scholarly journals Prevalence of childhood hearing impairment of different severities in urban and rural areas: a nationwide population-based study in Taiwan

BMJ Open ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. e020955 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cheng-Yu Lin ◽  
Yen-Cheng Tseng ◽  
How-Ran Guo ◽  
Der-Chung Lai
Keyword(s):  
Hearing Impairment ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Pure Tone ◽  
National Level ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Hearing Level ◽  
Prevalence Rates ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Urban And Rural Areas

ObjectiveChildhood hearing impairment (CHI) is a major developmental disability, but data at the national level are limited, especially those on different severities. We conducted a study to fill this data gap.DesignA nationwide study on the basis of a reporting system.SettingTo provide services to disabled citizens, the Taiwanese government maintains a registry of certified cases. Using data from this registry, we estimated prevalence rates of CHI of different severities from 2004 to 2010 and made comparisons between urban and rural areas.ParticipantsTaiwanese citizens ≤17 years old.Primary outcome measuresTo qualify for CHI disability benefits, a child must have an unaided pure-tone better ear hearing level at 0.5, 1 and 2 kHz with an average ≥55 decibels (dB), confirmed by an otolaryngologist. The severity was classified by pure-tone better ear hearing level as mild (55–69 dB), moderate (70–89 dB) and severe (≥90 dB).ResultsThe registered cases under 17 years old decreased annually from 4075 in 2004 to 3533 in 2010, but changes in the prevalence rate were small, ranging from 7.62/10 000 in 2004 to 7.91/10 000 in 2006. The prevalence rates of mild CHI increased in all areas over time, but not those of moderate or severe CHI. Rural areas had higher overall prevalence rates than urban areas in all years, with rate ratios (RRs) between 1.01 and 1.09. By severity, rural areas had higher prevalence rates of mild (RRs between 1.08 and 1.25) and moderate (RRs between 1.06 and 1.21) CHI but had lower prevalence rates of severe CHI (RRs between 0.92 and 0.99).ConclusionWhile rural areas had higher overall prevalence rates of CHI than urban areas, the RRs decreased with CHI severity. Further studies that identify factors affecting the rural–urban difference might help the prevention of CHI.

scholarly journals Green and Blue Space Availability and Self-Rated Health among Seniors in China: Evidence from a National Survey

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 545
Author(s):  
Chensong Lin ◽  
Longfeng Wu
Keyword(s):  
Rural Areas ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
National Level ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Coverage Ratio ◽  
Self Rated Health ◽  
Health Promoting ◽  
Major River ◽  
Urban And Rural Areas

Many empirical studies have shown evidence of multiple health benefits provided by green and blue spaces. Despite the importance of these spaces, investigations are scarce in details for blue spaces rather than green. Moreover, most research has focused on developed regions. A limited number of studies on blue spaces can be found in China with a focus on the city level. Outcomes have been mixed due to varying research scales, methodologies, and definitions. This study relies on a national-level social survey to explore how the self-rated health (SRH) of senior individuals is associated with local green and blue space availability in urban and rural areas. Results indicate that the coverage ratio of overall green spaces and waterbodies around a resident’s home have marginal effects on SRH status in both urban and rural areas. In urban areas, living close to a park can is marginally beneficial for older people’s health. Regarding different types of blue spaces, the presence of a major river (within 0.3–0.5 km) or coastline (within 1 km and 1–5 km) in the vicinity of home negatively affects SRH among the elderly in urban areas. Close proximity to lakes and other types of waterbodies with a water surface larger than 6.25 ha did not significantly influence SRH. These findings not only evaluate general health impacts of green/blue space development on senior populations across the county but inform decision makers concerning the health-promoting qualities and features of different green/blue spaces to better accommodate an aging population in the era of urbanization.

Influence of community satisfaction with individual happiness: comparative study in semi-urban and rural areas of Tikapur, Nepal

2017 ◽  
Vol 25 (3) ◽  
pp. 22-32 ◽  
Author(s):  
Myung-Bae Park ◽  
Chun-Bae Kim ◽  
Chhabi Ranabhat ◽  
Chang-Soo Kim ◽  
Sei-Jin Chang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Rural Areas ◽  
Physical Environment ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Positive Relationship ◽  
National Level ◽  
Medical Services ◽  
Community Satisfaction ◽  
Critical Factors ◽  
Urban And Rural Areas

Happiness is a subjective indicator of overall living conditions and quality of life. Recently, community- and national-level investigations connecting happiness and community satisfaction were conducted. This study investigated the effects of community satisfaction on happiness in Nepal. A factor analysis was employed to examine 24 items that are used to measure community satisfaction, and a multiple regression analysis was conducted to investigate the effects of these factors on happiness. In semi-urban areas, sanitation showed a positive relationship with happiness. In rural areas, edu-medical services were negatively related to happiness, while agriculture was positively related. Gender and perceived health were closely associated with happiness in rural areas. Both happiness and satisfaction are subjective concepts, and are perceived differently depending on the socio-physical environment and personal needs. Sanitation, agriculture (food) and edu-medical services were critical factors that affected happiness; however, the results of this study cannot be generalized to high-income countries.

Self-Reported Hearing Problems among Older Adults: Prevalence and Comparison to Measured Hearing Impairment

2011 ◽  
Vol 22 (08) ◽  
pp. 550-559 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samuli Hannula ◽  
Risto Bloigu ◽  
Kari Majamaa ◽  
Martti Sorri ◽  
Elina Mäki-Torkko
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Hearing Impairment ◽  
Pure Tone ◽  
Pure Tone Audiometry ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Single Frequency ◽  
Hearing Level ◽  
Hearing Thresholds ◽  
Hearing Difficulties ◽  
Hearing Problems

Background: There are not many population-based epidemiological studies on the association between self-reported hearing problems and measured hearing thresholds in older adults. Previous studies have shown that the relationship between self-reported hearing difficulties and measured hearing thresholds is unclear and, according to our knowledge, there are no previous population-based studies reporting hearing thresholds among subjects with hyperacusis. Purpose: The aim was to investigate the prevalence of self-reported hearing problems, that is, hearing difficulties, difficulties in following a conversation in noise, tinnitus, and hyperacusis, and to compare the results with measured hearing thresholds in older adults. Research Design: Cross-sectional, population-based, and unscreened. Study Sample: Random sample of subjects (n = 850) aged 54-66 yr living in the city of Oulu (Finland) and the surrounding areas. Data Collection and Analysis: Otological examination, pure tone audiometry, questionnaire survey Results: The prevalence of self-reported hearing problems was 37.1% for hearing difficulties, 43.3% for difficulties in following a conversation in noise, 29.2% for tinnitus, and 17.2% for hyperacusis. More than half of the subjects had no hearing impairment, or HI (BEHL[better ear hearing level]0.5–4 kHz < 20 dB HL) even though they reported hearing problems. Subjects with self-reported hearing problems, including tinnitus and hyperacusis, had significantly poorer hearing thresholds than those who did not report hearing problems. Self-reported hearing difficulties predicted hearing impairment in the pure-tone average at 4, 6, and 8 kHz, and at the single frequency of 4 kHz. Conclusions: The results indicate that self-reported hearing difficulties are more frequent than hearing impairment defined by audiometric measurement. Furthermore, self-reported hearing difficulties seem to predict hearing impairment at high frequencies (4–8 kHz) rather than at the frequencies of 0.5–4 kHz, which are commonly used to define the degree of hearing impairment in medical and legal issues.

scholarly journals The Current Situation and Future Trend of Leukemia Mortality by Sex and Area in China

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Baojing Li ◽  
Hong Tang ◽  
Zilu Cheng ◽  
Yuxiao Zhang ◽  
Hao Xiang
Keyword(s):  
Rural Areas ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Rural China ◽  
National Level ◽  
Temporal Trends ◽  
Future Trend ◽  
Mortality Trends ◽  
Projection Model ◽  
Precautionary Measures ◽  
Urban And Rural Areas

Leukemia is one of the most common cancers. We conducted this study to comprehensively analyze the temporal trends of leukemia mortality during 2003–2017 and project the trends until 2030. We extracted national-level data on annual leukemia mortality from China Health Statistics Yearbooks (2003–2017). We applied the Joinpoint regression model to assess leukemia mortality trends in urban and rural China by sex during 2003–2017. We also produced sex-specific leukemia mortality using the adjusted Global Burden Disease (GBD) 2016 projection model. In urban areas, age-standardized leukemia mortality decreased significantly among females during 2003–2017 (APC = −0.9%; 95% CI: −1.7, −0.1%). In rural areas, significant decreases of age-standardized leukemia mortality were both found among males (APC = −1.7%; 95% CI: −2.9, −0.5%) and females (APC = −1.6%; 95% CI: −2.6, −0.7%) from 2008 to 2017. Rural-urban and sex disparities of leukemia mortality will continue to exist until the year 2030. According to projection, the leukemia mortality rates of males and rural populations are higher than that of females and urban populations. In 2030, leukemia mortality is projected to decrease to 3.03/100,000 and 3.33/100,000 among the males in urban and rural areas, respectively. In females, leukemia mortality will decrease to 1.87/100,000 and 2.26/100,000 among urban and rural areas, respectively. Our study suggests that more precautionary measures to reduce leukemia mortality are need, and more attention should be paid to rural residents and males in primary prevention of leukemia in China.

scholarly journals Identification of Risk Factors for Diabetes Disability Among Bangladeshi Adults

2020 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Bhuyan KC
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Sex Ratio ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Smoking Habit ◽  
National Level ◽  
Correlation Coefficients ◽  
Obese Adults ◽  
Rural People ◽  
Urban And Rural Areas

The paper was to throw some light on the risk factors for diabetes disability among Bangladeshi adults of 18 years and above residing in both urban and rural areas. In investigating the adults, it was decited to cover 50.1% males and 49.9% females to maintain the national level of sex ratio in the sample. The respondents were interviewed when they were visiting some diagnostic centres in urban and semi-urban areas. The percentage of diabetic respondents included in the sample was 67% and 25.5% of them were suffering for 10 years and above, 6.4% were disable against 4.8% total disable respondents in the sample, and obese adults were 30.2%. Diabetic disable adults in the sample were 4.3%. The most responsible variable for diabetes disability was obesity followed by longer duration of diabetes, sedentary activity, smoking habit, being housewife, being married, etc. These variables were identified on the basis of risk ratio and correlation coefficients of variables and discriminant function scores. Beside these variables, rural people, Muslims, adults of ages 40-50 years, illiterate people had more risk of facing the problem of diabetes disability.

scholarly journals Identification of Risk Factors for Diabetes Disability among Bangladeshi Adults

2022 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 01-07
Author(s):  
K.C. Bhuyan
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Sex Ratio ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Smoking Habit ◽  
National Level ◽  
Correlation Coefficients ◽  
Obese Adults ◽  
Rural People ◽  
Urban And Rural Areas

The paper was to throw some light on the risk factors for diabetes disability among Bangladeshi adults of 18 years and above residing in both urban and rural areas. In investigating the adults, it was decided to cover 50.1% males and 49.9% females to maintain the national level of sex ratio in the sample. The respondents were interviewed when they were visiting some diagnostic centres in urban and semi-urban areas. The percentage of diabetic respondents included in the sample was 67% and 25.5% of them were suffering for 10 years and above, 6.4% were disable against 4.8% total disable respondents in the sample, and obese adults were 30.2%. Diabetic disable adults in the sample were 4.3%. The most responsible variable for diabetes disability was obesity followed by longer duration of diabetes, sedentary activity, smoking habit, being housewife, being married, etc. These variables were identified on the basis of risk ratio and correlation coefficients of variables and discriminant function scores. Beside these variables, rural people, Muslims, adults of ages 40 – 50 years, illiterate people had more risk of facing the problem of diabetes disability.

scholarly journals Index Decomposition Analysis on Factors Affecting Energy-Related Carbon Dioxide Emissions from Residential Consumption in Beijing

2017 ◽  
Vol 2017 ◽  
pp. 1-14 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fengyan Fan ◽  
Yalin Lei
Keyword(s):  
Rural Areas ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Carbon Dioxide Emissions ◽  
Decomposition Analysis ◽  
Impact Factors ◽  
Energy Structure ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Index Decomposition ◽  
Urban And Rural Areas ◽  
The Impact

Beijing’s residential CO2emissions have become the main growth point of CO2emissions. However, the impact factors of the direct energy-related CO2emissions from residents in Beijing have not been previously evaluated. This paper accessed the key factors that affect the residents’ CO2emissions in Beijing from 1995 to 2015, using a newly built decomposition model with generalized Fisher index (GFI) and M-P model. The results were compared between urban and rural areas. Urban residential CO2emissions did not change during 1995–1999 but then grew rapidly after 1999, while rural residential CO2emissions fluctuated during the studied period. Increased per capita income is the most important pulling factor for the growth of residential CO2emissions, while energy consumption intensity is a decisive factor in inhibiting residential CO2emissions. Population size plays a pulling role in the growth of residential CO2emissions. Energy structure exerts a role in inhibiting residential CO2emissions, and its inhibition effect is stronger for urban residents. Average consumption propensity inhibits urban residential CO2emissions but has little effect on rural residential CO2emissions. The population migration from rural to urban areas in the urbanization process increases residential CO2emissions. To reduce residential CO2emissions, several recommendations have been proposed.

scholarly journals A Spatially Highly Resolved Ground Mounted and Rooftop Potential Analysis for Photovoltaics in Austria

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 418
Author(s):  
Christian Mikovits ◽  
Thomas Schauppenlehner ◽  
Patrick Scherhaufer ◽  
Johannes Schmidt ◽  
Lilia Schmalzl ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Rural Areas ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
National Level ◽  
Solar Pv ◽  
Federal States ◽  
Upper Austria ◽  
Alpine Regions ◽  
Renewable Electricity Generation ◽  
Urban And Rural Areas

Austria aims to meet 100% of its electricity demand from domestic renewable sources by 2030 which means, that an additional 27 TWh/a of renewable electricity generation are required, thereof 11 TWh/a from photovoltaic. While some federal states and municipalities released a solar rooftop cadastre, there is lacking knowledge on the estimation of the potential of both, ground mounted installations and rooftop modules, on a national level with a high spatial resolution. As a first, in this work data on agricultural land-use is combined with highly resolved data on buildings on a national level. Our results show significant differences between urban and rural areas, as well as between the Alpine regions and the Prealpine- and Easter Plain areas. Rooftop potential concentrates in the big urban areas, but also in densely populated areas in Lower- and Upper Austria, Styria and the Rhine valley of Vorarlberg. The ground mounted photovoltaic potential is highest in Eastern Austria. This potential is geographically consistent with the demand and allows for a production close to the consumer. In theory, the goal of meeting 11 TWh/a in 2030 can be achieved solely with the rooftop PV potential. However, considering the necessary installation efforts, the associated costs of small and dispersed production units and finally the inherent uncertainty with respect to the willingness of tens of thousands of individual households to install PV systems, installing the necessary solar PV on buildings alone is constrained.

scholarly journals Assessment of multiple factors affecting intelligence quotient of children of rural and urban areas of Rajasthan, India

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (7) ◽  
pp. 2557
Author(s):  
Shreyans D. Singhvi ◽  
Preksha T. Singh ◽  
Gautam Bhandari
Keyword(s):  
Rural Areas ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Intelligence Quotient ◽  
Public Health Problem ◽  
Major Public Health Problem ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Rural And Urban Areas ◽  
Rural And Urban ◽  
Group 3 ◽  
Urban And Rural Areas

Background: Children are the future of our country and hence their mental and physical wellbeing should be our upmost priority. Undernutrition is a major public health problem in our country and is one of the most common reasons for morbidity and mortality in children under 5yrs of age. The first few years of life are particularly important because vital development occurs in all domains. Therefore, this study has aimed to study the Intelligence Quotient (IQ) of the children of the age group 3-5 in urban and rural areas and study the factors associated with it.Methods: A cross section study of the children group of population was performed. Two sections of the children group were taken for the study- children population residing in an urban area and children population residing in a rural community of Rajasthan, India. The data was compiled and analyzed using appropriate statistical methods.Results: In our study, we have found that The following chosen demographic factors were found associated with children Intelligence quotient (IQ) - nutritional status, socioeconomic status, and age, while gender was not found to be associated with IQ.Conclusions: As, cognitive development is fairly important to children and their future, it should be paid more acknowledgment, as well as early preventive methods of it’s associated factors. 

scholarly journals Magnitude and Correlates of Caesarean Section in Urban and Rural Areas: A Multivariate Study in Vietnam

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Myriam de Loenzien ◽  
Clémence Schantz ◽  
Bich Ngoc Luu ◽  
Alexandre Dumont
Keyword(s):  
Caesarean Section ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
National Level ◽  
Multivariate Logistic Regression Analysis ◽  
Reproductive Age ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Mortality And Morbidity ◽  
Healthcare Facilities ◽  
Urban And Rural Areas

AbstractCaesarean section can prevent maternal and neonatal mortality and morbidity. However, it involves risks and high costs which can be a burden, especially in low and middle income countries. The international healthcare community considers the optimal caesarean rate to be between 10% and 15%. The aim of this study is to assess its magnitude and correlates among women of reproductive age in urban and rural areas in Vietnam. We analyzed microdata from the national Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) conducted in 2013-2014 using representative sample of households at the national level as well as regarding the urban and the rural areas. A total of 1,378 women who delivered in institutional settings in the two years preceding the survey were included. Frequency and percentage distributions of the variables were performed. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis were undertaken to identify the factors associated with caesarean section. Odds ratios with 95% confidence interval were used to ascertain the direction and strength of the associations. The overall CS rate among the women who delivered in healthcare facilities in Vietnam is particularly high (29.2%) with regards to WHO standards. After controlling for significant characteristics, living in urban areas more than doubles the likelihood of undergoing a CS (OR = 2.31; 95% CI 1.79 to 2.98). Maternal age at delivery over 35 is a major positive correlate of CS. Beyond this common phenomenon, distinct lines of socioeconomic and demographic cleavage operate in urban versus rural areas. The differences regarding correlates of CS according to the place of residence suggest that specific measures should be taken in each setting to allow women to access childbirth services appropriate to their needs. Further research is needed on this topic.

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