Personal, Social, and Environmental Correlates of Walking to School Behaviors: Case Study in Austin, Texas

Walking is an affordable and environmentally clean mode of transportation that can bring additional benefits as healthy physical activity. This cross-sectional study examines the prevalence and correlates of walking to or from school in eight elementary schools in Austin, Texas, which have high percentages of low-income, Hispanic students. A survey of 1,281 parents was conducted, including questions about personal, social, and environmental factors that may influence their decisions on the children's school transportation. Binary logistic regressions were used to estimate the odds of choosing walking as the children's typical school travel mode. The results showed that walking was a typical mode for 28 and 34% of trips to and from school, respectively, and mostly accompanied by an adult. Parents' education level, family's car ownership, children's and parents' personal barriers, and having the school bus service reduced the likelihood of walking, while positive peer influences encouraged walking. Among the physical environmental factors, living close to school was the strongest positive predictor; safety concerns and the presence of highway or freeway en route were negative correlates. We concluded that the location of school is a key, as it determines the travel distance and the presence of highway or freeway en route. In addition to environmental improvements, educational and other assistance programs are needed for both parents and children to overcome their personal barriers and safety concerns. Health and disparity issues require further attention, as many underprivileged children have no other means of school transportation but walking in unsafe and poor environments.

Download Full-text

A cross-sectional study of the relationship of proximal smoking environments and cessation history, plans, and self-efficacy among low-income smokers

The Journal of Smoking Cessation ◽

10.1017/jsc.2019.15 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 14 (4) ◽

pp. 229-238

Author(s):

Rachel Widome ◽

Patrick J Hammett ◽

Anne M Joseph ◽

Diana J Burgess ◽

Janet L Thomas ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Environmental Factors ◽

Low Income ◽

Self Efficacy ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Baseline Survey ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Quit Attempts ◽

Smoking Behaviors ◽

Household Members ◽

Readiness To Quit

AbstractIntroductionProximal environments could facilitate smoking cessation among low-income smokers by making cessation appealing to strive for and tenable.AimsWe sought to examine how home smoking rules and proximal environmental factors such as other household members' and peers' smoking behaviors and attitudes related to low-income smokers' past quit attempts, readiness, and self-efficacy to quit.MethodsThis analysis used data from Offering Proactive Treatment Intervention (OPT-IN) (randomized control trial of proactive tobacco cessation outreach) baseline survey, which was completed by 2,406 participants in 2011/12. We tested the associations between predictors (home smoking rules and proximal environmental factors) and outcomes (past-year quit attempts, readiness to quit, and quitting self-efficacy).ResultsSmokers who lived in homes with more restrictive household smoking rules, and/or reported having ‘important others’ who would be supportive of their quitting, were more likely to report having made a quit attempt in the past year, had greater readiness to quit, and greater self-efficacy related to quitting.ConclusionsAdjustments to proximal environments, including strengthening household smoking rules, might encourage cessation even if other household members are smokers.

Download Full-text

Influence of environmental factors on road traffic accidents: Hospital based cross sectional study at Tirupati

National Journal of Research in Community Medicine ◽

10.26727/njrcm.2018.7.1.52-55 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 7 (1) ◽

pp. 52

Author(s):

Bayapa Reddy N. ◽

Shakeer Kahn P. ◽

Surendra Babu D. ◽

Khadervali N. ◽

Chandrasekhar C. ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Environmental Factors ◽

Traffic Accidents ◽

Road Traffic ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Road Traffic Accidents ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional

Download Full-text

Trends in social inequalities in breastfeeding and infant formulas in Latin American countries between the 1990 and 2010 decades

Public Health Nutrition ◽

10.1017/s1368980021000392 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-10

Author(s):

Camila S Ferreira ◽

Catarina M Azeredo ◽

Ana Elisa M Rinaldi

Keyword(s):

Dominican Republic ◽

Social Inequality ◽

Latin American ◽

Low Income ◽

Social Inequalities ◽

Weighted Least Squares ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Demographic And Health Surveys ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Simultaneous Decrease

Abstract Objective: To analyse trends of social inequality in breastfeeding and infant formula (IF) use in Latin America between 1990 and 2010 decades. Design: Time-series cross-sectional study with data from Demographic and Health Surveys. We described the prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding (EBF), breastfeeding between 6 and 12 months (BF6-12) and IF for infants under 6 months (IF < 6) and between 6 and 12 months (IF6-12). Social inequalities were assessed using the slope index of inequality (SII) and concentration index (CIX). Trends in the prevalence of breastfeeding, IF and index of social inequality were analysed by a linear regression model with weighted least squares variance. Setting: Bolivia, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Haiti and Peru. Participants: 51·358 alive infants younger than 12 months. Results: Five countries showed an increasing trend for EBF and BF6-12, four increased for IF < 6 and six for IF6-12. Simultaneous decrease in IF < 6 (Colombia: −0·3/year; Haiti: −0·02/year) and increase in EBF (Colombia: +2·0/year; Haiti: +1·9/year) were observed only in two countries. EBF prevalence was high in the lowest income quintiles in five countries, and IF prevalence was high in the highest income quintiles in all countries and over the decades. For BF6-12, a decrease in inequality (prevalence increased in the highest quintile) was observed in Guatemala (SII1995 = −0·42; SII2015 = −0·28) and the Dominican Republic (SII1996 = −0·54; SII2013 = −0·26). Guatemala was the only country showing a decrease in inequality for BF (SII = −0·005; CIX = −0·0035) and an increase for IF (SII = 0·022; CIX = 0·01). Conclusions: The inequality in BF and IF remained over time. However, inequality in IF < 6 has decreased because low-income infants have increased use and high-income infants have decreased.

Download Full-text

Acceptance of a COVID-19 Vaccine in Japan during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Vaccines ◽

10.3390/vaccines9030210 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (3) ◽

pp. 210

Author(s):

Masaki Machida ◽

Itaru Nakamura ◽

Takako Kojima ◽

Reiko Saito ◽

Tomoki Nakaya ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Low Income ◽

Multiple Logistic Regression Analysis ◽

Sociodemographic Factors ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Internet Survey ◽

Protective Measure ◽

Attitudes And Beliefs ◽

Perceived Effectiveness ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Vaccine Acceptance

Vaccination could be a key protective measure against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), and it is important to understand the acceptability of the COVID-19 vaccine among the general public. However, there is no study on the acceptance of a COVID-19 vaccine in Japan. Therefore, this study aimed to describe the COVID-19 vaccine acceptance and hesitancy situation in Japan and assess the factors associated with such issues. This was a cross-sectional study based on an internet survey completed by 2956 people. Participants were asked to indicate how likely they were to get vaccinated for COVID-19. In addition, the participants responded to questions regarding sociodemographic factors, attitudes, and beliefs regarding COVID-19 infection and vaccination. The proportion of participants with a high likelihood of getting a COVID-19 vaccine was 62.1%. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that vaccine acceptance was lower among several sociodemographic groups, such as women, adults aged 20–49 years, and those with a low-income level. Several psychological factors, especially the perceived effectiveness of the COVID-19 vaccine, and willingness to protect others by getting oneself vaccinated, were associated with vaccine acceptance. Our results indicate that the perceived effectiveness of the vaccine and willingness to protect others may play an important role in the acceptance of the COVID-19 vaccine.

Download Full-text

Social inequality in parent–infant relations: Epidemiological study of community nurse records

Scandinavian Journal of Public Health ◽

10.1177/1403494820983137 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 140349482098313

Author(s):

Bjørn E. Holstein ◽

Sofie Weber Pant ◽

Janni Ammitzbøll ◽

Trine Pagh Pedersen

Keyword(s):

Community Sample ◽

Occupational Status ◽

Home Visits ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Outcome Variable ◽

Immigrant Parents ◽

First Year ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Parents And Children ◽

First Year Of Life

Background: Some studies suggest that favourable socioeconomic circumstances are associated with better parent–child relations but the documentation of such an association is limited and inconsistent. Few studies focused on infancy, few studies relied on objective measurement of parent–infant relations, and few studies included more than one measurement of parent–infant relations in the first year of life. Aims: To report the prevalence of objectively measured problems in parent–infant relations during the first year of life and to examine the association between socioeconomic circumstances and parent–infant relations in an unselected community sample of infants. Methods: Cross-sectional study of a community sample of children from birth to 10 months in 15 municipalities in Denmark, n = 11,765. The exposure variables were population register data about socioeconomic circumstances: (a) parents’ education, (b) family composition, (c) parents’ origin, and (d) parents’ occupational status. The outcome variable was the health visitor’s concerns about the parent–infant relation assessed at four home visits from birth to 10 months after delivery. Results: The proportion of children with concerns about the parent–infant relation was 10.5%, 7.8% at one home visit and 2.8% at two or more home visits. Logistic regression analyses showed that all four indicators of socioeconomic circumstances were associated with concerns about the parent–infant relation in the first year of life. Conclusions: The risk of problematic parent–infant relations were significantly elevated among, children of immigrant parents, and children of parents with shorter education and not in education or work.

Download Full-text

School-Time Movement Behaviors and Fundamental Movement Skills in Preschoolers: An Isotemporal Reallocation Analysis

Perceptual and Motor Skills ◽

10.1177/00315125211013196 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 003151252110131

Author(s):

Clarice Maria de Lucena Martins ◽

Cain Craig Truman Clark ◽

Rafael Miranda Tassitano ◽

Anastácio Neco de Souza Filho ◽

Anelise Reis Gaya ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Low Income ◽

Motor Development ◽

Compositional Analysis ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Fine Motor ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Movement Skills ◽

School Time ◽

Fundamental Movement Skills ◽

Time Movement

Little is known of how reallocations of time spent in different movement behaviors during preschool might relate to preschoolers’ fundamental movement skills (FMS), a key predictor of later physical activity (PA). Thus, the aim of this study was to examine (a) whether preschoolers’ school-time movement was associated with their FMS and (b) the effects on FMS of reallocating time between PA and sedentary behavior (SB). This was a cross-sectional study, using intervention data with Brazilian low-income preschoolers. We observed Brazilian preschoolers of both sexes ( Mage = 4.5, SD = 0.8 years-old; 101boys) over 10 hours of school-time and objectively assessed their PA and SB with Actigraph wGT3X and their FMS with the Test of Gross Motor Development – Second Edition. We explored the associations between school-time movement behaviors and FMS and between reallocated school-time movement behaviors and FES using compositional analysis in R (version 1.40-1), robCompositions (version 0.92-7), and lmtest (version 0.9-35) packages. This isotemporal reallocation showed that, for manipulative skills, reallocating time (5, 10, and 15 minutes, respectively) from light PA to SB was associated with increasing skill (0.14, 0.28, and 0.42 FMS units), raising questions as to whether fine motor activity occurred during SB. Thus, school-time movement significantly predicted FMS, with a modest increase in SB, at the expense of light PA eliciting improved manipulative skills.

Download Full-text

Seroprevalence of hepatitis E virus in risk populations and blood donors in a referral hospital in the south of Brazil

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-021-85365-5 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Marisa Boff Costa ◽

Michele Soares Gomes Gouvêa ◽

Samira Chuffi ◽

Gustavo Hirata Dellavia ◽

Felipe Ornel ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Low Income ◽

Hepatitis E Virus ◽

Blood Donors ◽

Total Sample ◽

Hepatitis E ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Elisa Test ◽

Confirmatory Test ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Populations At Risk

AbstractThe prevalence of anti-hepatitis E virus (HEV) antibodies has a high heterogeneity worldwide. South American data are still scarce. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of HEV in populations at risk in comparison to blood donors (BD). A cross-sectional study was carried out in adults of different risk populations including crack users (CK), residents in a low income area (LIA), cirrhotic (CIR) and liver transplant patients (LT) compared with BD. The WANTAI HEV ELISA test was used and real-time PCR (in-house for screening and ALTONA as confirmatory test) for HEV RNA screening. A total of 400 participants were included. Anti-HEV IgG was positive in 19.5% of the total sample, reaching the highest rate in the CIR group, 22.5%, followed by CK, LT, and LIA (20%, 18.7%, and 17.5%, respectively). The prevalence found in BD individuals was of 18.7% (p = NS). Anti-HEV IgM was positive in only 1.5% of the sample (6/400). No blood or stools samples were positive for HEV RNA. The seroprevalence reported is among the highest rates ever found in Brazil. Considering the intense diagnostic investigation, data show that HEV circulation is more common that might be expected in our country.

Download Full-text

Serum Concentrations of Selected Organochlorines in Pregnant Women and Associations with Pregnancy Outcomes. A Cross-Sectional Study from Two Rural Settings in Cambodia

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph17207652 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 17 (20) ◽

pp. 7652

Author(s):

Margit Steinholt ◽

Shanshan Xu ◽

Sam Ol Ha ◽

Duong Trong Phi ◽

Maria Lisa Odland ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Polychlorinated Biphenyls ◽

Pregnant Women ◽

Gestational Age ◽

Low Income ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Maternal Serum ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Serum Samples ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Rural Settings

We conducted a cross-sectional study among 194 pregnant women from two low-income settings in Cambodia. The inclusion period lasted from October 2015 through December 2017. Maternal serum samples were analyzed for persistent organic pollutants (POPs). The aim was to study potential effects on birth outcomes. We found low levels of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and organochlorine pesticides (OCP), except for heptachlors, β-hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH), heptachlor epoxide, and p,p’-DDE. There were few differences between the two study locations. However, the women from the poorest areas had significantly higher concentrations of p,p’-DDE (p < 0.001) and hexachlorobenzene (HCB) (p = 0.002). The maternal factors associated with exposure were parity, age, residential area, and educational level. Despite low maternal levels of polychlorinated biphenyls, we found significant negative associations between the PCB congeners 99 (95% CI: −2.51 to −0.07), 138 (95% CI: −1.28 to −0.32), and 153 (95% CI: −1.06 to −0.05) and gestational age. Further, there were significant negative associations between gestational age, birth length, and maternal levels of o,p’-DDE. Moreover, o,p’-DDD had positive associations with birth weight, and both p,p’-DDD and o,p’-DDE were positively associated with the baby’s ponderal index. The poorest population had higher exposure and less favorable outcomes.

Download Full-text

Cross-sectional study of drivers of animal-source food consumption in low-income urban areas of Nairobi, Kenya

BMC Nutrition ◽

10.1186/s40795-016-0109-z ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 2 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

Laura Cornelsen ◽

Pablo Alarcon ◽

Barbara Häsler ◽

Djesika D. Amendah ◽

Elaine Ferguson ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Food Consumption ◽

Low Income ◽

Urban Areas ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Animal Source ◽

Animal Source Food

Download Full-text

Increase in the Risk of Respiratory Disorders in Adults and Children Related to Crop-Growing in Niger

Journal of Environmental and Public Health ◽

10.1155/2016/9848520 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 2016 ◽

pp. 1-8 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Ali Mamane ◽

Jean-François Tessier ◽

Ghislaine Bouvier ◽

Roger Salamon ◽

Pierre Lebailly ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Multivariate Analysis ◽

Environmental Factors ◽

Respiratory Symptoms ◽

Respiratory Health ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Face To Face ◽

Increased Risk ◽

Adults And Children ◽

Agricultural Areas

Background and Objective. Environmental factors are an increasing concern for respiratory health in developing countries. The objective of this study was to investigate whether Nigerien people living in cultivated areas have more respiratory symptoms than those living in pastoral areas. Method. A cross-sectional study was conducted in 2013 in two populations during the rainy season when land is cultivated. Environmental factors including pesticide use and respiratory symptoms were collected in adults and children during face-to-face interviews. Multivariate analysis between exposures and symptoms was performed in children and in adults separately. Results. The study included 471 adults and 229 children. Overall, none of the households reported the use of pesticides for agricultural purposes. However, 87.2% reported the use of insecticides at home. Multivariate analysis showed that people living in agricultural areas compared to those in pastoral areas had an increased risk of respiratory symptoms in adults (wheezing, dyspnea, sudden shortness of breath, and cough without fever) and in children (cough without fever). The use of insecticides showed no effect on respiratory symptoms after adjustment. Conclusion. This first epidemiological study on the environment and respiratory health conducted in Niger demonstrates a significant relationship between respiratory manifestations and the agricultural characteristics of the living area. However only the effect of insecticides in the home on respiratory health was observed.

Download Full-text