Environmental Health Conditions Research Articles

Evaluation of Knowledge, Attitude and Practice of Pharmacists in Tehran Pharmacies regarding Environmental Health Issues to Increase Good Pharmacy Practice

Background: In addition to being the most accessible medical center in the community, the pharmacy is a center for storing and providing medicines and cosmetics that are directly related to people's health. Therefore, observing environmental health issues in the pharmacy, which is managed by the pharmacist, is considered necessary. In this study, considering the direct and high impact of observing various aspects of environmental health on the good pharmacy practice and its value, it has been tried by examining the level of knowledge, attitude and practice of pharmacists in the pharmacies of Tehran city and presenting it, the necessary ground for promotion The environmental health status of pharmacies should be provided. Methods: In this research, standard researcher-made questionnaires were designed and after checking its validity by clinical pharmacists, environmental health and biostatistics experts and its reliability with Cronbach's alpha test, It was completed by the pharmacists of Tehran community pharmacies in the period of April to September 2022, observing ethical points and preserving their identity, in order to show their knowledge, attitude and performance towards environmental health issues in the pharmacy where they operate. Then the obtained data were analyzed in SPSS version 23.0 statistical software. Results: Examination of the data obtained from this study showed that the pharmacists in the study have the appropriate level of knowledge and attitude, but their performance in pharmacies is different. Conclusion: Observation of the results of the study shows that due to the lack of appropriate practical training and the lack of strict rules by regulatory authorities, despite the appropriate level of knowledge of pharmacists, in practice do not consider themselves very obliged to observe health principles.

Spatiotemporal variation of macroinvertebrate communities in relation with water quality in urban rivers of Adwa, Northern Ethiopia

ABSTRACT Macroinvertebrates are bio-indicators of environmental health. A study on spatiotemporal diversity and abundance of macroinvertebrates was conducted in two rivers of Adwa, Ethiopia. Samples were collected from each river following the multi-habitat sampling approach. Moreover, physicochemical measurements were also taken. A total of 892 specimens of macroinvertebrates belonging to three phyla, eight orders and 17 families were identified. Higher (98%) and lower (2%) taxonomic abundance was recorded during the dry and wet seasons, respectively. Family Physidae (48.65%) was the most dominant followed by Planorbidae (21.74%). During the dry and wet season Adi Haki river AD1 had the highest (H = 1.615) and lowest (H = 0.651) diversity index, respectively. Physicochemical measurements showed no significant difference between the two rivers (p > 0.05). The results of the study shows that the study rivers have moderate environmental health status. Therefore, watershed management is important to keep the area healthy.

Gambaran Kesehatan Lingkungan dan Perilaku Hidup Bersih dan Sehat (PHBS) dalam Perbaikan Masalah Gizi Balita Stunting di Kecamatan Liang Anggang

Stunting is a disorder of growth and development of children due to chronic malnutrition and repeated infections, which is characterized by their length or height being below the established standard. Stunting is a problem because it is associated with an increased risk of illness and death, a higher risk of being susceptible to non-communicable diseases, suboptimal brain development so that motor development is delayed and mental growth is inhibited. Risk factors for stunting consist of 2 factors, namely direct factors such as food intake and infection, and indirect factors such as environmental health and clean and healthy living behavior (PHBS). This study aims to identify environmental health conditions and PHBS in stunted toddlers in overcoming the problem of stunted toddler nutrition. This type of research is qualitative which is analyzed descriptively and in-depth interviews and observations with research samples being mothers of stunted toddlers from Liang Anggang District (Landasan Ulin Barat, Selatan, Tengah, and Utara Villages). The sampling technique was carried out using the accidental sampling technique. This research was conducted in Liang Anggang District, Banjarbaru City. The results of the study showed that environmental health conditions in Liang Anggang District including water, sanitation, and hygiene wash factors were quite good. The condition of PHBS in households in Liang Anggang District is quite good. There needs to be awareness from the community where the task of forming this awareness is held by health workers who synergize with the community itself so that the community is more aware and pays attention to environmental health and PHBS to avoid stunting.

An integrated novel approach to the environmental health assessment of Bangladesh's coastal ecosystems

The coastal expanse of Bangladesh, situated along the Bay of Bengal, is a susceptible and low-lying area grappling with multiple environmental challenges. Various physicochemical parameters were employed in the assessment of water quality. The CCME Water Quality Index indicated the western coast as 70.13 (Fair), the Central coast as 42.2 (Poor), and the Eastern Coast as 64.6 (Marginal). This outcome was corroborated by the Environmental Quality Index, with the Western Coast ranked as (Good), the Eastern Coast as (Fair), and the Central Coast as (Poor). The analyzed parameters provided insights into pollution levels, water clarity, nutrient dynamics, and the overall health of the coastal ecosystems. Additionally, the study delved into heavy metal concentrations, encompassing arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), mercury (Hg), manganese (Mn), lead (Pb), and zinc (Zn). The eastern coast exhibited higher contamination compared to the other two regions, emphasizing potential risks to both the environment and human health. This study aimed to evaluate the environmental health risks and water quality in this region, introducing a novel Environmental Health Risk Index (EHRI) to gauge the overall environmental health conditions. According to the EHRI, the Western Coast exhibited good conditions (2.25), while the Central (3.625) and Eastern (3.5) Coasts were classified as not bad, with the Eastern Coast experiencing comparatively lesser impact. Based on these findings, several recommendations emerge, including the implementation of climate change adaptation strategies such as coastal protection measures, the advocacy of sustainable land use practices, and the enhancement of monitoring and management protocols for water quality.

Investigation on the Epidemic Situation of Epidemic Hemorrhagic Fever in an Island Industrial Park in Zhoushan, China.

Objective: To investigate the epidemic factors of hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) and compare the S and M gene sequences of hantavirus (HV) between rodents and the infected cases. Methods: Detailed epidemiological investigations were conducted on the cases' working and living areas. Captured rodents were classified by night trapping method, and their lungs and blood were collected for virus carriage detection after aseptic dissection. Viral S and M fragments of HV RNA were amplified and sequenced from positive samples of cases and mice, and their homology was analyzed. Results: After reconstruction, the geographic and living environment changed significantly, altering rodent behaviors. The industrial park, characterized by high population density, poor living conditions, and frequent contact of rodent (feces) and humans, had a high rodent density and HV virus infection ratio. Four workers infected with HV were positive for anti-HV immunoglobulin G (IgG) and IgM. Among the positive samples, HV RNA was detected in all two cases, and four Rattus norvegicus specimens were Seoul type HV S3 subtype. The virus had the closest relationship with Rod/2012/QHD/4/Gc (Hebei, China) and RuianRn180 (Zhejiang, China), with the 100% homology of M gene segment. The homology of viral S gene segment exhibited the closest relationship with the Jiangxi isolated JiangxiXinjianRn-09-2011, ranging from 99.6% to 99.8%. Conclusion: The HV sequencing showed a strong epidemiological relationship between the cases and host rodents. Improving living environmental health conditions, administering HFRS vaccine, and reducing rodent density and human-rodent contact can mitigate the risk of HFRS.

Environmental and Ecosystem Performance in Latin America and Africa: An Exploration Using EPI, SDG, And Data Mining

Our research objectives are to reveal the characteristics and trends of environmental health, ecosystem vitality, and climate change for countries in Latin American & Caribbean, North Africa, and Sub-Saharan Africa from 2012 to 2022, relate these trends to their respective sustainability performance, and finally provide environmental policy recommendations with high sustainability effects. The data we use combine Environmental Performance metrics with sustainable development goals agreed by United Nation members. Using data mining techniques, we found two clusters that cross-out geographical boundaries for 2022 and 2012. One cluster dominates the other in all environmental indicators but environmental health, and their differences increased in the last 10 years. Based on our findings, we recommend countries in both clusters to focus on environmental policies that improve environmental health and climate change conditions, but at different rates. These environmental policy recommendations have positive multiplier effects on poverty, health, gender, inequality, and economic progress.

Developing Problematic Performance Value Scores: Binding Routine Activity Performance, Environmental Barriers, and Health Conditions.

Community design features, such as sidewalks and street crossings, present significant challenges for individuals with disabilities, hindering their physical performance and social integration. However, limited research has been conducted on the application of Universal Design (UD) to address these challenges, particularly concerning specific demographic groups and population cohorts. Understanding the influence of environmental features on physical performance is crucial for developing inclusive solutions like UD, which can enhance usability and social integration across diverse populations. This study aims to bridge this gap by investigating the complex relationships between environmental barriers, health conditions, and routine activity performance. An index was developed to evaluate users' UD performance based on functional capacity, providing scientifically rigorous and objectively measured evidence of UD effectiveness in creating inclusive built environments. Using data from the Problematic Activities Survey (PAS) conducted in the U.S., Canada, and Australia and targeting individuals with and without functional limitations, multinomial logit models were employed to estimate the probabilities of encountering performance problems. This analysis led to the development of the Problematic Performance Value (PPV) score. The results demonstrated significant disparities in PPVs across various health conditions, particularly concerning curb ramps. Individuals facing mobility issues in their legs/feet, arms/hands, or back/neck encounter more pronounced challenges, especially when curb ramps lack proper design elements. Similarly, individuals with vision impairments face heightened difficulties with traffic signals, particularly due to issues with audible signal systems. These findings underscore the importance of addressing micro-level environmental challenges to accommodate individuals with varying functional capacities effectively. By providing insights into the most problematic daily activities encountered by diverse populations, the PPV score serves as a valuable indicator for guiding environmental design improvements and promoting equitable space usage. This can be used to guide improved UD solutions and decide areas of concentration by providing generalized information on specific environmental features that contribute to user performance.

Rural integrated sanitation assessment at community level in Chongqing, China—A cluster analysis

Equitable access to sanitation for all is a goal of sustainable development, notably in rural areas. However, studies including economic, socio-cultural, and other factors that have been conducted to comprehensively assess rural sanitation at the community level in developing countries are limited. This study aimed to investigate the current state of rural environmental sanitation on the community level and to evaluate the characteristics of the diverse sub-clusters. A multidimensional environmental sanitation survey was conducted on 400 communities in Chongqing, China in 2020, and the priority options for improving sub-clusters’ sanitation were explored using cluster analysis. Among all communities, more than 60 % had positive village appearance, 50.50 % had domestic sewage treatment, and the coverage rate of household sanitary toilets was 72.28 %. The average content for lead, cadmium (Cd), and chromium in soil was 26.01, 0.53, and 54.47 mg/kg, respectively. The communities were clustered into 3 groups (I, II, III) based on similar characteristics including basic information, village appearance, water, sanitation, hygiene management, bio-vector control, and soil pollution. The proportion of cluster I, II, and III was 39.25 % (157/400), 31.75 % (127/400), and 29.00 % (116/400), respectively. Each cluster had its sanitation characteristics, and significant differences among the sub-clusters were observed in Cd of soil (p = 0.001), domestic sewage disposal ratio (p < 0.001), and environmental health funding (p = 0.001). To sum up, the environmental sanitation in rural areas of Chongqing was better than that of the national average in China, but the Cd content of farmland soil was higher. Our study provides novel evidence for assessing the characteristics of rural sanitation at the community level, and communities with similar environmental health status were clustered into the same group, while the heterogeneity of different sub-cluster was thoroughly characterized. The hierarchical control strategy should be performed in communities based on different characteristics and deficiencies of the clusters to improve environmental sanitation.

The Primary Care and Environmental Health e-Learning Course to Integrate Environmental Health in General Practice: Before-and-After Feasibility Study.

Environmental and behavioral factors are responsible for 12.6 million deaths annually and contribute to 25% of deaths and chronic diseases worldwide. Through the One Health initiative, the World Health Organization and other international health organizations plan to improve these indicators to create healthier environments by 2030. To meet this challenge, training primary care professionals should be the priority of national policies. General practitioners (GPs) are ready to become involved but need in-depth training to gain and apply environmental health (EH) knowledge to their practice. In response, we designed the Primary Care Environment and Health (PCEH) online course in partnership with the Occitanie Regional Health Agency in France. This course was used to train GP residents from the Montpelier-Nimes Faculty of Medicine in EH knowledge. The course was organized in 2 successive parts: (1) an asynchronous e-learning modular course focusing on EH knowledge and tools and (2) 1 day of face-to-face sessions. This study assessed the impact of the e-learning component of the PCEH course on participants' satisfaction, knowledge, and behavior changes toward EH. This was a pilot before-and-after study. Four modules were available in the 6-hour e-learning course: introduction to EH, population-based approach (mapping tools and resources), clinical cases, and communication tools. From August to September 2021, we recruited first-year GP residents from the University of Montpellier (N=130). Participants' satisfaction, knowledge improvements for 19 EH risks, procedure to report EH risks to health authorities online, and behavior change (to consider the possible effects of the environment on their own and their patients' health) were assessed using self-reported questionnaires on a Likert scale (1-5). Paired Student t tests and the McNemar χ2 test were used to compare quantitative and qualitative variables, respectively, before and after the course. A total of 74 GP residents completed the e-learning and answered the pre- and posttest questionnaires. The mean satisfaction score was 4.0 (SD 0.9) out of 5. Knowledge scores of EH risks increased significantly after the e-learning course, with a mean difference of 30% (P<.001) for all items. Behavioral scores improved significantly by 18% for the participant's health and by 26% for patients' health (P<.001). These improvements did not vary significantly according to participant characteristics (eg, sex, children, place of work). The e-learning course improved knowledge and behavior related to EH. Further studies are needed to assess the impact of the PCEH course on clinical practice and potential benefits for patients. This course was designed to serve as a knowledge base that could be reused each year with a view toward sustainability. This course will integrate new modules and will be adapted to the evolution of EH status indicators and target population needs.

Determination of factors affecting university students’ happiness levels through decision trees analysis

Throughout history, happiness has been a pivotal subject of study, often analyzed within the context of life quality. The notion of life quality includes various elements such as environmental conditions, family dynamics, health status, and income levels, each playing a significant role in shaping an individual's perspective on life and, consequently, their happiness. This research delves into the happiness of university students, a demographic that holds immense significance for the future of our nation.In the realm of academic studies focusing on the factors influencing the happiness levels of university students, methodologies such as factor analysis, regression analysis, correlation analysis, and logistic regression have been prevalently utilized. Nevertheless, this particular study distinguishes itself by employing decision tree methods, specifically the CART and CHAID algorithms, noted for their effectiveness in the analysis of extensive datasets. The research is based on primary data, gathered through face-to-face surveys conducted with students from Marmara University. The sample size, consisting of 600 participants, was ascertained using specially developed tables, and the Convenience Sampling method was employed in the design of the sample. Within the scope of this study, a total of 559 consistent data points, devoid of any missing observations, were subjected to analysis. The research initially investigates the correlation between the socio-demographic characteristics of the students and their levels of happiness. Subsequently, the applications of the CART and CHAID algorithms were executed using the SPSS software, focusing on two distinct dependent variables. The outcomes of this study indicate that socio-demographic elements, particularly factors such as income, age, and the occupations of the parents, exert a substantial influence on the happiness levels of individuals. Moreover, the study discerns a gender-based discrepancy in the primary sources of happiness, with love being predominant among women and success among men.

Explore Indonesian Spatial Patterns: Poor House Sanitation and Critical Environmental Disease in East Kalimantan

Objective Community-Led Total Sanitation, along with its contained 5 pillars, impacts on the fundamentals of status environmental health. This study aims to determine the spatial distribution pattern with sanitation facilities. This research aimed to analyze the distribution of houses with low economic priority in terms of topografi and their occupants' health conditions, focusing on critical environmental-based diseases, particularly stunting. Methods In order to improve sanitation facilities in terms of the community-based total sanitation pillar, this program was utilized as the stimulant recipient in this study, which had a population of 45 homes with special attention categories. Total sampling was employed to establish the research sample. Average Nearest Neighbor (ANN) and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) were used to examine the gathered data. Results As a result, the distribution pattern of the houses by looking at the poor environmental health condition, is categorized as clustered. The topography is hilly, with poor access to clean water, and there is no difference in the physical condition of the houses. Conclusion The pattern of distribution of houses with low economy is obtained in groups in areas that do not have access to adequate clean water. Diseases that exist in these community groups include diarrhea, tuberculosis, ISPA, and stunting.

Predicting nutrition and environmental factors associated with female reproductive disorders using a knowledge graph and random forests

ObjectiveFemale reproductive disorders (FRDs) are common health conditions that may present with significant symptoms. Diet and environment are potential areas for FRD interventions. We utilized a knowledge graph (KG) method to predict factors associated with common FRDs (for example, endometriosis, ovarian cyst, and uterine fibroids). Materials and MethodsWe harmonized survey data from the Personalized Environment and Genes Study (PEGS) on internal and external environmental exposures and health conditions with biomedical ontology content. We merged the harmonized data and ontologies with supplemental nutrient and agricultural chemical data to create a KG. We analyzed the KG by embedding edges and applying a random forest for edge prediction to identify variables potentially associated with FRDs. We also conducted logistic regression analysis for comparison. ResultsAcross 9765 PEGS respondents, the KG analysis resulted in 8535 significant or suggestive predicted links between FRDs and chemicals, phenotypes, and diseases. Amongst these links, 32 were exact matches when compared with the logistic regression results, including comorbidities, medications, foods, and occupational exposures. DiscussionMechanistic underpinnings of predicted links documented in the literature may support some of our findings. Our KG methods are useful for predicting possible associations in large, survey-based datasets with added information on directionality and magnitude of effect from logistic regression. These results should not be construed as causal but can support hypothesis generation. ConclusionThis investigation enabled the generation of hypotheses on a variety of potential links between FRDs and exposures. Future investigations should prospectively evaluate the variables hypothesized to impact FRDs.

Integration of Large Language Models with IoT in Smart Agriculture to Improve Efficiency, Yield, and Quality

This paper examines the novel integration of large language models (LLMs) with Internet of Things (IoT) technologies in the context of smart agriculture. The study emphasizes the transformative impact of LLMs in enhancing data-driven decision-making processes through advanced natural language processing capabilities. By employing IoT devices, comprehensive real-time data on environmental conditions, soil health, and crop status are collected and analyzed using LLMs, thereby facilitating the generation of actionable insights for precision agriculture. Key areas of improvement include optimized irrigation scheduling, targeted pest and disease management, and efficient resource utilization, which collectively contribute to increased crop yields and quality. The findings illustrate the potential of combining LLMs with IoT to create a sustainable, efficient, and high-yield agricultural ecosystem.

IJCM_50A: Mortality trends in Indian prisons and its associated risk factors: a time trend analysis from 2017-2021

Background: The environmental health status of jail populations poses a significant public health threat for prisoners and the general population. The environment of jails provides a suitable foundation concerning morbidity and mortality of the general population due to the concentrated potential source of infectious diseases, difficult access to treatment for chronic health conditions, interruption in the continuity of care for serious behavioural health conditions, as well as on-going issues for the prevention and treatment of substance abuse disorders. Prisoners should receive a healthcare provision equivalent to people living in the community. Those rights, if fulfilled, will contribute to the process of social rehabilitation and will facilitate further reintegration into society on release. Objective: To analyze the mortality trends in Indian prisons from 2017-2021 and determine associated risk factors. Methodology: The various mortality statistics and associated risk factors were retrieved from the Prison Statistics of India report published annually by the National Crime Records Bureau, Ministry of Home Affairs. A literature search was also done in electronic databases like -PubMed, Google Scholar, and other platforms using keywords- mortality in prisons, prison health, and death in Indian jails. Results: The obtained estimates identified an ascending trend in mortality in Indian prisons due to cardiovascular diseases, lung diseases, and suicide, accompanied by a rising trend in mental illnesses. Overcrowding, inadequate manpower for healthcare facilities, and poor budget allocation for prison health are some notable causes of rising mortality. Conclusion: The study’s findings revealed that prisoners, despite being a vulnerable section of the population, are deprived of adequate medical facilities due to restrictions imposed by law. Therefore, reducing overcrowding, recruiting adequate manpower for healthcare facilities and adequate budget allocation for prison health shall play an instrumental role in reducing the trend of mental illnesses and mortality in Indian prisons.

Assessment of Food Waste in Public Preschool and Primary Schools at the Municipality of Faro

INTRODUCTION: Food waste has become a political priority in recent years, due to its impact on the economy, environment, and population's nutritional and health status. In the school setting, the assessment of food waste is essential since it can reflect children's inadequate food consumption, compromising their nutritional intake and healthy development. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to assess and evaluate the food waste, in the form of leftovers and plate waste, produced in the meals served at lunchtime during three non-consecutive days in five preschool and primary school canteens located in the Municipality of Faro. METHODOLOGY: The food produced and wasted were separated and weighed by aggregated components. The sample was obtained by a non-probabilistic and convenience selection. Schools were stratified into urban or rural based on geographical location. Food waste was classified according to the result of the leftovers index and plate waste index, using the categorisations of Vaz (2006) and Aragão (2005), respectively. RESULTS: The total food waste average percentage found was 40.2% ± 7.3% and the mean of leftovers and plate waste percentages exceeded the acceptable limits (15.2% ± 7.3%, and 25.0% ± 5.7%, respectively). Among the food components, vegetables were the most wasted in both areas (71.2% ± 31.6%, urban; 98.7% ± 13.7%, rural). Comparing the results according to schools’ location, it was found that the consumption of vegetables was significantly lower in rural area schools when compared to the consumption of vegetables in urban area schools (1.3% ± 5.6% and 28.7% ± 31.2%, respectively; p = 0.039). CONCLUSIONS: The need to implement corrective measures aimed at reducing food waste is urgent, through the training of canteen workers, menu improvement and promoting children’s food consumption, especially concerning the vegetable food group.

ANALYSIS OF K-MEAN CLUSTERING IN GROUPING CHILD MORTALITY RATE IN INDONESIA

The death rate is an indicator of health status in society. One of these indicators is the Child Mortality Rate (CMR), which reflects environmental health conditions which directly influence children's health levels. The KMeans algorithm divides data into 3 groups (Clusters), namely Clusters 0, 1 and 2 to produce information on child mortality rates in all districts/cities in Indonesia. This modeling produces 3 clusters, namely cluster 0 (Districts/Cities with Medium Child Mortality Rates) with 124 Regencies/Cities, cluster 1 (Regency/Cities with High Child Mortality Rates) with 31 Regencies/Cities and cluster 2 (Regency/Cities with High Child Mortality Rates). Low Child Mortality) 391 Districts/Cities. This clustering produces a Davies Bouldin Index value of 0.493, the center point of Cluster 0 is 2.744, the center point of Cluster 1 is 6.185 and the center point of Cluster 2 is 13.756.

Biomonitoring: Developing a Beehive Air Volatiles Profile as an Indicator of Environmental Contamination Using a Sustainable In-Field Technique

The wellbeing of the honey bee colonies and the health of humans are connected in numerous ways. Therefore, ensuring the wellbeing of bees is a crucial component of fostering sustainability and ecological harmony. The colony collapse disorder (CCD) phenomenon was first reported in 2006 when the majority of bee colonies in Europe died out, due to an increase in infections, contamination of hives with agrochemical pesticides, and persistent organic pollutants (POPs). Only 6 years after the emergence of CCD, more than 6.5 million premature deaths were reported, as a consequence of persistent human exposure to air pollution. The insect species such as the honey bee Apis mellifera L. and the air matrix inside the beehive can be used as tools in biomonitoring, instead of traditional monitoring methods. This may have advantages in terms of cost-effective bioindicators of the environmental health status, showing the ability to record spatial and temporal pollutant variations. In this study, we present the sustainable in-field usage of the portable membrane inlet mass spectrometry (MIMS) instrument for an instant and effective determination of the level of environmental pollution by analytical identification of hive atmosphere volatile organic compound (VOC) contaminants, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), monocyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (BTEX) compounds, and pesticides. The samples were taken from hives located in urbanized and rural regions, highlighting variations in contamination. The MIMS results were benchmarked against a conventional laboratory sampling technique, such as GC-MS.

Quality of life and depression among patients with high myopia in Nigeria: a cross sectional study.

To evaluate the quality of life (QOL) and level of depression among participants with high myopia in Nigeria and the demographic factors associated with these outcomes. This cross-sectional study was conducted on 100 adult participants with high myopia (defined as refractive error ≤-5.00 D or worse, and uncorrected visual acuity worse than 6/18 in the better seeing eye) attending ophthalmology centres in Nigeria from 2 October 2021 to 30 August 2022. The means and standard deviations were calculated for each of the four domains of World Health Organization Quality of life scale (WHOQOL-BREF) using the transformed scores. The Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) scale was used to assess the level of depression. The highest and the lowest mean scores of WHOQOL-BREF domains were found for the psychological and physical health domains (mean percentage scores were 67.0 [95% confidence intervals (CI) 64.1-68.9] and 55.3 (95%CI 51.8-58.8, P<0.001), respectively. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) revealed significant differences in physical health with educational status (higher among those with tertiary education: mean difference 0.9, 95%CI -0.2-2.1; P=0.049), differences in psychological health with working status (higher among those who were working 1.2, 95%CI 0.3-2.1; P=0.012). Also, the result showed a statistically significant association between environmental health and marital status (higher among non-married: 1.7, 95%CI -0.9-2.3; P=0.012) while overall health was associated with place of residence (higher in urban areas: 2.3, 95%CI 1.2-3.5; P=0.024). For depression, one in every nine participants reported major depressive symptom, mostly younger people (aged 16-29 vs 30-49y: 17.0% vs 0, P=0.019), and slightly more women than men (14.3% vs 0, P=0.064). There were significant negative correlations between the depression scores and psychological health (r=-0.48, P<0.001), physical health (r=-0.29, P=0.002), social and relationship (r=-0.49, P<0.001), environmental (r=-0.48, P<0.001) and overall health (r=-0.49, P<0.001). People with high myopia have a relatively moderate QOL, but poor physical health, particularly the younger age group, and women who are more likely to experience clinically relevant depression. Eye care professionals should consider possible referrals for counselling for people with high myopia.

Mapping the association between mental health and people’s perceived and actual ability to practice hygiene-related behaviours in humanitarian and pandemic crises: A scoping review

Humanitarian crises such as disease outbreaks, conflict and displacement and natural disasters affect millions of people primarily in low- and middle-income countries. Here, they often reside in areas with poor environmental health conditions leading to an increased burden of infectious diseases such as gastrointestinal and respiratory infections. Water, sanitation, and hygiene behaviours are critical to prevent such infections and deaths. A scoping review was conducted to map out what is known about the association between three mental health disorders and people’s perceived and actual ability to practice hygiene-related behaviours, particularly handwashing, in humanitarian and pandemic crises. Published and grey literature was identified through database searches, humanitarian-relevant portals, and consultations with key stakeholders in the humanitarian sector. 25 publications were included, 21 were peer-reviewed published articles and four were grey literature publications. Most of the studies were conducted in mainland China (n = 12) and most were conducted in an outbreak setting (n = 20). Six studies found a positive correlation between handwashing and anxiety where participants with higher rates of anxiety were more likely to practice handwashing with soap. Four studies found an inverse relationship where those with higher rates of anxiety were less likely to wash their hands with soap. The review found mixed results for the association between handwashing and depression, with four of the seven studies reporting those with higher rates of depression were less likely to wash their hands, while the remaining studies found that higher depression scores resulted in more handwashing. Mixed results were also found between post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and handwashing. Two studies found that lower scores of PTSD were associated with better hygiene practices, including handwashing with soap. The contradictory patterns suggest that researchers and practitioners need to explore this association further, in a wider range of crises, and need to standardize tools to do so.

Investigation of environmental radioactivity levels and human health risk around San'ao Nuclear Power Plant (China) before operation

Baseline study on environmental radioactivity levels and public health conditions are crucial before the operation of nuclear facilities. Our goal is to establish a baseline database before the operation of San'ao Nuclear Power Plant (SNPP). To achieve this, water and food samples collection was carried out around the SNPP from 2021 to 2022 for laboratory analysis to determine the radioactivity levels. Thereafter, annual effective dose (AED) to local residents were evaluated by the analysis results and cancer incidence rates were analyzed by health data of local residents. Our results showed that the gross α and β activity concentrations in water varied within < 0.016–0.023 Bq/L and 0.031–0.080 Bq/L, respectively. The 90Sr and 137Cs activity concentrations range from 3.1 to 9.7 mBq/L and 0.11–0.42 mBqg/L in water, and range from 0.037 to 0.95 Bq/kg and 0.015–0.38 Bq/kg in food. All obtained results of gross α and β, 90Sr and 137Cs were below the thresholds of World Health Organization (WHO) and Chinese national standard. The AED induced by ingestion of food or drinking water were below the thresholds of WHO or Chinese national standard, indicating that radiation exposure was at a safe level. The incidence rate of all cancer sites combined among the residents around the SNPP was slightly higher than other regions, but still remained at the same scale. However, the incidence rate of thyroid cancer stood out to be significantly higher than the national average value in China, presumably due to excessive iodine intake in the study region.