Domestic Hygiene Research Articles

Multidimensional poverty among farming households in Katsina state, northwestern Nigeria

This study aimed to determine the multidimensional poverty status of farming households in Katsina state, northwestern Nigeria. A multi-stage sampling technique was used to elicit primary data from 480 farming households. Descriptive statistics and the multidimensional poverty assessment tool (MPAT-14) were used to analyze the data. The socio-demographic analysis showed that the mean age of respondents was 43 years while the average household size was 9 persons. The majority (86%) of respondents were male, and they were mostly married (85%) and educated (51.3%). The MPAT results showed that farmers in the study area experienced a high level of deprivation according to the majority of the fundamental human needs indicators, such as food and nutrition security (27.7%), domestic water supply (28.9%), health care (22.9), sanitation and hygiene (28.1%), housing, clothing, and energy (33.9%), and education (27.7%). The results indicate that the majority (60.6%) of the households are living in multidimensional poverty and that there is a higher level of multidimensional poverty among farming households. The government should upscale appropriate healthcare delivery systems to improve the healthcare services rendered.

The attitude of foreign students to healthy life-style and confidence to modern medicine as exemplified by students of Kursk

The article investigates attitude of foreign students to health and a healthy lifestyle. The main practices of maintenance of health and healthy lifestyle are analyzed. The opinions of foreign students related to their health and their modes of dealing with stress in new social cultural conditions are considered. The results of sociological survey carried out in January 2024 covering students of the Kursk State Medical University - foreign students who arrived to receive higher education were chosen as the analysis base. The study established that foreign students more often associate healthy lifestyle with maintenance of mental health, healthy diet and domestic hygiene. At that, considering medicine and physician visits, percentage of respondents attributing these aspects to healthy lifestyle and themselves applying to medical workers is far lower than those giving up bad habits and maintain hygiene. The conclusion is made that it is necessary to increase awareness of foreign students about their rights to receive qualified medical care that will serve as factor increasing confidence in medical institutions and physicians.

Аналіз нормативно-методичної бази країн ЄС та США з визначення гігієнічних нормативів канцерогенних речовин для робочої зони (огляд літератури та нормативних документів)

The aim of the work was to analyze the current state of determining the regulations of chemical substances, including carcinogens, for the conditions of occupational influence prevention. Research materials and methods: sources of scientific literature, EU directives, materials of the European Air Protection Agency. Methods of empirical and theoretical analysis of scientific information was used. The results. It was shown that international experience in regulating harmful factors in the air of the working area is extremely important for extrapolating their data to the conditions of Ukraine, for which the problem of work environmental pollution is extremely important, especially in view of the probable impact on oncopathological processes among workers. This is due to the fact that the majority of active domestic enterprises of various industries are considered according to the classification of the International Agency for the Study of Cancer as directly carcinogenic to humans. The data are presented, which indicate the constant growth of oncological diseases both among the population as a whole and among working contingents. The work analyzes organizational and methodical approaches to the development of measures to prevent the impact of harmful factors on workers. It has been proven that the main purpose of the regulations of the European Agency for Chemical Compounds is aimed at ensuring a high level of protection of the population and the environment from the harmful effects of chemicals and at promoting the functioning of the internal market through the support of innovative technologies and increasing competitiveness. To solve these issues, a number of declaratory regulations have been developed in the EU countries, which are illustrated by the List of carcinogenic factors and established occupational exposure limits. It has been established that the most effective form of protection for workers is the hygienic regulation of chemical compounds. According to the EU Directives, two types of limits are established: an indicative occupational exposure limit and a limit based on the assumption of a certain risk. Today, limits on the level of concentrations corresponding to the risk of exceeding the risk of developing cancer during life at the level of one case per 10,000 (х10-4) workers are recommended for EU countries. This approach determines the presence of regulations in the EU countries at a lower level compared to domestic hygiene standards. A conclusion is made regarding the need to review the domestic regulatory framework and harmonize it in accordance with EU requirements.

Characteristics of crises resilient organizations in the hospitality and tourism industry

PurposeCOVID-19, like many previous crises, proved once more that some hospitality and tourism organizations are more crises resilient than others. Despite increasing frequency and magnitude of crises, little is known about the features of crises resilient organizations and mitigation strategies they adopt. If the characteristics of such resiliency are identified, those strengths might be targeted. Hence, the purpose of this study is to identify characteristics of crises resilient organizations by analyzing the interface between different organizational characteristics, recovery strategies they adopted and impacts of COVID-19 on individual hospitality and tourism organizations.Design/methodology/approachA global sample of 202 respondents from 20 countries and four continents, representing different sectors of the hospitality and tourism industry, participated in the survey. Descriptive analysis and cluster analysis were used to rank the items and group hospitality and tourism organizations based on their crises resiliency.FindingsService quality, loyal customers, branding, high paid in capital, domestic market base, hygiene and safety image, information and communication technology adoption, product and market diversification and restructuring debts emerged as major characteristics and strategies of crises resilient organizations. Using cluster analysis, four different groups of organizations were identified. Based on the impacts of COVID-19 on these organizations, Cluster-1 emerged as significantly more crises resilient, whereas Cluster-4 organizations were significantly more vulnerable to crises. Their characteristics and mitigation strategies they adopted were discussed.Research limitations/implicationsThe paper not only identified features of crises resilient organizations and successful mitigation strategies but also measured their impact on various performance indicators. Future studies might use characteristics, mitigation strategies and performance indicators identified in this study.Practical implicationsBased on the findings, tourism organizations would focus on strengthening characteristics and implementing strategies that make crises resilient organizations. Public bodies and destination management would also set their decision criteria based on these findings to create a more resilient tourism industry.Originality/valueThis research not only identifies how hospitality and tourism organizations are affected by COVID-19 but also how these impacts change based on different organizational characteristics and strategies. Understanding which organizational characteristics affect the crises vulnerability of hospitality and tourism organizations might inform risk and crises management literature and structural design elements in tourism businesses, hence offer both theoretical and practical implications.

Grado motivacional del docente salesiano para el abordaje sanitario ante el desabastecimiento hídrico en Huancayo, 2021

Access to water and sanitation services is a very important factor in the control and elimination of diseases, water scarcity can be a social construction or a consequence of variation, such as climate change, therefore, it is necessary to implement strategies that Provide tools to citizens to mitigate this problem. In this sense, an educational strategy was designed to address water deficiency in Huancayo, from which the motivational degree of Salesian teachers was assessed. An investigation was carried out from the participatory diagnostic method, the vulnerability of knowledge was estimated and areas based on scientific documentation were established to direct the approach strategies. Subsequently, the motivational degree of teachers was specified, obtaining a higher motivational degree for interventions related to personal, domestic and food hygiene, and less motivation for responsible pet ownership and vector control. It is inferred that it is necessary to strengthen the capacities in these areas of knowledge, so that in this way the health approach is effective and efficient, this starting from the fact that motivation is the engine that can promote other skills and urge behavioral changes necessary to reduce the burden of diseases associated with water deficiency.

Milk-borne diseases through the lens of one health.

Reviewing "zoonotic diseases" classically brings to mind human infections contracted in close association with animals, where outdoor occupations and afforested lands usually play a key role in the epidemiological triad. However, there is a very common, yet overlooked route of infection where humans may not come in direct contact with animals or implicated environments. Milk-borne diseases are a unique set of infections affecting all age groups and occupational categories of humans, causing 4% of all the foodborne diseases in the world. The infection reservoir may lie with milch animals and associated enzootic cycles, and the infectious agent is freely secreted into the animal's milk. Commercial pooling and processing of milk create unique environmental challenges, where lapses in quality control could introduce infective agents during downstream processing and distribution. The infectious agent is finally brought to the doorstep of both rural and urban households through such animal products. The domestic hygiene of the household finally determines human infections. One health approach can target preventive measures like immunization in animals, pasteurization and stringent quality control during the commercial processing of milk, and finally, hygienic practices at the level of the consumer, to reduce the burden of milk-borne diseases. This review hopes to draw the attention of policymakers to this unique route of infection, because it can be easily regulated with cost-effective interventions, to ensure the safety of this precious food product, permeating the life and livelihood of humans from all walks of life.

The epidemiology of inflammatory bowel disease: Clues to pathogenesis?

Historically, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) was most common in North America and Europe and more common with a north-south gradient. Over the past century, there has been a marked increase in IBD in general and in childhood IBD in particular and over the past 50 years IBD has spread into the developing world. The greatest risk factor of developing IBD is an affected family member. Concordance rates between dizygotic twins is ∼4% and ∼50% in monozygotic twins, and more than half of pairs are diagnosed within 2 years of each other. Nevertheless, most patients with IBD do not have an affected family member. More than 200 genes are associated with an increased risk for IBD, but most associations are weak with odds ratios between 1.2 and 2.0 suggesting the environment plays a role. IBD is more common in urban than rural regions and is associated with "good standards" of domestic hygiene during childhood. People who migrate from areas with a low incidence to areas with a high incidence of IBD have an increased risk of developing IBD and the younger they are when they migrate, the greater their risk of developing IBD. Moreover, people who migrate from regions with a high incidence to areas with a low incidence of IBD have a decreased risk of developing IBD. Together, these findings strongly suggest particular environmental exposures occurring early in life may trigger inflammatory bowel disease in genetically susceptible individuals. The key is figuring out what those exposures might be.

Domestic hygiene and enteropathogens in schoolchildren in the province of Santa Elena, Ecuador 2019

La higiene doméstica es un factor predisponente a la infección por microorganismos causantes de diarreas en escolares. El objetivo fue caracterizar determinantes de salud relacionados con enteropatógenos. El estudio fue descriptivo, retrospectivo y transversal en el período de mayo a diciembre del 2019, con un universo de 120 binomios cuidadores/escolares, de tres comunidades rurales de Santa Elena; muestreo probabilístico extraído de la base de datos secundarios de los laboratorios de Manglaralto y Monteverde del Ministerio de Salud Pública, se utilizó Programa Excel SPSS 23.0 y prueba de Chi-Cuadrado de Pearson, nivel de significación p<0,005, se aplicó encuesta estructurada de recolección de datos. Resultados: asociación estadística y significativa entre la aparición de enteropatógenos y el origen (p=0,000); presencia de animales domésticos (p= 0,000); lavado de manos de escolares antes de comer (p=0,004) y después de defecar (p=0,003). Se concluye, que la higiene doméstica, fue determinante en la presencia de enteropatógenos y diarreas en escolares de las comunidades examinadas, sumados a la falta de conocimientos del cuidador/a en el mecanismo de transmisión, que justifica el desarrollo y la implementación de estrategias educativas de intervención en promoción y prevención de salud.

Prevalence and Determinants of Diarrhoea Disease amongst Under-Five Children Attending Immunization Clinic in a Secondary Health Facility in Benin City

Introduction: Diarrhoea is a major public health challenge in low and middle-income countries. It is the second leading cause of mortality in children under the age of five. It is also recognized that exposure to diarrhoea pathogens in developing countries is associated with such factors as quality and quantity of water, availability of toilet facilities, housing conditions, level of education, household economic status, place of residence, feeding practices, and the general sanitary conditions (personal or domestic hygiene) around the house. These factors are still prevalent in many Nigerian communities. This study therefore sought to determine the prevalence of diarrhoea and risk factors among under-five children seen at immunisation clinic of a secondary hospital in Nigeria. Methodology: This was a cross-sectional study of 210 mothers attending well-baby clinic of a multi-specialist secondary health facility in Benin-City, South-South, Nigeria. Information relating to socio-demographics and occurrence of diarrhoea in their wards was obtained using ore-tested questionnaire. Data obtained were tabulated and analyzed using IBM SPSS version 21. Chi-square was used to determine the relationship between qualitative variables the statistical significance was set at P<0.05. Result: Prevalence of diarrhoea was 38.6% with a mean number of episodes per year of 2.14. Prevalence of dysentery was 4.3%. There was significant association between age, nutritional status, source of water and the occurrence of diarrhoea (P values of 0.04, 0.038 & 0.02 respectively). Conclusion: This study shows a high prevalence of diarrhoea amongst under-5 children in our environment.

Improper food handling and its associated characteristic factors among domestic food handlers in rural areas of Anhui Province in China

Improper domestic food handling in rural areas of China is an important public health issue leading to foodborne illness. However, the underlying factors responsible for poor domestic food hygiene practices have not been comprehensively studied. Here, a cross-sectional study was conducted in Anhui Province, China between 2015 - 2016, using a questionnaire to collect data from 819 respondents, selected using multistage cluster random sampling techniques. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was then used to assess the demographic factors associated with improper food handling. Results showed that 525 (64.1%) of respondents used improper food handling techniques. The factors associated with improper food handling included gender, age, education, income, and occupation. Males (vs. females), adults aged ≥ 50 years (vs. those aged 18 - 30 years), individuals with primary school education or lower (vs. individuals with a bachelor’s degree or higher), individuals with annual incomes of < 4,387 USD (vs. income ≥ 13,161 USD), and workers (vs. other occupation groups) were more likely to report inappropriate food handling practices in rural areas. The results obtained from the present work may provide the basis for training in domestic food safety hygiene/handling practices in rural areas of China in order to reduce the incidence of foodborne illnesses.

Measuring Water Quantity Used for Personal and Domestic Hygiene and Determinants of Water Use in a Low-Income Urban Community

There is a paucity of recent research on direct water quantity measurement for personal and domestic hygiene. We aimed to measure the water quantity used for personal and domestic hygiene and to explore the reasons and determinants for variation of water usage. We conducted this study from September 2014 to June 2016 in a low-income urban community in Dhaka. In 12 households, the team conducted a day-long bimonthly ethnographic observation for one year to measure the volume of water used per activity per person. They conducted 28 in-depth interviews to explore the reasons for changes of water usage. Participants used a median of 75 L (61-100) of water per capita per day (LCPD) and of this 75 LCPD they used a median of 39 LCPD (26-58) for personal hygiene. Women used less water than men. Individual and social norms, beliefs, and weather determinants determined personal hygiene. Water availability determined domestic hygiene (e.g., washing dishes, toilets and bathrooms). This study helps to elucidate a range of determinants of water usage of the participants from the participants' perspective. The quantity of water used for domestic and personal hygiene and its relationship to fecal-oral transmitted disease can be explored in future research.

F.F. Erisman and the State Sanitary and Epidemiological Service of Russia

Introduction. The foundations of the State Sanitary and Epidemiological Service of Russia were established by the founders of domestic hygiene. The purpose of the study is to analyze the results of the scientific, practical and publication activities of F.F. Erisman in the formation and development of the state sanitary and epidemiological service of the country. Materials and methods. A historical expert-analytical study was carried out. The materials of the analysis are the main results of the activities and publications of F.F. Erisman in the field of sanitary-hygienic and epidemiological research. Results. The spectrum of activities of F.F. Erisman laid the foundation for the development of a number of hygienic disciplines. F.F. Erisman is the author of the first domestic hygiene manuals, which made a real breakthrough and influenced the life and health of many generations of Russians, manager of large-scale sanitary inspections. F.F. Erisman laid the foundations for the experimental-laboratory and social-hygienic directions of Russian hygiene. F.F. Erisman was the founder of the Hygienic Institute at the Moscow Imperial University and the sanitary station attached to it. On the basis of this institution the Moscow Sanitary Institute was subsequently created and became as Federal Scientific Center of Hygiene named after F.F. Erisman of the Federal Service for Supervision in Protection of the Rights of Consumer and Man Wellbeing. Limitations. The limitation of the study is due to the analysis of the activities and contribution to the creation of the State Sanitary and Epidemiological Service of Russia by one, but an outstanding hygienist of the 19th century, Professor F.F. Erisman. However, this does not distort the essence of the development of the domestic medical and sanitary business. Conclusion. The scientific and managing foundations for the development of sanitary and epidemiological rules and hygienic standards, the development and implementation of state policy and legal regulation in the field of sanitary and epidemiological safety, the arrangement of sanitary and epidemiological supervision, are largely laid down in the works and activities of the outstanding hygienist of Russia - F.F. Erisman.

Determinants of anthroponotic cutaneous leishmaniasis by case-control study in Morocco.

Leishmaniasis is endemic in Morocco where both cutaneous and visceral forms coexist. To date, anthroponotic cutaneous leishmaniasis (ACL) determinants remain poorly investigated in Morocco. However, the disease risk factors identification is vital to determine the specific preventive process. In this aim, a case-control study was conducted in the main active ACL foci in central Morocco. Epidemiological data were extracted from bulletins, registers and annual reports of the regional direction of Health offices. The socioeconomic and environmental data were collected from epidemiological surveys, completed by a questionnaire intended for accessible positive population and control people selected from the cases' entourage. The study included 258 cases and 395 controls. Our results showed that many socioeconomic factors were associated with ACL in Morocco such as the rural habitation (OR = 4.163; 95% CI: 2.91-5.96), movement to endemic area (OR = 4.53; 95% CI: 3.03-6.77), provenance from leishmaniasis foci (in Essaouira focus OR = 5.34; 95% CI: 1.19-24.03) and poverty. In addition, environmental factors like proximity of vegetation (OR = 2.45; 95% CI: 1.14-5.25), poor domestic hygiene, particularly the absence of sewage system/waste management (OR = 1.63; 95% CI: 1.35-1.96), and presence of animals (OR = 2.67; 95% CI: 1.14-5.25) increase the risk of ACL in Morocco. Except for Matrimonial status (married people, OR = 4.11; 95% CI: 1.80-9.41), there is however no significant association of the disease with the other socio-demographic factors in the study area (p>0.05). These several risk factors must be taken in consideration to prevent this disease through multidisciplinary collaboration and community participation.

Determinants of diarrhoeal disease in children living in low-income households in a periurban community in Cape Town, South Africa

Background. Water, sanitation and hygiene are critically important in reducing morbidity and mortality from childhood diarrhoeal disease and malnutrition in low-income settings.Objectives. To assess the association of diarrhoeal disease with factors relating to domestic hygiene, the environment, sociodemographic status and anthropometry in children <2 years of age.Methods. This was a case-control study conducted in a periurban community 35 km from the centre of Cape Town, South Africa. The study included 100 children with diarrhoeal disease and 100 age-matched controls without diarrhoea, who were recruited at primary healthcare clinics. Sociodemographic status, environmental factors and domestic hygiene were assessed using a structured questionnaire; anthropometry was assessed using the World Health Organization’s child growth standards. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to identify the factors associated with diarrhoea. Results. The results of the univariate logistic regression showed significant susceptibility to diarrhoea in study cases compared with controls when the caregiver was ≥25 years old (odds ratio (OR) 1.82; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.02 - 3.23; p=0.042); when children were in day care or cared for by a family member or a relative than when cared for by their mother (OR 1.97; 95% CI 1.06 - 3.65; p=0.032); and when the mothers were employed rather than at home (OR 2.23; 95% CI 1.21 - 4.12; p=0.01). Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to identify predictors of diarrhoea, which entailed relaxing the inclusion criteria for the univariate analysis variables (p<0.25). The predictors significantly associated with diarrhoea were household problems relating to rat infestation (OR 2.44; 95% CI 1.13 - 5.28; p=0.027); maternal employment (OR 2.47; 95% CI 1.28 - 4.76; p=0.007); and children in day care or cared for by a relative (OR 2.34; 95% CI 1.21 - 4.54; p=0.01). Significantly more of the mothers who were employed than those who were unemployed had children in day care or cared for by a relative.Conclusion. Practices relating to employment, childcare and the domestic environment were significant predictors of diarrhoea. Effective policy implementation on water, sanitation and domestic hygiene could prevent diarrhoeal disease and reduce its impact on children’s growth, especially during the annual diarrhoeal surge season in this and similar periurban communities.

Minimal periodontal basic care - no surgery, no antibiotics, low adherence. What can be expected? A retrospective data analysis.

This retrospective study aimed to evaluate tooth loss and the evolution of periodontal inflammatory parameters within a strict nonsurgically treated patient cohort with < 2 supportive periodontal care visits per year, defined as minimal periodontal basic care, of 2.5 to 10.7 years. Data for nonsurgically treated patients were checked for: complete periodontal examination data at baseline (T0), after active periodontal therapy (T1), and after ≥ 2.5 years of supportive periodontal care (T2); smoking, diabetes mellitus, age (at least 18 years), plaque and gingival indices, bleeding on probing, percentage of residual pockets, supportive periodontal care adherence, and number of supportive periodontal care visits were assessed as risk factors for tooth loss. In total, 132 patients were included (76 female, mean age 56.7 ± 10.3 years), mean T1-T2: 4.5 ± 1.6 years. 26.5% of all patients lost 118 teeth (0.5 teeth/patient, 0.12 teeth/patient/year). Plaque and bleeding parameters were: mean plaque control record, 59.77 ± 28.07%; mean Papilla Bleeding Index, 47.46 ± 34.12%; mean bleeding on probing, 33.46 ± 21.52%. Supportive periodontal care duration (P = .013) and T2 bleeding on probing (P = .048) were identified as patient-related risk factors for tooth loss. Minimal periodontal basic care was characterized by elevated bleeding on probing, Papilla Bleeding Index, and plaque control record scores. This possibly highlights a lack of consequent applied surgical intervention (if needed) transitioning into regular supportive periodontal care, including insufficient patient behavioral changes regarding domestic oral hygiene procedures and possibly nonaddressed proinflammatory dietary habits as a negative effect. An apparently low tooth loss rate could be observed. The duration of supportive periodontal care was identified as a risk factor for tooth loss.

A study protocol to evaluate the impact of a personal and domestic hygiene intervention on lead exposure in a community next to a mine dump

BackgroundLead has been associated with adverse health effects, especially neurocognitive and behavioural effects, in children. Communities living close to mining land are at risk of elevated exposure to lead.MethodsThis paper outlines a before and after intervention study protocol to evaluate the impact of a personal and domestic hygiene intervention on lead exposure in a community located adjacent to a mine dump. In each participating household, parents or guardians will be interviewed using a structured questionnaire to obtain information on socio-demographic characteristics, living conditions, domestic hygiene practices and potential alternative sources of exposure to lead. A registered nurse will collect hand wipe samples from children aged one to five years, for whom parental consent and where possible child assent has been obtained. Environmental dust samples will be collected from the floors and/or windowsills of children’s dwellings for lead content analysis. Soil samples will be collected from yards to determine lead content. An educational intervention will then be applied to the intervention group, including the engagement of households or guardians in an educational discussion on the sources, pathways of exposure, health effects of lead exposure and protective measures, with the aid of a specially designed educational brochure. Data will be analysed for descriptive and inferential statistics using Stata version 16.DiscussionThe study will determine whether the intervention led to a reduction in indoor dust lead levels, and if shown to be effective, will inform the development of an awareness campaign to reduce lead exposure in communities located in close proximity to mine dumps.Trial registrationThe study is retrospectively registered on ClinicalTrials.gov Protocol Registration and Results System with registration number NCT05265572 and first release date of 18th February 2022.

Blood Lead Monitoring in a Former Mining Area in Euskirchen, Germany-Volunteers across the Entire Population.

After centuries of mining in the district of Euskirchen, that is, in the communities of Mechernich and Kall, the lead concentration in the soil remains high, often exceeding regulatory guidelines. To clarify the lead body burden among residents in the region, a human biomonitoring study on a voluntary basis was initiated in which the blood lead level (BLL) was assessed. A questionnaire was distributed to evaluate lead exposure routes and confounders. Overall, 506 volunteers participated in the study, of whom 7.5% were children and adolescents, 71.9% were adults from 18 to 69 years, and 19.4% were residents 70 years or older. While the BLLs in the adult population were inconspicuous, among the children and adolescents investigated, 16.7% of the children between 3 and 17 years had BLLs above the recently revised German reference values for BLL in children. These results point towards a higher lead exposure in children living in the region. The hierarchical regression analysis based on the BLL and the questionnaire revealed the significant influence of the factors age, sex, smoking, construction age of the real estate, occupancy, and intensive contact with soil on the BLL. Measures to reduce lead exposure include a focus on improved personal and domestic hygiene to minimize lead intake.

Influence on the patient’s oral hygiene depending on the treatment performed by either one or different pre-graduate practitioners — a randomized, controlled, clinical short-term trial

ObjectivesPlaque control by improved domestic oral hygiene is essential in periodontal treatment. However, changing treatment providers may interfere with building a dentist-patient relationship and in turn affect treatment success. The aim of this randomized, controlled, prospective short-term study was to determine the influence of either one or four different pre-graduate practitioners on patients’ oral hygiene parameters during active periodontal therapy.Material and MethodsA total of 55 patients with periodontitis were allocated to two groups. Within the group “continuous treatment” (CT, n = 27), each patient was treated by one individual practitioner over the treatment period. For patients of the group “discontinuous treatment” (DT, n = 28), treatment in each session was performed by a different practitioner. Periodontal parameters (BOP, PBI, and PCR) were assessed at two timepoints: T1 (baseline) and T2 (end of active therapy).ResultsWith CT, the PBI improved in 93% of the patients, compared to 71% with DT (p = 0.048). T1-T2 intragroup analysis showed a statistically significant improvement of all observed clinical parameters with no differences in ∆PBI, ∆BOP, and ∆PCR. Spearman’s correlation analysis revealed a weak correlation between PCR and BOP of CT only.ConclusionsIn the present study, improvement of all parameters was comparable between the groups. PBI, as a parameter displaying patient’s domestic plaque control compliance, improved in more patients from CT than DT. This is possibly indicating an advantage of continuous treatment by one single practitioner.Clinical relevanceTreatment by either a single practitioner or by multiple, constantly changing practitioners might influence patients’ compliance to modify their behaviour when medically necessary.

Gender dynamics of community-led total sanitation interventions in Mpwapwa District, Tanzania

ABSTRACT Gender equity is an important element of health promotion and is vital to ensuring that the benefits and burdens of participation in health promotion activities are fairly distributed. Yet, the gendered consequences of participatory interventions are often overlooked. This is particularly relevant for water and sanitation initiatives, given that women are generally responsible for maintaining domestic hygiene and procuring water. This study uses a qualitative approach to assess the gender dynamics of participation in community-led total sanitation (CLTS) activities in Mpwapwa District, Tanzania. We used semi-structured interviews and focus-group discussions to investigate men’s and women’s involvement in health promotion initiatives and their key motivators for and challenges to participation. We interviewed 77 community members from four villages and analysed the responses using qualitative content analysis. The study supports the notion that participation reinforces gender inequity and reproduces gendered norms due to activity-specific participation, women’s passive participation within activities, and their limited opportunities for decision-making. However, there were also indications that participation provided a platform to increase the status of women, prioritise women’s needs and demand a stronger position in decision making within the household and the community. CLTS organisers should, therefore, harness the opportunity to address gender inequalities within the community.

Increase in the incidence of acute inflammatory reactions to injectable fillers during COVID-19 era.

BackgroundAcute inflammatory reactions (AIRs) are a rare complication following esthetic treatment with hyaluronic acid (HA) and/or human collagen fillers. However, a substantial increase in the frequency of AIRs was observed in the first author's clinic since May 2020.AimsTo report AIR cases, we experienced and discuss potential underlying mechanisms.MethodsThis was a retrospective review of patients representing AIR symptoms following filler injection with HA or human collagen in our clinic.ResultsAlthough only one case of an AIR with an incidence rate of 0.01% was recorded following filler treatment between September 2008 and April 2020 in our clinic, we observed 14 AIR cases without anaphylaxis, with an incidence rate of 1.18% between May 2020 and June 2021, in line with the spreading of the new coronavirus pandemic. All cases were females aged 40–57 years, and the time of onset was within hours after filler injection. Three patients had been treated with HA fillers only, 2 with HA plus human collagen, and 9 with human collagen only. Most patients had been treated with these products in the past. Nine patients were treated with oral prednisolone. In all cases, symptoms resolved entirely within a week without sequelae.ConclusionsThe marked increase in AIRs coincided with the COVID‐19 pandemic. Possible explanations include immune system alterations caused by extensive changes in domestic and personal hygiene, prolonged and elevated stress levels, and subclinical COVID‐19 infection. Further studies may be warranted.