Residents Of Town Research Articles

Mortality from various diseases of the circulatory system in the Russian Mayak nuclear worker cohort: 1948–2018

This paper reports on the findings from the study of mortality from diseases of the circulatory system (DCS) in Russian nuclear workers of the Mayak Production Association (22 377 individuals, 25.4% female) who were hired at the facility between 1948 and 1982 and followed up until the end of 2018. Using the AMFIT module of the EPICURE software, relative risks (RRs) and excess RRs per unit absorbed dose (ERR/Gy) for the entire Mayak cohort, the subcohort of workers who were residents of the dormitory town of Ozyorsk and the subcohort of migrants from Ozyorsk were calculated based on maximum likelihood. The mean cumulative liver absorbed gamma-ray dose from external exposure was 0.45 (0.65) Gy (mean (standard deviation)) for men and 0.37 (0.56) Gy for women. The mean cumulative liver absorbed alpha dose from internal exposure to incorporated plutonium was 0.18 (0.65) Gy for men and 0.40 (1.92) Gy for women. By the end of the follow-up, 6019 deaths with DCS as the main cause of death were registered among Mayak Production Association workers (including 3828 deaths in the subcohort of residents and 2191 deaths in the subcohort of migrants) over 890 132 (622 199/267 933) person-years of follow-up. The linear model that took into account non-radiation factors (sex, attained age, calendar period, smoking status and alcohol drinking status) and alpha radiation dose (via adjusting) did not demonstrate significant associations of mortality from DCS, ischaemic heart disease (IHD) and cerebrovascular disease with gamma-ray exposure dose in the entire cohort, the resident subcohort or the migrant subcohort (either in men or women). For the subcohort of residents, a significant association with gamma dose was observed for mortality from ischaemic stroke in men with ERR/Gy = 0.43 (95% CI 0.08; 0.99); there were no significant associations with liver absorbed gamma dose for any other considered outcomes. As for internal exposure, for men no significant associations of mortality from any DCS with liver absorbed alpha dose were observed, but for women positive associations were found for mortality from DCS (the entire cohort and the resident subcohort) and IHD (the entire cohort). No significant associations of mortality from various types of DCS with neutron dose were observed either in men or women, although neutron absorbed doses were recorded in only 18% of the workers.

Knowledge and Practices on the Prevention and Management of Diarrhea in Children Under-2 Years Among Women Dwelling in Urban Slums of Karachi, Pakistan

BackgroundDiarrhea is the second leading cause of death especially among children. The age-proportionate mortality of diarrheal disease in infants under 2 years is 72%, among children under 5 years of age. Children living in urban slums are more prone to develop diarrhea. Although the disease can be prevented by many simple cost-effective interventions, i.e. proper sanitation and hygiene, appropriate feeding, and timely vaccination, poverty and lack of basic life amenities often potentiate diarrhea mortality. Gadap town is the largest town of Karachi with a deprived health system. This study aims to assess pediatric diarrhea prevalence and related knowledge-practice gaps in the slums of Gadap Town, Karachi, Pakistan.MethodA community-based cross-sectional study was conducted from November 2016 to May 2017 among mothers of children under 2 years, who were residents of Gadap Town, Karachi, Pakistan. The participants were approached by a multistage sampling method. A validated dichotomous questionnaire, piloted on 40 participants, translated into local language Urdu was used for data collection and the data was analyzed by SPSS® version 20.0.Results51.8% (n = 199) of participants were aged between 25 and 34 years. Among all participants, 68% (n = 261) had primary level education or less, compared to 4.7% (n = 18) of women who had graduate-level education. The mean number of children per woman was 2.52 ± 1.62. Self-reported pediatric diarrhea incidence was 72.1% (n = 277). More than half (55.2% n = 149) of participants reported frequent diarrhea episodes during the 2nd year of their child’s life. In this survey, we found the knowledge of women regarding diarrhea management and how to reduce diarrhea morbidity to be inadequate (p > 0.05). However, many women reported appropriate practices which can significantly reduce diarrhea morbidity (p < 0.05).ConclusionWhile the knowledge among women on preventive measures for pediatric diarrhea was insufficient, the translation of the right knowledge into appropriate practices showed promising outcomes for reducing diarrhea morbidity. An integrated approach for improving feeding, sanitation, and hygiene practices along with continuous health education could curtail the burden of diarrhea among infants living in urban slums.

The Turów Brown Coal Mine in the shadow of an international conflict: Surveying the actions of the European Union Court of Justice and the populist policies of the Polish government

This article analyzes the main dividing lines in the conflict over the future of the Turów opencast mine in the Turoszów Basin. Due to the lack of public consultations and the extension of the mine's operation regardless of its environmental impact, the Czech government filed a complaint against the policy of the Polish government to the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) demanding that the mine be closed and its expansion stopped. In May 2021, the CJEU applied an interim measure pending final consideration of the case and ordered the mine to be closed. The current operation of the Turów mine may be a living social laboratory where it is possible to analyze all the challenges and conflicts in the absence of a planned energy transition plan agreed with all social partners. In addition to the governments of Poland and the Czech Republic, the parties to the conflict are the region's residents, mining trade unions, environmental organisations and residents of border towns on the Czech side, who have problems with access to water due to the operation of the mine.

The impact of shift migration on the intra-family life of residents of villages and small towns in Russia. On the example of the Republic of Bashkortostan

The article presents the results of a sociological study, during which were revealed the changes occurring in contemporary Russian families because of participation of men (spouses) in shift migration, one of the forms of temporary employment. The author conducts a comparative analysis of intra-family relations in two categories of families. In the first, husbands regularly leave for temporary work outside their settlement (experimental group or families of shift migrants); in the second, the spouses are not involved in temporary migration (control group or «ordinary» families). The study was conducted in one of the largest in terms of population Russian regions – Bashkortostan, the choice of which is due to the high level of participation of its inhabitants in rotational migration, especially in villages and small towns.The families’ survey was conducted in 2018 in two small towns and five rural districts of Bashkortostan, located on the border with other regions, and having a low level of socio-economic development. The results of the study confirmed the hypotheses of temporary labor migration influence on the formation of peculiar translocal relations between family members during the husband’s stay away (the phenomenon of so-called «social presence against the background of physical absence»); on the transformation of intra-family relations of villages and small towns residents, which led to weakening of traditional men and women gender attitudes and stereotypes of behavior attitudes; on different consequences of shift migration for its participants – both positive and negative; on the predominance of forced participation of families in shift migration.

Involvement of local residents of small historic towns in tourism activities

Involvement of local residents of small historic towns in tourism activities

COVID-19 Knowledge, Beliefs, and Behavior Among Patients in a Safety-Net Health System.

Examine COVID-19 knowledge, concerns, behaviors, stress, and sources of information among patients in a safety-net health system in Louisiana. Research assistants surveyed participants via structured telephone interviews from April to October 2020. The data presented in this study were obtained in the pre-vaccine availability period. Of 623 adult participants, 73.5% were female, 54.7% Black, and 44.8% lived in rural small towns; mean age was 48.69. Half (50.5%) had spoken to a healthcare provider about the virus, 25.8% had been tested for COVID-19; 11.4% tested positive. Small town residents were less likely to be tested than those in cities (21.1% vs 29.3%, p = 0.05). Knowledge of COVID-19 symptoms and ways to prevent the disease increased from (87.9% in the spring to 98.9% in the fall, p < 0.001). Participants indicating that the virus had ‘changed their daily routine a lot’ decreased from 56.9% to 39.3% (p < 0.001). The main source of COVID-19 information was TV, which increased over time, 66.1–83.6% (p < 0.001). Use of websites (34.2%) did not increase. Black adults were more likely than white adults (80.7% vs 65.6%, p < 0.001) to rely on TV for COVID-19 information. Participants under 30 were more likely to get COVID-19 information from websites and social media (58.2% and 35.8% respectively). This study provides information related to the understanding of COVID-19 in rural and underserved communities that can guide clinical and public health strategies.

The development of small towns and towns of well-being: Current trends, 30 years after the change in the political system, based on the Warsaw suburban area

Contemporary urban development is evolving towards towns with good social capital, where good living conditions are key. The article aims to define the directions of transformation of small towns in Poland following the political transformation (i.e. over the last 30 years), while also looking at how these transformations may affect the living conditions in these towns. The article uses theoretical, empirical and cartographic research methods, taking into account the evolution of the analysed areas. It looks into whether the analysed towns are compact, have diverse functions, sustainable public transport and adequate public green space. The collected data were used to calculate the growth of urbanised areas and to record changes in their spatial layout. Aspects important for the well-being of residents of small Polish towns were pointed out. A key prerequisite for the development of soft towns and towns of well-being is the creation of 15–30-minute towns, in which housing and multifunctional services are all accessible within walking distance or by public transport to all inhabitants. The results of the study allow the development opportunities and threats to be specified not only for small towns in Poland, but also for towns of a similar size in Eastern Europe with a converging historical context.

The Prevalence and Predictors of Depressive, Anxiety, and Stress Symptoms Among Tepi Town Residents During the COVID-19 Pandemic Lockdown in Ethiopia.

BackgroundAs a result of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak, many countries have imposed movement restrictions and implemented lockdowns. However, evidence from a variety of nations showed that the COVID-19 outbreak and its associated quarantine measures triggered a wide range of psychological problems, such as anxiety, depression, and stress in the general population. As a result, the purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence and predictors of depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms among Tepi town residents during the pandemic lockdown.MethodologyA community-based cross-sectional survey was conducted among residents of Tepi town from September 15 through September 25, 2020, and residents who have lived in Tepi town for at least 6 months were included. We have employed the depression, anxiety, and stress scale 21 (DASS-21) to evaluate depression, anxiety, and stress. The Chi-squared test of association and logistic regression were used to identify factors associated with depression, anxiety, and stress among residents of Tepi town. For all statistical analysis, we used (IBM) SPSS version 25.ResultsAccording to the current study, the prevalence of depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms were 37.7%, 39.0%, and 44.2%, respectively, among residents of Tepi town. Estimated odds of having depression, anxiety, and stress were as follows: for being female 6.315, 4.591, and 3.155; smoking 1.787, 1.883, and 1.787; sleep problem 2.613, 2.254, and 1.721; chewing Khat 2.156, 2.053, and 2.110; quarantine for 14 days 2.251, 1.902, and 1.960; and frequent use of social media 3.126, 1.849, and 3.126 times more likely as compared to their corresponding reference group respectively. The odds of developing depression and anxiety respectively were as follows: for alcohol consumption 2.438 and 1.797 times higher than their corresponding reference group respectively. Those exposed to COVID-19 were 3.870 times more likely to develop depression symptoms. Estimated odds of having anxiety and stress symptoms for fear of COVID-19 were 1.776 and 1.835; social interactions altered were 3.197 and 2.069, moderate levels of hope were 2.687 and 2.849 respectively. The odds ratio for those taking traditional preventive medicine, and having family members infected with COVID-19 were 2.475 and 1.837 times more likely to experience anxiety symptoms respectively.ConclusionIn this study, the prevalence of depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms was found to be high among residences in Tepi town. Being female, chewing Khat, smoking, being quarantined for 14 days, frequently using social media, and having sleeping problems were all found to be significantly associated with an increased risk of developing depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms, whereas alcohol consumption and family members infected by COVID-19 were considerably linked to depression and anxiety symptoms. Fear of COVID-19, influence on social interaction and having a moderate level of hope were substantially related to stress and anxiety symptoms, while taking preventive medicine was found to be a significant factor in anxiety symptoms among Tepi town residences. Interventions should be made to improve the mental health of Tepi residents.

Community Radio for cohesion and integration during Kenya’s 2017 post-election violence: A study of Migori County

Kenya’s elections are mostly marred with violence, especially after announcements of presidential results. Peace and media experts on the other hand have blamed Kenyan media for fueling cases of post-poll conflicts. It is in this understanding that this study assessed the contents of community radios in Migori County to investigate the role they played in promoting cohesion and integration during the 2017 Kenya’s post-election violence. The research, which was conducted in Migori town, studied five radio stations namely; Milambo, Onagi, Anyuola, Rameny and Tarumbeta which are located within Migori County. The specific objectives were: to assess the extent to which the 2017 post-election violence affected residents of Migori town; to establish if the five stations developed contents that promoted cohesion and integration during the violence and to assess the extent to which the contents aired on the radio stations promoted cohesion and integration among residents of Migori town. Study was a survey that utlilised mixed research approach where qualitative and quantitative methods of data collection were used. Systematic random sampling was employed to administer 399 questionnaires. For qualitative data, 21 key informants were purposeively selected and interviewed. The quantitative data collected was analysed using SPSS while qualitative data was analyzed using content analysis. From the study it was found and concluded that Community Radio, if professionally used, promotes cohesion and integration during post-poll conflicts. The study has recommended that in order to reduce incessant post-poll violence in Kenya, the relevant stakeholders should work together to air contents that enhance cohesion and integration in order to curb violence recurrence. Policies should be developed and funding availed to help facilitate matters media and peace.

Labor & delivery unit closures most impact travel times to birth locations for micropolitan residents in Iowa.

Continued closure of rural hospitals and labor & delivery units can impact timely access to care. Iowa has lost over a quarter of its labor & delivery units in the previous decade. Calculating how travel times to labor & delivery services have changed, and where in the state the largest travel times take place, are important for understanding access to this critical service. Using parental address and facility location from birth certificate data in Iowa from 2013 to 2019, travel times to birth facility are assessed for rural, micropolitan, and metropolitan parents, as well as for complicated versus noncomplicated births and Medicaid versus non-Medicaid recipients. Parts of the state have travel times that are consistently greater than 30 minutes over the duration of the study. The largest increases in travel times are found among micropolitan residents, particularly those experiencing complicated births. Travel times are consistently the longest for rural residents but increased only slightly over the study time period. These findings suggest that access to hospital-based obstetric care is most changed for residents of small towns rather than rural or larger city residents.

Case Study on Student-Driven Project to Increase Outsiders’ Interest in Chizu town with Dialogue Technique

This paper introduces a case study in which students who have experienced regular dialogue sessions through university seminar activities work on a project with a local community using their communication skills. Through dialogue to gain new insights and ideas into diverse relationships, the students are collaborating with Chizu town residents in Tottori prefecture and proactively working toward increasing outsiders’ interest in the town for the town's sustainable development. This paper discusses how their dialogue technique has been reflected in the project activities. Through the content analysis of the students' narratives, this paper argues that dialogues between the students and the town residents will lead to new insights and identification of the project's objectives. However, there are issues regarding the burden on both students and the town residents by running the dialogue-based project without setting a clear goal and duration of the project in advance. Since the project is still in progress, it is necessary to examine what outcomes the project will bring to the town and how it will contribute to the growth of the students.

Abstract PO-065: Increasing breast and cervical cancer knowledge during COVID-19 pandemic in collaboration with Cooperative Extension Program

Abstract Introduction: The National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program (NBCCEDP) of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that in April 2020, screening tests for breast cancer decreased by 87% and 84% for cervical cancer, compared to the averages of the previous 5-year for the same month. In response to this finding, the Puerto Rico Breast and Cervical Cancer Prevention and Early Detection Program (PR-BCCPEDP), in collaboration with the Cooperative Extension Program (CEP), implemented an educational intervention of breast and cervical cancer in the northeast region of the island. The intervention aimed to reinforce knowledge in the early detection of breast and cervical cancer, increase screening tests, and reach out to women without health insurance who may qualify for the Program. Methodology: Since 2017, the PR-BCCPEDP agreed with the CEP to implement educational interventions for breast and cervical cancer in 4 of CEP's regions throughout the island. From February to May 2021, seven CEP Family and Consumer Educators (EFC) carried out 8 educational activities with 182 participants in the island's northeast region. We collected age, town of residence, level of education, health insurance, breast and cervical cancer screening history, and the reasons for not having performed screening tests according to the recommended guidelines. The educational activities were performed virtually through an educational PowerPoint and face-to-face using flip charts. The topics included breast and cervical cancer statistics, risk factors, symptoms, early detection guidelines, myths and facts, and barriers to not having screening tests. Participants that didn't have the screening tests according to the recommended guidelines had follow-up calls. Results: A total of 182 women participated in the intervention, with an average age of 47 years; most participants had a high school degree (42%), and 59% had the government's health plan. Regarding screening tests, 35.1% reported that they had not had a mammogram in the last two years, 73.4% authorized to be contacted after the intervention. Similarly, Pap tests, 30.7% reported that they had not had a Pap test in the last three years, of which 87.5% authorized to be contacted. Of the participants who had not had a mammogram (35.1%) or Pap test (30.7%), the main reason was the COVID-19 Pandemic (22.9% and 21.8%, respectively). Regarding the participants referred to the PR-BCCPEDP, 3.6% of the women without health insurance were referred to the Program and of these, 50% were recruited. Conclusion: Despite security, restrictions from the Pandemic, collaborations with community-based programs helped to reach a greater number of women to provide education and awareness about breast and cervical cancer. In terms of breast and cervical cancer screening, more than a third of the participants had not had their mammogram or Pap done due to the Pandemic. Women were recruited for the Program; however, additional efforts are necessary in order to reach a higher number of uninsured women. Citation Format: Omayra Salgado, Ircha Martinez, Nelybeth Santiago, Mirza Rivera, Taina De La Torre, Guillermo Tortolero. Increasing breast and cervical cancer knowledge during COVID-19 pandemic in collaboration with Cooperative Extension Program [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Virtual Conference: 14th AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2021 Oct 6-8. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2022;31(1 Suppl):Abstract nr PO-065.

POSLEDICE PANDEMIJE ŠPANSKE GROZNICE 1918-1919. NA TERITORIJI OPŠTINE ARANĐELOVAC

During the Spanish flu pandemic, which began spreading around the world at the end of the First World War, 1918 to 1919, about 500 people fell ill, and about fifty million died. The pandemic arrived in Serbia from two directions: from the north and northwest (Hungary, Croatia), and the south, along with the liberators. The estimate is that about 3% of the population died from the Spanish flu pandemic in Serbia. Regardless of the number of victims, the research focused primarily on the military and political issues in that period. Until recently, no one addressed the matter of the consequences of the pandemic. To contribute to the study of the total numbers of Spanish flu victims in Serbia, there was an incentive to research the aftermath of the pandemic in the Arandjelovac municipality in 1918-1919. During the research, the only historical source containing such data was the church death records. Due to the lack of the newest data, relevant data were obtained for 16 out of 19 inhabited places in Aranđelovac municipality today. The research showed that in Arandjelovac, the urban spa center of the environment, 0.83% of the town's residents died during the few months of the deadliest epidemic outbreak. More than 2% of the population died in the entire territory, which was used as a sample for research. Mortality in the surrounding villages is higher but also differs. The highest number of deaths was in the following villages beyond Bukulja mountain, most of the residents died in: Gornja Trešnjevica, Garaš, Jelovik, and Vukosavci, where more than 3.44% of the population died from the virus. More precise determinants are impossible to give due to the overlap of the two epidemics. The deadly epidemic of dysentery preceded the outbreak of the Spanish flu. These two diseases combined took the lives of almost 3.4% of the residents of today's municipal territory in four months. The village of Garši suffered the most. 8.82% of villagers died there, and the least in Aranđelovac, where two epidemic diseases claimed the lives of 0.96% of the population.

Step It Up and Go: The Story of North Carolina Popular Music, from Blind Boy Fuller and Doc Watson to Nina Simone and Superchunk by David Menconi

Reviewed by: Step It Up and Go: The Story of North Carolina Popular Music, from Blind Boy Fuller and Doc Watson to Nina Simone and Superchunk by David Menconi Dan Cady Step It Up and Go: The Story of North Carolina Popular Music, from Blind Boy Fuller and Doc Watson to Nina Simone and Superchunk. By David Menconi. ( Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 2020. Pp. xiv, 314. $30.00, ISBN 978-1-4696-5935-0.) In Step It Up and Go: The Story of North Carolina Popular Music, from Blind Boy Fuller and Doc Watson to Nina Simone and Superchunk, David Menconi delivers a series of profiles of musicians and movers and shakers, from the famous to the obscure, from North Carolina. He details each artist's origin, work ethic, good and bad luck, and ultimate contribution to the state's musical past. Menconi sees his work as a corrective to American music's standard regional narrative, which he believes privileges the Mississippi Delta, Nashville, and Seattle (in their respective moments) at the expense of Durham, Winston-Salem, and Chapel Hill. He argues that music created by residents of North Carolina's cities and small towns is "embedded in the DNA of some of the most important strands in American popular music" (p. 8). Beginning with the hardscrabble rambling of North Carolina's blues artists and hillbilly musicians, Menconi winds a path through the twentieth century and into the twenty-first. Along the way, he advocates for the overlooked men and women who brought the world country music, R&B, classic rock, grunge, [End Page 206] hip-hop, and an underappreciated form called beach music. For example, according to Menconi, Charlie Poole should have been Jimmie Rodgers; Blind Boy Fuller's bad luck kept him from the acclaim afforded to Robert Johnson; and while we recognize the genius of James Brown, we have wholly forgotten the 5 Royales. The same is true with the post-1960s rockers Nantucket, pop alternative band Let's Active, and the genre-averse Squirrel Nut Zippers. While the could-have-beens fill most of the book's pages, there are bona fide successes. Small record labels make their mark, and country-guitar player Arthur Smith commanded the airwaves and television sets. Doc Watson and Earl Scruggs continue to be valorized by fans and critics alike, and the Avett Brothers still attract fans worldwide. Yet as popular and influential as these figures have remained, they are rarely associated with North Carolina itself. Even in triumph, North Carolina's claim to prominence goes unrecognized. Menconi habitually lists album sales and placement on the Billboard charts as measures of relevance and indicators of failure. His real interest, however, is in the qualitative, not the quantitative. North Carolina's artists, he argues, share a couple of common traits: humility and determination. Perhaps it is the roots of their collective raising, but the state's musicians have traditionally contained their egos, shied away from believing their own press, and focused their energies on rigorous touring, long studio sessions, and humble approachability. This understated disposition and lack of grandiosity, in turn, has kept North Carolina's musicians from placing their state in the spotlight—hence the state's musical invisibility. In a book of unsung heroes, Menconi saves some room for disdain. As a music journalist, he intimately knows the nature of the music industry. The business of entertaining the masses is cold and unforgiving. For the earlier artists, the machinations of the nascent entertainment industry left many musicians with little to show for their all-consuming efforts. Later, major record labels that grew to behemoth strength by the late twentieth century mined young artists, profited from their labor, and discarded them at the first sign of a sales decline. Menconi also has little respect for artists like Ryan Adams, who came out of North Carolina but rejected the state as his fame grew. This is not—and is not intended to be—an academic work. Though based on dozens of interviews and deep research, the book has no citations and only a limited bibliography. Step It Up and Go may be one of the few books on the...

Case Study Design of a Stand-Alone Photovoltaic Power System in Gaza-Strip and Genaralizing Aprogram Simulation

This paper considered the design of a stand-alone PV system that would be adequate to power a single residence and estimate the appropriate size of the solar panel. This system converts solar energy directly into electricity using photovoltaic principle in PV panel arrays. The electricity produced can be used to power most ac and dc electrical appliances. Inverter is used to convert the dc generated by the PV panels to ac for most domestic and industrial use. For continuous availability of power during days of autonomy (low insolation or cloudy days), battery storage system and charge controller (for battery charge and discharge control) are required. inverter, charge controller, battery, components interconnection wires. The sizing processes considered the quality of solar irradiation of the geographical location, effect of temperature de-rating, efficiency of components, system voltage selection, days of autonomy and load demand (in watt-hour). A residence in Gaza town was chosen as a case study. The minimum electrical load of 7.875kWh per day, household, Finally excel program simulation was designed to satisfy calculation equations process and generalize the program.

The Social-Economic Impact of the Growth of Mobile Money Business in Kasama Town, Zambia

The paper looks at the social-economic impact brought about by the flourishing mobile money business in Kasama town. Zambia, like many other African countries such as Kenya, Nigeria and Ghana has embraced the new financial paradigm to enhance trade, job creation and economic growth. Over a few years after its inception in Zambia, mobile money business has shown some great signs of growth and expansion. The study therefore evaluates how this growth has translated into improvement of the well beings of the participants. The study broadly attempted to assess the social-economic impact of mobile money business on mobile money booth operators and their customers in Kasama town. Narrowly, the study wanted to assess the contribution of mobile money business to employment creation in Kasama town, increase in the levels of withdraws and deposits with time as a sign of business growth and also identify other social-economic factors that have been improved by mobile money business. The study used primary data that was obtained from both mobile money booth operators and their customers through researcher administered questionnaire. The study excluded from participation all customers that were not currently residents of Kasama town. Multivariate regression analysis was used with the consideration of four dependent variables: service satisfaction, number of withdraws, number of deposits and great job opportunity which were regressed on the predictor variables: mobile network and clientele. In making inference, we considered the following parameter of refence from regression findings: correlation coefficient, standard error and coefficient of determination (<i>R²</i>). We further considered significant F from the ANOVA to see how statistically significant are our results were. We considered a P-value of 0.05 as a threshold for rejecting our set null hypotheses. The findings were basically that mobile network and clientele had positive impact on job creation, service satisfaction and the levels of deposits and withdraws. The study establishes that, mobile money business has created about 64% of employment to youths within the sector. On the other hand, the study infers that the mobile networks and growth in the clientele of certain mobile money booth don’t necessarily imply a one-way direction; increase in the number of deposits or withdraws. An operator may have an increase in either withdraws or deposits following an increase in clientele. These findings are vital and give a conjecture of easy prediction of what may be expected if the sector continues with innovative transitions.

Comparison of the gastric biopsy results of Afghan refugees and Turkish people

Helicobacter pylori- (H. pylori) infection is one of the effective factors in the development of gastric premalignant lesions, and it is known that socioeconomic conditions are closely related to H. pylori infection. Our aim was to show whether there were differences regarding H. pylori infection and gastric histopathological findings between humans who had to manage an exhausting escape out of their own country and residents of a coastal town in the black sea region of Turkey. Endoscopic findings of Turkish and Afghan patients who underwent gastroscopy for various reasons, gastric biopsies, and their histopathological results (H. pylori, intestinal metaplasia, and gastric atrophy) and some biochemical parameters were retrospectively screened from the hospital online data system. A total of 222 patients, 41 Afghan and 181 Turkish, were included in the study. There were no significant differences regarding age and gender of the patients between the groups. The percentage of the patients with intestinal metaplasia and H. pylori infection was higher in the group of the Afghan patients than in Turkish patients. Afghan refugees had similar rates of atrophic gastritis (23.1% versus 21.5%; p=0.834), when compared to resident controls. Risk factors of gastric cancer include the presence of H. pylori infection, atrophic gastritis, and intestinal metaplasia. This study supports the knowledge that socioeconomic factors such as low economic conditions and poor health infrastructure are one of the major causes of widespread global H. pylori infection status.

Alcohol use disorder and its associated factors among residents in Southern Ethiopia during the era of COVID-19.

Objectives:To determine the prevalence of alcohol use disorder and associated factors among residents of Dilla town, Gedeo zone, Southern Ethiopia, 2021.Methods:A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 666 randomly selected participants. Interview-assisted structured questionnaire was used to collect data, and alcohol use disorder identification test was employed to measure alcohol use disorder. The data were entered in to Epi info version 7 and exported in to SPSS version 25 for analysis. Both bivariate and multivariate binary logistic regression analysis were used to identify significant factors related with alcohol use disorder. In the multivariate model, variables with p value < 0.05 were considered as a statistical significant factor for the outcome variable. Finally, adjusted odds ratio with 95% confidence interval was computed to assess the strength of association.Results:The magnitude of alcohol used disorder during the past year was 30.6% (95% confidence interval: 25.5%–35.7%). Being male (adjusted odds ratio = 8.33, 95% confidence interval: (4.34, 15.98)), age of less than 33 years old (adjusted odds ratio = 1.78, 95% confidence interval: (1.06, 3.00)), current cigarette smoking (adjusted odds ratio = 2.49, 95% confidence interval: (1.42, 4.37)), current khat chewing (adjusted odds ratio = 6.23, 95% confidence interval: (3.8, 9.92)), high level of psychological distress (adjusted odds ratio = 7.69, 95% confidence interval: (4.16, 14.28)) and poor social support (adjusted odds ratio = 2.30, 95% confidence interval: (1.27, 4.18)) were significantly associated with alcohol use disorder.Conclusion:A large percentage of respondents in our sample had an alcohol use disorder. Alcohol use problems were linked to being men, under the age of 33 years old, current khat chewing, current cigarette smoking, a high level of psychological distress, and poor of social support. As a result, early screening, public health intervention programs and establishing appropriate referral linkages with mental health facilities are recommended.

The Status of Household Solid Waste Management and its Associated Factors in Fiche Town, North Shewa Zone, Ethiopia.

Background:Poor solid waste management is a major public health and environmental concern in developing countries like Ethiopia. This study aimed to assess the status of household solid waste management and associated factors in Fiche town.Methods:A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 236 residents of Fiche town from January to March 2022. Both questionnaire and field observation was used to collect data from households in the town. Data were first checked manually for completeness, then coded and entered into SPSS version 20, then descriptive statistics such as frequency and percentage were done. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was done to assess the potential predictors of the outcome variable (P < .05).Result:In the present study, 185 (78.4%), of residents uses improper solid waste management practices. Multivariable logistic regression analysis revealed that knowledge of reduce, reuse and recycle (3R) (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 6.61; 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.94, 14.87), access to door to door waste collection (AOR = 3.91; 95% CI 2.03, 7.51), treating waste as a resource (AOR = 3.06; 95% CI 1.47, 6.36) and knowledge about the rule and regulations of solid waste management (AOR = 6.49; 95% CI 3.09, 13.61) were found to be significantly associated with waste management practices.Conclusion:Therefore, there is a need to raise awareness about solid waste management at the community level using different pieces of training. In addition, the city municipality needs to strengthen door to door waste collection services.

Corporate Governance and the Quality of Service Delivery in Local Authorities: Case of Masvingo Municipality

It is arguably true that local authorities are expected to play a pivotal role in improving the economy of any nation in general and the standard of living for the citizens. However, governance challenges have been reported as one of the causes of poor performance and lack of sustainability in institutions. In recent years, local authorities have been experiencing poor governance, deplorable service delivery, misuse of public funds and failure to comply with laws. Upon realising that the quality of life of the urban residents in any country is to some extent related to the quality of service delivery by the local municipality of that city, the researchers felt primed to explore corporate governance (CG) issues. The main objective of the study was to examine the impact of CG on the quality of service delivery in Masvingo city. In probing the problem at hand, the study adopted a mixed methodology to generate data from a sample size of 70 research participants drawn from Masvingo Municipality. Questionnaires and interviews were administered to collect data from municipality employees, the Town Clerk, auditor, Councilors and residents of Masvingo city. The study revealed that CG impacts the quality of service delivery both positively and negatively. It was noted that failure to uphold the elements of CG could translate to poor service delivery while religious implementation of the elements of CG could create a conducive environment for achieving enhanced quality service delivery. Challenges such as nepotism, corruption, political interference and lack of financial resources were identified as rampant in Masvingo city. Measures to improve the quality of service delivery were suggested, namely, employees to be trained to improve their professional competence; nepotism, political interference and corruption be shunned to encourage good CG. It was also recommended that an all-stakeholder approach be put in place so that the elements of CG are taken into consideration for the sake of improving the quality of service delivery in Masvingo city