Rural Sample Research Articles

Determination of the gas/particle phase concentrations of PCBs in urban and rural atmosphere in Erzurum, Turkey.

Active sampling was conducted for the first time in Erzurum, Turkey, between August 2012 and January 2013, in order to investigate the presence of 82 polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) congeners. Urban and rural ambient air samples, including gas and particle phase atmospheric concentrations (GAPPACs) of PCBs, were collected simultaneously using high volume air sampler (HVAS) at two different sampling points of Erzurum. GAPPACs of PCB samples taken using HVAS in Palandöken Mountain Region (2565m) and Ataturk University Campus (1870m) were analyzed in GC-MS following appropriate extraction steps. Throughout the sampling period, total ambient air concentrations (gas phase + particulate phase) were 10 ± 6 and 27 ± 13pg/m3 (mean) for Palandöken Mountain Region (PMR) and Atatürk University Campus (AUC), respectively. Low molecular weighted PCBs were found to be dominant in both rural an urban sampling sites. Meteorological parameters especially temperature (from Clausius-Clapeyron equation), wind direction, wind velocity, and precipitation were found to be effective on PCB concentration and distribution. The gas-particle distributions of PCBs in the summer and winter period were found to be 82% (gas phase) and 18% (particle phase) in the PMR and 90% (gas phase) and 10% (particle phase) in AUC, through Junge-Pankow adsorption model. In the light of these findings, total PCB concentrations detected in urban atmosphere (due to possible PCB sources) were observed to be higher than those determined in rural area.

Medication adherence among community-dwelling schizophrenia patients during the COVID-19 pandemic: A cross-sectional study

ObjectivesThis study aims to investigate medication adherence during the COVID-19 pandemic among community-dwelling schizophrenia patients, and to explore the role of social support in improving medication adherence in a rural community sample in China. MethodsA cross-sectional sample of 800 patients was recruited using a cluster random sampling method in Yingshan County, Sichuan Province. Information on participant demographic characteristics, social support and medication adherence was collected through face-to-face interviews. The data analysis was performed using SAS9.4. Two binary logistic regression models were employed to identify the association between regular medication use and social support. ResultsThe rate of regular medication adherence among community-dwelling patients with schizophrenia was 41.5%,which was lower than that indicated by recent research(Li et al., 2020) before COVID-19 in western rural China. The mean scores and standard deviation of the patient's objective support, subjective support, and support utilization were 4.94 ± 1.57, 17.03 ± 5.24, and 5.25 ± 2.75, respectively. The social support standard deviation was 27.22 ± 6.32. The crude odds ratio of objective support, subjective support, and support utilization were 0.790 (95%CI:0.713–0.876), 0.999 (95%CI:0.971–1.027), and 1.049 (95%CI:0.995–1.105) respectively. After adjusting for potential factors, the adjusted odds ratio of objective support, subjective support, and support utilization were 0.758 (95%CI:0.673–0.853), 1.030 (95%CI:0.994–1.068), and 1.043 (95%CI:0.985–1.105), respectively. ConclusionsDuring the COVID-19 pandemic, community-dwelling schizophrenia patients had a low rate of regular medication adherence. This was particularly true of those who were older adults, less educated and living in rural areas. The results of this study suggest that strengthening social support may effectively improve medication adherence for those patients.

Adolescent mental health disparities in rural Guizhou vs. urban Beijing: A comparative analysis from China

BackgroundMental health disorders are the leading cause of disability in youth globally. China has the world's second largest youth population with growing urban-rural inequalities. Guizhou is China's poorest province, and its rural youth mental health is seldom studied. Aims(1) to examine the prevalence and gender differences in drug use, depressive symptoms, social support, and externalizing behaviors in adolescents from an underserved rural Guizhou community; (2) to compare these measures between our sample and an urban Beijing sample. Subject and methodsA cross-sectional study was conducted among children 12–14 years-old from rural Guizhou using the Global School-based Student Health Survey. Prevalence of 19 mental health risk factors and behaviors were examined and compared to those from a public urban Beijing sample. Associations of mental health variables with gender and rural residence were examined using multivariable logistic regression models in a combined analysis. ResultsMental health risk factors and behaviors were more prevalent in our rural sample for 9/19 surveyed items. Rural adolescent in our sample had higher risks in experiencing troubles due to drinking, loneliness, insomnia, hopelessness, poor social support and poor parental understanding, injuries, and absenteeism. Girls compared to boys had lower risks of excessive drinking, smoking, fighting, injures and being bullied. ConclusionRural adolescents from an underserved Guizhou community were significantly more vulnerable to mental health risk factors and behaviors compared to urban Beijing peers and gender mattered. Research on context- and gender-informed interventions is needed.

SOCIO-ECONOMIC EFFECTS OF SEASONAL DOMESTIC WATER SUPPLY AMONG KIBAKU PEOPLE, CHIBOK LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA, BORNO STATE, NIGERIA

Water is an essential commodity which affects life and livelihoods in the universe. This study examined the socioeconomic effects of seasonal domestic water supply among Kibaku People, Chibok Local Government Area, and Borno State, Nigeria. Random sampling was used to select 165 rural households and water samples for the study. Data collected were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The significant water sources were hand dug well. The average trekking time to the water source was 10-101 minutes (24.8%). And the households require an average of 162 liters of water per day. The major causes of water scarcity include insufficient rainfall, increased sunlight intensity, pollution of water sources and increased population from the oral interview. About 60% of them stated water scarcity harms their socioeconomic activities as its time consuming (36.1%), causes long queues (48%) and causes conflicts at the point of collection (15.8%). However focus group discussions, interviews and personal observation, respondents believed drinking water is inadequate in Chibok. It was concluded that water available for household use is not sufficient. However, it is safe but contains some elements, not of the World Health Organization standard for good potable water. It is recommended that the community build a hub for water collection and distribution close to the village center. The government should provide water infrastructures to increase the potable water supply

Traditional and modern eating in older adults: a comparison between an urban and rural sample from Gujarat, Western India

ABSTRACT Background The present study aimed to investigate how often and to what degree older adults living in an area of Gujarat, Western India, enact traditional and modern eating behaviors. Specifically, we aimed to determine which facets of traditional eating are enacted rarely and which facets of modern eating are enacted often. Moreover, we hypothesized that urban older adults show a higher level of modern eating behaviors than rural older adults. Furthermore, we examined which traditional eating behaviors are more prevalent in rural older adults, and which are more prevalent in urban older adults. Methods A trained research assistant administered a questionnaire in a face-to-face situation with 120 older adults in a rural and an urban area of Gujarat, Western India. Participants were asked how often and to what degree they perform 57 traditional and modern eating behaviors. Results Overall, our sample of older Gujaratis reported a high level of traditional eating behaviors and a low level of modern eating behaviors. However, we also found, for example, a low level of the traditional eating facet of men getting preferential treatment and a high level of the modern eating facet of food being readily available. Moreover, most modern eating facets were more pronounced in the urban than in the rural sample. This was also the case for half of all traditional eating facets. Conclusion Our sample of older adults living in an area of Gujarat displayed more modern eating behaviors in urban than in rural areas. At the same time, however, the urban sample showed also more traditional eating behaviors, such as eating more fruits, possibly because of better food availability. Altogether, results might hint at some signs of modernization among older adults in this area of Gujarat with regard to changing gender roles and better food availability.

A Structural Equation Modeling Analysis to Explore Diabetes Self-Care Factors in a Rural Sample.

Diabetes is a public health problem that requires management to avoid health sequelae. Little is known about the determinants that influence diabetes self-care activities among rural populations. The purpose of this analysis was to explore the relationships among diabetes self-care activities, diabetes knowledge, perceived diabetes self-management, diabetes fatalism, and social support among an underserved rural group in the southern United States. A diabetes health promotion program was tested during a cluster randomized trial that tested a disease risk reduction program among adults living with prediabetes and diabetes. A structural equation model was fit to test psychosocial factors that influence diabetes self-care activities using the Information–Motivation–Behavioral Skills Model of Diabetes Self-Care (IMB-DSC) to guide the study. Perceived diabetes self-management significantly predicted self-care behaviors, and there was also a correlation between perceived diabetes self-management and diabetes fatalism. Perceived diabetes self-management influenced diabetes self-care activities in this rural sample and had an association with diabetes fatalism. The findings of this study can facilitate clinical care and community programs targeting diabetes and advance health equity among underserved rural groups.

Occurrence, spatial variation, seasonal difference, and ecological risk assessment of organophosphate esters in the Yangtze River, China: From the upper to lower reaches

A comprehensive contamination profile of organophosphate esters (OPEs) in the Yangtze River in China has not yet been characterized. In this study, we investigated the occurrence, spatial variation, and seasonal difference of 18 selected OPEs in surface water samples of the Yangtze River mainstream. To characterize the contamination profile of the OPEs, we collected 144 Yangtze River water samples from 72 sampling sites in December 2020 and June 2021. Four alkyl-OPEs [trimethyl phosphate, triethyl phosphate (TEP), tributyl phosphate, and tris(2-butoxyethyl) phosphate (TBOEP)] and three halogenated OPEs [tris(2-chloroethyl) phosphate (TCEP), tris(1-chloro-2-propyl) phosphate (TCIPP), and tris(1,3-dichloro-2-propyl) phosphate] were the most frequently detected target compounds (>95%). TCIPP (median: 34.6 ng/L), TEP (median: 26.2 ng/L), and TCEP (median: 17.9 ng/L) were the most abundant compounds, while the median values of the others were below 10 ng/L. Additionally, the concentrations of most OPEs gradually/dramatically increased from upstream to downstream Yangtze River. Notably, the median concentration of summed OPEs in Shanghai (415 ng/L; downstream) was approximately ten times higher than that in Qinghai (45.7 ng/L; upstream). Urban sampling sites had significantly or slightly higher concentrations of most OPEs than rural sampling sites. Moreover, the OPE concentrations in the river water differed between the winter and summer. The concentrations of summed OPEs (median: 117 vs. 106 ng/L), summed alkyl-OPEs (67.0 vs. 45.8 ng/L; p < 0.05), and summed aryl-OPEs (0.48 vs. 0.17 ng/L; p < 0.05) were slightly or significantly higher in December than those in June; nevertheless, summed halogenated OPEs were slightly higher in June (62.2 vs. 50.2 ng/L) than that in December. Compared with previously reported data for OPEs in other major rivers worldwide, the Yangtze River water had relatively lower concentrations of the OPEs than those in the rivers of developed countries and regions. Ecological risk assessment suggested that tris(2-ethylhexyl) phosphate and TCEP posed relatively high risks (RQ: 1.01 and 0.98, respectively) at the maximum concentration, and TBOEP posed a moderate risk (RQ: 0.25). This is the first study to comprehensively characterize the contamination profile of the Yangtze River by the OPEs.

The transmission mechanism analysis of the impact of economic policy uncertainty on household consumption

AbstractEconomic policy uncertainty is proven to have an important effect on household consumption. However, the literature on its transmission mechanism and on comparing the consumption response of urban and rural households, especially in China, is limited. In this paper, we propose two channels through which economic policy uncertainty affects household consumption, the precautionary saving channel and the investment‐employment channel. Then, we use the household survey data (China Health and Nutrition Survey) to explore the heterogeneous effect among urban and rural households. We verify that an increase in economic policy uncertainty can significantly reduce household consumption through both channels. Further, the precautionary saving channel is more important in the urban household sample, while the investment‐employment channel is more pronounced in the rural household sample. In addition, the heterogeneous effect also exists across households in different regions. Our results are robust with consideration of different estimation methods, the lagged effect of the uncertainty, and other characteristics of households.

The Economic Model of Rural Supply and Demand Under the Data Analysis Function Based on Ordered Probit

Abstract Under the background of the marketization of agricultural products, the lack of farmers’ risk analysis mechanism has resulted in a structural imbalance between the supply and demand of funds in rural areas. The increase of the rural economy is significant to social development and stability. Then the article uses the ordered Probit model to carry out statistical regression analysis on the rural economic samples. The study found that the lack of supply institutions, the incompatibility of loan supply and demand, and the single type of insurance caused the development of the rural economy to be limited.

Mental Stress and Well-being among Low-income Older Adults During COVID-19 Pandemic

Introduction: Insecurities with food and economic resources, housing discontent, and mental stress were experienced by vulnerable populations, especially older adults, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: This study examined the association of poverty based on resource scarcity with life satisfaction as an indicator of well-being during the COVID-19 outbreak in Thailand. It also tested the mediating effect of mental stress. Structural equation modeling was used to analyze data from the 2021 Survey on Housing and Support Services for Poor Older Adults which involved low-income Thais aged at least 55 years. On testing for multigroup differences, the model was applied separately to urban and rural samples. Results: Findings from the urban sample indicated that resource scarcity was associated with life satisfaction based on the direct (β = 0.686, P &lt; 0.01), indirect (β = 0.105, P &lt; 0.05), and total effects (β = 0.790, P &lt; 0.001). Mental stress (β = 0.304, P &lt; 0.05) was also associated with life satisfaction. For the rural sample, resource scarcity was associated with life satisfaction (β = 0.159, P &lt; 0.05) only when mental stress acted as a mediator. Conclusion: This theme is important to better understand the well-being status of older people in an aging society with a developing economy. Recognizing that the physical and policy environment for urban and rural residences have an influence on the mental health and well-being of this age group can contribute to addressing their needs in times of social shocks like the COVID-19 pandemic.

O08 A Mixed Method Study of Whether Appalachian Ohioans Conceptualize Food Security in Alignment with the Prevailing Measure

<h3>Background</h3> In the US, food security is monitored annually via the Household Food Security Survey Module (HFSSM). The measure focuses primarily on a household's monetary means. There is heightened interest in developing food security measures that embody more nuanced conceptualizations of household food security. <h3>Objective</h3> To explore whether current conceptualizations of food insecurity among a rural Appalachian sample diverge from HFSSM constructs. <h3>Study Design, Setting, Participants</h3> A study recruitment postcard was mailed to all residential addresses in the Athens County region of Appalachian Ohio in late June 2020. Adult recipients were first invited to complete quarterly surveys, containing a demographic questionnaire and the HFSSM, for one year. Based on HFSSM-based food security categorizations, a purposively selected sub-sample of respondents were invited for in-depth semi-structured interviews (n = 16, May-June 2021). Our maximal variation sample included households demonstrating consistent food security (n = 7, 44%), transient insecurity (n = 5, 31%), and persistent insecurity (n = 4, 25%). Interviewees reflected on whether the HFSSM-based status aligned with how they would characterize their household's food security status. <h3>Measurable Outcome/Analysis</h3> Verbatim transcripts were coded in NVivo and themes identified via template analysis, a process that leveraged both a priori codes (based on HFSSM constructs) and emergent codes reflecting measure-diverging constructs. <h3>Results</h3> While individuals characterized their food insecurity experiences in partial convergence with the HFSSM measure (e.g., noting insufficient money for food), there were several diverging themes. Food security was primarily discussed through a communal, and notably non-monetary, lens in which food reciprocity (e.g., bartering), collective responsibility (i.e., thinking beyond one's own household), and resourcefulness (e.g., gardening) defined their food (in)security experience. <h3>Conclusion</h3> This study demonstrates that food security may be conceptualized in ways that account for non-monetary assets and embody a communal ideology. The development and testing of a food security measure containing items in line with these constructs may be warranted for – and help to capture food insecurity more accurately in – rural regions where traditions of resourcefulness and reciprocity persist. <h3>Funding</h3> NIH; The Ohio State University's Initiative for Food and AgriCultural Transformation; National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences; The Ohio State University's Office of Outreach and Engagement; Clinical Research Center/Center for Clinical Research Management of The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center.

Demographic Effects on Fertility Among Reproductive Aged Women in Ghana. A Demographic and Health Survey Analysis

In this paper, we argue that fertility is among the key components in the demographic transition process of many global economies. The study used the 2014 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey. We applied the conventional neo-classical consumer-theoretic approach to model the demand of children. The study aimed to estimate the demographic effects on fertility among women of reproductive age 15-49 in Ghana using the negative binomial regression. The results indicated that the age of women at first births, mother&amp;rsquo;s years of education, number of unions, wealth level, women occupations, Partners occupation, contraceptive use and intention, marital status, are significant and negatively associated with the number of children ever born. However, current age of the woman, fertility preference, decision maker on contraceptive use, child sex, number of living children and experienced of the death of a son and/or daughter resulting from replacement effect and hoarding effects and residing in rural areas have positively and significantly influence fertility in Ghana. We recorded variations in the effects of some variables in total, urban and rural samples. We conclude that reduction in child mortality, increasing women access of formal education, increasing women power in decision making on contraceptive use, increasing access to and use of contraceptives as well as reducing income disparity between urban and rural population by providing employment opportunities in rural areas are keys policy issues that could help achieve fertility reduction in Ghana.

Influence of parental self-efficacy on behavioural problems of pre-school children

Parental self efficacy is the parent’s conviction about being capable in influencing their children’s behaviour. A correlation research design was employed to study the influence of parental self-efficacy on behavioral problems of pre-school children in both rural and urban locality. Multistage random sampling was employed where rural sample formed 213 pre-school children from ten Anganwadi’s and urban sample formed 121 pre-school children from six Anganwadi’s from the selected villages of Dharwad district. The influence of parental self-efficacy on behavioural problems was studied on a dichotomized sample of 206 children falling in normal and borderline/clinical range for behavioural problems which were assessed by administering the Child Behavior Checklist. The self efficacy among parents was assessed by administering Cooper Parental Self-Efficacy Scale-Child Health Behavior by Cooper (2013). The results revealed that, 47% of pre-schoolers were in the borderline while 13.8 % were in clinical range for behavioural problems. Parents from urban locality had higher self efficacy than rural parents. Parental self efficacy was not found to be significantly influencing behavioural problems among rural pre-schoolers than urban pre-schoolers. To manage the behavioural problems among pre-schoolers, self efficacy skills of parents can be enhanced by adopting individualized intervention programmes.

A Study on the Impact of Natural Disasters on Farmers’ Relative Poverty

In 2020, China announced the successful completion of its poverty alleviation mission, noting that the focus of China’s poverty alleviation mission has shifted from eliminating absolute poverty to alleviating relative poverty. Due to global warming and frequent natural disasters, natural disaster shocks have seriously affected farmers’ livelihoods and aggravated relative poverty. Based on 5,804 rural household samples from the China Family Panel Studies, the impact of natural disasters on farmers’ relative poverty was investigated using the logit model. In addition, the interaction terms between the impact and intensity of natural disasters, non-agricultural employment and productive investment were included in the model. The results show that: 1) Natural disaster shocks and natural disaster intensities had a significant positive impact on farmers’ relative poverty. 2) Migrating for work and stable employment effectively alleviated the positive impact of natural disaster shocks and natural disaster intensities on farmers’ relative poverty, respectively. 3) Productive investment weakened the positive impact of natural disaster shocks on farmers’ relative poverty. 4) Scale management effectively alleviated the positive impact of natural disaster shocks on farmers’ relative poverty, but the moderating effect of scale management was not significant in areas with high disaster intensities.

Regional estimates of noncommunicable diseases associated risk factors among adults in India: results from National Noncommunicable Disease Monitoring Survey

BackgroundThis study describes regional differences and determinants on key noncommunicable disease (NCD) risk factors in adults from the National NCD Monitoring Survey (NNMS) across six geographic regions of India.MethodsThe NNMS was a cross-sectional multistage cluster survey conducted in 2017–18, on a representative sample of 300 urban and 300 rural primary sampling units (PSU) covering 20 households per PSU. One adult aged 18–69 years per household was selected using the KISH grid. Globally standard survey tools were adapted for data collection. To arrive at regional estimates, the country was divided into six regions (south, north, central, west, east and northeast) based on the distribution of a national sample. The results are presented as proportion with 95% confidence intervals (CI). Univariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed to identify NCD risk factor determinants significant in the regions. A p-value < 0.05 was considered for statistical significance.ResultsThe overall survey response rate was 96.3%. The prevalence of current tobacco (45.7%) and alcohol use (22.3%) was significantly high in the northeast region. The highest proportion of adults from northern India showed low levels of physical activity (49.6%). The prevalence of metabolic risk factors — obesity (12.5%), raised fasting blood glucose (21.2%) and raised blood pressure (35.6%) was highest in south India. The prevalence of raised blood pressure was high in north India (35.2%) similar in proportion to south India. Clustering of ≥3 risk factors (50.1%) and ten-year CVD risk of ≥30% or with existing CVD (18.1%) was highest in south India when compared to other regions. Older age, urban residents, alcohol consumption and overweight/obesity were significantly associated with higher odds of raised blood pressure and raised fasting blood glucose.ConclusionThe NNMS presents variations in NCD risk factors within the regions of India. It contributes to robust evidence for strengthening interventions and monitoring the progress in reducing NCDs and their associated risk factors.

Time dependence of heterogeneous ice nucleation by ambient aerosols: laboratory observations and a formulation for models

Abstract. The time dependence of ice-nucleating particle (INP) activity is known to exist, yet for simplicity it is often omitted in atmospheric models as an approximation. Hitherto, only limited experimental work has been done to quantify this time dependency, for which published data are especially scarce regarding ambient aerosol samples and longer timescales. In this study, the time dependence of INP activity is quantified experimentally for six ambient environmental samples. The experimental approach includes a series of hybrid experiments with alternating constant cooling and isothermal experiments using a recently developed cold-stage setup called the Lund University Cold-Stage (LUCS). This approach of observing ambient aerosol samples provides the optimum realism for representing their time dependence in any model. Six ambient aerosol samples were collected at a station in rural Sweden representing aerosol conditions likely influenced by various types of INPs: marine, mineral dust, continental pristine, continental-polluted, combustion-related and rural continental aerosol. Active INP concentrations were seen to be augmented by about 40 % to 100 % (or 70 % to 200 %), depending on the sample, over 2 h (or 10 h). Mineral dust and rural continental samples displayed the most time dependence. This degree of time dependence observed was comparable to, but weaker than, that seen in previous published works. A general tendency was observed for the natural timescale of the freezing to dilate increasingly with time. The fractional freezing rate was observed to decline steadily with the time since the start of isothermal conditions following a power law. A representation of time dependence for incorporation into schemes of heterogeneous ice nucleation that currently omit it is proposed. Our measurements are inconsistent with the simplest purely stochastic model of INP activity, which assumes that the fractional freezing rate of all unfrozen drops is somehow constant and would eventually overpredict active INPs. In reality, the variability of efficiencies among INPs must be treated with any stochastic theory.

Economic inequalities and rural-urban disparities in clean cooking fuel use in Ghana

Expanding access to clean cooking fuels is an important driver of sustainable development goal (SDG) 7, which is to ensure universal access to affordable and clean energy. Ghana is among 20 countries that account for more than 80% of the global deficit in access to clean cooking fuel, despite efforts to improve uptake of clean cooking fuel over the years. Using the last three rounds of the Ghana Living Standards Survey, this study examines the trend and extent of economic inequalities, as well as the factors that account for the rural-urban disparity in the use of clean cooking fuels. We first used concentration curves and concentration indices to analyse the magnitude and trend of economic inequality. We then decomposed the rural-urban gap in the use of clean cooking fuels by applying a non-linear decomposition technique. Our results reveal that, in general, economic inequality persists across the three survey rounds. The level of inequality was higher in urban areas but relative change over time was higher in the rural sample. Also, rural-urban differences in economic status, education of the household head and ownership of television were the biggest contributors to the rural-urban gap in clean cooking fuel use. Our findings reveal the need for a more targeted approach in the design and implementation of policies to encourage the use of clean cooking fuels. Tailored strategies to reach the poor and vulnerable in rural and urban areas while scaling up access will be a step in the right direction.

Extend of unhealthy behaviours of patients with cardiovascular diseases during the second COVID-19 lockdown in Northern Greece: comparison between urban and rural residents

Funding AcknowledgementsType of funding sources: None.IntroductionUnhealthy behaviours can be amplified during lockdown and organisations, like WHO and CDC, campaign on how to stay healthy at home. Lifestyle choices are of paramount importance for primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). Northern Greece was forcefully hit by the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic and a hard lockdown was implemented in November 2020.PurposeThe aim of the study was to assess the (un)healthy behaviours of patients with CVDs during the second COVID-19 lockdown in Northern Greece and to compare the urban with the rural population.MethodsThis is a cross-sectional short questionnaire telephone-based survey conducted in February 2021. Responders with known CVDs were primarily questioned (using a Likert-like scale) about smoking, diet and physical activity, along essential medical history. Beliefs about COVID-19 pandemic and vaccination were also considered. Sociodemographic details were noted. Patients who were placed under quarantine were excluded in this analysis.ResultsThe response rate was high (438 out of 700 calls, 62.6%) with the majority of the participants willing to speak for longer time than initially estimated. In total, answers by 395 patients (216 urban and 179 rural) (female 252/63.8%, mean age 57.3 years old) were incorporated. There were 200 active smokers questioned (urban: 119, 55.1% - rural: 81, 45.3%). More urban residents increased smoking (56, 47.1%) than rural ones (24, 29.6%). Of note, the majority of the rural patients reported smoking similarly than before the lockdown. Unfortunately, none of the questioned participants attempted to quit smoking. The mean BMI of the urban patients was 27.5 ± 4.3 kg/m² (vs. 26.8 ± 3.8 kg/m² before lockdown) corresponding to a mean weight gain of about 2 kg. The rise in mean BMI could be explained, partly, by the increased eating as reported by almost half of the urban participants (121, 56.0%). There was a smaller increase in mean BMI of the rural sample (from 26.6 ± 3.9 kg/m² to 26.9 ± 4.1 kg/m²) corresponding to a mean weight gain of less than 1 kg. The limited weight gain is represented by the majority of the rural patients reported that they didn’t change their eating habits. The vast minority of the urban and the rural participants answered that they increased exercising in comparison to their pre-lockdown habits (39, 18.1% vs 37, 19.4%, p>0.05), Contrary to that, more than half of the rural patients had maintained similar levels of physical activity (109, 57.1%).ConclusionThe hard lockdown in Greece during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic was accompanied with an aggravation of unhealthy choices by patients with CVDs. This observation was more apparent in the urban population. Further research is warrant to assess the clinical impact of these behaviours. Public campaigns are anxiously needed to promote healthy behaviours.

Rural-urban variation in exclusion from social activities due to menstruation among adolescent girls and young women in Ghana

Menstruation among adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) can be marked by several challenges that often result in exclusion from social activities. Information regarding this subject matter is however sparse in Ghana. This study examined the rural-urban differences in prevalence and correlates of exclusion from social activities due to menstruation among AGYW in Ghana. The study used cross-sectional data drawn from the women dataset of 2017/2018 Ghana Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey Six (GMICS 6). Data of adolescents (n = 2927; age 15–19) and young women (n = 2194; age 20–24) was analyzed in Stata version 14. About 21.65% of the respondents indicated that they excluded themselves from activities during menstruation with slightly higher rates for rural AGYW (22.2%) compared to their urban counterparts (21.11%). Multivariable Poisson regression models showed that compared with nonattainment of formal education, urban AGYW who attained a primary level education were more likely to exclude themselves from social activities due to menstruation [APR = 2.76, 95% CI:1.11, 6.90]. Also, currently married urban AGYW were less likely to exclude themselves from social activities due to menstruation [APR = 0.63, 95% CI:0.44, 0.91]. AGYW residing in the second-lowest wealth household in rural areas had a higher likelihood of exclusion from social activities due to menstruation [APR = 1.34, 95% CI:1.03, 1.75]. Region of residence was a significant correlate in both rural and urban samples but with an observed rural-urban variation. Given the prevalence of AGYW who exclude themselves from social activities, the government and non-governmental organizations that seek to improve menstrual hygiene and empower young women to participate in social activities regardless of their monthly menstrual flow should take into consideration the urban-rural differentials in the associated factors identified in this study.

The Methodology of Developing the Urban Heat Island E-module on the Achievements and Collaboration Skills of High School Students in Surakarta

Nowadays, Urban Heat Island (UHI) occurs in big cities worldwide. The UHI phenomenon needs to be introduced in school because this phenomenon occurs around the students. Surakarta, one of the big cities in Indonesia, has been threatened by the UHI phenomenon, so enrichment materials related to the UHI phenomenon are needed for students in schools. This research will develop the UHI e-module as an enrichment teaching material on the impact of global climate change and research on climate and its utilization. This paper aims to present an e-module development research methodology on UHI based on the phenomenon of UHI threats in Surakarta City and its effect on student achievement and collaboration skills. Design and Development Research (DDR) uses the Borg and Gall model. The methodology of the research development is divided into three phases: the needs analysis phase, the design and development phase, and the implementation and evaluation phases. The difference in this research is the geographical space-based study approach in the development of material based on the UHI phenomenon in Surakarta City and urban and rural spatial sampling techniques.