bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Healthy Workplaces: The Effects of Nature Contact at Work on Employee Stress and Health
Authors: Largo-Wight Erin , Chen W. William , Dodd Virginia , Weiler Robert 
Published: January 2017

Objectives. Cultivating healthy workplaces is a critical aspect of comprehensive worksite health promotion. The influence of healthy workplace exposures on employee health outcomes warrants research attention. To date, it is unknown if nature contact in the workplace is related to employee stress and health. This study was designed to examine the effects of nature contact experienced at work on employee stress and health. Methods. Office staff at a southeastern university ( n=503, 30% response rate) participated in the cross-sectional study. We used a 16-item workplace environment questionnaire, the Nature Contact Questionnaire, to comprehensively measure, for the first time, nature contact at work. The Perceived Stress Questionnaire and 13 established health and behavioral items assessed the dependent variables, general perceived stress, stress-related health behaviors, and stress-related health outcomes. Results. There was a significant, negative association between nature contact and stress and nature contact and general health complaints. The results indicate that as workday nature contact increased, perceived stress and generalized health complaints decreased. Conclusions. The findings suggest that nature contact is a healthy workplace exposure. Increasing nature contact at work may offer a simple population-based approach to enhance workplace health promotion efforts. Future researchers should test the efficacy of nature-contact workplace stress interventions.
Effects of a Television Drama about Environmental Exposure to Toxic Substances
Authors: Kennedy May G. , Turf Elizabeth Eustis , Wilson-Genderson Maureen , Wells Kristen , Huang Grace C. , Beck Vicki 
Published: January 2017

Objective. This study assessed short-term outcomes of viewing an episode of a prime-time television drama in which a child developed cancer after environmental exposure to an illegal pesticide. The study explored the effects among viewers of feeling transported into a narrative world. Methods. Respondents ( n=2,139) to a post-episode Internet panel survey were asked if they had seen the show and asked questions about their demographic information, their frequency of viewing the television show, the degree to which they had felt transported into a narrative world created by the drama, and their knowledge and beliefs about the health effects of environmental exposure. Conversations with key informants from federal agencies and advocacy groups were also held. Results. Episode viewing and narrative transportation were positively associated with knowledge of toxic exposure effects, and transported viewers reported being more likely to report an unusually high number of cancer cases to authorities. The show also appeared to have prompted a clarification of federal pesticide-testing policy. Conclusions. Entertainment Education is a promising strategy for disseminating key points of information about environmental health.
Receipt and Use of Free Condoms among U.S. Men Who Have Sex with Men
Authors: Khosropour Christine , Sullivan Patrick S. 
Published: January 2017

Objectives. Despite large public investments in condom distribution programs for HIV prevention among men who have sex with men (MSM), few evaluations have documented the reach of condom distribution programs or whether free condoms distributed to MSM are actually used. Among MSM recruited from social networking and dating websites, we examined the proportion who reported acquiring and using free condoms, and associations between select characteristics and reported acquisition and use of free condoms. Methods. We used baseline data from a prospective, online cohort of U.S. MSM. Participants reported acquiring free condoms in the 12 months before interview and, for those who acquired condoms and had anal intercourse, use of the free condoms they acquired. We used multivariable log binomial regression models to describe factors associated with self-reported acquisition and use of condoms. Results. Of the 2,893 men in the analytic sample, 1,701 (59%) reported acquiring free condoms in the past year. Acquisition of free condoms was higher for men who were younger, more educated, recently tested for HIV, and had higher numbers of sex partners. Seventy-three percent of men who acquired free condoms reported using them; use was higher for men who were black, had been recently tested for HIV, and reported greater numbers of sex partners. Conclusions. Most MSM in our online sample reported receiving free condoms, and most who acquired free condoms reported using them. These data suggest that condom distribution programs have reasonable reach and utility as part of a comprehensive package of HIV prevention interventions for U.S. MSM.
Improvements in Timeliness Resulting from Implementation of Electronic Laboratory Reporting and an Electronic Disease Surveillance System
Authors: Samoff Erika , Fangman Mary T. , Fleischauer Aaron T. , Waller Anna E. , MacDonald Pia D.M. 
Published: January 2017

Objectives. Electronic laboratory reporting (ELR) reduces the time between communicable disease diagnosis and case reporting to local health departments (LHDs). However, it also imposes burdens on public health agencies, such as increases in the number of unique and duplicate case reports. We assessed how ELR affects the timeliness and accuracy of case report processing within public health agencies. Methods. Using data from May–August 2010 and January–March 2012, we assessed timeliness by calculating the time between receiving a case at the LHD and reporting the case to the state (first stage of reporting) and between submitting the report to the state and submitting it to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (second stage of reporting). We assessed accuracy by calculating the proportion of cases returned to the LHD for changes or additional information. We compared timeliness and accuracy for ELR and non-ELR cases. Results. ELR was associated with decreases in case processing time (median = 40 days for ELR cases vs. 52 days for non-ELR cases in 2010; median = 20 days for ELR cases vs. 25 days for non-ELR cases in 2012; both p<0.001). ELR also allowed time to reduce the backlog of unreported cases. Finally, ELR was associated with higher case reporting accuracy (in 2010, 2% of ELR case reports vs. 8% of non-ELR case reports were returned; in 2012, 2% of ELR case reports vs. 6% of non-ELR case reports were returned; both p<0.001). Conclusion. The overall impact of increased ELR is more efficient case processing at both local and state levels.
Disparities in Life Expectancy of Pacific Northwest American Indians and Alaska Natives: Analysis of Linkage-Corrected Life Tables
Authors: Dankovchik Jenine , Hoopes Megan J. , Warren-Mears Victoria , Knaster Elizabeth 
Published: January 2017

Objectives. American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/ANs) experience a high burden of mortality and other disparities compared with the general population. Life tables are an important population health indicator; however, federal agencies have not produced life tables for AI/ANs, largely due to racial misclassification on death certificates. Our objective was to correct this misclassification and create life tables for AI/ANs who resided in the Pacific Northwest region of the U.S., making comparisons with the general population. Methods. To correct racial misclassification, we conducted probabilistic record linkages between death certificates from three Northwest states—Idaho, Oregon, and Washington State—issued during 2008–2010, and AI/AN patient registration records. We calculated mortality rates and generated period life tables for AI/ANs and non-Hispanic white (NHW) Americans. Results. Overall life expectancy at birth for Northwest AI/ANs was 72.8 years, which was 6.9 years lower than that of NHW Americans. Male AI/ANs had a lower life expectancy (70.9 years) than female AI/ANs (74.6 years). The disparity in life expectancy between AI/ANs and their NHW counterparts was higher for females (with AI/ANs living 7.3 years fewer than NHW females) than for males (with AI/ANs living 6.7 years fewer than NHW males). The greatest disparity in mortality rates was seen among young adults. Conclusion. Data linkage with a registry of known AI/ANs allowed us to generate accurate life tables that had not previously been available for this population and revealed disparities in both life expectancy at birth and survival across the life span. These results represent an important tool to help AI/AN communities as they monitor their health and promote efforts to eliminate health disparities.
Patient-Physician Language Concordance and Use of Preventive Care Services among Limited English Profcient Latinos and Asians
Authors: Jih Jane , Vittinghoff Eric , Fernandez Alicia 
Published: January 2017

Objectives. Patient-physician language concordance among limited English proficient (LEP) patients is associated with better outcomes for specific clinical conditions. Whether or not language concordance contributes to use of specific preventive care services is unclear. Methods. We pooled data from the 2007 and 2009 California Health Interview Surveys to examine mammography, colorectal cancer (CRC) screening, and influenza vaccination use among self-identified LEP Latino and Asian (i.e., Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese) immigrants. We defined language concordance by respondents reporting that their physician spoke their non-English language. Analyses were completed in 2013–2014. Results. Language concordance did not appear to facilitate mammography use among Latinas (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 1.02, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.72, 1.45). Among Asian women, we could not definitively exclude a negative association of language concordance with mammography (AOR=0.55, 95% CI 0.27, 1.09). Patient-physician language concordance was associated with lower odds of CRC screening among Asians but not Latinos (Asian AOR=0.50, 95% CI 0.29, 0.86; Latino AOR=0.85, 95% CI 0.56, 1.28). Influenza vaccination did not differ by physician language use among either Latinos or Asians. Conclusions. Patient-physician language concordance was not associated with higher use of mammography, CRC screening, or influenza vaccination. Language concordance was negatively associated with CRC screening among Asians for reasons that require further research. Future research should isolate the impact of language concordance on the use of preventive care services from health system factors.
Changes in Caries Experience, Untreated Caries, Sealant Prevalence, and Preventive Behavior among Third-Graders in New York State, 2002–2004 and 2009–2012
Authors: Kumar Jayanth V. , Tavares Vinicius , Kandhari Priyanka , Moss Mark , Jolaoso I. Adeyemi 
Published: January 2017

Objective. This study assessed changes in caries experience, untreated caries, sealant prevalence, and preventive behavior among third-grade children in New York State to monitor progress toward state health objectives. Methods. We analyzed children's data from the 2002–2004 ( n=10,865) and 2009–2012 ( n=6,758) New York State Oral Health Survey. We calculated differences in weighted percentages and 95% confidence intervals for caries experience, untreated caries, sealant prevalence, and preventive behavior. We used logistic regression procedures to assess the independent effects and interaction terms on dental caries experience. Results. The percentage of children with dental caries and untreated caries decreased from 54.1% and 33.0% in 2002–2004 to 45.2% and 23.6% in 2009–2012, respectively. While this decrease was not uniform across income subgroups, the prevalence of sealants, a key measure of the use of preventive services, increased significantly from 16.7% to 36.0% among lower-income children. Conclusions. Measurable improvement in reducing dental caries prevalence among third-grade children has been made in New York State, but this improvement was not uniform across subgroups. Specifically, disease prevalence among lower-income children remained high, underscoring the need to strengthen existing programs and identify additional policy and programmatic interventions.
Change in Population Characteristics and Teen Birth Rates in 77 Community Areas: Chicago, Illinois, 1999–2009
Authors: Gunaratne Shauna , Masinter Lisa , Kolak Marynia , Feinglass Joe 
Published: January 2017

Objective. We analyzed community area differences in teen births in Chicago, Illinois, from 1999 to 2009. We analyzed the association between changes in teen birth rates and concurrent measures of community area socioeconomic and demographic change. Methods. Mean annual changes in teen birth rates in 77 Chicago community areas were correlated with concurrent census-based population changes during the decade. Census measures included changes in race/ethnicity, adult high school dropouts, poverty or higher-income households, crowded housing, unemployment, English proficiency, foreign-born residents, or residents who moved in the last five years. We included non-collinear census measures with a p<0.1 bivariate association with change in teen births in a stepwise multiple linear regression model. Results. Teen birth rates in Chicago fell faster than the overall birth rates, from 85 births per 1,000 teens in 1999 to 57 births per 1,000 teens in 2009. There were strong positive associations between increases in the percentage of residents who were black and Hispanic, poor, without a high school diploma, and living in crowded housing, and a negative association with an increase in higher-income households. Population changes in poverty, Hispanic population, and high school dropouts were the only significant measures in the final model, explaining almost half of the variance in teen birth rate changes. Conclusion. The study provides a model of census-based measures that can be used to evaluate predicted vs. observed rates of change in teen births across communities, offering the potential to more appropriately prioritize public health resources for preventing unintended teen pregnancy.
Correlates of Concurrent Sexual Partnerships among Young, Rural African American Men
Authors: Kogan Steven M. , Cho Junhan , Barnum Stacey C. , Brown Geoffrey L. 
Published: January 2017

Objective. We investigated the social, behavioral, and psychological factors associated with concurrent (i.e., overlapping in time) sexual partnerships among rural African American young men with a primary female partner. Methods. We recruited 505 men in rural areas of southern Georgia from January 2012 to August 2013 using respondent-driven sampling; 361 reported having a primary female partner and participating only in heterosexual sexual activity. Men provided data on their demographic characteristics and HIV-related risk behaviors, as well as social, behavioral, and psychological risk factors. Results. Of the 361 men with a primary female partner, 164 (45.4%) reported concurrent sexual partners during the past three months. Among the 164 men with a concurrent sexual partner, 144 (92.9%) reported inconsistent condom use with their primary partners, and 68 (41.5%) reported using condoms inconsistently with their concurrent partners. Having concurrent sexual partnerships was associated with inconsistent condom use, substance use before sex, and self-reported sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Bivariate correlates of concurrent sexual partnerships included incarceration, substance use, early onset of sexual activity, impulsive decision-making, and masculinity attitudes (i.e., men's adherence to culturally defined standards for male behavior). In a multivariate model, both masculinity ideology and impulsive decision-making independently predicted concurrent sexual partnerships independent of other risk factors. Conclusion. Masculinity attitudes and impulsive decision-making are independent predictors of concurrent sexual partnerships among rural African American men and, consequently, the spread of HIV and other STIs. Developing programs that target masculinity attitudes and self-regulatory skills may help to reduce concurrent sexual partnerships.
Child Labour in the sports goods industry : Findings from a survey in selected bastis of Jalandhar
Authors: Goyal Pratibha 
Published: January 2017

Primary data collected from selected bastís of Jalandhar showed that 9.6% of the total labour engaged in the stitching of inflatable balls was child labour. The working hours for these children was far in excess of the statutory limit as provided under the Child Labour Prohibition and Regulation Act, 1986. Moreover, as the work of ball stitching is outsourced by contractors and done in the household, children engaged in this activity are not covered by the health and safety benefits that factory workers are entitled to. The children work to augment family income. Also, one of the factors at the root of child labour in Jalandhar is the perception that the education imparted in schools does not make one fit for jobs, so the sooner the children learn job-related skills, the better it is for them. Vocational education, if provided, would facilitate both education and skill training. Another measure could be to bring household labour under the scope of the law, so that children can not be put to work
Agriculture security: How to attain it
Authors: Bhargava Pushpa M. 
Published: January 2017

This article emphasizes the virtual synonimity of agriculture security, food security, farmers’ security, and security of the rural sector, and the importance of ensuring the above to ensure national security. Operationally, the following components of agriculture security have been identified: seeds; agrochemicals; water and power; soil; agricultural practices (traditional and modern); de juro / de facto empowerment of Panchayats; marketing of agro-products at fair / remunerative prices, other sources of augmentation of income of agriculturists and village dwellers (such as traditional arts and crafts, medicinal plants, plants producing biodiesel, fruits and vegetables, organic farming, post-harvest technologies, intelligent energy use, animal husbandry, fisheries and marine wealth, and orchid tissue culture); knowledge empowerment of the rural sector (both long-term through formal school education, and short-term through knowledge packages for Panchayats); loans, e.g. through microcredit; integration of rural and urban sectors, e.g. through roads, communication, appropriate industry, and medical and healthcare; policy, e.g. effective administration of NREGS; research and extension; external threats; disasters such as flood and famine; cultivable land and land records; bioterrorism; rare, emerging, new and exotic diseases of plants and animals; and climate change. The current problems the country is facing in each of the above areas are defined and concrete steps suggested to take care of them. It is recommended that a high-power apex body chaired by the Agriculture Minister should be set up to examine in detail the above recommendations and work out mechanisms to implement those that are found to be worthy of implementation. One of the functions of the proposed apex body should be to put together every year, reliable data on the production (and productivity, for example per person, per animal, per unit land, or per rupee spent, as appropriate) as well as consumption per person, of food, pulses, fruits, vegetables, milk, poultry, marine food, and meat.
Women in Prison with Alcohol Problems: Why Gender-Responsive Policies Matter
Authors: Mendoza Martha Romero 
Published: January 2017

The aim of this article is to show the results of alcohol consumption in a sample of female inmates and to reflect on the gaps existing regarding the issue of women with alcohol problems from a public policy and gender perspective in Mexico. A descriptive retrospective study was carried out in a non-probabilistic convenience sample of 213 women. Ninety-one percent of the women reported having tried alcohol at some time in their lives and 19.7% qualified for alcohol dependence on three or more criteria. Women had important health problems associated with alcohol consumption: gastritis, malnutrition, and blood pressure problems. One-third of the sampled women used alcohol while pregnant. More than a half were experiencing a major depressive episode. It is important to modify public policies so that women in general and marginalized women in particular have access to mental health services and addictions.
Measuring the Cannabis Market in Finland—A Consumption-Based Estimate
Authors: Hakkarainen Pekka , Kainulainen Heini , Perälä Jussi 
Published: January 2017

According to a frequently voiced opinion drug seizures represent 5 to 10 percent of drug traded in the market. In this article we estimate the size of the Finnish cannabis trade by calculating the number of users and the amount of the substance consumed in a year. We divide the subjects into five different groups based on the annual frequency of use: experimenters (1–4 days), modest occasional users (5–12 days), frequent occasional users (13–51 days), weekly users (52–181 days) and, finally, daily users (182–365 days). The highest number of users was found in the group of modest occasional users, while daily users were accountable for the greatest share of total consumption. According to our calculations the amount of seized cannabis corresponds to 10–23 percent of the total amount on the market which means that authorities operate more effectively than what is generally believed.
Drug Normalization and the Case of Sweden
Authors: Sznitman Sharon Rødner 
Published: January 2017

In relation to drug use research the concept of normalization is most commonly connected to Parker and his colleagues' “drug normalization thesis”. In their work the researchers lay down their account of what they see as a “cultural accommodation” of drug use. This recent conception of normalization has, however, not developed in a vacuum. As this article shows, normalization is a concept with a long history and various meanings and connotations. By drawing upon a wide-ranging normalization concept, this article explores the state of drug use in the Swedish normal population and to what extent we may speak of drug use as a normal or deviant part of contemporary Swedish society. The analysis shows that based on a comprehensive definition of normalization the current drug normalization debate may be expanded and it may push forward an improved understanding of drug use in a country like Sweden where drug normalization may at first sight seem irrelevant.
Possession, Good and Bad—Ritual, Effects and Side-Effects: the Baptism of Jesus and Mark 1.9-11 From a Cross-Cultural Perspective
Authors: DeMaris Richard E. 
Published: January 2017

This study challenges the longstanding and solid consensus among scholars that Jesus' baptism is historically certain but the vision (or theophany) that follows has little or no claim to historicity (Mk 1.9-11). Such visions and related phenomena are commonplace, however, in the many cultures that sanction entry into altered states of consciousness, which include Mediterranean culture, ancient and modern. From a cross-cultural perspective, what happens to Jesus at his baptism has the character of an altered state of consciousness anthropologists call possession trance. Possession trances can be positive or negative and are usually distinguished by the presence or absence of ritual activity. The followers of Jesus may have intro duced the baptismal rite into the story of his possession, therefore, in order to iden tify what happened to him as positive rather than negative, that is, as possession by Holy Spirit and not by a demon. Because of this possibility, Jesus' baptism has less claim to historicity than what follows, a conclusion that reverses the current schol arly consensus. As it closes, this study considers the Sitz im Leben of Mk 1.9-11 and suggests a second reason for joining baptism to vision. The second evangelist may have juxta posed the two as a way of counteracting undesirable consequences the baptismal rite had for the early Jesus movement.