scholarly journals Wood and Its Impact on Humans and Environment Quality in Health Care Facilities

Author(s):  
Veronika Kotradyova ◽  
Erik Vavrinsky ◽  
Barbora Kalinakova ◽  
Dominik Petro ◽  
Katarina Jansakova ◽  
...  

The paper presents the application of natural materials, especially wood, which are relevant for human well-being in built environments of health, social, and day care facilities. These properties were tested by a complex methodology in a case study in the wooden waiting room at National Oncology Institute in Bratislava. In this space, experimental tests of physiological responses were further executed on 50 volunteers moving in the waiting room for 20 min. In this article, the EEG (electroencephalograph) (four persons) and emotions from the faces of all our volunteers before entering and after a stay in a wooden waiting room were recorded. Specifically, the ECG (electrocardiograph), heart rate (HR), and respiration activity were measured by using our own designed ECG holter (40 persons), and also blood pressure and cortisol levels were observed. The usage of wooden materials verifies their regenerative and positive impact on the human nervous system, through the appealing aesthetics (color, texture, and structures), high contact comfort, pleasant smell, possibility to regulate air humidity, volatile organic compound emissions (VOC-emissions), and acoustic well-being in the space.

2016 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. 7-22 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ioanni Delsante

Abstract One of the main issues in urban sustainability and environmental assessment relates to the selection of indicators (SOCCO, 2000), as there are already many international and recognised core sets (DELSANTE, 2007; LEE; CHAN 2009). Nevertheless, specific local contexts are still in need of appropriate, original indicators and indices (MALCEVSCHI, 2004). This paper deals with the urban quality assessment of medium-density neighbourhoods, which typically include dwellings but also public functions, public spaces and urban infrastructure. The evaluation method is based on a set of 74 indicators used within a specific computational method that is based on scores and defined through pairwise comparison matrices (SOCCO, 2003) to convert qualitative and quantitative evaluations into scores (0 to +100). The assessment involved two different urban contexts in the cities of Lodi and Genoa (Italy). It tests if the set can be used in other sites and cities; the results show significant findings and potentialities, but also some limitations. As significant connections have already been found between urban quality and well-being surveys of inhabitants (ORLANDO, 2007), the possibility to act comparatively in different contexts increases overall research potentiality.


2013 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 211-221
Author(s):  
Viktor Pacholík

This list deals with the impact of the Halliwick Swimming Concept on subjective experience and psychical states of people with physical impairment. By means of the Halliwick Swimming Concept, that consisted of 10 swimming lessons, we observed the psychical response of the tested persons to individual lessons as well as to the whole programme within a frame of a case study. The acquired data indicate a positive impact of the swimming programme in the field of elimination of negative psychical state in water environment such as anxiety, discomfort and despondency and gradual increase of psychical well-being, activity and feelings of power and energy connected with positive expectations. Most of these changes proved not only in individual lessons, but also from the point of view of the whole programme evaluation. This paper has been written within a project OP VK CZ.1.07/2.4.00/17.0037 „Development of Pedagogical and Research Activities within the Department of Social Sciences in Sport at the FSpS MU“.


2014 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 51-74
Author(s):  
Fateh Muhmmad Burfat ◽  
Muhammad Yaqub ◽  
Naima Saeed ◽  
Misbah B. Qureshi

The present study “Promotion of Primary Health Care in Pakistan: A Case Study of the Role of Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) in Promoting Primary Health Care in Karachi” is aimed at determining the role of NGOs in the promotion of primary health Care sector in Pakistan with special reference to Karachi. The primary objective of this research is to evaluate the role and performance of relevant NGOs working in Karachi in the health sector. It is a quantitative research. A questionnaire based to obtain the opinions of respondents. The health care is the basic responsibility of the state. However, the NGOs play their role in promoting the health care facilities. It was noted that the primary health care system is still not working properly. NGO sector was given a wide room and finances but unfortunately they did not make the required contribution. Their lack of technical knowledge and accountability was a factor in their failure. The prevailing attitude towards health care among the masses has not changed despite the efforts of the NGO sector. Therefore the basic health conditions of the masses at the grass roots level continue to be poor. The stake holders in the health care sector should rethink about their strategies to improve health care facilities in Karachi.


2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 192
Author(s):  
Susana León-Jiménez

Friendship has been studied along centuries, since ancient times to present-day, as the basis of the social cornerstone, present at all stages of the lifespan and belonging to the world of truthful sentiments. Benefits of friendship on health have been demonstrated. Less is known about the role of friendship on seniors. The aim of this case study has been to show how the end friendship developed in an adults’ school operating for more than 40 years in Barcelona is having a positive impact on the well-being and health of their participants. Through the communicative discussion group, we have deepened in the trajectories of some of the school participants. The results show how participation in the school and the dialogic gatherings have contributed to the emergence of a non-instrumental friendship feeling and to consider an impact on the perceived general wellness and health and an improvement of their life quality. It is discussed how this research provides more elements to the existing literature. More research on how other communitarian environments have similar effects on this population, or on the impact of these dialogical spaces in the development of end friendships in other stages of the life cycle would be of interest.


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