scholarly journals National survey of home injuries during the time of COVID-19: who is at risk?

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrea C. Gielen ◽  
Grace Bachman ◽  
Oluwakemi Badaki-Makun ◽  
Renee M. Johnson ◽  
Eileen McDonald ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, 44% of all reported injuries in U.S. households occurred in the home. Spending more time at home due to the pandemic may increase the number of home injuries. Methods A nationally representative sample of 2011 U.S. adults were surveyed online between June 17 – June 29, 2020. Propensity score weighting and T-tests were used. Results Twenty-eight percent (28%) of households reported a home injury or ingestion during the pandemic; 13% reported experiencing both. Injuries were most often due to falls (32%). Medication ingestions were reported by 6%; household product ingestions were reported by 4%. Relative to households that experienced no injuries or ingestions, those that reported either or both were more likely to: be in urban areas, have household incomes > $100,000, and have children living in them. Among households reporting more time spent at home, those with children were significantly more likely than those without to report an injury or ingestion. Conclusions Results help target prevention messages while U.S. families are continuing to work and learn remotely. During this pandemic and future stay-at-home orders, there is a need for public health efforts to prevent home injuries and ingestions.

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
B E Dixon ◽  
T D McFarlane ◽  
S J Grannis ◽  
P J Gibson

Abstract In 2017, the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials fielded the Public Health Workforce Interests and Needs Survey (PH WINS), a nationally representative sample of state-level (SHA) and local health department (LHD) public health workers in the United States. The survey was an opportunity to measure the PHI workforce as well as assess the informatics needs of the broader PH workforce. We performed a cross-sectional study using the nationally representative 2017 PH WINS. A total of 17,136 SHA and 26,533 LHD employees participated in the survey. Respondents were asked to rate selected PH competencies with respect to the importance to their day-to-day work (i.e., not important to very important) and their current skill level (e.g., unable to perform, beginner, proficient, expert). We examined skill gaps, defined as discordance between self-reported importance (i.e., need) and skill level, for example, those reporting the competency as “somewhat important” or “very important” and “unable to perform” or “beginner.” Informaticians accounted for 1.1% of SHA respondents and 0.5% of LHD respondents working in a Big City Health Coalition agency, those that serve the top 30 most populous urban areas in the United States. While informaticians generally reported having the skills they needed for their jobs, other PH roles identified gaps. For example, 22.9% of clinical and laboratory workers felt the ability to “identify appropriate sources of data and information to assess the health of a community” was an important skill but they currently possessed low competency. This group similarly identified a gap with respect to collecting ‘valid data for use in decision making.' An informatics-savvy health department requires PHI competencies not just among PHI specialists but also among front line workers, program area managers, and executive leadership. Discordance suggests that agencies should examine ways to enhance training for PHI-related competencies for all PH workers. Key messages The informatics specialists’ role is rare in public health agencies. Significant data and informatics skills gaps persist among the broader public health workforce.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Syed Afroz Keramat ◽  
Khorshed Alam ◽  
Mohammed Khaled Al-Hanawi ◽  
Jeff Gow ◽  
Stuart J. H. Biddle ◽  
...  

AbstractThe prevalence of overweight and obesity has been increasing globally and has become a significant public health concern in Australia in the two past decades. This study explores the most recent national prevalence and trends of adult overweight and obesity in Australia. It will also investigate geographic remoteness as a potential risk factor for an individual being overweight or obese in adulthood. A retrospective longitudinal study that utilised 14 successive waves (wave 6 through 19) of a nationally representative linked individual-level survey. Data was obtained from the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia survey. The data on 199,675 observations from 26,713 individuals aged ≥ 15 years over the period 2006 to 2019 was analysed. Random-effects logit model was employed to estimate the association between geographic remoteness and the risk of excessive weight gain. The results reveal that the prevalence of overweight, obesity and combined overweight and obesity among Australian adults in 2019 were 34%, 26% and 60%, respectively. The analysis shows that the prevalence of overweight and obesity varies by geographic remoteness. Adults from regional city urban (OR 1.53, 95% CI 1.16–2.03) and rural areas (OR 1.32, 95% CI 1.18–1.47) were more likely to be obese compared with their counterparts from major city urban areas. The results also show that adults living in major city urban areas, regional city urban areas, and regional city rural areas in Australia were 1.53 (OR 1.53, 95% CI 1.16–2.03), 1.32 (OR 1.32, 95% CI 1.18–1.47), and 1.18 (OR 1.18, 95% CI 1.08–1.29) times more likely to be overweight compared with their counterparts from major city urban areas in Australia. Substantial geographic variation in the prevalence of overweight and obesity exists among Australian adults and appears to be increasing. Public health measures should focus on contextual obesogenic factors and behavioural characteristics to curb the rising prevalence of adult obesity.


2001 ◽  
Vol 60 (2) ◽  
pp. 99-107 ◽  
Author(s):  
Holger Schmid

Cannabis use does not show homogeneous patterns in a country. In particular, urbanization appears to influence prevalence rates, with higher rates in urban areas. A hierarchical linear model (HLM) was employed to analyze these structural influences on individuals in Switzerland. Data for this analysis were taken from the Switzerland survey of Health Behavior in School-Aged Children (HBSC) Study, the most recent survey to assess drug use in a nationally representative sample of 3473 15-year-olds. A total of 1487 male and 1620 female students indicated their cannabis use and their attributions of drug use to friends. As second level variables we included address density in the 26 Swiss Cantons as an indicator of urbanization and officially recorded offences of cannabis use in the Cantons as an indicator of repressive policy. Attribution of drug use to friends is highly correlated with cannabis use. The correlation is even more pronounced in urban Cantons. However, no association between recorded offences and cannabis use was found. The results suggest that structural variables influence individuals. Living in an urban area effects the attribution of drug use to friends. On the other hand repressive policy does not affect individual use.


2020 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
pp. 67-87 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christian Hunold

City-scale urban greening is expanding wildlife habitat in previously less hospitable urban areas. Does this transformation also prompt a reckoning with the longstanding idea that cities are places intended to satisfy primarily human needs? I pose this question in the context of one of North America's most ambitious green infrastructure programmes to manage urban runoff: Philadelphia's Green City, Clean Waters. Given that the city's green infrastructure plans have little to say about wildlife, I investigate how wild animals fit into urban greening professionals' conceptions of the urban. I argue that practitioners relate to urban wildlife via three distinctive frames: 1) animal control, 2) public health and 3) biodiversity, and explore the implications of each for peaceful human-wildlife coexistence in 'greened' cities.


2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 105-110
Author(s):  
Haile Kassahun ◽  
Dugessa Tesfaye

Background: Disposal of pharmaceutical waste among patients is a global challenge especially in developing countries like Ethiopia. Improper medication disposal can lead to health problems and environmental contaminations. Therefore, the present study aimed to assess disposal practices of unused medications among patients in public health centers of Dessie town, Northeast Ethiopia. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 263 patients in four public health centers of Dessie town, Ethiopia from March to June, 2019. Face-to-face interviews using structured questionnaires were used to collect data from each study subject. Results: The majority of the respondents, 224 (85.17%) had unused medications at their home during the study period. The most commonly reported disposal method in the present study was flushing down into a toilet 66 (25.09%). None of the respondents practiced returning unused medications to Pharmacy. Moreover, 85 (32.31%) of the respondents reported never disposing their medications and believed that it is acceptable to store medications at home for future use. Conclusion: In the present study, there was a high practice of keeping medications at home and most of the disposal practices were not recommended methods. In addition, most of the respondents did not get advice from pharmacists and other health care professionals on how to dispose off unused medications. Hence, there is a need for proper education and guidance of patients regarding disposal practices of unused medications.


BMJ Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
pp. e047665
Author(s):  
Raja Ram Dhungana ◽  
Khem Bahadur Karki ◽  
Bihungum Bista ◽  
Achyut Raj Pandey ◽  
Meghnath Dhimal ◽  
...  

ObjectivesTo assess the prevalence, pattern and determinants of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) multimorbidity in Nepal.DesignSecondary analysis of the data from the NCD survey 2018, which was conducted between 2016 and 2018.SettingThe data belong to the nationally representative survey, that selected the study samples from throughout Nepal using multistage cluster sampling.Participants8931 participants aged 20 years and older were included in the study.Primary outcomesNCD multimorbidity (occurrence of two or more chronic conditions including hypertension, diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, chronic kidney disease, coronary artery disease and cancer). Descriptive statistics, prevalence ratio and odds ratio were computed to assess pattern and determinants of multimorbidity.ResultsMean (SD) age was 46.7 years (14.9 years). The majority of the participants were women (57.8%), without formal education (53.4%) and from urban areas (51.5%). Multimorbidity was present in 13.96% (95% CI: 12.9% to 15.1%). Hypertension and diabetes coexisted in 5.7%. Age, alcohol consumption, body mass index, non-high-density lipoprotein (non-HDL) level and rural–urban setting were significantly associated with multimorbidity.ConclusionMultimorbidity was prevalent in particular groups or geographical areas in Nepal suggesting a need for coordinated and integrated NCD care approach for the management of multiplicative co-comorbid conditions.


Author(s):  
Yu-Chin Tsai ◽  
Shao-Chun Wu ◽  
Ting-Min Hsieh ◽  
Hang-Tsung Liu ◽  
Chun-Ying Huang ◽  
...  

Thank you for Eduardo Mekitarian Filho’s appreciation of our work on the study of stress-induced hyperglycemia (SIH) and diabetic hyperglycemia (DH) in patients with traumatic brain injuries [...]


2011 ◽  
Vol 26 (S1) ◽  
pp. s63-s63
Author(s):  
M. Reilly

IntroductionRecent studies have discussed major deficiencies in the preparedness of emergency medical services (EMS) providers to effectively respond to disasters, terrorism and other public health emergencies. Lack of funding, lack of national uniformity of systems and oversight, and lack of necessary education and training have all been cited as reasons for the inadequate emergency medical preparedness in the United States.MethodsA nationally representative sample of over 285,000 emergency medical technicians (EMTs) and Paramedics in the United States was surveyed to assess whether they had received training in pediatric considerations for blast and radiological incidents, as part of their initial provider education or in continuing medical education (CME) within the previous 24 months. Providers were also surveyed on their level of comfort in responding to and potentially treating pediatric victims of these events. Independent variables were entered into a multivariate model and those identified as statistically significant predictors of comfort were further analyzed.ResultsVery few variables in our model caused a statistically significant increase in comfort with events involving children in this sample. Pediatric considerations for blast or radiological events represented the lowest levels of comfort in all respondents. Greater than 70% of respondents reported no training as part of their initial provider education in considerations for pediatrics following blast events. Over 80% of respondents reported no training in considerations for pediatrics following events associated with radiation or radioactivity. 88% of respondents stated they were not comfortable with responding to or treating pediatric victims of a radiological incident.ConclusionsOut study validates our a priori hypothesis and several previous studies that suggest deficiencies in preparedness as they relate to special populations - specifically pediatrics. Increased education for EMS providers on the considerations of special populations during disasters and acts of terrorism, especially pediatrics, is essential in order to reduce pediatric-related morbidity and mortality following a disaster, act of terrorism or public health emergency.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Filippo Pavanello ◽  
Teresa Randazzo

<p>Do remittances improve how households adapt to global warming? We explore this question exploiting a nationally-representative household data from Mexico - a country that experiences a large flow of remittances. Mexican households respond to excess heat by purchasing air conditioning and remittances can be used to adopt and use cooling devices that contribute to maintaining thermal comfort at home. Our results show that recipient households have a higher probability to adopt air conditioning at home with important implication on electricity consumption. The effect is even larger for those households living in high-temperature areas showing an important role of remittances in the climate adaptation process.</p>


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