bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Megaproject Environmentally Responsible Behavior in China: A Test of the Theory of Planned Behavior
Authors: Xie Linlin , Huang Mian , Xia Bo , Skitmore Martin
Published: May 2022

Construction megaprojects play a significant role in today’s infrastructure provision in terms of sustainable development, and their increasing proliferation worldwide means the environmentally responsible behavior (ERB) of those involved are becoming of vital importance. This study investigates how ERB can be best supported in megaprojects by first identifying the motivational factors that are involved based on the theory of planned behavior (TPB), followed by a survey of 188 managers involved in China megaprojects to test the TPB model using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The results strongly support the TPB model’s predictive ability, with subjective norms being the strongest predictors, followed by attitudes and perceived behavioral control. These findings provide support for decision makers in helping to cultivate and improve the level of megaproject ERB in China and many other such countries that are similarly involved.
The Role of Padel in Improving Physical Fitness and Health Promotion: Progress, Limitations, and Future Perspectives—A Narrative Review
Authors: Sánchez-Alcaraz Bernardino J. , Courel-Ibáñez Javier
Published: May 2022

Benefits of regular exercise for health are beyond any doubt. However, adherence to regular physical activity is an ongoing challenge. Among the options for exercise engagement, racket sports, and particularly padel, stand as emerging practices for children and adults to have fun, improve physical fitness, and potentially develop motor and cognitive skills. In the last decade, the literature on padel is increasing exponentially. However, there is a need for further experimental research. To design safe and effective sport-base physical activity promotion interventions, it is essential to have a deep understanding of the physical requirements, technical complexity, injury risks, and strength and conditioning programs. To assist researchers to conduct effective padel-based interventions for health, this review summarizes the state-of-the-art evidence about padel, identifies key topics to be addressed in the future, and discusses the potential role of padel as a physical fitness and health promotion strategy. A narrative review is presented, summarizing the results of padel articles from three different databases: Web of Science, Scopus, and Google Scholar. Studies written in Spanish and English were the inclusion criteria. The studies had to be published from 2000 onwards and be original, as well as peer-reviewed.
Risk Factors for Addictive Behaviors: A General Overview
Authors: Santangelo Omar Enzo , Provenzano Sandro , Firenze Alberto
Published: May 2022

Many people around the world have behaviors that are recognized as addictive behaviors, usually not causing significant health consequences except in a few cases, which consist typically of a low percentage of people who may develop addictive behavioral disorders that may be associated with functional impairment and distress [...]
The Impact of Physical Activity on Mental Health during COVID-19 Pandemic in China: A Systematic Review
Authors: Li Mengfei , Wang Qianhui , Shen Jing
Published: May 2022

The outbreak and spread of novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in 2019 was a public health emergency of global concern. As an important health behavior, physical activity (PA) and its impact on mental health have been increasingly explored during the epidemic period. The keywords and references were searched on PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, Cochrane Library, EBSCO, and CNKI since the inception of an electronic bibliographic database until October 2021. A total of 2979 articles were identified, of which 23 were eligible for inclusion to examine the relationship between PA and mental health during the COVID-19 epidemic. Residents with regular PA, high-intensity PA, and PA duration of 30–60 min or more per day were associated with a lower risk of anxiety, depression, and negative emotions. In contrast, residents with no exercise and physical inactivity were more likely to have anxiety, depression, sleep disturbances, and lower subjective well-being. In addition, the dose–response curve between PA and negative emotions indicated a U-shaped relationship, and there were urban–rural differences in the relationship between emotional status and the levels of PA in adolescents. The findings have significant implications for addressing mental health issues during the current pandemic and future pandemics. Future studies adopting an experimental study design, conducting objective PA measures, and focusing on the vulnerable subpopulations are warranted to further explore the association of PA on mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Identity Processing Style and Meaning in Life among Emerging Adults: Mediational Role of Commitment
Authors: Czyżowska Natalia
Published: May 2022

Building one’s own identity and finding meaning in life are important tasks for emerging adults. Although many agree that both are essential in terms of the well-being and proper functioning of an individual, there is little empirical data concerning the relationship between the way young people process information about themselves and the feeling that their life has a purpose and value. Therefore, the aim of this study was to explore how identity processing styles (normative, diffuse-avoidant and informational) and two dimensions of meaning of life (presence and the search for meaning) are related. It was also assumed that identity commitment could play a mediating role between those variables. 183 emerging adults who participated in the study completed Identity Style Inventory (ISI-5) and Meaning in Life Questionnaire. The cross-sectional study design was used. Using Structural Equation Modeling revealed that commitment mediated the relationship between two of three identity styles (diffuse-avoidant and informational) and presence, but not search for or meaning in life. Normative identity style also negatively predicted the search for meaning in life. It seems that commitment might play an important role in meaning-making process, and as such, should be strengthened and encouraged when working with individuals at this stage in life.
Observational Variables for Considering a Switch from a Normal to a Dysphagia Diet among Older Adults Requiring Long-Term Care: A One-Year Multicenter Longitudinal Study
Authors: Takeda Maaya , Watanabe Yutaka , Matsushita Takae , Taira Kenshu , Miura Kazuhito , Ohara Yuki , Iwasaki Masanori , Ito Kayoko , Nakajima Junko , Iwasa Yasuyuki , Itoda Masataka , Nishi Yasuhiro , Furuya Junichi , Watanabe Yoshihiko , Umemoto George , Kishima Masako , Hirano Hirohiko , Sato Yuji , Yoshida Mitsuyoshi , Yamazaki Yutaka
Published: May 2022

This one-year multicenter longitudinal study aimed to assess whether older adult residents of long-term care facilities should switch from a normal to a dysphagia diet. Using the results of our previous cross-sectional study as baseline, older adults were subdivided into those who maintained a normal diet and those who switched to a dysphagia diet. The explanatory variables were age, sex, body mass index (BMI), Barthel Index, clinical dementia rating (CDR), and 13 simple and 5 objective oral assessments (remaining teeth, functional teeth, oral diadochokinesis, modified water swallowing test, and repetitive saliva swallowing test), which were used in binomial logistic regression analysis. Between-group comparison showed a significantly different BMI, Barthel Index, and CDR. Significant differences were also observed in simple assessments for language, drooling, tongue movement, perioral muscle function, and rinsing and in objective assessments. In multi-level analysis, switching from a normal to a dysphagia diet was significantly associated with simple assessments of tongue movement, perioral muscle function, and rinsing and with the objective assessment of the number of functional teeth. The results suggest that simple assessments can be performed regularly to screen for early signs of discrepancies between food form and eating/swallowing functions, which could lead to the provision of more appropriate food forms.
The Sharing of Costs and Benefits of Rural Environmental Pollution Governance in China: A Qualitative Analysis through Guanxi Networks Perspective
Authors: Du Yanqiang , Liu Pingyang , Su Shipeng , Zhou Linyi
Published: May 2022

Concern has been expressed in many parts of the world that community relations in rural areas are breaking down, making issues such as rural environmental degradation harder to resolve without external regulation. Guanxi is a specific Chinese idiom for characterizing social networks, as a broad term to represent existing relations among people, which can be loosely translated as ‘‘relationship’’. Based on a case study of an underdeveloped mountainous area of Southern China, this paper examined the problem from the perspective of guanxi, and explored the impacts of internal group differentiation catalyzed by pig farming pollution and the subsequent influences on the distribution of costs and benefits of different shareholders. It was found that the guanxi in the village were changed from blood relationship centered to economic interest centered. This disparity exerts a significant influence on the distribution of costs and benefits of pollution control and exacerbates environmental inequalities. This means that pig farmers dominated the narrative of pig farming pollution, while the ordinary villagers chose to suffer without protesting, which hinders the advancement of pollution control, and pig farmers took the benefits of weak pollution control and managed to transfer the external cost to others, while others became direct victims. The paper concludes that the rich become richer and the poor become poorer in both economic and environmental perspectives. It is strongly suggested that guanxi should be integrated into the consideration and decision-making process of rural environmental governance in order to guarantee the efficiency and efficacy of its implementation.
Cluster Modeling of Environmental and Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems for Integration Support
Authors: Pauliková Alena , Chovancová Jana , Blahová Jarmila
Published: May 2022

Many organizations around the world recognize the complementarity of public and environmental health and focus their attention on the effective management of both health and environmental risks. For this purpose, they often use the international standards ISO 14001 and ISO 45001. However, when a company intends to implement multiple standards simultaneously, the challenge of overlapping increases. Therefore, the objective of article is to analyze the requirements and documented information of two management system standards: environmental management systems (EMS), according to ISO 14001, and occupational health and safety management systems (OH&S), according to ISO 45001. A combination of content analysis and clustering methods was used to conduct the research. Visualization of the interrelationships between the requirements of the standards was done using TouchGraph Navigator. The outputs of the analysis can serve managers in the integrated implementation of these management systems as well as auditors during the review and check process when formulating recommendations for the improvement of management systems. Integrated implementation comes with multiple benefits, including reduced bureaucracy and management costs, a simplified certification process, improved internal management, and facilitation of continuous improvement.
Resource Allocation Equity in the China’s Rural Three-Tier Healthcare System
Authors: Ao Yibin , Feng Qiqi , Zhou Zhongli , Chen Yunfeng , Wang Tong
Published: May 2022

The rural three-tier healthcare system is an essential part of the Chinese healthcare service system. To ensure rural residents’ equal access to such healthcare services, it is necessary to examine the current status of the healthcare system in rural China and formulate corresponding improvement suggestions. This study therefore collects the data from the China Health Statistics Yearbook, the China Health Yearbook and the China Statistical Yearbook between the years 2004 and 2021 to calculate the Gini coefficient (G), health resource density index (HRDI) and Theil index (T) first, and then perform the Mann–Kendall test afterwards to evaluate the equity of healthcare resource allocation comprehensively. This series of analysis helps in drawing the following conclusions: (1) county and county-level city medical and health institutions (CMHIs) show a higher development trend in comparison with township hospitals (THs) and village clinics (VCs); (2) VCs have higher institutional fairness, while for beds and personnel, CMHIs and THs are more fairly positioned; (3) more specifically for CMHIs and THs, personnel allocation is more fair than beds and institution allocations; (4) the density of healthcare resources in the eastern and central regions is higher than that in the western part, while the intra-regional distribution of beds and personnel in the west and central regions is better than that in the eastern region; (5) intra-regional differences are more significant than inter-regional differences and the fairness according to population distribution is higher than that of geographical area allocation. The results of this study provide theoretical basis for further optimizing the allocation of healthcare resources and improving the fairness of healthcare resources allocation from a macro perspective.
The Effect of Handlebar Height and Bicycle Frame Length on Muscular Activity during Cycling: A Pilot Study
Authors: Conceição Ana , Milheiro Vítor , Parraca José A. , Rocha Fernando , Espada Mário C. , Santos Fernando J. , Louro Hugo
Published: May 2022

The cycling literature is filled with reports of electromyography (EMG) analyses for a better understanding of muscle function during cycling. This research is not just limited to performance, as the cyclist’s goal may be rehabilitation, recreation, or competition, so a bicycle that meets the rider’s needs is essential for a more efficient muscular activity. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to understand the contribution of the activity of each of the following muscles: TD (trapezius descending), LD (latissimus dorsi), GM (gluteus maximus), and AD (anterior deltoid) in response to different bicycle-rider systems (handlebar height; bicycle frame length) and intensities in a bicycle equipped with a potentiometer. Surface EMG signals from muscles on the right side of the body were measured. A general linear model test was used to analyze the differences between muscle activation in the test conditions. Effect sizes were calculated using a partial Eta2 (η2). The level of significance was set at 0.05. Muscle activation of different muscles differs, depending on the cycling condition (Pillai’s trace = 2.487; F (36.69) = 9.300; p < 0.001. η2 = 0.958), mostly during low intensities. In high intensities, one specific pattern emerges, with a greater contribution of GM and TD and weaker participation of LD and AD, enhancing the cycling power output.
Concerns of Home Isolating COVID-19 Patients While Receiving Care via Telemedicine during the Pandemic in the Northern Thailand: A Qualitative Study on Text Messaging
Authors: Pinyopornpanish Kanokporn , Nantsupawat Nopakoon , Buawangpong Nida , Pliannuom Suphawita , Vaniyapong Tanat , Jiraporncharoen Wichuda
Published: May 2022

As there were strict limits on contact between health professionals and patients during the COVID-19 pandemic, telemedicine increased in importance with regard to improving the provision of health care and became the preferred method of care. This study aims to determine the topics of concern expressed by individuals with COVID-19 receiving care at home via teleconsultation. The qualitative study was conducted using secondary data of chat messages from 213 COVID-19 patients who had consented to online consultation with the health care team. The messages were sent during the home isolation period, which was between 29th October and 20th December 2021. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the data. All patients had consented to the use of their data. A small majority of the patients were female (58.69%). The average age was 32.26 ± 16.92 years. A total of 475 questions were generated by 150 patients during the isolation period. Nearly thirty percent (29.58%) never asked any questions. From the analysis, the questions could be divided into three themes including: (1) complex care system; (2) uncertainty about self-care and treatment plan with regard to lack of knowledges and skills; and (3) concern about recovery and returning to the community after COVID-19 infection. In conclusion, there were enquiries about many aspects of medical care during home isolation, detailed answers from professionals were useful for the self-care of patients and to provide guidance for their future health behavior. The importance of the service being user friendly and accessible to all became increasingly evident.
Association between Physical Activity Guidelines and Sedentary Time with Workers’ Health-Related Quality of Life in a Spanish Multinational Company
Authors: Gómez-Redondo Paola , Marín Victoria , Leal-Martín Javier , Ruiz-Moreno Carlos , Giráldez-Costas Verónica , Urdiola Pilar , Ara Ignacio , Mañas Asier
Published: May 2022

Workers spend a large amount of time working, limiting the possibility of meeting physical activity (PA) guidelines. A better health-related quality of life (HRQoL) provides benefits for the employee and company. The aim of this study was to analyse the associations of four behavioural categories between compliance with PA guidelines (aerobic and strength training) and sedentary time with workers’ HRQoL. We classified the sample into four categories: (1) “Physically active & low sedentary”, (2) “Physically active & high sedentary”, (3) “Physically inactive & low sedentary”, and (4) “Physically inactive & high sedentary”. Student’s t-tests for two independent samples and a multiple linear regression adjusted for covariates were performed. A total of 1004 employees of the multinational company Grupo Red Eléctrica participated. Compliance with PA guidelines and a low level of sedentarism were associated with higher HRQoL (p < 0.001). Compared to “physically inactive & high sedentary”, “physically active & low sedentary” and “physically active & high sedentary” workers obtained a better HRQoL (B = 5.47; p = 0.006 and B = 4.10; p = 0.003; respectively). In this sample of Spanish workers, being physically active was associated with a better HRQoL, even in those with high sedentary time. Experimental studies are needed to confirm our results.
Economic Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Dental Practices in Germany: A Cross-Sectional Survey
Authors: Wolf Thomas , Barth Adrian , Hüttmann Joachim , Lennartz Michael , Otterbach Ernst-Jürgen , Brendel Christian , Cagetti Maria , Deschner James , Campus Guglielmo
Published: May 2022

An observational cross-sectional survey was planned and carried out to evaluate the economic impact of the SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 pandemic on dental practices in Germany. An online-questionnaire was developed and previously calibrated by a group consisting of experts from dentists, lawyers, and business economists (n = 21; Intra-Class-Coefficient > 0.8). It consisted of four main categories: vital statistics, professional activity and practice structure, economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and validation and contextualization to avoid automated filling in. The questionnaire was administered anonymously to 9732 dentists in Germany, 4434 of whom opened it and 1496 of whom fully completed it. These results were evaluated and summarized. Respondents were divided into seven German economic macro areas. Difference in proportion among questionnaire items was evaluated with χ2 test or Fisher exact test appropriately. Linear trend analysis was performed among German macro areas. Ordinal multinomial linear regression analysis was run to evaluate the association with questionnaire items with respect to a collapse and/or quarantine measures due to a positive test/infection/disease of dental personnel or an increase in average monthly costs due to the pandemic. One-third experienced a collapse or quarantine measures of the predominantly self-employed participating dentists (92%). Small practices were less affected than larger ones. Average monthly costs increased sharply in all practice structures. The findings shall help to better manage future pandemics and provide information to policy makers. As the pandemic situation is still ongoing, the medium- and long-term economic impact should be further evaluated.
Information Traceability Model for the Grain and Oil Food Supply Chain Based on Trusted Identification and Trusted Blockchain
Authors: Zhang Xin , Li Yue , Peng Xiangzhen , Zhao Zhiyao , Han Jiaqi , Xu Jiping
Published: May 2022

The grain and oil food supply chain has a complex structure, long turnover cycles, and many stakeholders, so it is challenging to maintain the security of this supply chain. A reliable traceability system for the whole grain and oil food supply chain will help to improve the quality and safety of these products, thus enhancing people’s living standards. Driven by the trusted blockchain and trusted identity concepts, this paper constructs an information traceability model for the whole grain and oil food supply chain, and it describes how contract implementation and example verification are performed. First, an information traceability model framework of the whole grain and oil food supply chain is established based on the survey and analysis of the grain and oil food supply chain. Second, trusted identification, blockchain master–slave multi-chain storage, and trusted traceability mechanisms are designed. The trusted identification mechanism is used to track the data information of the whole grain and oil food supply chain. The blockchain master–slave multi-chain storage solves the problem of miscellaneous information caused by many links in the whole grain and oil supply chain, while the credible traceability mechanism ensures the credibility of information collection, storage, and transmission. Finally, based on the data flow, the model operation process is analyzed. Using the information traceability model, the grain and oil food trusted traceability system is designed and developed with the Hyperledger Fabric open-source framework, and a case study is conducted to verify the system. The results show that the model and system constructed in this study solve the problems of low data security and poor sharing, which exist widely in the traditional traceability mechanism, and enable the trusted uplink, storage, processing, and traceability of multi-source heterogeneous information in the lifecycle of the whole grain and oil food supply chain. The proposed system improves the granularity and accuracy of grain and oil food traceability, and provides support for the strategic security of grain stock.
Tobacco Smoking during Pregnancy: Women’s Perception about the Usefulness of Smoking Cessation Interventions
Authors: Almeida Rita , Barbosa Carolina , Pereira Bruno , Diniz Mateus , Baena Antoni , Conde Ana
Published: May 2022

Tobacco consumption during pregnancy is a serious public health problem due to its negative effects on fetal development and on pregnant women’s health and well-being. Thus, it is of utmost importance to plan and implement smoking cessation interventions, to prevent the negative impact of this risk factor, namely on children’s health and development. This cross-sectional study aimed at exploring the perceptions and beliefs about the usefulness of smoking cessation interventions during pregnancy, in a sample of pregnant Portuguese women. The smoking use by pregnant women, as well as the risk factors associated with tobacco smoking during pregnancy, were also analyzed. The sample included 247 pregnant Portuguese women aged between 18–43-years-old (M = 30.30, SD = 5.02): 42.5% never smoked, 18.3% quit smoking before pregnancy, 19.0% quit smoking after getting pregnant and 20.2% were current smokers. The pregnant Portuguese women who smoked during pregnancy (current smokers or who quit smoking after getting pregnant) were mostly single or divorced, with lower education levels, showed a higher prevalence of clinically significant anxiety symptoms, and perceived smoking cessation interventions during pregnancy as less useful when compared to women who never smoked or quit smoking prior pregnancy. Daily or weekly smoking cessation interventions, implemented by health professionals such as doctors, nurses, or psychologists are the ones perceived as the most useful for pregnant women. These findings provide important clues for the planning of smoking cessation interventions during pregnancy, highlighting the domains that should be carefully monitored by health professionals. Specific strategies should also be used by health professionals to promote smoking cessation considering the demands of pregnancy and postpartum.
The Impact of COVID-19 Related Social Distancing on Mental Health Outcomes: A Transdiagnostic Account
Authors: Spencer-Laitt Daniella , Eustis Elizabeth H. , Barlow David H. , Farchione Todd J.
Published: May 2022

The COVID-19 pandemic, and the social distancing practices that followed, have been associated with increased prevalence of emotional disorders. However, not all individuals affected by COVID-19-related social distancing experienced elevations in emotional disorder symptoms. Understanding this phenomenon is of crucial public health significance given the burden of emotional disorders on individuals and systems. In this narrative review, we consider the differential impact of COVID-19-related social distancing on mental health outcomes from a transdiagnostic perspective. We argue that individuals high in negative affect and aversive reactivity to emotion, that is, neuroticism, and who respond to such emotional experiences with emotion-motivated avoidant coping, are most likely to experience emotional disorders in the context of COVID-19 social distancing. We acknowledge the pro-social and adaptive function of some types of avoidance during the pandemic, which may have initially buffered against negative mental health outcomes. Implications of this conceptualization for treatment of emotional disorders in the present sociocultural context are discussed.
Voluntary Counseling and Testing, Antiretroviral Therapy Access, and HIV-Related Stigma: Global Progress and Challenges
Authors: Armstrong-Mensah Elizabeth Afibah , Tetteh Ato Kwamena , Ofori Emmanuel , Ekhosuehi Osasogie
Published: May 2022

To date, about 37 million people are living with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and an estimated 680,000 people have died from acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) related illnesses globally. While all countries have been impacted by HIV, some have been significantly more impacted than others, particularly countries in sub-Saharan Africa. The purpose of this paper was to identify progress made in HIV prevention globally, particularly in the areas of voluntary counseling and testing (VCT) uptake, access to antiretroviral therapy (ART), and HIV-related stigma. With the development of ART, a cocktail of medications for the treatment of HIV, VCT uptake increased, as it became apparent that the medication would only be prescribed after an HIV diagnosis through testing. Widely considered a critical gateway to HIV prevention and treatment, VCT is being implemented in many countries, and as a result, about 38 million people living with HIV in 2018 had access to ART. Regardless of this success, major challenges still remain. We did an electronic search of 135 articles in English related to global HIV progress and challenges indexed in PubMed, ResearchGate, Google, and other search engines from 1998 to 2021. Sixty articles met the inclusion criteria for this paper. Data on trends in ART coverage were obtained from the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) website. These data were used to show ART coverage globally in World Health Organization (WHO) regions. It was found that while global successes have been chalked in the areas of VCT uptake and ART coverage, HIV-related stigma has impeded greater success. This paper summarizes and discusses global successes and challenges in HIV prevention efforts in the past four decades with a focus on VCT, ART, and HIV-related stigma.
Census Tract Demographics Associated with Libraries’ Social, Economic, and Health-Related Programming
Authors: Fleary Sasha , Gonçalves Carolina , Joseph Patrece , Baker Dwayne
Published: May 2022

Background: Public libraries can contribute to reducing economic, social, and health inequities through their programming and practices. However, the extent to which libraries regularly provide programming that improve the social determinants of health (SDH) in underserved communities is unclear. Objective: This study explored the relationship between census tract demographic characteristics and library programming implicated in the SDH for underserved groups at risk for health disparities. Method: A stratified random sample of libraries (n = 235) who completed the 2017 Public Libraries Survey were recruited. Librarians completed surveys about their libraries’ economic, social, and health-related programming. Libraries’ census tract demographic characteristics were taken from the 2013–2017 American Community Survey. Linear regressions were estimated to determine the relationship between relevant census tract demographic characteristics and programming offered at libraries in the census tracts. Results: Higher proportions of racial and ethnic minorities were associated with more frequent economic and social programs, but results were mixed for health-related programs. Lower proportions of populations with no more than a high school diploma or GED were related to more frequent economic, social, and health-related programs. Conclusions: The inequitable distribution of SDH-related library programming highlights gaps in libraries’ responsiveness to community needs. Libraries’ programming likely perpetuate systemic inequities.
Relationship between Employee Mental Health and Job Performance: Mediation Role of Innovative Behavior and Work Engagement
Authors: Lu Xifeng , Yu Haijing , Shan Biaoan
Published: May 2022

The relationship between employee mental health and job performance has been one of the key concerns in workplace. However, extant studies suffer from incomplete results due to their focus on developed economies’ contexts and the unclear path of employee mental health’s impact on performance. In this paper, we investigate the mechanism of employee mental health influencing job performance. We use the data of Chinese firms to test these hypotheses. Drawing on a sample of 239 firms from China, we find that employee mental health positively impacts job performance, and such relationship is mediated by innovative behavior and work engagement. The findings not only enrich the discipline’s knowledge on mental health in an emerging economy setting but also extend the implications of mental health, innovative behavior, and work engagement to job performance.
Multilevel Modelling of the Individual and Regional Level Variability in Predictors of Incomplete Antenatal Care Visit among Women of Reproductive Age in Ethiopia: Classical and Bayesian Approaches
Authors: Chikako Teshita Uke , Bacha Reta Habtamu , Hagan John Elvis , Seidu Abdul-Aziz , Kuse Kenenisa Abdisa , Ahinkorah Bright Opoku
Published: May 2022

Background: Antenatal care is an operational public health intervention to minimize maternal and child morbidity and mortality. However, for varied reasons, many women fail to complete the recommended number of visits. The objective of this study was to assess antenatal care utilization and identify the factors associated with the incomplete antenatal care visit among reproductive age women in Ethiopia. Methods: The 2019 Ethiopian Mini Demographic and Health Survey data were used for this study. Multilevel logistic regression analysis and two level binary logistic regression models were utilized. Results: Around 56.8% of women in Ethiopia did not complete the recommended number of antenatal care visits. Women from rural areas were about 1.622 times more likely to have incomplete antenatal care compared to women from urban areas. Women who had no pregnancy complication signs were about 2.967 times more likely to have incomplete antenatal care compared to women who had pregnancy complication signs. Women who had a slight problem and a big problem with the distance from a health center were about 1.776 and 2.973 times more likely, respectively, to have incomplete antenatal care compared to women whose distance from a health center was not a problem. Furthermore, women who had ever terminated pregnancy were about 10.6% less likely to have incomplete antenatal care compared to women who had never terminated pregnancy. Conclusions: The design and strengthening of existing interventions (e.g., small clinics) should consider identified factors aimed at facilitating antenatal care visits to promote maternal and child health related outcomes. Issues related to urban–rural disparities and noted hotspot areas for incomplete antenatal care visits should be given special attention.
Assessment of the Current Endodontic Practices among General Dental Practitioners in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Authors: Jouhar Rizwan , Ahmed Muhammad Adeel , Almomen Hussain Abdulmuttalib Ali , BuHulayqah Abdullah Amin Jawad , Alkashi Mohammed Yousef Ahmed , Al-Quraini Ahmed Adel A. , Ahmed Naseer
Published: May 2022

A contemporary knowledge of root canal treatment (RCT) is a prerequisite for a successful outcome. Studies observed that General Dental Practitioners (GDPs) were not abreast of current endodontic knowledge due to a lack of continuing dental education, not following the treatment protocols that they had learned in their undergraduate program, and overlooking the evidence-based current endodontic practices. Therefore, this study was intended to assess the awareness, attitude, and clinical endodontic practices among General Dental Practitioners in Saudi Arabia. This cross-sectional questionnaire-based study was conducted among all 312 GDPs working in Saudi Arabia. The questionnaire consisted of socio-demographic details and 23 questions regarding current endodontic practices. The collected data was analyzed using the SPSS Version 21 (Chicago, IL, USA). The chi-square test was applied to explore the influence of gender, workplace, and the years of professional activity on the materials and techniques employed in the RCT procedure. The study results showed that of all respondents, 159 (51.0%) were males, 153 (49.0%) were females, and 286 (91.7%) were Saudi nationals. Most of the GDPs, i.e., 204 (65.4%) practiced in private hospitals or clinics whereas 108 (34.6%) practiced in Government hospitals. Root canal treatment on all teeth had been performed by 196 (62%) of the practitioners. Association of gender with demographic details and endodontic practices revealed a statistically significant difference between both genders with respect to region, nationality, type of RCT treated on the tooth, and the technique used to measure the working length (p < 0.05). Furthermore, years of professional experience and workplace significantly affect endodontic practices (p < 0.05). This study concluded that most of the general dental practitioners complied with quality standard guidelines showing a positive attitude toward endodontic practices. Furthermore, irrespective of gender, most of the steps in endodontic procedures revealed a significant association with years of professional experience and the workplace.
Health Needs and Their Relationship with Life Expectancy in People with and without Intellectual Disabilities in England
Authors: Tyrer Freya , Morriss Richard , Kiani Reza , Gangadharan Satheesh K. , Kundaje Harish , Rutherford Mark J.
Published: May 2022

Health needs are common in people living with intellectual disabilities, but we do not know how they contribute to life expectancy. We used the Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD) linked with hospital/mortality data in England (2017–2019) to explore life expectancy among people with or without intellectual disabilities, indicated by the presence or absence, respectively, of: epilepsy; incontinence; severe visual loss; severe visual impairment; severe mobility difficulties; cerebral palsy and PEG feeding. Life expectancy and 95% confidence intervals were compared using flexible parametric methods. At baseline, 46.4% (total n = 7794) of individuals with intellectual disabilities compared with 9.7% (total n = 176,807) in the comparison group had ≥1 health need. Epilepsy was the most common health need (18.7% vs. 1.1%). All health needs except hearing impairment were associated with shorter life expectancy: PEG feeding and mobility difficulties were associated with the greatest loss in life years (65–68% and 41–44%, respectively). Differential life expectancy attenuated but remained (≈12% life years lost) even after restricting the population to those without health needs (additional years expected to live at 10 years: 65.5 [60.3, 71.1] vs. 74.3 [73.8, 74.7]). We conclude that health needs play a significant role but do not explain all of the differential life expectancy experienced by people with intellectual disabilities.
A Time-Varying Model for Predicting Formaldehyde Emission Rates in Homes
Authors: Zhao Haoran , Walker Iain S. , Sohn Michael D. , Less Brennan
Published: May 2022

Recent studies have succeeded in relating emissions of various volatile organic compounds to material mass diffusion transfer using detailed empirical characteristics of each of the individual emitting materials. While significant, the resulting models are often scenario specific and/or require a host of individual component parameters to estimate emission rates. This study developed an approach to estimate aggregated emissions rates based on a wide number of field measurements. We used a multi-parameter regression model based on previous mass transfer models to predict formaldehyde emission rate for a whole dwelling using field-measured, time-resolved formaldehyde concentrations, air exchange rates, and indoor environmental parameters in 63 California single-family houses built between 2011 and 2017. The resulting model provides time-varying formaldehyde emission rates, normalized by floor area, for each study home, assuming a well-mixed mass balance transport model of the home, and a well-mixed layer transport model of indoor surfaces. The surface layer model asserts an equilibrium concentration within the surface layer of the emitted materials that is a function of temperature and RH; the dwelling ventilation rate serves as a surrogate for indoor concentration. We also developed a more generic emission model that is suitable for broad prediction of emission for a population of buildings. This model is also based on measurements aggregated from 27 homes from the same study. We showed that errors in predicting household formaldehyde concentrations using this approach were substantially less than those using a traditional constant emission rate model, despite requiring less unique building information.
Income Disparity and Mental Wellbeing among Adults in Semi-Urban and Rural Areas in Malaysia: The Mediating Role of Social Capital
Authors: Said Mas Ayu , Thangiah Govindamal , Abdul Majid Hazreen , Ismail Rozmi , Maw Pin Tan , Rizal Hussein , Zaidi Mohd Azlan Shah , Reidpath Daniel , Su Tin Tin
Published: May 2022

Mental illness is rising worldwide and is more prevalent among the older population. Among others, socioeconomic status, particularly income, has a bearing on the prevalence of mental health. However, little is known about the underlying mechanism that explains the association between income and mental health. Hence, this study seeks to examine the mediating effect of social capital on the association between income and mental illness. Cross-sectional data consisting of 6651 respondents aged 55 years and above were used in this study. A validated tool known as the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale, 21 items (DASS-21) was applied to examine mental illness, namely depression, anxiety, and stress. The Karlson, Holm, and Breen (KHB) method was employed to assess the intervening role of social capital on the association between income and mental illness. Results showed that those who disagreed in trust within the community had the highest partial mediation percentage. Those who disagreed in reciprocity, however, had the lowest partial mediation percentage, which explained the positive association between the middle 40% (M40) of the income group and depression, anxiety, and stress. Overall, the study suggests the need to increase trust and attachment within society to curb the occurrence of depression and anxiety.
The Control of Metabolic CO2 in Public Transport as a Strategy to Reduce the Transmission of Respiratory Infectious Diseases
Authors: Baselga Marta , Alba Juan J. , Schuhmacher Alberto J.
Published: May 2022

The global acceptance of the SARS-CoV-2 airborne transmission led to prevention measures based on quality control and air renewal. Among them, carbon dioxide (CO2) measurement has positioned itself as a cost-efficiency, reliable, and straightforward method to assess indoor air renewal indirectly. Through the control of CO2, it is possible to implement and validate the effectiveness of prevention measures to reduce the risk of contagion of respiratory diseases by aerosols. Thanks to the method scalability, CO2 measurement has become the gold standard for diagnosing air quality in shared spaces. Even though collective transport is considered one of the environments with the highest rate of COVID-19 propagation, little research has been done where the air inside vehicles is analyzed. This work explores the generation and accumulation of metabolic CO2 in a tramway (Zaragoza, Spain) operation. Importantly, we propose to use the indicator ppm/person as a basis for comparing environments under different conditions. Our study concludes with an experimental evaluation of the benefit of modifying some parameters of the Heating–Ventilation–Air conditioning (HVAC) system. The study of the particle retention efficiency of the implemented filters shows a poor air cleaning performance that, at present, can be counteracted by opening windows. Seeking a post-pandemic scenario, it will be crucial to seek strategies to improve air quality in public transport to prevent the transmission of infectious diseases.
Cardioversion of Post-Ablation Atrial Tachyarrhythmia with Ibutilide and Amiodarone: A Registry-Based Cohort Study
Authors: Cacioppo Filippo , Schwameis Michael , Schuetz Nikola , Oppenauer Julia , Schnaubelt Sebastian , Simon Alexander , Lutnik Martin , Gupta Sophie , Roth Dominik , Herkner Harald , Spiel Alexander Oskar , Laggner Anton Norbert , Domanovits Hans , Niederdoeckl Jan
Published: May 2022

Patients with recurrence of atrial tachyarrhythmia after catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation or atrial flutter constitute a rapidly growing cohort, but study-driven treatment recommendations are lacking. The present study aimed to compare the cardioversion success of ibutilide and amiodarone in patients with post-ablation atrial tachyarrhythmia. We included all episodes of post-ablation atrial tachyarrhythmia in patients treated with either intravenous ibutilide or amiodarone at an academic emergency department from 2010 to 2018. The primary endpoint was the conversion to sinus rhythm. The conversion rates were stratified by arrhythmia type, and multivariable cluster-adjusted logistic regression was used to estimate the effect of ibutilide and amiodarone on cardioversion success, given as the odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CI). In total, 109 episodes of 72 patients were analyzed. The conversion rates were 37/49 (76%) for ibutilide and 16/60 (27%) for amiodarone. Compared to amiodarone, ibutilide was associated with higher odds of conversion (multivariable cluster-adjusted OR 5.6, 95% CI 1.3–24.3). The cardioversion success of ibutilide was the highest in atrial flutter (crude OR 19.5, 95% CI 3.4–112.5) and focal atrial tachycardia (crude OR 8.3, 95% CI 1.5–47.2), but it was less pronounced in atrial fibrillation (crude OR 4.5, 95% CI 1.2–17.2). Randomized trials are warranted to confirm our findings.
Predictors of Frequent Emergency Department Use and Hospitalization among Patients with Substance-Related Disorders Recruited in Addiction Treatment Centers
Authors: Fleury Marie-Josée , Cao Zhirong , Grenier Guy , Huỳnh Christophe
Published: May 2022

Few studies have assessed the overall impact of outpatient service use on acute care use, comparing patients with different types of substance-related disorders (SRD) and multimorbidity. This study aimed to identify sociodemographic and clinical characteristics and outpatient service use that predicted both frequent ED use (3+ visits/year) and hospitalization among patients with SRD. Data emanated from 14 Quebec (Canada) addiction treatment centers. Quebec administrative health databases were analyzed for a cohort of 17,819 patients over a 7-year period. Multivariable logistic regression models were produced. Patients with polysubstance-related disorders, co-occurring SRD-mental disorders, severe chronic physical illnesses, and suicidal behaviors were at highest risk of both frequent ED use and hospitalization. Having a history of homelessness, residing in rural areas, and using more outpatient services also increased the risk of acute care use, whereas high continuity of physician care protected against acute care use. Serious health problems were the main predictor for increased risk of both frequent ED use and hospitalization among patients with SRD, whereas high continuity of care was a protective factor. Improved quality of care, motivational, outreach and crisis interventions, and more integrated and collaborative care are suggested for reducing acute care use.
Evaluation of an Experience of Academic Happiness through Football at University
Authors: Almorza-Gomar David , Ravina-Ripoll Rafael , Popescu Cristina Raluca Gh. , Galiano-Coronil Araceli
Published: May 2022

The main objective of the university sport in Spain is the comprehensive training of the students. It sets out in the various state regulations in this respect. There is training in values within the comprehensive training that sporting activity should provide through Fair Play. This article aims to describe and evaluate an experience of training in values for the university students carried out by the Sports Department of the University of Cadiz, located in Cádiz, Andalusia, Spain. The methodology consisted of making selected changes to the game rules in football competitions. The experience has lasted ten years. The result of the experience has been very positive, obtaining, among other substantial achievements, a reduction of more than 75% in the percentage of cards (yellow and red) shown during matches and a reduction in referee cautions, a decrease in violent behavior, self-exclusion of players with violent behavior by the teams themselves, and an increase in fair play sporting behavior. Due to this experience, the Sports Department of the University of Cadiz has received numerous national and international awards. However, the leading award has been to take part positively, through sport, in the education and happiness of its students.