three alternative curriculum models (adventure education, physical fitness, and sports education)…

Sleep quality subtypes and obesity.

PubMed

Magee, Christopher A; Reddy, Prasuna; Robinson, Laura; McGregor, Alisha

2016-12-01

Poor sleep quality could be a risk factor for obesity. This article utilized a person-centered approach to investigate whether distinct sleep quality subtypes were associated with obesity directly, and indirectly via physical activity. The sample included 8,932 Australian employees who participated in the Household, Income and Labor Dynamics in Australia Survey. Structured interviews and self-report questionnaires collected information on sleep quality, obesity, and relevant demographic, health, and work-related variables. Latent class analysis identified distinct subtypes of sleep quality. General linear modeling examined the associations of sleep quality subtypes with body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference. Multicategorical mediation models examined indirect paths linking sleep quality classes with obesity via physical activity. Five distinct sleep quality subtypes were identified: Poor Sleepers (20.0%), Frequent Sleep Disturbances (19.2%), Minor Sleep Disturbances (24.5%), Long Sleepers (9.6%), and Good Sleepers (26.7%). BMI, waist circumference, and physical activity differed among the sleep quality subtypes, with similar results observed for males and females. For example, Poor Sleepers had the highest BMIs, followed by Frequent Sleep Disturbances and Minor Sleep Disturbances; Long Sleepers and Good Sleepers had the lowest BMIs. Mediation analyses indicated that low levels of physical activity linked the Poor Sleep, Frequent Sleep Disturbance, and Long Sleep classes with higher BMI. These results provide new insights into the nature of sleep quality in employees. In particular, distinct sleep quality patterns had differing associations with measures of obesity, suggesting the need for tailored workplace interventions. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Cost effective means to managing pavements in poor condition.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2014-06-01

Tight budgets and dwindling state and federal revenue hinder efforts of transportation agencies to resurrect pavements in poor : condition. As a stop-gap measure, some agencies simply allow roads to deteriorate to gravel. However, this approach...

Age Weights for Health Services Derived from the Relative Social Willingness-to-Pay Instrument.

PubMed

Richardson, Jeff; McKie, John; Iezzi, Angelo; Maxwell, Aimee

2017-04-01

The effect of a patient's age on the social valuation of health services remains controversial, with empirical results varying in magnitude and implying a different age-value profile. This article employs a new methodology to re-examine these questions. Data were obtained from 2 independent Web-based surveys that administered the Relative Social Willingness to Pay instrument. In the first survey, the age of the patient receiving a life-saving service was varied. Patients were left with either poor mental or physical health. In the second survey, patient age was varied for a service that fully cured the patient's poor mental or physical health. In total, therefore, 4 sets of age weights were obtained: weights for life-extending services with poor physical or mental health outcomes and weights for quality-of-life improvement for patients in poor mental or physical health. Results were consistent. Increasing age was associated in each case with a monotonic decrease in the social valuation of the services. The decrease in value was quantitatively small until age 60 years. By age 80 years, the social value of services had declined by about 50%. The decline commenced at an earlier age in the context of physical health, although the magnitude of the decrement by age 80 years was unrelated to the type of service. With 1 exception, there was little difference in the valuation of services by the age of the survey respondent. Respondents aged >60 years placed a lower, not higher, value on quality-of-life improvement for elderly individuals than other respondents. There was no difference in the valuation of life-extending services.

Role of Sleep Disturbance, Depression, Obesity, and Physical Inactivity in Fatigue in Rheumatoid Arthritis.

PubMed

Katz, Patricia; Margaretten, Mary; Trupin, Laura; Schmajuk, Gabriela; Yazdany, Jinoos; Yelin, Edward

2016-01-01

Fatigue is a major concern for individuals with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). However, in order to treat fatigue adequately, its sources need to be identified. Data were collected during a single home visit (number of participants = 158). All participants had physician-diagnosed RA. Assessments of self-reported sleep quality, depression, physical activity, RA disease activity, muscle strength, functional limitations, and body composition were made. Information on demographics, medications, and smoking was collected. The Fatigue Severity Inventory (FSI; measuring average fatigue over the past 7 days) was used as the primary outcome. Analyses were first conducted to evaluate bivariate relationships with fatigue. Correlations among risk factors were examined. Multivariate analyses identified independent predictors of fatigue. The mean ± SD age was 59 ± 11 years, the mean ± SD disease duration was 21 ± 13 years, and 85% of subjects were female. The mean ± SD FSI rating was 3.8 ± 2.0 (range 0-10). In multivariate analyses, self-reported disease activity, poor sleep, depression, and obesity were independently associated with fatigue. Physical inactivity was correlated with poor sleep, depression, and obesity. Mediation analyses indicated that physical inactivity had an indirect association with fatigue, mediated by poor sleep, depression, and obesity. This cross-sectional study suggests that fatigue may not be solely a result of RA disease activity, but may result from a constellation of factors that includes RA disease activity or pain, but also includes inactivity, depression, obesity, and poor sleep. The results suggest new avenues for interventions to improve fatigue in individuals with RA, such as increasing physical activity or addressing depression or obesity. © 2016, American College of Rheumatology.

Polymer brush hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) modified poly (propylene-g-styrene sulphonic acid) fiber (ZB-1): CTAB/ZB-1 as a promising strategy for improving the dissolution and physical stability of poorly water-soluble drugs.

PubMed

Cao, Jinxu; Yang, Baixue; Wang, Yumei; Wei, Chen; Wang, Hongyu; Li, Sanming

2017-11-01

The feasibility of polymer brush as drug delivery vehicle was demonstrated with the goal of improving the dissolution and physical stability of poorly water-soluble drugs. Polymer brush CTAB/ZB-1 was synthesized by electrostatic interaction using a physical modification method with anionic poly (propylene-g-styrene sulphonic acid) fiber (ZB-1) as the substrate and cationic hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) as the modifier. The polymer brush structure of CTAB/ZB-1 was validated by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and the channels of brush provided the drug loading sites. Flurbiprofen (FP), a BCS class II representative drug, was selected as the model poorly water-soluble drug to be loaded into this polymer brush. Then the drug loading and release were systematically investigated. Besides, the transformation from crystalline FP to amorphous state was observed by differential scanning calorimeter (DSC). In vitro dissolution in pure water and pH1.2 HCl media with/without 0.1% sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) was tested. Moreover, the optimal formulations (namely carrier/drug ratios) were determined. The results demonstrated prominent improvement of dissolution when FP was released from CTAB/ZB-1. After a long time storage, FP remained amorphous in CTAB/ZB-1 according to DSC determinations and performed an approximately equivalent dissolution compared with fresh samples, suggesting the advantage of CTAB/ZB-1 as carrier in enhancing the physical stability of drugs. The study introduced the versatile easily formulated polymer brush CTAB/ZB-1 and demonstrated the potential of polymer brush as an alternative approach for improving the dissolution and physical stability of poorly water-soluble drugs. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A Systematic Review of the Association Between Physical Fitness and Musculoskeletal Injury Risk: Part 1-Cardiorespiratory Endurance.

PubMed

Lisman, Peter J; de la Motte, Sarah J; Gribbin, Timothy C; Jaffin, Dianna P; Murphy, Kaitlin; Deuster, Patricia A

2017-06-01

Musculoskeletal injuries (MSK-Is) are a significant health problem for both military and athletic populations. Research indicates that MSK-I is associated with physical fitness; however, the association between specific components of physical fitness and MSK-I in military and athletic populations has not been systematically examined. Our goal was to systematically review the literature to provide a best evidence synthesis on the relationship between components of physical fitness and MSK-I risk in military and civilian athletic populations. This first of 3 manuscripts focuses on cardiorespiratory endurance (CRE). MEDLINE, EBSCO, EMBASE, and the Defense Technical Information Center were searched for original studies published from 1970 through 2015 that examined associations between physical fitness and MSK-I. Forty-nine of 4,229 citations met our inclusion criteria. Primary findings indicate that there is (a) strong evidence that poor performance on a set distance run for time is a predictor for MSK-I risk in both genders; (b) strong evidence that poor performance on timed shuttle runs is a predictor for MSK-I risk in males; (c) moderate evidence in males and limited evidence in females that poor performance on a timed step test is a predictor of MSK-I risk; and (d) limited or insufficient evidence that poor performance on the Cooper run test, maximal and submaximal aerobic graded exercise tests, and the Conconi test are predictors of MSK-I risk in males or females or both. Several measures of CRE are risk factors for training-related MSK-I in military and civilian athletic populations, indicating that CRE may be an important measure for MSK-I risk stratification.

Productivity loss at work; health-related and work-related factors.

PubMed

van den Heuvel, Swenne G; Geuskens, Goedele A; Hooftman, Wendela E; Koppes, Lando L J; van den Bossche, Seth N J

2010-09-01

Productivity loss is an increasing problem in an aging working population that is decreasing in numbers. The aim of this study is to identify work-related and health-related characteristics associated with productivity loss, due to either sickness absence or reduced performance at work. In this cross-sectional study, data of the Netherlands Working Conditions Survey of 2007 were used, which includes a national representative sample of 22,759 employees aged 15 to 64 years. Demographic characteristics, health-related and work-related factors were assessed with a questionnaire. Logistic regression analyses were carried out to study the relationship of work-related and health-related factors with low performance at work and sickness absence in the past 12 months. Poor general health, the number of longstanding health conditions, and most types of longstanding health conditions were associated with productivity loss. Health-related factors were in general stronger associated with sickness absence than with low performance at work. Performance: poor health OR 1.54 CI 1.38-1.71, >1 health conditions OR 1.21 CI 1.09-1.35; sickness absence: poor health OR 2.62 CI 2.33-2.93, >1 health conditions OR 2.47 CI 2.21-2.75. Of the different types of longstanding health conditions, only psychological complaints and to a small extent musculoskeletal symptoms, were associated with low performance (respectively OR 1.54 CI 1.27-1.87; OR 1.09 CI 1.00-1.18). Low performance at work was less likely among employees with high physically demanding work (shift work OR 0.70 CI 0.63-0.76, using force OR 0.78 CI 0.72-0.84, and repetitive movements OR 0.74 CI 0.70-0.79). Psychosocial factors were stronger associated with low performance at work than with sickness absence (performance: job autonomy OR 1.28 CI 1.21-1.37, job demands OR 1.23 CI 1.16-1.31, emotionally demanding work OR 1.73 CI 1.62-1.85; sickness absence: job autonomy ns, job demands OR 1.09 CI 1.03-1.17, emotionally demanding work OR 1.09 CI 1.02-1.16). Except for psychological complaints, workers with a longstanding health condition generally perform well while being at work. Nevertheless, the likelihood of taking sick leave is increased. Among work-related factors, psychosocial work characteristics have the strongest relation with productivity loss, mostly with performance while at work.

New insights into environmental enteric dysfunction

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Environmental enteric dysfunction (EED) has been recognised as an important contributing factor to physical and cognitive stunting, poor response to oral vaccines, limited resilience to acute infections and ultimately global childhood mortality. The aetiology of EED remains poorly defined but the ep...

Design and protocol of a randomized multiple behavior change trial: Make Better Choices 2 (MBC2).

PubMed

Pellegrini, Christine A; Steglitz, Jeremy; Johnston, Winter; Warnick, Jennifer; Adams, Tiara; McFadden, H G; Siddique, Juned; Hedeker, Donald; Spring, Bonnie

2015-03-01

Suboptimal diet and inactive lifestyle are among the most prevalent preventable causes of premature death. Interventions that target multiple behaviors are potentially efficient; however the optimal way to initiate and maintain multiple health behavior changes is unknown. The Make Better Choices 2 (MBC2) trial aims to examine whether sustained healthful diet and activity change are best achieved by targeting diet and activity behaviors simultaneously or sequentially. Study design approximately 250 inactive adults with poor quality diet will be randomized to 3 conditions examining the best way to prescribe healthy diet and activity change. The 3 intervention conditions prescribe: 1) an increase in fruit and vegetable consumption (F/V+), decrease in sedentary leisure screen time (Sed-), and increase in physical activity (PA+) simultaneously (Simultaneous); 2) F/V+ and Sed- first, and then sequentially add PA+ (Sequential); or 3) Stress Management Control that addresses stress, relaxation, and sleep. All participants will receive a smartphone application to self-monitor behaviors and regular coaching calls to help facilitate behavior change during the 9 month intervention. Healthy lifestyle change in fruit/vegetable and saturated fat intakes, sedentary leisure screen time, and physical activity will be assessed at 3, 6, and 9 months. MBC2 is a randomized m-Health intervention examining methods to maximize initiation and maintenance of multiple healthful behavior changes. Results from this trial will provide insight about an optimal technology supported approach to promote improvement in diet and physical activity. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Stellar Populations and Physical Conditions at 100 pc Resolution in a Lensed Galaxy at z 4

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Berg, Danielle

2015-10-01

Large surveys of star-forming galaxies at high redshift (z > 1.5) have provided us with a broad understanding of how galaxies assemble and evolve, but the spatial and spectral limitations inherent in observing faint, distant objects mean that many of the physical processes regulating this dynamic evolution are poorly constrained. Much of our most detailed knowledge of the physical conditions in distant galaxies comes from careful studies of gravitationally lensed sources, few of which are at z>3.5. FOR J0332-3557 is a gravitationally lensed galaxy at z 4 for which we and other groups have obtained a total of 37.3 hours of VLT spectroscopy. The rest-frame UV spectrum is notable for its unusual combination of both strong emission lines in the rest-frame UV and strong Lya and interstellar absorption, and for the unusual spatial variation seen in the nebular emission lines, which are less extended than the underlying stellar continuum. We propose high spatial resolution imaging of FOR J0332-3557 with four broadband filters on WFC3, taking advantage of both the HST resolution and the lensing magnification to study star formation and extinction on 100 pc scales. Because the interpretation of our unusual rest-frame UV and optical spectra requires an accurate reddening estimate, combining these observations with ground-based spectroscopy will give the most complete picture to date of chemical evolution in a distant galaxy.

The evaluation of physical exam findings in patients assessed for suspected burn inhalation injury.

PubMed

Ching, Jessica A; Shah, Jehan L; Doran, Cody J; Chen, Henian; Payne, Wyatt G; Smith, David J

2015-01-01

The purpose of this investigation was to evaluate the utility of singed nasal hair (SN), carbonaceous sputum (CS), and facial burns (FB) as indicators of burn inhalation injury, when compared to the accepted standard of bronchoscopic diagnosis of inhalation injury. An institutional review board approved, retrospective review was conducted. All patients were suspected to have burn inhalation injury and subsequently underwent bronchoscopic evaluation. Data collected included: percent burn TBSA, burn injury mechanism, admission physical exam findings (SN, CS, FB), and bronchoscopy findings. Thirty-five males and twelve females met inclusion criteria (n = 47). Bronchoscopy was normal in 31 patients (66%). Data were analyzed as all patients and in subgroups according to burn TBSA and an enclosed space mechanism of injury. Physical exam findings (SN, CS, FB) were evaluated individually and in combination. Overall, the sensitivities, specificities, positive predictive values, and negative predictive values calculated were poor and inconsistent, and they did not improve within subgroup analysis or when physical findings were combined. Further statistical analysis suggested the physical findings, whether in isolation or in combination, have poor discrimination between patients that have and do not have inhalation injury (AUC < 0.7, P > .05) and poor agreement with the diagnosis made by bronchoscopy (κ < 0.4, P > .05). This remained true in the subgroup analysis as well. Our data demonstrated the findings of SN, CS, and FB are unreliable evidence for inhalation injury, even in the context of an enclosed space mechanism of injury. Thus, these physical findings are not absolute indicators for intubation and should be interpreted as one component of the history and physical.

Pluronic-Functionalized Silica-Lipid Hybrid Microparticles: Improving the Oral Delivery of Poorly Water-Soluble Weak Bases.

PubMed

Rao, Shasha; Richter, Katharina; Nguyen, Tri-Hung; Boyd, Ben J; Porter, Christopher J H; Tan, Angel; Prestidge, Clive A

2015-12-07

A Pluronic-functionalized silica-lipid hybrid (Plu-SLH) microparticle system for the oral delivery of poorly water-soluble, weak base drugs is reported for the first time. A highly effective Plu-SLH microparticle system was composed of Labrasol as the lipid phase, Pluronic F127 as the polymeric precipitation inhibitor (PPI), and silica nanoparticles as the solid carrier. For the model drug cinnarizine (CIN), the Plu-SLH delivery system was shown to offer significant biopharmaceutical advantages in comparison with unformulated drug and drug in the silica-lipid hybrid (SLH) system. In vitro two-phase dissolution studies illustrated significantly reduced pH provoked CIN precipitation and an 8- to 14-fold improvement in the extent of dissolution in intestinal conditions. In addition, under simulated intestinal digesting conditions, the Plu-SLH provided approximately three times more drug solubilization than the SLH. Oral administration in rats resulted in superior bioavailability for Plu-SLH microparticles, i.e., 1.6- and 2.1-fold greater than the SLH and the unformulated CIN, respectively. A physical mixture of Pluronic and SLH (Plu&SLH), having the same composition as Plu-SLH, was also evaluated, but showed no significant increase in CIN absorption when compared to unmodified CIN or SLH. This work represents the first study where different methods of incorporating PPI to formulate solid-state lipid-based formulations were compared for the impact on the biopharmaceutical performance. The data suggest that the novel physicochemical properties and structure of the fabricated Plu-SLH microparticle delivery system play an important role in facilitating the synergistic advantage of Labrasol and Pluronic F127 in preventing drug precipitation, and the Plu-SLH provides efficient oral delivery of poorly water-soluble weak bases.

Multilayer encapsulated mesoporous silica nanospheres as an oral sustained drug delivery system for the poorly water-soluble drug felodipine.

PubMed

Hu, Liang; Sun, Hongrui; Zhao, Qinfu; Han, Ning; Bai, Ling; Wang, Ying; Jiang, Tongying; Wang, Siling

2015-02-01

We used a combination of mesoporous silica nanospheres (MSN) and layer-by-layer (LBL) self-assembly technology to establish a new oral sustained drug delivery system for the poorly water-soluble drug felodipine. Firstly, the model drug was loaded into MSN, and then the loaded MSN were repeatedly encapsulated by chitosan (CHI) and acacia (ACA) via LBL self-assembly method. The structural features of the samples were studied using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and nitrogen adsorption. The encapsulating process was monitored by zeta-potential and surface tension measurements. The physical state of the drug in the samples was characterized by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and X-ray diffractometry (XRD). The influence of the multilayer with different number of layers on the drug release rate was studied using thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA) and surface tension measurement. The swelling effect and the structure changes of the multilayer were investigated to explore the relationship between the drug release behavior and the state of the multilayer under different pH conditions. The stability and mucosa adhesive ability of the prepared nanoparticles were also explored. After multilayer coating, the drug release rate was effectively controlled. The differences in drug release behavior under different pH conditions could be attributed to the different states of the multilayer. And the nanoparticles possessed good stability and strong mucosa adhesive ability. We believe that this combination offers a simple strategy for regulating the release rate of poorly water-soluble drugs and extends the pharmaceutical applications of inorganic materials and polymers. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Determinants of self-rated health and the role of acculturation: Implications for health inequalities

PubMed Central

Todorova, Irina L.G.; Tucker, Katherine L.; Jimenez, Marcia Pescador; Lincoln, Alisa K.; Arevalo, Sandra; Falcón, Luis M.

2013-01-01

Objectives Self-rated health (SRH) is an important indicator of overall health, predicting morbidity and mortality. This paper investigates what individuals incorporate into their self-assessments of health and how acculturation plays a part in this assessment. The relationship of acculturation to SRH and whether it moderates the association between indicators of health and SRH is also examined. Design The paper is based on data from adults in the Boston Puerto Rican Health Study, living in the greater Boston area (n=1357) mean age 57.2 (SD=7.6). We used multiple regression analysis and testing for moderation effects. Results The strongest predictors of poor self-rated health were the number of existing medical conditions, functional problems, allostatic load and depressive symptoms. Poor self-rated health was also associated with being female, fewer years of education, heavy alcohol use, smoking, poverty, and low emotional support. More acculturated Puerto Rican adults rated their health more positively, which corresponded to better indicators of physical and psychological health. Additionally, acculturation moderated the association between some indicators of morbidity (functional status and depressive symptoms) and self-rated health. Conclusions Self-assessments of overall health integrate diverse indicators, including psychological symptoms, functional status and objective health indicators such as chronic conditions and allostatic load. However, adults’ assessments of overall health differed by acculturation, which moderated the association between health indicators and SRH. The data suggest that when in poor health, those less acculturated may understate the severity of their health problems when rating their overall health, thus SRH might thus conceal disparities. Using SRH can have implications for assessing health disparities in this population. PMID:23425383

Health Care, Family, and Community Factors Associated with Mental, Behavioral, and Developmental Disorders in Early Childhood - United States, 2011-2012.

PubMed

Bitsko, Rebecca H; Holbrook, Joseph R; Robinson, Lara R; Kaminski, Jennifer W; Ghandour, Reem; Smith, Camille; Peacock, Georgina

2016-03-11

Sociodemographic, health care, family, and community attributes have been associated with increased risk for mental, behavioral, and developmental disorders (MBDDs) in children (1,2). For example, poverty has been shown to have adverse effects on cognitive, socio-emotional, and physical development (1). A safe place to play is needed for gross motor development, and accessible health care is needed for preventive and illness health care (3). Positive parenting and quality preschool interventions have been shown to be associated with prosocial skills, better educational outcomes, and fewer health risk behaviors over time (2). Protective factors for MBDDs are often shared (4) and conditions often co-occur; therefore, CDC considered MBDDs together to facilitate the identification of factors that could inform collaborative, multidisciplinary prevention strategies. To identify specific factors associated with MBDDs among U.S. children aged 2-8 years, parent-reported data from the most recent (2011-2012) National Survey of Children's Health (NSCH) were analyzed. Factors associated with having any MBDD included inadequate insurance, lacking a medical home, fair or poor parental mental health, difficulties getting by on the family's income, employment difficulties because of child care issues, living in a neighborhood lacking support, living in a neighborhood lacking amenities (e.g., sidewalks, park, recreation center, and library), and living in a neighborhood in poor condition. In a multivariate analysis, fair or poor parental mental health and lacking a medical home were significantly associated with having an MBDD. There was significant variation in the prevalence of these and the other factors by state, suggesting that programs and policies might use collaborative efforts to focus on specific factors. Addressing identified factors might prevent the onset of MBDDs and improve outcomes among children who have one or more of these disorders.

Poorer cardiovascular health is associated with psychiatric comorbidity: results from the ELSA-Brasil Study.

PubMed

Szlejf, Claudia; Suemoto, Claudia K; Santos, Itamar S; Brunoni, Andre R; Nunes, Maria Angélica; Viana, Maria Carmen; Barreto, Sandhi Maria; Lotufo, Paulo A; Benseñor, Isabela M

2018-06-12

Common psychiatric symptoms may hinder achieving ideal cardiovascular health (ICH). We aimed to investigate the association between the ICH score and psychiatric disorders in Brazilian adults. In this cross-sectional analysis, 13,743 participants free of cardiovascular disease from the ELSA-Brasil study were assessed using the American Heart Association ICH score. Cardiovascular health was classified as poor (0-2 ideal metrics), intermediate (3-4 ideal metrics), and optimal (5-7 ideal metrics). We used the Clinical Interview Scheduled Revised (CIS-R) to assess psychiatric disorders and investigate their association with the ICH score and each non-ICH metric. The frequency of poor, intermediate, and optimal cardiovascular health were 54.1%, 38.1%, and 7.8%, respectively. Depressive and anxiety disorders were associated with poor cardiovascular health (depressive disorder: OR = 2.49, 95% CI = 1.62-3.80, p < 0.001; anxiety disorder: OR = 1.47, 95% CI = 1.22-1.78, p < 0.001), and intermediate cardiovascular health (depressive disorder: OR = 1.94, 95% CI = 1.26-2.98, p = 0.002; anxiety disorder: OR = 1.22, 95% CI = 1.01-1.47, p = 0.043). In the analysis stratified by sex, these associations were significant only among women. The disorders were also associated with the following non-ICH metrics: body mass index, physical activity, healthy diet score, and smoking. Participants with depressive disorder and anxiety disorder had expected lower global and lifestyle ICH score than participants without these conditions, with significant results among women in the stratified analysis. Psychiatric comorbidity was associated with poorer cardiovascular health. These conditions may compromise the adoption of healthy cardiovascular risk reduction behaviors. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Sarcopenia is a novel poor prognostic factor in male patients with pathological Stage I non-small cell lung cancer.

PubMed

Tsukioka, Takuma; Nishiyama, Noritoshi; Izumi, Nobuhiro; Mizuguchi, Shinjiro; Komatsu, Hiroaki; Okada, Satoshi; Toda, Michihito; Hara, Kantaro; Ito, Ryuichi; Shibata, Toshihiko

2017-04-01

Sarcopenia is the progressive loss of muscle mass and strength, and has a risk of adverse outcomes such as disability, poor quality of life and death. As prognosis depends not only on disease aggressiveness, but also on a patient's physical condition, sarcopenia can predict survival in patients with various cancer types. However, its effects on postoperative prognosis in patients with localized non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLC) have never been reported. We retrospectively investigated 215 male patients with pathological Stage I NSCLC. L3 muscle index is defined as the cross-section area of muscle at the third lumbar vertebra level, normalized for height, and is a clinical measurement of sarcopenia. We then investigated the effect of preoperative sarcopenia on their postoperative prognosis. Our 215 subjects included 30 patients with sarcopenia. Sarcopenia was significantly associated with body mass index, nutritional condition, serum CYFRA 21-1 level and pathological stage, but not with preoperative respiratory function or performance status. Frequency of postoperative complications, length of postoperative hospital stay, thoracic drainage period or causes of death were not correlated with the presence of sarcopenia. The sarcopenia group had a significantly shorter median overall survival (32 months) than the no-sarcopenia group. Sarcopenia might not affect short-term outcomes in patients with early-stage lung cancer. Sarcopenia was a predictor of poor prognosis in male patients with Stage I NSCLC. As sarcopenic patients with NSCLC patients are at risk for significantly worse outcomes, their treatments require careful planning, even for those with Stage I disease. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Physical activity to overcome the adversity of widowhood: Benefits beyond physical health.

PubMed

Li, Chu-Shiu; Lee, June Han; Chang, Ly-Yun; Liu, Chwen-Chi; Chan, Yan-Lan; Wen, Christopher; Chiu, Mu-Lin; Tsai, Min Kuang; Tsai, Shan Pou; Wai, Jackson Pui Man; Tsao, Chwen Keng; Wu, Xifeng; Wen, Chi Pang

2016-08-01

Widowhood has been increasingly encountered because of increasing longevity of women, often characterized by social stigmatization and poor physical and mental health. However, applied research to overcome its adversity has been quite limited. The goal of this study is to explore the role of physical activity in improving the health of widows.A cohort of 446,582 adults in Taiwan who successively participated in a comprehensive medical screening program starting in 1994, including 232,788 women, was followed up for mortality until 2008. Each individual provided detailed health history, and extensive lab tests results.The number of widows increased with time trend. Every other woman above age 65 was a widow (44%). Widows were less active, more obese, and smoked and drank more, had sleep problems, were more depressed with taking sedatives or psychoactive drugs, leading to more suicides. In the global development of health policies by World Health Organization (WHO), physical activity is one of the main factors to reverse poor health. The poor health of inactive widow was mitigated when becoming fully active in this study. Exercise not only reduced the observed 18% increase in all-cause mortality, but also gained 4 years and as much as 14% mortality advantage over the married but inactive. More importantly, becoming physically active energized their mental status, improved sleep quality and quantity, reduced depressions and the need for psychoactive drugs, and increased socialization circles.Widows, a rapidly growing and socially stigmatized group, suffered from social and financial inequality and tended to develop poorer health. Sustained physical activity could be one of the ways for them to overcome and reverse some of the physical and mental adversities of widowhood, and improve their quality and quantity of life.

Exercise barriers in Korean colorectal cancer patients.

PubMed

Kang, Dong-Woo; Chung, Jae Youn; Lee, Mi Kyung; Lee, Junga; Park, Ji-Hye; Kim, Dong-Il; Jones, Lee W; Ahn, Joong Bae; Kim, Nam Kyu; Jeon, Justin Y

2014-01-01

To identify barriers to exercise in Korean colorectal cancer patients and survivors, and to analyze differences in exercise barriers by age, gender, treatment status, and physical activity level. A total of 427 colorectal cancer patients and survivors from different stages and medical status completed a self-administered questionnaire that surveyed their barriers to exercise and exercise participation. The greatest perceived exercise barriers for the sampled population as a whole were fatigue, low level of physical fitness, and poor health. Those under 60-years old reported lack of time (p=0.008), whereas those over 60 reported low level of physical fitness (p=0.014) as greater exercise barriers than their counterparts. Women reported fatigue as a greater barrier than men (p<0.001). Those who were receiving treatment rated poor health (p=0.0005) and cancer-related factors as greater exercise barriers compared to those who were not receiving treatment. A multivariate model found that other demographic and medical status were not potential factors that may affect exercise participation. Further, for those who were not participating in physical activity, tendency to be physically inactive (p<0.001) and lack of exercise skill (p<0.001) were highly significant barriers, compared to those who were participating in physical activity. Also, for those who were not meeting ACSM guidelines, cancer-related exercise barriers were additionally reported (p<0.001), compared to those who were. Our study suggests that fatigue, low level of physical fitness, and poor health are most reported exercise barriers for Korean colorectal cancer survivors and there are differences in exercise barriers by age, sex, treatment status, and physical activity level. Therefore, support for cancer patients should be provided considering these variables to increase exercise participation.

Behavior Change with Fitness Technology in Sedentary Adults: A Review of the Evidence for Increasing Physical Activity

PubMed Central

Sullivan, Alycia N.; Lachman, Margie E.

2017-01-01

Physical activity is closely linked with health and well-being; however, many Americans do not engage in regular exercise. Older adults and those with low socioeconomic status are especially at risk for poor health, largely due to their sedentary lifestyles. Fitness technology, including trackers and smartphone applications (apps), has become increasingly popular for measuring and encouraging physical activity in recent years. However, many questions remain regarding the effectiveness of this technology for promoting behavior change. Behavior change techniques such as goal setting, feedback, rewards, and social factors are often included in fitness technology. However, it is not clear which components are most effective and which are actually being used by consumers. We discuss additional strategies not typically included in fitness technology devices or apps that are promising for engaging inactive, vulnerable populations. These include action planning, restructuring negative attitudes, enhancing environmental conditions, and identifying other barriers to regular physical activity. We consider which strategies are most conducive to motivating behavior change among sedentary adults. Overall, fitness technology has the potential to significantly impact public health, research, and policies. We suggest ways in which app developers and behavior change experts can collaborate to develop successful apps. Advances are still needed to help inactive individuals determine how, when, where, and with whom they can increase their physical activity. PMID:28123997

Fitness and exercise as correlates of sleep complaints: is it all in our minds?

PubMed

Gerber, Markus; Brand, Serge; Holsboer-Trachsler, Edith; Pühse, Uwe

2010-05-01

Restoring sleep is associated with psychological well-being. In contrast, poor sleep leads to impaired daily cognitive, emotional, and social functioning. Both commonplace and expert opinion hold that exercise has a favorable impact on preventing poor sleep and improving its quality. However, the scientific basis for this opinion remains limited, and results are mixed. The aim of the present study, therefore, was to explore the impact of perceived physical fitness, exercise, and a perceived lack of activity on sleep in early adulthood. Gender-related patterns were also examined. A total of 862 participants (639 females and 223 males; mean +/- SD = 24.67 +/- 5.91 yr) took part in the study. Respondents completed a series of self-report questionnaires assessing perceived physical fitness, exercise, perceived lack of physical activity, insomnia (Insomnia Severity Index), dysfunctional sleep-related thoughts (Fragebogen zur Erfassung allgemeiner Persönlichkeitsmerkmale Schlafgestörter), and quality of sleep (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index). High perceived physical fitness, but not exercise, was associated with favorable scores for various sleep indicators. A perceived lack of physical activity was associated with poor sleep. Perceived physical fitness and exercise were moderately correlated. Compared with males, females reported more sleep difficulties and also more dysfunctional sleep-related thoughts. For early adulthood, findings did not support commonplace or expert opinion that exercise behavior has a favorable influence on sleep. Rather, the findings lend support to the importance of cognitive processes in the onset and maintenance of sleep complaints.

The tale of the shrinking weapon: seasonal changes in nutrition affect weapon size and sexual dimorphism, but not contemporary evolution.

PubMed

Miller, C W; McDonald, G C; Moore, A J

2016-11-01

Sexually selected traits are often highly variable in size within populations due to their close link with the physical condition of individuals. Nutrition has a large impact on physical condition, and thus, any seasonal changes in nutritional quality are predicted to alter the average size of sexually selected traits as well as the degree of sexual dimorphism in populations. However, although traits affected by mate choice are well studied, we have a surprising lack of knowledge of how natural variation in nutrition affects the expression of sexually selected weapons and sexual dimorphism. Further, few studies explicitly test for differences in the heritability and mean-scaled evolvability of sexually selected traits across conditions. We studied Narnia femorata (Hemiptera: Coreidae), an insect where males use their hind legs as weapons and the femurs are enlarged, to understand the extent to which weapon expression, sexual dimorphism and evolvability change across the actual range of nutrition available in the wild. We found that insects raised on a poor diet (cactus without fruit) are nearly monomorphic, whereas those raised on a high-quality diet (cactus with ripe fruit) are distinctly sexually dimorphic via the expression of large hind leg weapons in males. Contrary to our expectations, we found little evidence of a potential for evolutionary change for any trait measured. Thus, although we show weapons are highly condition dependent, and changes in weapon expression and dimorphism could alter evolutionary dynamics, our populations are unlikely to experience further evolutionary changes under current conditions. © 2016 European Society For Evolutionary Biology. Journal of Evolutionary Biology © 2016 European Society For Evolutionary Biology.

Monitoring and prevention of anemia relying on nutrition and environmental conditions in sports.

PubMed

Sacirović, Selim; Asotic, Jasminka; Maksimovic, Radmila; Radevic, Borislav; Muric, Benin; Mekic, Hasim; Biocanin, Rade

2013-01-01

none declared. Anemia is a blood disorder characterized by abnormally low levels of healthy red blood cells or reduced hemoglobin, the iron-bearing protein in red blood cells that delivers oxygen to tissues throughout the body. The most common symptoms of this disorder are fatigue, weakness and, in extreme cases, shortness of breath or palpitations, or you may have no symptoms at all. Sports anemia is a term loosely applied to a least three different conditions: hemodilution, iron deficiency anemia and foot-strike anemia. Not exclusive to athletes, iron deficiency anemia occurs most often among women who may lose more iron each month when they menstruate than they take in. Therefore, we examined its effect on the physical condition of female athletes. Several years (since 2010th until 2012th), we studied how anemia among girls (pioneers, juniors and seniors categories) that are involved in sports (women's soccer, volleyball and handball) in Rasina's district (Serbia), affecting their physical fitness. When their trainers approach to us, complaining that they have players who are great, so extraordinary talents, but by no means able to withstand more than twenty minutes in the game, we suggest them to perform laboratory tests. It was tested 134th female athletes. Anemia was observed in 43. (9. pioneers, 19. juniors and 15. seniors). So, laboratory results showed that in these girls anemia causes poor sport condition. After that, the girls enhanced nutrition. Their diet consisted of iron supplements and vitamins. Altitude training was organized for them, also. After all these treatments, condition significantly improved. It was first time that trainers in Rasina's district realizing significance of laboratory tests.

Body temperature responses to handling stress in wintering Black-capped Chickadees (Poecile atricapillus L.).

PubMed

Lewden, Agnès; Nord, Andreas; Petit, Magali; Vézina, François

2017-10-01

Body temperature variation in response to acute stress is typically characterized by peripheral vasoconstriction and a concomitant increase in core body temperature (stress-induced hyperthermia). It is poorly understood how this response differs between species and within individuals of the same species, and how it is affected by the environment. We therefore investigated stress-induced body temperature changes in a non-model species, the Black-capped Chickadee, in two environmental conditions: outdoors in low ambient temperature (mean: -6.6°C), and indoors, in milder ambient temperature close to thermoneutrality (mean: 18.7°C). Our results show that the change in body temperature in response to the same handling stressor differs in these conditions. In cold environments, we noted a significant decrease in core body temperature (-2.9°C), whereas the response in mild indoor conditions was weak and non-significant (-0.6°C). Heat loss in outdoor birds was exacerbated when birds were handled for longer time. This may highlight the role of behavioral thermoregulation and heat substitution from activity to body temperature maintenance in harsh condition. Importantly, our work also indicates that changes in the physical properties of the bird during handling (conductive cooling from cold hands, decreased insulation from compression of plumage and prevention of ptiloerection) may have large consequences for thermoregulation. This might explain why females, the smaller sex, lost more heat than males in the experiment. Because physiological and physical changes during handling may carry over to affect predation risk and maintenance of energy balance during short winter days, we advice caution when designing experimental protocols entailing prolonged handling of small birds in cold conditions. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Discrete Features of Sedentary Behavior Impact Cardiometabolic Risk Factors

PubMed Central

Lyden, Kate; Keadle, Sarah Kozey; Staudenmayer, John; Braun, Barry; Freedson, Patty S.

2014-01-01

Sedentary behavior is linked to numerous poor health outcomes. Purpose To determine the effects of 7 days of increased sitting in free-living individuals on markers of cardiometabolic risk. Methods Ten, recreationally active participants (>150 min of moderate intensity physical activity per week, mean (SD) age; 25.2 y (5.7), BMI 24.9 m˙kg−2 (4.3)) completed a 7-day baseline period and a 7-day sedentary condition in their free-living environment. During baseline participants maintained normal activity. Following baseline, participants completed a 7-day sedentary condition. Participants were instructed to sit as much as possible, limit standing and walking and refrain from structured exercise and leisure time physical activity. The activPAL™ was used to assess sedentary behavior and physical activity. Fasting lipids, glucose and insulin were measured and an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) was performed following baseline and sedentary conditions. Results In comparison to baseline, total sedentary time (mean change (95% CI); 14.9% (10.2, 19.6)), and time in prolonged/uninterrupted sedentary bouts significantly increased, while the rate of breaks from sedentary time was significantly reduced (21.4% (6.9, 35.9)). For the OGTT, 2 h plasma insulin (mean change (95% CI); 38.8 uU˙ml−1 (10.9, 66.8)) and area under the insulin curve (3074.1 uU˙ml−1˙120 min−1 (526.0, 5622.3)) were significantly elevated after the sedentary condition. Lipid concentrations did not change. Change in 2 h insulin was negatively associated with change in light intensity activity (r=-0.62) and positively associated with change in time in sitting bouts longer than 30 (r=0.82) and 60 min (r=0.83). Conclusion Increased free-living sitting negatively impacts markers of cardiometabolic health and specific features of sedentary behavior (e.g. time in prolonged sitting bouts) may be particularly important. PMID:25202848

Discrete features of sedentary behavior impact cardiometabolic risk factors.

PubMed

Lyden, Kate; Keadle, Sarah Kozey; Staudenmayer, John; Braun, Barry; Freedson, Patty S

2015-05-01

Sedentary behavior is linked to numerous poor health outcomes. This study aims to determine the effects of 7 d of increased sitting on markers of cardiometabolic risk among free-living individuals. Ten recreationally active participants (>150 min of moderate-intensity physical activity per week; mean ± SD age, 25.2 ± 5.7 yr; mean ± SD body mass index, 24.9 ± 4.3 kg·m(-2)) completed a 7-d baseline period and a 7-d sedentary condition in their free-living environment. At baseline, participants maintained normal activity. After baseline, participants completed a 7-d sedentary condition. Participants were instructed to sit as much as possible, to limit standing and walking, and to refrain from structured exercise and leisure time physical activity. ActivPAL monitor was used to assess sedentary behavior and physical activity. Fasting lipids, glucose, and insulin were measured, and oral glucose tolerance test was performed after baseline and sedentary condition. In comparison to baseline, total sedentary time (mean Δ, 14.9%; 95% CI, 10.2-19.6) and time in prolonged/uninterrupted sedentary bouts significantly increased, whereas the rate of breaks from sedentary time was significantly reduced (mean Δ, 21.4%; 95% CI, 6.9-35.9). For oral glucose tolerance test, 2-h plasma insulin (mean Δ, 38.8 μU·mL(-1); 95% CI, 10.9-66.8) and area under the insulin curve (mean Δ, 3074.1 μU·mL(-1) per 120 min; 95% CI, 526.0-5622.3) were significantly elevated after the sedentary condition. Lipid concentrations did not change. Change in 2-h insulin was negatively associated with change in light-intensity activity (r = -0.62) and positively associated with change in time in sitting bouts longer than 30 min (r = 0.82) and 60 min (r = 0.83). Increased free-living sitting negatively impacts markers of cardiometabolic health, and specific features of sedentary behavior (e.g., time in prolonged sitting bouts) may be particularly important.

Soil Tillage as a Factor of Soil Conservation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sherer, D. V.; Chumanova, N. N.

2017-05-01

The work describes the question of the soil treatment system influence on agro-physical and microbiological properties of gray forest soils, and yield of barley in Western Siberia. Research works were carried out in 2013-2014 in Yaya region of the Kemerovo region. Tillage affects soil structure. The water stability in zero tillage conditions was poor (15.7%). Soil density corresponding to the optimum rate for barley is formed by the zonal processing system, while at the zero tillage soil remains solid. The best indicators of phosphataze, catalysis and amylase activity are formed with minimum processing system. In the experiment the highest yield of barley was obtained with minimum tillage - 12.1 c/ha.

Surface enhanced Raman scattering on Tardigrada--towards monitoring and imaging molecular structures in live cryptobiotic organisms.

PubMed

Kneipp, Harald; Møbjerg, Nadja; Jørgensen, Aslak; Bohr, Henrik G; Hélix-Nielsen, Claus; Kneipp, Janina; Kneipp, Katrin

2013-10-01

Tardigrades are microscopic metazoans which are able to survive extreme physical and chemical conditions by entering a stress tolerant state called cryptobiosis. At present, the molecular mechanisms behind cryptobiosis are still poorly understood. We show that surface enhanced Raman scattering supported by plasmonic gold nanoparticles can measure molecular constituents and their local distribution in live tardigrades. Surface enhanced Raman signatures allow to differentiate between two species and indicate molecular structural differences between tardigrades in water and in a dry state. This opens new avenues for exploring cryptobiosis by studying molecular changes in live cryptobiotic organisms. Copyright © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

[Occupation-specific illnesses in musicians].

PubMed

Schuppert, M; Altenmüller, E

1999-12-01

Performance-related disorders in musicians are most often caused by multiple risk factors. They are based on the chronic complex, rapid and forceful work that requires highest precision, as well as on poor ergonomic conditions and psychological strain. Predominantly, the musculo-skeletal system of the upper extremity and the spine is affected by acute or chronic pain syndromes and neurological disorders. Stage fright and psychological tension frequently generate somatoform disorders and may contribute to the chronification of physical disabilities in musicians. Depending on the individual characteristics, the actual professional activity and the specific instrument, the performance-related risk factors and disorders differ widely. Early and regular prevention clearly contributes to a reduction of medical problems in musicians.

Effects Of Crystallographic Properties On The Ice Nucleation Properties Of Volcanic Ash Particles

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kulkarni, Gourihar R.; Nandasiri, Manjula I.; Zelenyuk, Alla

2015-04-28

Specific chemical and physical properties of volcanic ash particles that could affect their ability to induce ice formation are poorly understood. In this study, the ice nucleating properties of size-selected volcanic ash and mineral dust particles in relation to their surface chemistry and crystalline structure at temperatures ranging from –30 to –38 °C were investigated in deposition mode. Ice nucleation efficiency of dust particles was higher compared to ash particles at all temperature and relative humidity conditions. Particle characterization analysis shows that surface elemental composition of ash and dust particles was similar; however, the structural properties of ash samples weremore » different.« less

Nematode parasites of waterfowl (Anseriformes) from western United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

McDonald, M.E.

1974-01-01

Thirty-four species of nematodes were found in 415 Anseriformes (Anatidae) of 27 species; 93.7% of birds over 4 weeks old were infected. Data on prevalence, host specificity, age of host, and geographic distribution are given. Infections were more intense in sick birds and birds in poor physical condition. Accidental or abnormal infection was more likely in sick than in normal birds. From 1 to 13 species of nematodes are reported from each host species, including 118 new host records, 3 nematodes new for North America, and 1 new species. Multiple infections were present in 76.5% of birds parasitized; eight species of nematodes were found in one whistling swan (Olor columbianus).