scholarly journals The Effects of Infrastructure Service Disruptions and Socio-Economic Vulnerability on Hurricane Recovery

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 516 ◽  
Author(s):  
Diana Mitsova ◽  
Monica Escaleras ◽  
Alka Sapat ◽  
Ann-Margaret Esnard ◽  
Alberto Lamadrid
Keyword(s):  
Disaster Recovery ◽  
Insurance Coverage ◽  
South Florida ◽  
Extreme Weather Events ◽  
Physical Damage ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Disaster Assistance ◽  
Infrastructure Services ◽  
Post Disaster

Hurricanes and extreme weather events can cause widespread damage and disruption to infrastructure services and consequently delay household and community recovery. A subset of data from a cross-sectional survey of 989 households in central and south Florida is used to examine the effects of Hurricane Irma on post-disaster recovery eight months after the landfall. Using logistic regression modeling, we find that physical damage to property, disruption of infrastructure services such as loss of electric power and cell phone/internet services and other factors (i.e., homeowner’s or renter’s insurance coverage, receiving disaster assistance and loss of income) are significant predictors of post-disaster recovery when controlling for age and race/ethnicity.

scholarly journals Snacking Practices and Diet Choices Among College Students at a Large University in South Florida: A Cross-Sectional Survey

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. 713-713
Author(s):  
Christie Kirchoff ◽  
Elizabeth Goico ◽  
Cristina Palacios
Keyword(s):  
College Students ◽  
South Florida ◽  
Bivariate Analysis ◽  
Snack Food ◽  
Low Fat ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Snack Consumption ◽  
Unhealthy Snacks ◽  
Unhealthy Snack

Abstract Objectives The college food environment plays an integral role in student dietary intake during the formative transition from adolescence to adulthood. During this time, students experience profound changes to their level of responsibility and autonomy while also establishing lifelong habits. These changes are of concern because obesity and chronic disease are the long term health consequences of poor patterns of eating, and yet research on this topic is sparse. This study aims to uncover the pattern of snack consumption and its influence on selecting healthier versions of snacks at a large Hispanic serving university in South Florida. Methods A cross-sectional survey was used to elicit self-reported snacking practices of college students via a web-based Qualtrics survey in the Spring of 2019. Statistical analysis using SPSS 25 included descriptive statistics and bivariate analysis performed to examine the frequency and percentages for dependent and independent variables. Logistic regression was run to determine the influence of the frequency and amount of unhealthy snack food consumption and choosing low-fat options. Results Of the 483 respondents (24% males), 93.4% reported consuming unhealthy snack foods at least once a week. Additionally, the pattern of snack consumption was 72% (383) chips and salty snacks, 65% (316) cookies, 64% (307) chocolate bars, and 58% (281) candies. The results also indicated that those who consumed unhealthy snacks more frequently were 1.85 times more likely to choose low-fat options than those who rarely consumed unhealthy snacks (AOR = 1.85, CI (1.04 – 3.30)). Conclusions These findings suggest that students are seeking healthier options even when snacking. As a responsible institution, the university can implement a snack policy that promotes a healthy diet and is in line with what students are seeking by offering more low-fat options. Funding Sources None.

scholarly journals Prevalence and factors associated with health insurance coverage in resource-poor urban settings in Nairobi, Kenya: a cross-sectional study

BMJ Open ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (12) ◽  
pp. e031543 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter O Otieno ◽  
Elvis Omondi Achach Wambiya ◽  
Shukri F Mohamed ◽  
Hermann Pythagore Pierre Donfouet ◽  
Martin K Mutua
Keyword(s):  
Health Insurance ◽  
Primary Outcome ◽  
Insurance Coverage ◽  
Scale Up ◽  
Household Head ◽  
Health Insurance Coverage ◽  
Health Coverage ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Insurance Cover

ObjectiveTo determine the prevalence of health insurance and associated factors among households in urban slum settings in Nairobi, Kenya.DesignThe data for this study are from a cross-sectional survey of adults aged 18 years or older from randomly selected households in Viwandani slums (Nairobi, Kenya). Respondents participated in the Lown scholars’ study conducted between June and July 2018.SettingThe Lown scholars’ survey was nested in the Nairobi Urban Health and Demographic Surveillance System in Viwandani slums in Nairobi, Kenya.ParticipantsA total of 300 randomly sampled households participated in the survey. The study respondents comprised of either the household head, their spouses or credible adult household members.Primary outcome measureThe primary outcome of this study was enrolment in a health insurance programme. The households were classified into two groups: those having at least one member covered by health insurance and those without any health insurance cover.ResultsThe prevalence of health insurance in the sample was 43%. Being unemployed (adjusted OR (aOR) 0.17; p<0.05; 95% CI 0.06 to 0.47) and seeking care from a public health facility (aOR 0.50; p<0.05; 95% CI 0.28 to 0.89) was significantly associated with lower odds of having a health insurance cover. The odds of having a health insurance cover were significantly lower among respondents who perceived their health status as good (aOR 0.62; p<0.05; 95% CI 1.17 to 5.66) and those who were unsatisfied with the cost of seeking primary care (aOR 0.34; p<0.05; 95% CI 0.17 to 0.69).ConclusionsHealth insurance coverage in Viwandani slums in Nairobi, Kenya, is low. As universal health coverage becomes the growing focus of Kenya’s ‘Big Four Agenda’ for socioeconomic transformation, integrating enabling and need factors in the design of the national health insurance package may scale-up social health protection.

scholarly journals Associations between Knowledge of the Causes and Perceived Impacts of Climate Change: A Cross-Sectional Survey of Medical, Public Health and Nursing Students in Universities in China

2018 ◽  
Vol 15 (12) ◽  
pp. 2650 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lianping Yang ◽  
Wenmin Liao ◽  
Chaojie Liu ◽  
Na Zhang ◽  
Shuang Zhong ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Climate Change ◽  
Nursing Students ◽  
Extreme Weather Events ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Weather Events ◽  
Regional Universities ◽  
Underlying Mechanisms ◽  
Impacts Of Climate Change

This study aimed to measure the knowledge and perceptions of medical, public health, and nursing students about climate change and its impacts, and to identify associations between the knowledge and perceptions. Data were from a nationwide cross-sectional survey of 1387 students sampled in five different regional universities in China (April–May 2017). The knowledge and perceptions of the participants were collected by self-administered questionnaires. We found that most respondents believed that climate change is generally “bad” (83%) and bad for human health (88%), while 67% believed that climate change is controllable. The vast majority of respondents acknowledged illness conditions resulting from poor air quality (95%), heat stress (93%), and extreme weather events (91%) as potential impacts of climate change. Nevertheless, only 39% recognized malnutrition as a consequence of food deprivation resulting from climate change. Around 58% of respondents could correctly identify the causes of climate change. The knowledge of the causes of climate change was not associated with the ability to recognize the health consequences of climate change. However, the knowledge of causes of climate change was a significant predictor of increased awareness of the negative impacts of climate change between the medical and nursing students, although this was not the case among their public health counterparts. Poor knowledge about the causes of climate change is evident among students in China. They are able to recognize the direct links between weather events and health, but less likely to understand the consequences involving complicated pathways. Research and training into the underlying mechanisms of health impacts of climate change needs to be strengthened.

scholarly journals College Students’ Perception of the Effectiveness of Vending Machine Interventions to Improve Snack Quality

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. 558-558
Author(s):  
Christie Kirchoff ◽  
Karina Abadia ◽  
Cristina Palacios ◽  
Marianna Sanchez
Keyword(s):  
College Students ◽  
Saturated Fat ◽  
South Florida ◽  
Bivariate Analysis ◽  
Snack Food ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Snack Foods ◽  
Vending Machines ◽  
Total Fat

Abstract Objectives The college food environment plays an integral role in student dietary intake during a critical transitional time. Snacking in the US is frequent and even more so among college students, with 98% consuming snacks daily, and about four times per day. Snacking affects overall diet quality by contributing 22% of the total energy, 36% of the total sugar, and 19% of the total fat and saturated fat consumed daily. Vending machines (VM) at colleges are of increased importance because they are used frequently and contain calorie-dense, nutrient-poor, and highly-processed foods. Many schools have attempted to improve the quality of snack foods offered in VMs with a top-down approach that often fails and might decrease VM revenue. This study aims to uncover college students' purchasing habits and preferences for improving snack options. Methods A cross-sectional survey was administered in the Spring of 2019 to a sample of 194 college students examining snacking practices and preferences at a large Hispanic serving university in South Florida. Statistical analysis using SPSS 26 included descriptive statistics and bivariate analysis in determining frequency, percentages, and relationships between VM use and factors influencing snack choice and perception of intervention effectiveness. Results Respondents' ages ranged between 18–40 years old (M = 20.9, SD = 3.10), 91% reported purchasing snack foods from vending machines. Participants who used VM (occasionally or frequently) ranked lowering the price of healthy products (score 3.45 and 3.60, respectively) as the intervention that would be most helpful in choosing a healthy snack. However, participants who rarely or never use VM chose labels indicating which items were healthy (score 3.40) as the most helpful intervention. Significant differences exist between VM users and Non-VM users related to intervention preference. Conclusions Incorporating student perspectives to tailor VM interventions to impact a broader range of VM users and non-users will improve the effectiveness. Without students' perspective, many factors that influence students' snack food choices and how they utilize VMs will be missed. By eliciting student consumers' feedback, Universities can improve food environments to include healthier options without sacrificing revenue. Funding Sources None.

scholarly journals KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDES, AND PRACTICES TOWARD CORONAVIRUS DISEASE-19 INFECTION AMONG RESIDENTS OF DELHI NCR, INDIA: A CROSS-SECTIONAL SURVEY BASED STUDY

2020 ◽  
pp. 110-116
Author(s):  
UBADA AQEEL ◽  
MOHAMMAD DAUD ALI ◽  
ZEENAT IQBAL ◽  
MOHD. AAMIR MIRZA
Keyword(s):  
General Population ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Social Stigma ◽  
Insurance Coverage ◽  
Personal Hygiene ◽  
P Value ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Attitudes And Practices

Objective: In the given study, we have carried out a survey among general population of Delhi NCR (India) for the knowledge, perceptions, and attitude toward coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and also attempted to reach to a few conclusions in the form of recommendations. Methods: A cross-sectional questionnaire based online survey (using Google Forms) was conducted between April 2020 and May 2020 to investigative knowledge, perceptions, and attitude toward COVID-19. Chi-square test was used for the computation of p-value. Results: There were total 823 respondents, with 43.01% females and 56.98% males. Around 73.74% respondents believe that it has become a social stigma. About 75.09% were of the opinion that sneezing etiquettes can help in curbing the infection. About 93.43% of study population follows the personal hygiene, 24.78% wished to get insurance coverage. Similarly, interesting data were collected over different aspects of COVID-19. Conclusions: The current pandemic is the first exposure at such a large scale to the existing population but with the progression of time, authorities and general population are collating knowledge about the same. It is to be fought at all the fronts such as medical, social, economic, and psychological. Hence, this type of survey becomes an important tool in decision making.

scholarly journals Health system factors and caesarean sections in Kosovo: a cross-sectional study

BMJ Open ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. e026702 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ilir Hoxha ◽  
Alban Fejza ◽  
Mrika Aliu ◽  
Peter Jüni ◽  
David C Goodman
Keyword(s):  
Health Insurance ◽  
Caesarean Section ◽  
Antenatal Care ◽  
Health System ◽  
Insurance Coverage ◽  
Public Hospitals ◽  
Low Risk ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
System Characteristics

ObjectiveTo investigate the association of caesarean section rates with the health system characteristics in the public hospitals of Kosovo.DesignCross-sectional survey.SettingFive largest public hospitals in Kosovo.Participants859 women with low-risk deliveries who delivered from April to May 2015 in five public hospitals in Kosovo.Outcome measuresThe prespecified outcomes were the crude and adjusted OR of births delivered with caesarean section by health system characteristics such as delivery by the physician who provided antenatal care, health insurance status and other. Additional prespecified outcomes were caesarean section rates and crude ORs for delivery with caesarean in each public hospital.ResultsWomen with personal monthly income had increased odds for caesarean (OR 1.55, 95% CI 1.06 to 2.27), as did women with private health insurance coverage (OR 3.44, 95% CI 1.20 to 9.85). Women instructed by a midwife on preparation for delivery had decreasing odds (OR 0.32, 95% CI 0.19 to 0.51) while women having preference for a caesarean had increasing odds for delivery with caesarean (OR 3.84, 95% CI 1.96 to 7.51). The odds for caesarean increased also in the case of delivery by a physician who provided antenatal care (OR 2.06, 95% CI 1.16 to 3.67) and delivery during office hours (OR 2.36, 95% CI 1.37 to 4.05), while delivery at the University Clinical Centre of Kosovo decreased the odds for caesarean (OR 0.46, 95% CI 0.24 to 0.90).ConclusionsWe found that several health system characteristics are associated with the increase of caesarean sections in a low-risk population of delivering women in public hospitals of Kosovo. These findings should be explored further and addressed via policy measures that would tackle provision of unnecessary caesareans. The study findings could assist Kosovo to develop corrective policies in addressing overuse of caesareans and may provide useful information for other middle-income countries.

scholarly journals Are Men Being Left Behind (Or Catching Up)? Differences in HPV Awareness, Knowledge, and Attitudes Between Diverse College Men and Women

2019 ◽  
Vol 13 (6) ◽  
pp. 155798831988377 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sharice M. Preston ◽  
William W. Darrow
Keyword(s):  
College Students ◽  
Hpv Vaccine ◽  
Hpv Vaccination ◽  
South Florida ◽  
Vaccine Uptake ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Men And Women ◽  
Knowledge And Attitudes ◽  
Hpv Awareness

The aim of this cross-sectional survey was to assess awareness, knowledge, and attitudes in regard to human papillomavirus (HPV) and vaccination against HPV among college students. From 2015 to 2017, 386 diverse undergraduates were recruited from a south Florida university. A survey, part of which was researcher developed, of HPV awareness, knowledge, and attitudes was conducted. The majority (84%) of participants had heard of HPV, and 70% had favorable attitudes toward vaccination. Only 28% of men and 55% of women had received ≥1 dose vaccine ( p = .01), and 4% of all participants reported that they had received 3 doses. Those with ≥1 dose ( n = 123, 40.1%) were more knowledgeable about HPV ( p = .01). High knowledge scores were recorded for 30% of respondents and were strongly associated with HPV vaccine initiation among both men and women ( p < .001) and perceived knowledge among women only ( p < .001). Negative attitudes toward HPV vaccine acceptance were associated with low knowledge scores ( p = .01) and undervaccination ( p < .001). Vaccinated women ( n = 95) were over seven times more likely than were unvaccinated women ( n = 115) to report positive vaccine attitudes (relative risk = 7.1). HPV vaccination status was not associated with vaccine attitudes among men. HPV knowledge and vaccine uptake remain problematic among college students, and deficits in both are associated with negative HPV vaccine attitudes. Although the knowledge gap is narrowing, HPV vaccination efforts should target young men, as HPV-related cancer morbidity continues to rise in men.

scholarly journals Prevalence and Correlates of Hypertension Unawareness among Lebanese Adults: The Need to Target Those “Left Behind”

2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Fatima Ghaddar ◽  
Lama Hammad ◽  
Rania A. Tohme ◽  
Tamar Kabakian-Khasholian ◽  
Nahla Hwalla ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Blood Pressure ◽  
Insurance Coverage ◽  
Multivariable Analysis ◽  
Healthcare Services ◽  
Noncommunicable Disease ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Context Specific ◽  
Apparently Healthy

Introduction. Hypertension unawareness is context-specific, and our understanding of factors associated with it has implications on primary healthcare practices locally and contributes to achieving cardiovascular disease (CVD) targets, globally. In this study, we examine the prevalence and correlates of hypertension unawareness among adult Lebanese population. Methods. The study sample included a nationally representative sample of 2214 adults ≥25 years of age from the Noncommunicable Disease (NCD) Risk Factor WHO-STEPS cross-sectional survey conducted in Lebanon. In the first step, hypertension was assessed based on reported morbidity using face-to-face interviews, and in the second step, based on blood pressure (BP) measurement. We defined hypertension prevalence as systolic/diastolic blood pressure ≥140/90 mmHg and/or ongoing treatment for hypertension. Hypertension unawareness was described as lack of prior knowledge of hypertensive status. Those responding negatively to the face-to-face interview question “whether they had ever been told by a health worker that they have hypertension” were labelled as “apparently healthy.” Results. Overall prevalence of hypertension was 30.7%. A total of 369 subjects were unaware of their condition, representing 51.8% of all hypertensives and 15.9% of the apparently healthy. Multivariable analysis controlling for a number of confounders showed that, among apparently healthy participants, insurance coverage and contact with healthcare services were not associated with higher likelihood for hypertension awareness. Among all hypertensives, hypertension unawareness was significantly higher in the young, those with BMI <25 kg/m2 (adjusted OR (aOR): 2.52; 95% CI: 1.35–4.69), no CVD (aOR: 3.30; 95% CI: 1.74–6.29), and participants with no reported family history of hypertension (aOR: 4.87; 95% CI: 2.89–8.22), compared to their counterparts. Conclusion. In Lebanon, unawareness of hypertension occurred in those clinically least perceived to be at risk. These findings are key for optimizing current screening practices and informing NCD prevention efforts in the country and contribute to achieving global targets of the SDGs of “leaving no one behind.”

scholarly journals What if Acupuncture Were Covered by Insurance for Pain Management? A Cross-Sectional Study of Cancer Patients at One Academic Center and 11 Community Hospitals

Pain Medicine ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (10) ◽  
pp. 2060-2068 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kevin T Liou ◽  
Tony K W Hung ◽  
Salimah H Meghani ◽  
Andrew S Epstein ◽  
Q Susan Li ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cancer Patients ◽  
Insurance Coverage ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Attitudes And Beliefs ◽  
Community Hospitals ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Opioid Crisis ◽  
Academic Center ◽  
Willingness To Use

Abstract Objective In response to the national opioid crisis, governmental and medical organizations have called for broader insurance coverage of acupuncture to improve access to nonpharmacologic pain therapies, especially in cancer populations, where undertreatment of pain is prevalent. We evaluated whether cancer patients would be willing to use insurance-covered acupuncture for pain. Design and Setting We conducted a cross-sectional survey of cancer patients with pain at one academic center and 11 community hospitals. Methods We used logistic regression models to examine factors associated with willingness to use insurance-covered acupuncture for pain. Results Among 634 cancer patients, 304 (47.9%) reported willingness to use insurance-covered acupuncture for pain. In univariate analyses, patients were more likely to report willingness if they had severe pain (odds ratio [OR] = 1.59, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.03–2.45) but were less likely if they were nonwhite (OR = 0.59, 95% CI = 0.39–0.90) or had only received high school education or less (OR = 0.46, 95% CI = 0.32–0.65). After adjusting for attitudes and beliefs in multivariable analyses, willingness was no longer significantly associated with education (adjusted OR [aOR] = 0.78, 95% CI = 0.50–1.21) and was more negatively associated with nonwhite race (aOR = 0.49, 95% CI = 0.29–0.84). Conclusions Approximately one in two cancer patients was willing to use insurance-covered acupuncture for pain. Willingness was influenced by patients’ attitudes and beliefs, which are potentially modifiable through counseling and education. Further research on racial disparities is needed to close the gap in utilization as acupuncture is integrated into insurance plans in response to the opioid crisis.

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