Residential Distance Research Articles

Erratum: Comparative Analysis of Heavy Metal Exposure Concentrations and Volatile Organic Compound Metabolites among Residents in the Affected Area According to Residential Distance from a Coal-fired Power Plant

Erratum: Comparative Analysis of Heavy Metal Exposure Concentrations and Volatile Organic Compound Metabolites among Residents in the Affected Area According to Residential Distance from a Coal-fired Power Plant

No medication prescription and residential distance from the hospital are important factors associated with nonsurgical weight-loss treatment discontinuance in Japanese patients with high-degree obesity: a retrospective study

BackgroundAlthough the percentage of the population with a high degree of obesity (body mass index [BMI] ≥ 35 kg/m2) is low in Japan, the prevalence of obesity-related diseases in patients with high-degree obesity is greater than that in patients with a BMI < 35 kg/m2. Therefore, treatment for high-degree obesity is important. However, clinical studies have reported that 20–50% of patients with obesity discontinue weight-loss treatment in other countries. The circumstances surrounding antiobesity agents are quite different between Japan and other countries. In this study, we investigated the predictors of treatment discontinuation in Japanese patients with high-degree obesity.MethodsWe retrospectively reviewed the medical charts of 271 Japanese patients with high-degree obesity who presented at Toho University Sakura Medical Center for obesity treatment between April 1, 2014, and December 31, 2017. The patients were divided into non-dropout and dropout groups. Patients who discontinued weight-loss treatment within 24 months of the first visit were defined as “dropouts.” Multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression analysis and Kaplan–Meier survival analysis were performed to examine the factors predicting treatment withdrawal.ResultsAmong the 271 patients, 119 (43.9%) discontinued treatment within 24 months of the first visit. The decrease in BMI did not significantly differ between the two groups. No prescription of medication and residential distance from the hospital exceeding 15 km were the top contributors to treatment discontinuation, and the absence of prescription medication was the most important factor. The dropout-free rate was significantly higher in patients with medication prescriptions than in those without and in patients who lived within 15 km of the hospital than in those who lived farther than 15 km from the hospital.ConclusionsNo medication prescription and longer residential distance from the hospital were associated with treatment dropout in Japanese patients with high-degree obesity; therefore, the addition of antiobesity medications and telemedicine may be necessary to prevent treatment discontinuation in such patients.

Predictors of Pediatric Asthma Management: Identifying Actionable Results With Geographic Determinants.

Pediatric asthma remains one of the most prominent chronic health conditions among US youth. Geographic determinants such as air pollutants have been identified as playing a role in asthma development and exacerbation. The purpose of this study was to determine geospatial predictors of pediatric asthma exacerbation events and to prioritize housing remediation resources. Electronic medical records were abstracted from a health plan in Southern California. The inclusion criteria that created a sample of 51 557 members were those aged 21years and younger, who had at least 1 asthma-related encounter between January 2019 and December 2021. Diagnoses, age, number of clinic and emergency department visits, and home addresses were included. The air quality index from the closest monitoring station during the study period, residential distance from a primary roadway, and residential distance from manufacturing sites were included in the spatial analysis. The average number of asthma-related clinic visits was 2 across the sample. Individuals with more asthma-related clinic visits residing in public housing were more likely to live within 4 km of industrial manufacturing locations (P <.001), reside closer to a major roadway (P <.001), and experience a higher number of poor air quality days (P <.001). Modeling results show these factors were also significantly predictive of an increase of asthma-related health care encounters. The findings of this study were consistent with previous studies linking asthma and poor air quality and further highlighted some of the additive and potentially exponential challenges that public housing, major roadways, and manufacturing sites provide communities in their proximity. This research can guide environmental interventions, including the frequency of public housing inspections, community outreach, and the development of communication strategies, to reduce asthma-related experiences across neighborhoods.

Association between Residential Distance to Airport and Blood Lead Levels in Children under 6 Living in North Carolina, 1992-2015.

Association between Residential Distance to Airport and Blood Lead Levels in Children under 6 Living in North Carolina, 1992-2015.

Visitors' recreational & leisure experiences in urban river corridors? A case study of Hutuo River in Shijiazhuang, China

Various physical environmental factors influence the recreational experience of urban river corridors, and understanding visitors' perceptions of these factors holds significant implications for promoting the health and well-being of urban residents. This study specifically focuses on the Hutuo River corridor in Shijiazhuang, China, and conducted a semi-structured questionnaire survey with 620 participants. The findings reveal that visitors mainly come here to socialize with family and friends in a natural environment and escape the city's hustle and bustle. Safety, management and maintenance, and overall conditions are the primary features visitors are concerned about in their experience. When addressing usage constraints, visitors highlight accessibility issues, including traffic congestion and overcrowding. Additional limitations encompass deficiencies in physical facilities, such as shortages of shared bicycles, convenience amenities, fitness facilities, and services catering to vulnerable groups. Moreover,challenges include unavailable toilet services and insufficient shaded areas along the riverbanks. Sociodemographic attributes such as gender, age, marital status,education level, monthly income, and residential distance significantly influence the recreational experience of urban river corridors, emphasizing the importance of considering diversity in urban planning and design. By comprehensively exploring the dynamics of urban river corridor utilization from a social-ecological perspective, our study's findings offer insights relevant to future design and maintenance endeavors.

Faculty-Student Mentorship Effects on Faith-Learning Integration: A Comparative Study of Residential and Open and Distance Learning Programs in Selected Christian Universities in Kenya

Being the organizing paradigm and the unique hallmark for the life and mission of Christian higher educational institutions, faith-learning integration (FLI) has dominated educational research for several decades, whilst, a limited body of empirical studies that focus on faculty and students’ perspectives on its implementation currently exists. What is more, most researches on FLI are skewed toward students in traditional residential studies programs (RSP). This situation exists against the backdrop of the phenomenal growth of Christian higher educational institutions offering their academic programs via open and distance learning programs (ODLP). Based on these issues, the present study was poised to investigate the extent to which faculty-student mentorship affects FLI in RSP compared to the effects of ODLP in selected Christian universities in Kenya. This comparison was analyzed based on Randall Lehmann Sorenson’s attachment theory with the view to addressing the problem of whether or not the extent of faculty-student mentorship effects on FLI in the two programs were similar. This study employed a cross-sectional survey research design. Three Christian universities in Kenya were purposely selected to participate in the study, namely: Africa Nazarene University, (ANU), Daystar University (DU), and Kenya Methodist University (KeMU). The target population was students enrolled in the Bachelor of Education Secondary Option (BEd SO) program and faculty members teaching in the program. A total of 613 residential and 113 ODL students were randomly sampled, whereas, 12 full-time faculty members were purposely selected to participate in the study. Mailed and self-administered questionnaires were used for data collection. Validation of the instruments was carried out before they were tested using the split-half technique for reliability. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics aided by contingency tables, percentages, and a Chi-square test of independence with the view to responding to two research questions. One null hypothesis was tested using a Chi-square test of independence at 0.05 level of significance with 2 degrees of freedom. The result of this analysis revealed that faculty mentorship effects on students’ learning integration in RSP are significantly different from students’ learning integration in ODLP. Major recommendations included the need for faculty in the selected Christian universities to develop close and dynamic mentoring relationships with students both in RSP and ODLP equally. There was also a need for faculty to creatively adopt effective FLI strategies to have a positive and transformative impact on students’ learning integration in the ODLP.

Association Between Proximity to Delivery Hospital and Postpartum Contraception Choice [ID 2683622

INTRODUCTION: Proximity to prescribers may present a barrier to postpartum contraceptive care. We examine associations between postpartum contraceptive choice and residential proximity to the prescribing, delivery hospital. METHODS: After IRB approval, we collected electronic medical record data from 2020 to 2022 at an inner-city, academic hospital and used CDXGeoData to determine residential distance to the hospital. Contraceptive choice at delivery, 2 weeks, and 6 weeks postpartum, focusing on long-acting reversible contraception (LARC) versus other contraceptives, was compared across distance to hospital. RESULTS: We identified 3,705 births: 53.5% Black, 30.3% Hispanic, and 73.7% utilizing public health insurance. Residential distance to the hospital was 0–1,724 miles with 74.2% living within 10 or fewer miles. Those residing within 10 miles were more likely to be non-Black (X2 (2)=12.02; P&lt;.01), Hispanic (X2 (2)=83.91; P&lt;.001), single (X2 (3)=33.54; P&lt;.001) and primiparous (X2 (3)=13.09; P&lt;.01). Cesarean section was more frequent (32.5% versus 28.1%; X2 (2)=6.58; P&lt;.01) and gestational age shorter (U=1171108; P&lt;.05) for those living further from the hospital. Postpartum tubal ligation did not differ across groups. LARC uptake at discharge and 2 weeks postpartum trended towards being higher for women who lived further (X2 (1)=3.49; P=.06; aOR 1.15; 95% CI, 0.96–1.39). CONCLUSION: There is a trend towards increased LARC uptake if the patient resides further from their delivery hospital after controlling for confounding factors. Our findings add to understanding of patient preferences and barriers to care.

Public knowledge, perception of and willingness-to-accept nuclear energy in China: Evidence from a representative national survey

The Chinese government promotes nuclear energy development in the context of mitigating climate change. However, the large-scale development is still facing challenges related to the knowledge gap among the general public and the potential “not-in-my-back-yard” objection. Based on a representative national survey, we analyze Chinese people's knowledge and perceptions of nuclear energy and estimate their willingness-to-accept the potential risks of new nuclear programs in neighborhoods via the Contingent Valuation Method. Generally, more than half of people do not know anything about nuclear energy. The main factors influencing public knowledge are identified, such as the residential distance to existing nuclear power stations and the frequency of internet use. Moreover, approximately 12% of individuals with some knowledge seem to be willing to accept new nuclear power plants in their neighborhoods with no compensation needed. Specifically, the perceptions of nuclear risks and pollution from fossil fuels are significant factors influencing people's acceptance of nuclear energy. Although public knowledge does not directly influence acceptance, more knowledge seems to reduce risk perception and increase benefit perception. The residential distance to exiting nuclear stations has limited effects on people's acceptance of newly planned nuclear programs for those living in the same county with some knowledge. In general, a typical Chinese household is willing to accept USD $5.66 every month or USD $67.97 every year to bear the potential risks of the new nuclear program in neighborhoods. Significant practical implications that can be transferable to other new energy technologies and countries or regions are provided.

Surgical demands of patients attending an Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery clinic in a Nigerian Hospital

Objectives: Reports on most performed oral and maxillofacial surgical procedures (OMSPs) are scarce globally. This study aimed to determine the pattern of surgical demands of patients attending oral and maxillofacial surgery services at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Edo State, Nigeria. Materials and Methods: A retrospective study was conducted on patients managed in the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery from March 2011 to April 2021. Data were collected from theatre logbooks and case notes of patients who had surgery. The data collected were the age of patients, gender, employment status, educational status, residential distance to the hospital, and type of surgery performed. Descriptive statistics were done using the IBM Statistical Package for the Social Sciences statistics for Windows version 20 (Armonk, NY: IBM Corp) software. Results: A total number of 550 patients were seen in the ten-year study period. The age of the patients ranges between 2 and 97 years. The mean age was 23.5 ± 2.08 years. More than half (55.6%) of the patients were male. The highest (47.1%) number of patients that had OMSP had only primary education, followed by tertiary education (25.1%), secondary (17.8%), and no formal education (10.0%). Cleft lip and palate repairs were the most common surgical demands (34.5%), followed by mandibulectomy, open reduction, and fixation. The least surgical demands were neck dissections (0.36%), and none (0.0%) of the patients had cosmetic surgery. Conclusion: The most common surgical demand by patients was cleft lip and palate repairs, while neck dissection was the least common demand, respectively.

Factors influencing pregnancy care and institutional delivery in rural Mali: a secondary baseline analysis of a cluster-randomised trial

ObjectiveThe vast majority of the 300 000 pregnancy-related deaths every year occur in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. Increased access to quality antepartum and intrapartum care can reduce pregnancy-related morbidity...

Abstract 2155: The impact of urban residence on symptom duration, treatment initiation, and survival among primary brain tumor patients: A large cohort analysis

Abstract Primary brain tumors (PBT) are rare, accounting for less than 2% of all cancers, present acutely, and often require specialized care to determine treatment approaches. Neuro-Oncology clinics are located in densely populated urban areas resulting in additional access barriers, such as longer travel time, for those in non-urban areas. To better understand how proximity to our facility affects patient outcomes among PBT patients enrolled in the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Natural History Study (NCT02851706, PI: Armstrong), we assessed the association of population density with symptom duration before diagnosis, time to first treatment, and overall survival among a cohort of 666 adult PBT patients. More urbanized areas were defined as areas with a core population density of more than 1,000 persons per square mile. T-tests and chi-squared tests were performed to assess differences in patient and tumor characteristics based on population density (more urbanized vs. less urbanized). We used ordinal logistic regression (odds ratio [OR], 95% confidence intervals [CI]) to assess the association between duration of presenting symptoms (&amp;lt;6 months, 6 months-1 year, ≥1 year) and linear regression (beta coefficient, 95% CI) for time to treatment and population density. We adjusted for age at cancer diagnosis and sex (male, female), and results were stratified according to residential distance to the NIH (short distance=&amp;lt;200 miles, long distance=200+ miles), to control for local referral patterns. Kaplan-Meier estimates were used to assess overall survival by population density levels, overall, and by residential distance. All models were then further stratified by tumor grade (low, high). Among 666 patients diagnosed with PBTs, 401 (60%) lived in more urbanized areas, 40% were long distance, and 24% had low-grade tumors. Patients living in more urbanized areas were more racially diverse (p&amp;lt;0.001), had higher educational attainment (p&amp;lt;0.001), and were more likely to be single (p=0.008). In the overall cohort and when stratified by distance to NIH or tumor grade, there were no associations between population density level and symptom duration prior to diagnosis. Time to treatment for radiation and chemotherapy was longer for PBT patients living in less urbanized areas and longer distances from the NIH (β=0.63; 95%CI=0.08,1.17) compared to those living in more urbanized areas. There were no differences in the 5-year survival rates between more or less urbanized groups. In conclusion, access to care for those in less urbanized areas was demonstrated, although survival was not impacted. Future consideration should be given to novel approaches to increase access to specialized care, particularly for PBT patients living further from urban areas. Citation Format: Macy L. Stockdill, Jacqueline B. Vo, Orieta Celiku, Zuena Karim, Yeonju Kim, Hope Miller, Elizabeth Vera, Terri S. Armstrong. The impact of urban residence on symptom duration, treatment initiation, and survival among primary brain tumor patients: A large cohort analysis [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2024; Part 1 (Regular Abstracts); 2024 Apr 5-10; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(6_Suppl):Abstract nr 2155.

Comparative Analysis of Heavy Metal Exposure Concentrations and Volatile Organic Compound Metabolites among Residents in the Affected Area According to Residential Distance from a Coal-fired Power Plant

Comparative Analysis of Heavy Metal Exposure Concentrations and Volatile Organic Compound Metabolites among Residents in the Affected Area According to Residential Distance from a Coal-fired Power Plant

Mental Health and Parent–Child Residential Distance for Older People: Cross-Sectional Study Using a Comprehensive Survey of Living Conditions in Japan

Parent–child residential distance is a focus of housing policies in Japan, which is experiencing an aging society. This study aimed to clarify the relationship between mental health and parent–child residential distance for older parents. This study design was a cross-sectional study of older parents. The data utilized were anonymized data from the 2016 Comprehensive Survey of Living Conditions. A two-way ANOVA test set the outcome variable as the K6 scale and the three predictors as age, gender, and parent–child residential distance. A statistically significant difference was found in the interaction between parent–child residential distance and age group. In particular, the average mental score of older parents over 75 years old living together with their children was above the cutoff value indicating serious mental illness. Meanwhile, the mental scores of older parents whose children lived in the same city did not differ significantly between those aged 65 to 74 years old and those aged 75 years and older. This study concludes that mental health is poorer among late-old-stage parents living closer to their children. This conclusion implicated the promotion of parent and child households moving to the same city from the viewpoint of mental health.

Discriminative Grandparental Investment in China : Evidence from an Undergraduate Questionnaire Study.

Many studies in Western societies show a pattern of discriminative grandparental investment as follows: maternal grandmothers (MGMs) > maternal grandfathers (MGFs) > paternal grandmothers (PGMs) > paternal grandfathers (PGFs). This pattern is in line with the expectation from evolutionary reasoning. Yet whether or not this pattern applies in China is in question. The present study was based on a questionnaire survey at a university in Central China (N = 1,195). Results show that (1) when grandparent-grandchild residential distance during grandchildren's childhood is controlled, in the case of grandsons and granddaughters as a whole and granddaughters only, both grandparental caregiving and grandchildren's emotional closeness to grandparents display a rank order of MGM > MGF > PGM > PGF, but in the case of grandsons only, this order is not statistically significant. (2) There are stable relationships between grandparental caregiving/grandchildren's emotional closeness and residential distance/similarity in appearance. (3) The effects of residential distance on either PGFs' or PGMs' caregiving exceed those on either MGFs' or MGMs'. (4) The PGF and PGM prefer grandsons to granddaughters in their caregiving, whereas the MGF and MGM do not have a sex preference, and (5) the fact that the PGF and PGM invest more in grandsons than in granddaughters does not depend on grandsons' duration of living in a rural area. Our results suggest that (1) in general, the Chinese display a pattern of differential grandparental investment predicted by an evolutionary perspective, (2) the evolutionary perspective that combines the two factors of paternal uncertainty and sex-specific reproductive strategies is applicable to grandparental investment in China, and (3) the traditional son-preference culture also plays some role in affecting grandparental investment in China, though the roles of culture and urban-rural cultural difference should not be exaggerated.

A geospatial assessment of industrial releases and pediatric neuroblastic tumours at diagnosis: A retrospective case series

Environmental risk factors associated with malignancy of pediatric neuroblastic tumours are not well-known and few studies have examined the relationship between industrial emissions and neuroblastic tumour diagnosis. A retrospective case series of 310 patients was evaluated at a tertiary hospital in Toronto, Canada between January 2008, and December 2018. Data from the National Pollutant Release Inventory (NPRI) were used to estimate exposure for a dozen chemicals with known or suspected carcinogenicity or embryotoxicity. Comparative analysis and predictive logistic regression models for malignant versus benign neuroblastic tumours included variables for residential proximity, number, and type of industries, mean total emissions within 2 km, and inverse distance weighted (IDW) quantity of chemical-specific industrial emissions estimated within 10 and 50 km of cases. No significant difference was seen between malignant and benign cases with respect to the mean nearest residential distance to industry, the number or type of industry, or the mean total quantity of industrial emissions within a 2 km radius of residential location of cases. However, there were statistically significant differences in the interpolated IDW emissions of dioxins and furans released between 1993 and 2019 within 10 km. Concentrations were significantly higher in malignant neuroblastic tumours at 1.65 grams (g) toxic equivalent (TEQ) (SD 2.01 g TEQ) compared to benign neuroblastic tumours at 1.13 g TEQ (SD 0.84 g TEQ) (p = 0.05). Within 50 km 3 years prior to diagnosis, malignant cases were exposed to higher levels of aluminum, benzene, and nitrogen dioxide (p = 0.02, p = 0.04, and p = 0.02 respectively). Regression analysis of the IDW emissions within a 50 km radius revealed higher odds of exposure to benzene for malignant neuroblastic tumours (OR = 1.03, CI: 1.01–1.05, p = 0.01). These preliminary findings suggest a potential role of industrial emissions in the development of malignant pediatric neuroblastic tumours and underscore the need for further research to investigate these associations.

Factors Affecting the Compliance of Curative-Intent Treatment in Patients With Head and Neck Cancer.

Objectives: This study aims to investigate the factors that lead to poor compliance in initiating the treatment in patients with newly diagnosed head and neck cancers. Methods: A total of 193 patients from the head and neck cancer database dated from January 1, 2018 to September 30, 2020, were analyzed. Variables analyzed included age, gender, primary cancer site, T stage, N stage, M stage, overall stage (I-IV), patient's residential distance, and the impact of COVID-19. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to assess the significance of these variables in relation to the time to receiving on-time treatment as recommended by specialists. Results: Upon multivariate analysis, the advanced stage and residential distance were significantly associated with initial compliance (P < .09). The impact of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) and COVID-19 shows a borderline significance (P = .224 and P = .184). Conclusions: The overall stage and patient living distance to the healthcare facility, patient with NPC, and the impact of COVID-19 might affect the compliance of initiating a curative-intent treatment in patients with newly diagnosed head and neck cancers.

Associations between residential distance to green or blue space and hospitalization for cardiovascular disease: a Danish Nurse Cohort study

Associations between residential distance to green or blue space and hospitalization for cardiovascular disease: a Danish Nurse Cohort study

Residential Distance to the Cancer Center and Outcomes after Robotic-Assisted Pulmonary Lobectomy

Residential Distance to the Cancer Center and Outcomes after Robotic-Assisted Pulmonary Lobectomy

Stability in children’s residential arrangements and distance to nonresident parents in the 10 years after parental separation

Stability in children’s residential arrangements and distance to nonresident parents in the 10 years after parental separation

Farmers’ Perception towards Forest Ecosystem Services and Human Well-being

Bandarban hill district is one of the main hilly areas of Bangladesh which is surrounded by forests and enriched with ecological resources and biodiversity. Ecosystems sustain, generate for, regulate, and offer cultural services that are essential to human well-being. Hence, it is important to reconnoiter the current situation of forests’ ecosystem services available in the Bandarban hill district with the local farmers’ realization of the well-being they receive from those ecosystem services. Through the present study, it was investigated the available ecosystem resources in some two hilly upazilas of Bandarban district, the farmers’ perception towards those ecosystem services and human well-being and also farmers’ socioeconomic characteristics which influence their perception. To investigate these, 80 respondents were interviewed through the help of a semi structured interview schedule. The findings of the study suggested that 28 ecosystem services were identified and six out of these were showing increasing trend including crop and vegetable cultivation and other 22 were following decreased. The respondents received improve to moderate services from those 28 ecosystem services which were exhibited through their perception as 68% of them had moderate to improve perception towards ecosystem services. According to the study's findings, respondents who had higher levels of education, family income, agricultural training, residential distance from forests, and income from ecosystem services had better perceptions of ecosystem services and human well-being. Because the residents' perceptions would make them aware of the need to conserve the forest environment, policymakers should base future decisions on the findings of this study.