Level Of Formal Education Research Articles

Higher Level of Cognitive Reserve Reduces the Risk of Cognitive Difficulties in Healthy Adults

The study was designed to investigate whether a level of cognitive reserve (CR) is associated with a level of cognitive competences in adults. Evidence from numerous earlier studies suggests that high CR, defined as previously acquired knowledge and experience, plays a protective role with respect to cognitive capacities in adults and senior citizens. Hence, it was hypothesised that a lower CR would predict lower cognitive capacities. The study involved 120 Polish healthy adults (75 women and 45 men) ranging in age from 40 to 85 years (M = 57.42; SD = 10.48). The applied CR index took into account formal education level, involvement in social, occupational and physical activity, and level of social support. The recorded data also included depression level (Beck Depression Inventory, BDI II) and cardiovascular status (hypertension: yes / no). The subjects’ current cognitive competences were assessed using Montreal Cognitive Assessment test (MoCA), Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS) subtests, verbal fluency tests and Dysexecutive Questionnaire, self-report version (DEX-S). Based on the subjects’ scores in cognitive tests, a cluster analysis was performed, and the participants were divided into two groups presenting lower cognitive level (LCL) and higher cognitive level (HCL). The LCL subjects were older than HCL and they had higher level of depression and lower CR. In order to determine whether lower level of CR is related to lower level of cognitive abilities in the adults, logistic regression analysis was carried out, also taking into account age, cardiovascular status and depression level. It was shown that the higher level of CR reduced the risk of cognitive deficits. Older age corresponds to poorer cognitive function. The findings showed no interaction between CR and age. Depression and health status did not predict level of cognitive abilities. The current findings are consistent with results of earlier studies: higher level of CR may be associated with a lower risk of cognitive deficits and age is a CR–independent variable that affects cognitive performance: the risk of cognitive decline increases with age. These findings are discussed with reference to models and CR indices.

Knowledge of Green Practices Adoption and Infusion among Employees’ of Selected Manufacturing Firms in Ogun State, Nigeria

This study investigates the knowledge of green practices adoption and infusion among employees of selected manufacturing companies in Ogun State, Nigeria. The study adopts a descriptive design in which qualitative (in-depth interview and key informant interview guide) and quantitative (questionnaire) methods were used for data collection. Multistage sampling techniques were employed in selecting respondents for the study. A total of 321 respondents were utilized in gathering the quantitative data while four (4) key informant interviews and eight (8) in-depth interviews were used for the collection of qualitative data. Descriptive statistics (frequency count and percentage distribution) and qualitative content analysis were deployed in analysing the data. The socio-demographic of the respondents showed that all had some level of formal education. The findings of the study also revealed that a majority (84.7%) of the respondents had some level of knowledge about green practices adoption and infusion in their organizations however a significant proportion (15.3%) of the respondents are still lacking sufficient understanding of green practices adoption and infusion as indicated in the study organizations. The study therefore concludes that improved awareness and education on every aspect of green practices infusion and adoption is still needed among employees of manufacturing companies in Nigeria in order to achieve the desired sustainable development goals by the year 2030.

The experience of scavengers Who Dropped Out of School in Formal Education

Education is very important in life and it can support the future. Everyone has the right to education, both formal and informal, as well as scavenger children. Based on field data, we can see that many scavenger drop out of school because they cannot afford to pay for their children's education. Although there are some scavengers who go to school, only elementary and then do not continue to a higher level. The purpose of this study is to describe the experiences of scavengers who drop out of school at the level of formal education. The approach used in this study is a qualitative approach and the type of research is descriptive because to describe the data in the field, the informants in this study were scavengers and data croschecks conducted interviews with parents and the school. Data were collected by means of in-depth interviews with informants, and documentation, data were analyzed by means of an interactive model of Mathew Milles And Huberman. The results of this study Some of the scavenging children had unfavorable experiences when they were on school benches and there were also some scavenging children who had a pleasant experience for them. Experiences that are felt to be not good for scavengers like when they are in school they get actions ostracized.

Determinants of the Performance of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMES) in Barru District

This study aims to determine the Determinants of the Performance of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Barru Regency. The method used in this study is a quantitative approach and the type of research conducted is survey research. The population used is Small and Medium Enterprises in the manufacturing industry sector in Barru Regency, which is 1672 business units. The number of samples is 94 small and medium enterprises. The data sources used are primary data and secondary data. Analysis of the data used is multiple linear regression analysis. The results of this study indicate that the aspects of finance, environment, marketing, human resources, entrepreneurial ability and economic aspects have a positive and significant effect on the performance of small and medium enterprises in Barru Regency. The greater the equity, loan capital, the level of profits and capital accumulation, the greater the performance of small and medium enterprises. The better the technology and quality control, the availability of business places, government policies, seasons and infrastructure, the better the performance of small and medium enterprises. The more market demand, the better competing pricing, promotion, distribution channels and marketing areas, the better the performance of small and medium enterprises. The better the level of formal education, leadership, experience in business and the amount of motivation and skills in the performance of small and medium enterprises. The greater the desire for achievement, personal responsibility, management ability and innovation ability, the better the performance of small and medium enterprises. the higher the level of income of the community, the availability of jobs, a business climate and good investment and the better the economic growth, the better the performance of small and medium enterprises.

CHARACTER EDUCATION ON PRIMARY STUDENTS BASED ON THE CULTURE OF LOCAL WISDOM AND RELIGION IN INDONESIA

Character development of Indonesia at the present time they have been affected by globalization civilization which opens a window of opportunity to enjoy the advancement of science and technology, in the end slowly Indonesian people can be directly involved in the international community association freely and have access to a variety of impressions that would give effect to the character formation of generations of Indonesia, among other things such as pornography, violence, sexual perversion and violation of legal norms others later be interesting spectacle that in the end it turned into a real story that sad that happened on the whole society, especially the younger generation. Overcoming such things, the National Education System Indonesia raised character education at all levels of formal education. Primary school (SD) is the lowest level of formal education the foundation for the construction of a national character because, at the time there is important period in the development and future growth that is "golden age". Bogor is a tourist town that borders the capital city nature is cool and fertile land become a haven for tourists at home and abroad. Acceleration culture that can fade the noble values ​​of national culture will increasingly prevalent go to Bogor. Bogor religious communities and uphold the Sundanese culture as a strong foundation for developing a model-based character education Religion and the local culture. This study aims to identify the character values ​​in the public area of ​​Bogor and explore models of outcomes were found from the analysis of the data found in the community of Bogor implications for later used as a reference in order to defend the noble values​​derived from religious values and rooted in the culture of local wisdom as growing efforts character education at primary school. The method used in this study is a qualitative research to examine the condition of natural objects, where the researcher is a key instrument. Object of research is the Elementary School that implement character education on the basis of religion and culture in Bogor. The results showed that there are three models of religious-based education and the implementation of local wisdom is, 1) model is a model holistic implementation of character education that fully is applied in schools. 2) Implementation of the model of integration that integrates character education with religious and cultural values ​​into all school activities, these models are in Islamic Elementary School. 3) partial character education model, namely the implementation of character education is carried out separately with public education materials. Keywords Character Education, Religion, Culture, Elementary School.

Wpływ kwalifikacji właścicieli na sposób zarządzania małymi i średnimi firmami rodzinnymi

Celem artykułu jest określenie związku pomiędzy poziomem wykształcenia formalnego właścicieli firm rodzinnych, ich doświadczeniem zawodowym, pracą zgodną z wyuczonym zawodem, pracą na stanowisku kierowniczym i udziałem w szkoleniach a sposobem zarządzania i finansowania ich firm. Sposób zarządzania charakteryzują cele działalności, przeznaczenie wypracowanego zysku, liczba godzin pracy w firmie oraz delegowanie zadań. Pod uwagę wzięto także stopień wykorzystania kredytów, aplikowanie o środki z funduszy UE oraz ogólne wyniki finansowe firmy. W opracowaniu wykorzystano materiał empiryczny zebrany za pomocą kwestionariusza ankietowego na celowo dobranej próbie 135 firm rodzinnych z terenu południowej Wielkopolski, reprezentujących sektor małych i średnich przedsiębiorstw. Badanie zostało przeprowadzone przez studentów drugiego roku studiów licencjackich z Państwowej Wyższej Szkoły Zawodowej w Kaliszu w ramach zajęć z przedsiębiorczości. Badanie zostało przeprowadzone w roku 2017, natomiast pozyskane informacje o działalności firm dotyczyły lat 2014–2016. Zgromadzony materiał empiryczny opracowano za pomocą metod statystyki opisowej, korelacji rang gamma oraz testu niezależności chi-kwadrat. Uzyskane wyniki wskazują na istotny statystycznie wpływ udziału przedsiębiorcy w różnych formach szkoleń na sposób zarządzania i finansowania badanych firm rodzinnych oraz uzyskiwane przez nie wyniki finansowe.

Tackling Gender poverty relations within Households through micro-credit Programs in Uganda

The study mainly set out to investigate the factors that influence gender relations in Uganda. This paper contributes to the body of knowledge by determining the local gender context influencing gender poverty relations in the face of micro-credit programs and practices in Uganda. The study was grounded on the feminist conflict theory. Women accessing and utilizing microcredit programs from Savings and Credit Cooperative Organizations (SACCOs) in Mbarara (MM) and Bushenyi-Ishaka Municipalities (BIM) of South West Uganda provided the contextual setting of the study.
 Data was collected from a total of 198 respondents by use of interviews and focused group discussions. The study findings show that age, women’s marital status, the level of formal education, number of children depending on women, assets for collateral and signature requirements were the main factors influencing gender poverty relations within households in Uganda. The study contends that poverty and gender relations influence access to microcredit programs. The study then recommends that SACCOS should formulate gender inclusive strategies like alternative means of collateral and introduce women friendly modes of access to microcredit services as a strategy for tackling poverty among women in Uganda. The government is also advised to sensitize the public about gender poverty relations, human rights and increasing household income using the available media.

The knowledge level of rheumatoid arthritis patients about their disease in a developing country. A study in 168 Bangladeshi RA patients

ObjectivesTo assess disease-related knowledge of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patientsPatients and methodsConsecutive RA patients were invited from the rheumatology departments of BSMM University, Dhaka, Bangladesh. The Bangla version of the Patient Knowledge Questionnaire (B-PKQ) was used. Correlations between the B-PKQ scores and clinical-demographic data were measured using Pearson’s correlation coefficient. Impact of independent variables on the level of knowledge about RA was analyzed through multiple regression analysis. Possible explanatory variables included the following: age, disease duration, formal education level, and Bangla Health Assessment Questionnaire (B-HAQ) score. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to test the difference between demographical, clinical, and socioeconomic variables. For statistical analysis, SPSS statistics version 20 was used.ResultsA total of 168 RA patients could be included. The mean B-PKQ score was 9.84 (range 1–20) from a possible maximum of 30. The mean time for answering the questionnaire was 24.3 min (range 15–34). Low scores were observed in all domains but the lowest were in medications and joint protection/energy conservation. Knowledge level was higher (15.5) in 6 patients who had RA education before enrollment. B-PKQ showed positive correlation with education level (r = 0.338) and negative correlation with HAQ (r = −0.169). The B-PKQ showed no correlation with age, disease duration, having first degree family member with RA, education from other sources (neighbor, RA patient, nurses), or information from mass media.ConclusionsDisease-related knowledge of Bangladeshi RA patients was poor in all domains. Using these findings, improved education and knowledge will result in better disease control.Key Points• Little is known about the knowledge of RA patients regarding their disease and its treatment in Bangladesh and in developing countries in general.• We found that the knowledge of Bangladeshi RA patients regarding their disease was poor in all domains; it correlated positive with education level and negative with function (HAQ), but showed no correlation with age or disease duration.• The findings of this study can be used for improving current patient education programs by health professionals and through mass media.• Better disease control of RA may be achieved by improving patient knowledge in a developing country like Bangladesh, but also in other parts of the world.

Treatment of Acute Cholecystitis: Do Medicaid and Non-Medicaid Enrolled Patients Receive the Same Care?

BackgroundNationally, Medicaid enrollees with emergency surgical conditions experience worse outcomes overall when compared with privately insured patients. The goal of this study is to investigate disparities in the treatment of cholecystitis based on insurance type and to identify contributing factors. MethodsAdults with cholecystitis at a safety-net hospital in Central Massachusetts from 2017–2018 were included. Sociodemographic and clinical characteristics were compared based on Medicaid enrollment status (Medicare excluded). Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to compare the frequency of surgery, time to surgery (TTS), length of stay (LOS), and readmission rates between groups. ResultsThe sample (n = 203) included 69 Medicaid enrollees (34%), with a mean age of 44.4 years. Medicaid enrollees were younger (p = 0.0006), had lower levels of formal education (high school diploma attainment, p < 0.0001), were more likely to be unmarried (p < 0.0001), Non-White (p = 0.0012), and require an interpreter (p < 0.0001). Patients in both groups experienced similar rates of laparoscopic cholecystectomy, TTS, and LOS; however, Medicaid enrollees experienced more readmissions within 30 days of discharge (30.4% vs 17.9%, p < 0.001). ConclusionDespite anticipated population differences, the treatment of acute cholecystitis was similar between Medicaid and Non-Medicaid enrollees, with the exception of readmission. Further research is needed to identify patient, provider, and/or population factors driving this disparity.

The experience of scavengers Who Dropped Out of School in Formal Education

Education is very important in life and it can support the future. Everyone has the right to education, both formal and informal, as well as scavenger children. Based on field data, we can see that many scavenger drop out of school because they cannot afford to pay for their children's education. Although there are some scavengers who go to school, only elementary and then do not continue to a higher level. The purpose of this study is to describe the experiences of scavengers who drop out of school at the level of formal education. The approach used in this study is a qualitative approach and the type of research is descriptive because to describe the data in the field, the informants in this study were scavengers and data croschecks conducted interviews with parents and the school. Data were collected by means of in-depth interviews with informants, and documentation, data were analyzed by means of an interactive model of Mathew Milles And Huberman. The results of this study Some of the scavenging children had unfavorable experiences when they were on school benches and there were also some scavenging children who had a pleasant experience for them. Experiences that are felt to be not good for scavengers like when they are in school they get actions ostracized.

FACTORS INFLUENCING THE ADOPTION OF IMPROVED PINEAPPLE PRODUCTION PRACTICES IN EDO STATE, NIGERIA

The study focused on the factors influencing the adoption of improved pineapple production practices in Edo State, Nigeria. Data were collected from 80 respondents selected across two agricultural zones in the State. Data were analyzed using frequency count, percentage and mean while Chi-square was used to analyze the hypothesis. The results showed that majority (62.25%) of the respondents were male, belonged to the modal class of 40-45 years, married (45.0%) and educated (61.2%). A higher proportion (45.0%) of the respondents operated a farm size of 3-4 hectares, earned an income range of ₦70,000- ₦79, 000 per annum (22.5%) and belonged to association (73.8%). Factors such as cost of innovation (mean = 2.85), relevance of innovation (mean = 2.77), availability farm inputs associated with the technology (mean = 2.68), timeliness (mean = 2.68), source of the technology (mean = 2.56), cultural acceptability (mean = 2.42) and compatibility with the exiting practices (mean = 2.40) were important factors affecting the adoption of improved pineapple production in the study area. Constraints such as inadequate credit/finance (mean = 3.60), unavailability of improved seeds (mean = 3.46), pest and disease problems (mean = 3.44), labour shortage (mean = 3.44), high cost of farm chemicals (mean = 3.44), land procurement problem (mean = 3.42), inadequate transportation facilities (mean = 3.41), seed procurement problems (mean = 3.41), insufficient preservative/storage facilities (3.36), poor market (mean = 3.33), lack of technical know-how (mean = 3.30), insufficient irrigation facilities (mean = 3.23) and inadequate extension services (3.18) were the major constraints affecting the adoption of improved farm practices in pineapple production. The chi-square result revealed that significant relationship existed between respondents’ sex (χ2 = 5.00), marital status (χ2 = 38.125), level of formal education (χ2 = 21.500), farming experience (χ2 = 31.475), household size (χ2 = 8.450), farm size (χ2 = 27.100), income (χ2 = 25.300), membership of association (χ2 = 18.050) and the adoption of improved farm practices in pineapple production. It was concluded that pineapple production in the study area is constrained by several factors which are capable reducing farmers’ productivity and possibly force them out of production. The study recommends that relevant extension agencies should link farmers with sources of farm inputs and possible of funds.

Identify Key Success Factors Using Interpretive Structural Modeling (ISM) : A Case Study in Small and Medium Enterprise in Indonesia

Small Medium Enterprises (SMEs) have a very significant role in the economy of the community. The large number of SMEs on the same field causes high competition to survive in market. A lot of literature empirically discuss the success factors of SMEs in Indonesia, but there are still few which carry out further research by structuring a model of interconnectedness between these elements to find out the key factors. This study aims to determine the key factors by classifying and structurally modelling the factors based on the level of the affecting elements of an SME’s success. Interpretive Structural Modeling (ISM), which is an interactive learning process where a set of elements are structured into a comprehensive system model, is used as the approach. ISM helps in determining the sequence and purpose of complex relationships between elements in the system. This research found 24 success factors that divided into 13 levels and categorized into 4 sectors including autonomous, dependent, linkage, and independent sector. The sub-elements or key factors that influence the success of SMEs include (1) motivation and experience, (2) entrepreneurial spirit and leadership, (3) formal education level, and (4) technical guidance.

Income or education, which has a stronger association with dental implant use in elderly people in Japan?

Although inequalities in dental implant use based on educational level have been reported, no study has used income as a proxy for the socioeconomic status. We examined: (i) income inequalities in implant use; and (ii) whether income or education has a stronger association with implant use in elder Japanese. In 2016, a self-reported questionnaire was mailed to participants aged 65years or older living across Japan as part of the ongoing Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study. We used data from 84,718 respondents having 19 or fewer teeth. After multiple imputation, multi-level logistic regression estimated the association of dental implant use with equivalised income level and years of formal education. Confounders were age, sex, and density of dental clinics in the residential area. 3.1% of respondents had dental implants. Percentages of dental implant use among the lowest (≤ 9years) and highest (≥ 13years) educational groups were 1.8 and 5.1, respectively, and among the lowest (0<12.2 '1,000USD/year') and highest (≥ 59.4 '1,000USD/year') income groups were 1.7 and 10.4, respectively. A fully adjusted model revealed that both income and education were independently associated with dental implant use. Odds ratios for implant use in the highest education and income groups were 2.13 [95% CI=1.94-2.35] and 4.85 [95% CI=3.78-6.22] compared with the lowest education and income groups, respectively. From a model with standardised variables, income showed slightly stronger association than education. This study reveals a public health problem that even those with the highest education but low income might have limited accessibility to dental implant services.

Influence of traditional ecological knowledge on conservation of the skywalker hoolock gibbon (Hoolock tianxing) outside nature reserves

Although many species are threatened by hunting or resource extraction from indigenous human communities, traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) of local communities has the potential to support management and conservation of natural resources and wildlife. The newly described skywalker hoolock gibbon (Hoolock tianxing) is found on the border of China and Myanmar, and a large proportion of the remaining population in China occurs outside nature reserves. We surveyed this species across its range in China, and interviewed 622 people in 99 villages to evaluate the relationship between gibbon status and TEK of local communities. The total confirmed population was estimated to be less than 150 individuals. Gibbon subpopulations appear to have remained stable from 2009 to 2017 both within and outside nature reserves. Sociological and environmental correlates of gibbon survival outside the reserve were: (1) more Lisu than Han people present in villages; (2) greater forest cover; (3) greater distance from county towns; (4) existence of traditional taboos on hunting gibbons; and (5) higher dependency on forest resources by villagers. Interviewees living closer to surviving gibbon populations were more knowledgeable about gibbons, although interviewees living more than 25km away also knew more about gibbons. Formal education level was also correlated with better knowledge of gibbons, and men were better informed about gibbons than women. TEK appears to limit poaching of gibbons, thus contributing to their survival. The persistence of gibbons outside nature reserves may depend on incorporating TEK within community-based conservation strategies.

Visual and Spatial Working Memory Abilities Predict Early Math Skills: A Longitudinal Study

This study aimed to explore the influence of the visuospatial active working memory subcomponents on early math skills in young children, followed longitudinally along the first 2 years of primary school. We administered tests investigating visual active working memory (jigsaw puzzle), spatial active working memory (backward Corsi), and math tasks to 43 children at the beginning of first grade (T1), at the end of first grade (T2), and at the end of second grade (T3). Math tasks were selected according to the children’s age and their levels of formal education: the “Battery for the evaluation of numerical intelligence from 4 to 6 years of age” (BIN 4–6) at T1 to test early numerical competence and the “Test for the evaluation of calculating and problem-solving abilities” (AC-MT 6–11) to test math skills at T2 and T3. Three regression models, in which the predictors were identified through a backward selection based on the use of the Bayesian information criterion (BIC) index, were performed to study the relationship between visual and spatial working memory and math ability at the three points in time. The results show that spatial working memory influences early numerical performance at T1, while early numerical performance is the unique predictor of math performance at T2. At the end of the second grade, the regression model reveals a relationship between math performance and both visual and spatial working memory and the attenuation of the importance of domain-specific predictors. The study depicts the different implications of visual and spatial working memory predictors over the children’s development periods and brings additional evidence to the debate on the relationship between visuospatial working memory and math ability in young children.

The self-care profiles and its determinants among adults with hypertension in primary health care clinics in Selangor, Malaysia.

IntroductionSelf-care has been shown to improve clinical outcome of hypertension. Gauging the level of self-care among patients with hypertension enables the design of their personalized care plans. This study aimed to determine the self-care profiles and its determinants among patients with hypertension in the Malaysian primary care setting.MethodsThis was a cross sectional study conducted between 1 October 2016–30 April 2017 in three primary care clinics in the state of Selangor, Malaysia. All adults aged 18 years and above with hypertension for at least 6 months were recruited with a systematic random sampling of 1:2 ratio. The participants were assisted in the administration of the structured questionnaire, which included socio-demographic information, medical information and the Hypertension Self-Care Profile (HTN SCP) tool. Statistical analysis was done using SPSS version 20.0. Multiple linear regression was performed to determine the determinants for self-care.ResultsThe mean age of the participants was 59.5 (SD10.2) years old. There were more women (52.5%) and most were Malays (44.0%) follow by Chinese (34%) and Indians (21%). Majority (84.2%) had secondary or primary school level of education. A third (30.7%) had a family history of hypertension. The mean total HTN-SCP score was 124.2 (SD 22.8) out of 180. The significant determinants that influenced the HTN-SCP scores included being men (B-4.5, P-value0.008), Chinese ethnicity (B-14.7, P-value<0.001), primary level education/no formal school education level (B-15.7, P-value<0.001), secondary level education (B-9.2, P-value<0.001) and family history of hypertension (B 4.4, P-value 0.014).ConclusionsThe overall hypertension self-care profile among patients in this multi-ethnic country was moderate. Being men, Chinese, lower education level and without family history of hypertension were associated with lower hypertension self-care profile score. Healthcare intervention programmes to address self-care should target this group of patients.

Evaluation of farmer knowledge level on artificial insemination program and cow’s pregnancy in Central Java and Yogyakarta Provinces

This study was aimed to determine the level of knowledge of beef cattle farmers towards artificial insemination (AI) and to identify the success of the AI implementation by observing at the cow’s pregnancy rate. This study involved 400 farmers in Central Java and Yogyakarta Provinces as respondents selected by multistage random sampling. Statistical descriptive analysis was used in this study. Frequency distribution used to determine the farmers’ level of knowledge toward AI program and the success of pregnancy rate. The results showed that the farmers in this study had a low level of formal education (elementary school) and had a various understanding of AI benefit. Most of the farmers included in the medium category of understanding the benefits of AI and only 25.5% have a high understanding of the benefits of AI. In conclusion, farmers already knew the signs of estrus in cow and had applied it to determine the right time for AI, but the success rate of pregnancy for beef cattle in this study was still low (48.5%).

Disparities in smoking habits in Hungarian Roma and general populations

Abstract Background Smoking status, dependence and cessation efforts of the disadvantaged Hungarian Roma living in segregated settlements were compared to those of the general population. Methods Data were collected through survey. Each study group consists of 500 randomly drawn subjects, and are representative of the adult (18-64) general and Roma population, living in two counties of North-East Hungary. Questions on smoking from the European Health Interview Survey were used with some modifications. Prevalence data were analysed according to age strata (18-29, 30-44 and 45-64 years) by chi2 test, and were compared to data from 2003 and 2014. Results In Roma the proportion of never smokers is much less compared to the general ones (men:27.27% vs.75%, women:38.6% vs.70.75%, p &amp;lt; 0.05). Less Roma reported never smoking in all age compared to 2014, increasing trend can be found in the general population since 2003. Smoking prevalence is higher in Roma in all ages (72.73% vs.20 83%; 68.42% vs.28.42%; 59.02 vs. 32.26%, p &amp;lt; 0.05, respectively). Interestingly, the prevalence of Roma men smokers is decreasing by age, in the general population the trend is the opposite. Heavy smoker status is the highest in 30-44 age group of both populations. Increasing trend of heavy smoking can be detected in the Roma, but the opposite holds for general population compared to 2014. Half of the Roma smoke within 5 minutes after wakeup (50% vs. 36.92%, p &amp;lt; 0.05), smoke hand-rolled cigarettes (68.91%vs 30.77%, p &amp;lt; 0.05), higher proportion of them tried to quit (34.78% vs. 23.38%, p &amp;lt; 0.05) but smaller proportion of them obtained advise on how to quit (48.53% vs.59.09%, p &amp;lt; 0.05). Initiation starts earlier age among them (men: 15.1 vs.16.6, women: 16.2 vs.18.2, p &amp;lt; 0.05). Conclusions Regular smoking (especially heavy) is much higher in the Roma and decreasing by age compared to the general in all age-groups. The 30-44 age group of Roma mean are exclusively heavy smokers but half of the Roma show effort to quit. Key messages Tailoring cessation programs for Roma men especially those belong to 30-44 age group is a priority to reduce tobacco-related adverse effects. Complex public health programmes that taking into account special socio-cultural environment and lower formal education level of the Roma are needed.

Factors associated with bone mineral content in adults: a population-based study.

ABSTRACTObjective To determine the association among bone mineral content, sociodemographic, anthropometric and behavioral factors, and health status of Brazilian adults.Methods This was a cross-sectional, population-based study including 701 individuals from both sexes aged between 20 and 59 years. DEXA was used to evaluate dependent variable. The associations were evaluated using linear regression models stratified by sex.Results When mean bone mineral content values were compared, we found significant differences related to sex and all the independent variables evaluated. In the adjusted models, we identified an inverse association between bone mineral content and age in both sexes. Among men, to be overweight and/or obese, be highly educated, and have almost sufficiency of 25(OH)D were associated with higher bone mineral content values. On the other hand, among women, to be non-white skin color, overweight and/or obese were associated with better bone health. The main factors associated with low total bone mineral density were advanced age, white skin color, low level of formal education, eutrophy, and 25(OH)D deficiency.Conclusion Our results may help to identify adults who are at higher risk, and these findings should be used as guidelines for prevention and early diagnosis.

Prevalence and risk factors of HIV infection among people who inject drugs in Cambodia: findings from a national survey

BackgroundGlobally, people who inject drugs (PWID) continue to be among the most vulnerable populations to acquire infection of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). The most recent national survey found that nearly a quarter of PWID in Cambodia were infected with HIV in 2012. The aim of this study is to estimate the current prevalence of and factors associated with HIV infection among PWID in Cambodia.MethodsThis national integrated biological and behavioral survey was conducted from June to December 2017. Participants were recruited from the capital city and 11 major provinces using the respondent driven sampling method. Face-to-face interviews were conducted using a structured questionnaire, and blood samples were collected for HIV, syphilis, and hepatitis C virus (HCV) testing. Multiple logistic regression analysis was conducted to identify risk factors for HIV infection. All analyses were estimated with sampling weights that corrected for non-response and sample design.ResultsA total of 310 PWID participated in the study, and the mean age was 31.8 years (SD = 7.8). The prevalence of HIV was 15.2%. More than half (57.4%) of the HIV-positive participants were co-infected with HCV, and 44.7% were not aware of their HIV status prior to this study. After adjustment for other covariates, HIV infection remained positively associated with being female (AOR = 1.88, 95% CI = 1.03–4.04), being in the older age group of ≥35 (AOR = 2.99, 95% CI 1.33–9.22), being widowed, divorced or separated (AOR = 2.57, 95% CI = 1.04–6.67), living on the streets (AOR = 2.86, 95% CI 1.24–4.37), and HCV infection (AOR = 3.89, 95% CI 1.86–1.15). The HIV infection remained negatively associated with having higher level of formal education of ≥10 years (AOR = 0.44, 95% CI 0.13–0.83) and higher average income of ≥US$200 per month (AOR = 0.20, 95% CI = 0.05–0.74).ConclusionsThe prevalence of HIV among PWID in Cambodia remains high, but is reducing compared with the 24.8% reported in the 2012 national survey. Findings from this study provide critical information for tailoring interventions based on identified vulnerabilities and risk factors for HIV. Our findings underline the importance of socio-structural factors in HIV epidemiology among PWID in Cambodia, which require mitigation.