Risk Reduction Efforts Research Articles

Socioenvironmental Risk Factors for Adolescent Marijuana Use in a United States-Mexico Border Community.

We examined how socioenvironmental risk factors unique to the United States-Mexico border, defined as border community and immigration stress, normalization of drug trafficking, and perceived disordered neighborhood stress, contribute to tobacco, alcohol, and marijuana use among adolescents residing there. Cross-sectional design. The study was conducted at a high school on the United States-Mexico border. A sample of 445 primarily Hispanic students (ages 14-18). Perceived Disordered Neighborhood Stress Scale, Border Community and Immigration Stress Scale, and Normalization of Drug Trafficking Scale. Logistic regression assessed the association between the socioenvironmental risk factors and past 30-day tobacco, alcohol, and marijuana use. Participants with higher border community and immigration stress scores were significantly more likely to have used tobacco (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 1.41, P < .01) and alcohol (aOR = 1.31, P < .01) in the past 30 days. Perceived disordered neighborhood stress also was associated with past 30-day alcohol use (aOR = 1.46, P < .00). The normalization of drug trafficking was associated with past 30-day marijuana use (aOR = 1.45, P < .05). Public health practitioners, educational institutions, and policy makers should consider the economic and normative environment of the United States-Mexico border for future substance use prevention and risk reduction efforts targeting border adolescents.

Children’s Perspectives on the Impact of the Hazelwood Mine Fire and Subsequent Smoke Event

Disaster response and recovery researchers and policy makers are increasingly attempting to represent the views of children and adolescents alongside those of adults and other community members following disasters. Children’s and adolescents’ perspectives regarding the impacts and complications of the 2014 Hazelwood coal mine fire and ongoing smoke pollution event were investigated. Sixty-nine children and adolescents (aged 8–16 years) were interviewed using a semi-structured interview methodology and thematic analysis used to analyse the interviews. The children and adolescents revealed that the smoke and the response of schools, family members and community impacted the social, emotional and academic wellbeing of some children, while others experienced little impact from the event. Some reported awareness of the event complications on their parents and the community, and demonstrated skills to care for themselves and others, and to participate in disaster risk reduction efforts. The perspective of children and adolescents about the consequences of the fire and ensuing circumstances yield important insights which could incorporated into trauma-informed practices and disaster preparation, response and rehabilitation programs to reduce children’s and adolescents’ vulnerability and to increase their agency following disasters.

Water governance challenges in rural South Africa: exploring institutional coordination in drought management

Abstract Droughts have severe direct impacts on the livelihoods of rural populations. Thus, the management of water for communal agriculture and water supply should be well coordinated to enhance drought resilience. Notwithstanding the interrelations among water management institutions in South Africa, there are complexities in the way these institutions work together, both in preparation for, and during drought times. In this article, we examine the governance of water resources in South Africa with a view to understanding institutional coordination in drought management at different operational scales. Using a qualitative approach, the roles and relationships between water actors at the local and regional level were analyzed for their adequacy in building local level drought resilience in a village in the Limpopo province, South Africa. Key informant interviews conducted revealed operational drought management challenges that emanate from communication barriers, coordination inconsistences, and undefined, unclear actor roles and responsibilities during disasters. The top-down approach to disaster management, while of some value, currently constrains the effectiveness of the local-level institutions implementing local drought risk reduction efforts. Achieving more successful water and drought governance endeavors could be enhanced by greater and wider engagement with community-based actors and water management institutions.

Bisexual Women’s Experiences of Stigma and Verbal Sexual Coercion: The Roles of Internalized Heterosexism and Outness

In the current study, we examined how bisexual women’s unique experiences of sexual identity stigma might elevate their risk for verbal sexual coercion. Online survey data were collected from 350 self-identified bisexual women. Hayes PROCESS macro was used to test moderated-mediation and mediation analyses. Results indicated that anti-bisexual experiences (from both heterosexual and lesbian/gay individuals) were associated with greater internalized heterosexism (i.e., internalization of negative societal attitudes and stereotypes about one’s minority sexual orientation), which in turn was associated with increased odds of experiencing verbal sexual coercion. We did not find moderating effects of outness, such that internalized heterosexism mediated the relation between anti-bisexual experiences and verbal sexual coercion regardless of bisexual women’s levels of outness. Findings suggest that anti-bisexual experiences and internalized heterosexism are associated with bisexual women’s elevated risk for experiencing verbal sexual coercion. There is a need for targeted sexual violence prevention and risk reduction efforts that take into account the unique experiences and vulnerabilities of bisexual women in victimization risk. Results also highlight the need for campaigns that reduce sexual orientation-related stigma at the population level in order to prevent negative health outcomes among bisexual women.

Housing Insecurity and Risk of Adverse Kidney Outcomes.

Housing insecurity is characterized by high housing costs or unsafe living conditions that prevent self-care and threaten independence. We examined the relationship of housing insecurity and risk of kidney disease. We used longitudinal data from the Healthy Aging in Neighborhoods of Diversity across the Life Span study (Baltimore, MD). We used multivariable regression to quantify associations between housing insecurity and rapid kidney function decline (loss of >5 ml/min per 1.73 m2 of eGFR per year) and, among those without kidney disease at baseline, incident reduced kidney function (eGFR <60 ml/min per 1.73 m2) and incident albuminuria (urine albumin-creatinine ratio [ACR] ≥30 mg/g). Among 1262 participants, mean age was 52 years, 40% were male and 57% were black. A total of 405 (32%) reported housing insecurity. After a median of 3.5 years of follow-up, rapid kidney function decline, incident reduced kidney function, and incident albuminuria occurred in 199 (16%), 64 (5%), and 74 (7%) participants, respectively. Housing insecurity was associated with increased odds of incident albuminuria (unadjusted OR, 2.04; 95% CI, 1.29 to 3.29; adjusted OR, 3.23; 95% CI, 1.90 to 5.50) but not rapid kidney function decline or incident reduced kidney function. In this urban population, housing insecurity was associated with increased risk of subsequent albuminuria. Increased recognition of housing insecurity as a social determinant of kidney disease is needed, and risk-reduction efforts that specifically target populations experiencing housing insecurity should be considered.

Culture, Social Support, and Diabetes Empowerment Among American Indian Adults Living With Type 2 Diabetes.

OBJECTIVE | Type 2 diabetes represents a major health disparity for many American Indian/Alaska Native (AIAN) communities, in which prevalence rates are more than double that of the general U.S. population. Diabetes is a major indicator for other comorbidities, including the leading cause of death for AIANs (i.e., cardiovascular disease). This study investigated associations between protective factors (social support and cultural factors) and self-reported empowerment to manage illness. DESIGN AND METHODS | Participants were drawn from a random sample of tribal clinic records. Data included results from computer-assisted personal interviews with 192 American Indian adults with a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes living on or near a reservation. Community Research Councils, developed at each of the five partnering Anishinaabe reservations, oversaw protocols and procedures in this community-based participatory research collaboration. RESULTS | Multiple ordinary least squares regression models determined that general social support and diabetes-specific social support are positively related to diabetes empowerment. These associations persisted when both social support measures were added to the model, indicating independent effects of different types of social support. Cultural identity and cultural practices were positively related to diabetes empowerment in bivariate analyses; however, both measures dropped from statistical significance after accounting for all other covariates. An interaction term revealed a moderation effect through which cultural identity amplified the positive relationship between social support and diabetes empowerment. CONCLUSION | Results moderately support policy and risk-reduction efforts aiming at expanding social support networks into multiple domains and reinforcing cultural identity and cultural practices.

Musculoskeletal Injuries and United States Army Readiness. Part II: Management Challenges and Risk Mitigation Initiatives

Noncombat injuries ("injuries") threaten soldier health and United States (U.S.) Army medical readiness, accounting for more than twice as many outpatient medical encounters among active component (AC) soldiers as behavioral health conditions (the second leading cause of outpatient visits). Noncombat musculoskeletal injuries (MSKIs) account for more than 80% of soldiers' injuries and 65% of medically nondeployable AC soldiers. This review focuses on MSKI risk reduction initiatives, management, and reporting challenges within the Army. The authors will summarize MSKI risk reduction efforts and challenges affecting MSKI management and reporting within the U.S. Army. This review focuses on (1) initiatives to reduce the impact of MSKIs and risk for chronic injury/pain or long-term disability and (2) MSKI reporting challenges. This review excludes combat or battle injuries. Primary risk reduction Adherence to standardized exercise programming has reduced injury risk among trainees. Preaccession physical fitness screening may identify individuals at risk for injury or attrition during initial entry training. Forward-based strength and conditioning coaching (provided in the unit footprint) and nutritional supplementation initiatives are promising, but results are currently inconclusive concerning injury risk reduction. Forward-based access to MSKI care provided by embedded athletic trainers and physical therapists within military units or primary care clinics holds promise for reducing MSKI-related limited duty days and nondeployability among AC soldiers. Early point-of-care screening for psychosocial risk factors affecting responsiveness to MSKI intervention may reduce risk for progression to chronic pain or long-term disability. Operational MSKI metrics enable commanders and clinicians to readily identify soldiers with nonresolving MSKIs. Monthly injury reports to Army leadership increase command focus on soldiers with nonresolving MSKIs. Standardized exercise programming has reduced trainee MSKI rates. Secondary risk reduction initiatives show promise for reducing MSKI-related duty limitations and nondeployability among AC soldiers; timely identification/evaluation and appropriate, early management of MSKIs are essential. Tertiary risk reduction initiatives show promise for identifying soldiers whose chronic musculoskeletal conditions may render them unfit for continued military service.Clinicians must document MSKI care with sufficient specificity (including diagnosis and external cause coding) to enable large-scale systematic MSKI surveillance and analysis informing focused MSKI risk reduction efforts. Historical changes in surveillance methods and injury definitions make it difficult to compare injury rates and trends over time. However, the U.S. Army's standardized injury taxonomy will enable consistent classification of current and future injuries by mechanism of energy transfer and diagnosis. The Army's electronic physical profiling system further enablesstandardized documentation of MSKI-related duty/work restrictions and mechanisms of injury. These evolving surveillance tools ideally ensure continual advancement of military injury surveillance and serve as models for other military and civilian health care organizations.

Emotional Responses to a Sexual Assault Threat: A Qualitative Analysis Among Women With Histories of Sexual Victimization.

Sexual assaults against women are a leading threat to human rights and public health in the United States. Considering the high rates of sexual revictimization among women and the limited understanding of the mechanisms which fuel this phenomenon, the goal of the present study was to investigate the role of emotion in coping with a hypothetical threat of sexual assault for previously sexually victimized college women. A total of 114 college women with a history of sexual victimization listened to an audio-recording describing a sexual assault scenario and then described how they felt. A qualitative analysis paradigm was used to capture participants' responses in an open-ended, real-time, experiential manner. Data were analyzed using Consensual Qualitative Research-Modified methodology. Four main themes emerged (Negative Reactions, Indifferent Evaluations, Active Responses, and Cognitive Appraisal of the Situation), along with various subcategories, demonstrating the variability of women's responses to a sexual assault threat. Many women experienced uncomfortable or distressing emotional reactions to the vignette, primarily through discomfort, but also through anger, anxiety, and being upset. Few women reported experiencing fear, and a small number reported experiencing self-blame. The low endorsement of fear and anger in our high-risk sample indicates emotional dysregulation as a potential mechanism of repeated sexual victimization and a promising target for clinical intervention. Overall, results may inform sexual assault risk reduction efforts and the empowerment of women who have experienced sexual victimization.

Traditional Intelligence of the Tenger Tribe Community in Viewing the Hazard of Mount Bromo Eruption

Mount Bromo is a volcano that erupts frequently and Sukapura District, Probolinggo Regency, was severely affected by the eruption. In addition, the community adheres to the local culture. This relationship affects hazard risk reduction efforts that must pay attention to the local culture. If it is not in accordance with local culture, then hazard risk reduction efforts cannot be implemented. Therefore, this research was conducted to explore local characters related to the threat of the eruption of Mount Bromo in order to obtain a reference basis for preparing an appropriate hazard management plan. This study aims to: 1) Mapping the vulnerability of Mount Bromo eruption in Sukapura Regency based on the community based on the IDW interpolation technique; 2) Develop a model of the influence and relationship of traditional intelligence variables on community-based Mount Bromo eruption vulnerability zoning using the SEM-PLS analysis technique. The results showed that the level of vulnerability to the eruption of Mount Bromo which was interpreted by the people of Sukapura District was influenced by the variables of physical semiotics, cultural semiotics, faunal semiotics and vegetal semiotics.

Education and Disaster Vulnerability in Southeast Asia: Evidence and Policy Implications

This article summarizes the growing theoretical and empirical literature on the impact of education on disaster vulnerability with a focus on Southeast Asia. Education and learning can take place in different environments in more or less formalized ways. They can influence disaster vulnerability as the capacity to anticipate, cope with, resist, and recover from natural hazard in direct and indirect ways. Directly, through education and learning, individuals acquire knowledge, abilities, skills and perceptions that allow them to effectively prepare for and cope with the consequences of disaster shocks. Indirectly, education gives individuals and households access to material, informational and social resources, which can help reducing disaster vulnerability. We highlight central concepts and terminologies and discuss the different theoretical mechanisms through which education may have an impact. Supportive empirical evidence is presented and discussed with a particular focus on the role of inclusiveness in education and challenges in achieving universal access to high-quality education. Based on situation analysis and best practice cases, policy implications are derived that can inform the design and implementation of education and learning-based disaster risk reduction efforts in the region.

Trends in extreme rainfall and hydrogeometeorological disasters in the Metropolitan Area of São Paulo: a review

Our paper reviews recent progress in the study and understanding of observed trends in extreme rainfall events in the Metropolitan Area of São Paulo (MASP). These are discussed in relation to hydrometeorological hazards that trigger natural disasters, such as flash floods, landslides, and droughts, that affect the population and local economies. A review of the most updated literature on rainfall and extremes in the MASP shows a significant increase in the total volume of rainy-season rainfall during the last seven decades. While there were practically no days with heavy rain (more than 50mm) in the 1950s, these days have been occurring two to five times a year in the last 10 years. This, together with the inappropriate occupation of risky areas, such as slopes and banks of watercourses, leads to inundation, flooding, and landslides. Changes in extremes can be partly due to natural climate variability but can also be related to global warming and/or urbanization. There is ample evidence of an increasing risk of rainfall-related hazards in the MASP. This is particularly so for landslides in vulnerable areas. Exposure will continue to lead to risk increases. This calls for significant improvement in climate and disaster risk reduction and management efforts in the MASP region.

An integrated assessment of spatial planning towards the multi-hazard risk in Surakarta City

The urban development is correlated to urban economic growth. This situation often produces negative impacts on the environment, such as the emergence of disaster risks. Oftentimes, disaster risk existence is not sufficiently considered in spatial planning. Consequently, urban development does not support the efforts of urban disaster risk reduction and adaptation. This paper discusses the synchronization between spatial planning, and multi-hazard risk reduction and adaptation. Surakarta City was selected for the research case. This city has a multi-hazard risk including flood, fire, and traffic accidents. This paper evaluated the synchronization of the multi-hazard risk to the spatial planning of Surakarta City. This research used a deductive approach, and it is documentary research. The main data were based on urban institutional documents. Furthermore, the descriptive analysis technique wasused for exploring the data and information. The research result explains that the procedural evaluation shows the most part of the integration process of the multi-hazard risk assessment that has been conducted, although, on another side, the substantive evaluation indicates that the lack of criteria integration for the multi-hazard risk and the urban spatial planning takes place.

Disaster preparedness to exotic and emerging infections

Exotic and emerging infectious diseases are emerging more frequently, and impacting more profoundly, all of humanity. Disasters risk reduction efforts over the preceding decades, culminating in the Hyogo and Sendai frameworks, have provided a roadmap for all countries to address emerging disaster related risks. Sudden onset or surprise epidemics of exotic or emerging diseases have the potential to exceed the adaptive capacity of countries and international efforts and lead to widespread unmitigated pandemics with severe flow on impacts. In this article pandemic preparedness is viewed through the lens of international disaster risk reduction and preparedness efforts. Preparing for the unknown or unexpected infectious disease crisis requires different approaches than the traditional approaches to disaster related epidemic events. Countries must be able to position themselves optimally through deliberate planning and preparation to a position where future exotic or emerging infections can be managed without overwhelming public health, and other societal resources.

Evaluating social vulnerability indicators: criteria and their application to the Social Vulnerability Index

As a concept, social vulnerability describes combinations of social, cultural, economic, political, and institutional processes that shape socioeconomic differentials in the experience of and recovery from hazards. Quantitative measures of social vulnerability are widely used in research and practice. In this paper, we establish criteria for the evaluation of social vulnerability indicators and apply those criteria to the most widely used measure of social vulnerability, the Social Vulnerability Index (SoVI). SoVI is a single quantitative indicator that purports to measure a place’s social vulnerability. We show that SoVI has some critical shortcomings regarding theoretical and internal consistency. Specifically, multiple SoVI-based measurements of the vulnerability of the same place, using the same data, can yield strikingly different results. We also show that the SoVI is often misaligned with theory; increases in variables that contribute to vulnerability, like the unemployment rate, often decrease vulnerability as measured by the SoVI. We caution against the use of the index in policy making or other risk-reduction efforts, and we suggest ways to more reliably assess social vulnerability in practice.

The Effectiveness of Integration Model of Disaster Risk Reduction with the Living Values Education Approach in Thematic Learning in Primary School

Bantul Regency is the area that has a high disaster potential. This regency ranked 22, which was potentially catastrophic districts In Indonesia. Therefore, Disaster Risk Reduction efforts in this area need to be conducted systematically and sustainably by involving all stakeholders. This research aimed to develop the integration model of Disaster Risk Reduction by using a Living Values Education approach in thematic learning in primary school. The developed model has been tested in two elementary schools in Bantul Regency by using the pre-experimental design of one group Pretest-Postest. The population in this study was school principals and teachers from the Aisyiyah top primary schools of Bantul, and Muhammadiyah primary school of Bantul City. Sampling used the purposive sampling approach with the sample selection process that was gained by 20 teachers and two school principals as research samples. The data collection technique was through a questionnaire sheet using Likert’s Scale guidelines scales from 1 to 5. Data analysis techniques used non-parametric tests with the Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test technique because the data used was not a normal distribution. The results of the test showed the value of Sig. 0.000 < 0.05, furthermore, it can be concluded that the integration model of Disaster Risk Reduction by the Living Values Education approach was effective in developing the knowledge, attitudes, and skills of the principal and teachers. These research findings could be considered for policy stakeholders to plan and develop teacher competencies in integrating Disaster Risk Reduction programs in primary school learning.

Blockchain Adoption for Traceability in Food Supply Chain Networks

Innovative retailers in food supply chains have been exploring blockchain-based tracing systems as part of an ongoing effort to reduce contamination risks and food waste. We develop a three-tier supply chain model with multiple upstream (tier-2) suppliers to investigate: how blockchain adoption affects incentives of supply chain members, and whether and how its anticipated benefits can be realized. We find that blockchain-enabled full traceability brings direct revenue benefit to every supply chain member by saving uncontaminated food from disposal (pure traceability effect), but also leaves each tier of the supply chain vulnerable to its immediate downstream buyer’s exploitation through strategically lowering the purchasing price (strategic pricing effect). The interplay of the two effects may result in some of the supply chain members (even the retailer) being worse off with blockchain adoption, and the system being exposed to higher contamination risk; the latter is due to the weakened upstream supplier’s incentive to exert contamination risk-reduction effort. Moreover, we find that the supply chain network structure also influences the benefit distribution of blockchain adoption: The retailer always benefits from blockchain adoption in network structures where the tier-1 supplier’s strategic pricing power is eliminated or weakened; all supply chain members benefit from blockchain adoption in a network with a large number of tier-2 suppliers. Finally, we show that alternative risk-mitigation schemes such as tier-2 coordination can diminish the value of blockchain adoption, and partial traceability enabled by tier-1 product inspection can be more beneficial to the retailer than blockchain-enabled traceability.

TOPLUM TABANLI AFET YÖNETİMİ ÇERÇEVESİNDE BARINMA RİSK ANALİZİ

The impacts of disasters on reaching global levels increased risk reduction efforts in this area. Although efforts to reduce disaster risks have increased, these studies have not been able to significantly reduce socio-economic vulnerability. Many communities are still vulnerable to disasters and this exposure is increasing over time. Reducing the vulnerability of individuals and societies to disasters can only be achieved through more comprehensive and human-based preventive approaches to disaster risks. All these reveal the importance of widespread innovative work at the community-based disaster risk management. To realize community-based disaster management within the scope of this study, individuals become aware of the risks in the shelter areas where they spend most of their lives and the shelter risk analysis scale, which aims to minimize the loss of life and property in disasters and emergencies. Within the scope of this scale, the level of awareness of the individual, the structural and non-structural hazards in the shelter areas, environmental hazards and threat perception were measured and risk potentials were communicated to the person at the end of the analysis.

Inherent Safety in Offshore Drilling Operations

Inherent safety (IS) is a proactive approach for safety management during process plant design and operation. It has been proven that, considering the lifetime costs of a process and its operation, an inherently safer approach is an environmentally friendly and cost-optimal option. IS can be incorporated at any stage of design and operation. However, application of IS is highly effective at the early design stage. In this work, incorporation of IS in designing offshore oil and gas (O&amp;G) drilling operations is successfully done to achieve risk reduction. Some of offshore hazards/concerns including highly flammable substances, possible harsh weather conditions, toxic gas i.e. hydrogen sulphide and congested platforms and rigs layout are challenging to overcome especially during emergency responses. Based on this knowledge, we intend to exploit the versatility of the principles of IS for the purpose of achieving risk reduction in relation to offshore O&amp;G drilling operations. As for hazard identification, HAZID is chosen while relevant IS principles – “substitution”, “moderation” and “simplification” are recommended for risk reduction efforts.

Public perception and attitudes to disaster risks in a coastal metropolis of Saudi Arabia

Disaster risk reduction is an increasingly important policy issue, especially in developing countries that suffer most of the global human and economic losses associated with disasters. Indeed, public awareness and attitudes can help in disaster risk reduction and management efforts toward reducing mortality and economic losses. In Saudi Arabia, many cities have been recently experiencing incidences of disasters, such as floods, disease epidemics, and sandstorms. However, studies on public perception of disaster risk in the country are few and nascent. Therefore, based on a questionnaire survey (n = 683), this paper explores public perception and attitudes to disaster risks in Dammam, a coastal metropolis in Saudi Arabia. The findings indicate that although almost two-thirds (64.7%) of the participants are aware of disasters, and 81% are concerned about disaster risks, less than half (47.3%) believe that their settlements could be at risk. While 37% opine that disasters are caused by both natural factors and human activities, about half (54%) indicate that they can personally contribute to reducing disaster risks. Chi-square analysis indicates a significant positive relationship between place of residence and perception of disaster risks (χ2 (6) = 56.18, p < 0.05), and between place of residence and concern about disaster risks (χ2 (12) = 68.47, p < 0.05). The paper recommends raising public awareness and encouraging positive behaviors in reducing disaster risks in the study area and similar environments.

Geohazard Mitigation Based on Local Wisdom for Limestone Mining Site in Padalarang Area of West Java

Padalarang area of Bandung Barat Regency is famous as location of limestone mining site in West Java Province. Several geological hazards such as landslide, soil erosion and sedimentation are frequently happen in the study area. Despite the environmental damages due to geohazards, there are still many people living in this area. The objective of this paper is to reveal the efforts of disaster risk reduction based on local knowledge and wisdom of people living around the limestone quarry. Methodology in this study consists of geohazards potential mapping to delineate the area of vulnerability and mapping of the people’s knowledge and experiences in their efforts to reduce the risk of disaster around their environment. Results show that several quarries in the study area are prone to landslide and rockslide with high vulnerability. Soil erosion and sedimentation are traceable in the rivers. Native inhabitants around mining site get used to build their homes on the slope in a traditional way to avoid the danger of sliding.. Eventhough the recent home building is popular using bricks but in some cases, the traditional building is expected to be more resilient to geohazards. Stone Garden and Guha Pawon are means of keeping environmental friendly and part of geohazard mitigation.