Suburban District Research Articles

A pilot model of a public-private partnership for implementation of a coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) diagnostic testing program to facilitate a safe school reopening.

We developed an implementation plan to integrate diagnostic testing for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) into a public school system. Implementation barriers were identified and strategies were mapped to overcome them. A COVID-19 diagnostic testing program leveraging a public-private partnership was developed for a public school system. A suburban school district and a local hospital during the 2020-2021 academic year. Using Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) constructs and evidenced-based implementation strategies, the program was designed as a "closed system" and was adapted based on stakeholder feedback. Implementation barriers and facilitators were identified and mapped to CFIR constructs to provide insights into factors influencing program adoption. Preimplementation stages of engagement, feasibility, and readiness planning were completed. The program did not progress to implementation due to multiple factors, including changes in school leadership (inner setting and process-level constructs), improved access to outside testing, and lack of an existing paradigm for in-school testing (external constructs). Limited support from key stakeholders and opinion leaders was also a barrier (process-level construct). Although this locally initiated program did not progress beyond the preimplementation stage, the processes developed and barriers identified may be useful to inform planning efforts in other testing programs within public school systems. Future programs may consider incorporating multiplex diagnostic testing for influenza in addition to COVID-19. With relaxation of infection control measures, the prevalence of other respiratory viruses will increase. Actionable results will be needed to inform decisions about closures and quarantines.

Variations in the Prevalence of Female Genital Mutilation Among Reproductive-aged Women in Nigeria Across Three Generations.

Background and Objective:Female genital mutilation (FGM) is widespread mainly in low and middle-income countries. Nigeria is one of the countries with the highest prevalence of FGM, accounting for about one of every four cases globally. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of FGM among three generations in Abuja, the federal capital city of Nigeria.Methods:This is a cross-sectional study among women of reproductive age (15-49 years) within two area councils of Abuja (Bwari and Abuja Municipal) and Nyanya suburban district adjoining the federal capital territory in Nigeria. The respondents are pregnant women attending antenatal care at four selected health facilities. Data were collected using Google Forms and were analyzed with SPSS for Windows version 25.Results:This study comprised data from 634 females (who had an average age of 33±6.0 years) from four major healthcare facilities in Abuja. The most common age group was 30 – 34 years (29.2%). The prevalence of FGM in the first generation (37.7%) was significantly higher than in the second (28.5%) and the third generations (8.7%) (p<0.01). The prevalence of FGM in the second generation was also significantly higher than in the third (p<0.01). The predictors of women circumcising their daughters include primary/no-education AOR 1.48 (95% CI: 0.41-5.31; p<0.05), being a traditionalist 4.94 (95% CI: 0.29-84.56; p<0.05), or Muslim 2.27 (95% CI: 0.94-5.49; p<0.05), respondent’s mother being circumcised 1.69 (95% CI: 0.26-10.85, p<0.05) or mother’s circumcision unknown 5.41 (95% CI: 0.78-37.34; p<0.05), respondents being circumcised 54.71 (95% CI: 0.78-37.34; p<0.001), culture 2.48 (95% CI: 1.00-6.19; p<0.05), and ignorance of adverse psycho-social/emotional effects of FGM 4.39 (95% CI: 1.46-13.17; p<0.05).Conclusion and Global Health Implications:Although there is a decline in FGM prevalence from the first generation to the third generation in Nigeria, the current prevalence of 8.7% remains a public health concern. Nigerian women’s ongoing experience of FGM requires both individual and stakeholders’ involvement to eradicate health-related problems such as tissue damage, infection, scarring, infertility, and pains during sexual intercourse, urination, and menstruation.

Assessing soil sealing and ecosystem services of urban front yards using Google Street View: A case study in Bloemhof district Rotterdam, the Netherlands

Private gardens play an important role as urban green space in cities and can improve the microclimate and address the impacts of climate change. Paving over front yards, soil sealing, reduces the environmental benefit of front yards. Residential private front yards comprise a considerable portion of land and green space in the suburbs of cities. Currently there is no method available to determine sealed soil percentages of private front yards. This study took place in the Bloemhof suburban district in Rotterdam. Four streets were selected and a total of 123 houses with 105 private front yards were assessed. Five sealed soil reference categories were defined and Google Street View (GSV) images were used to assess the front yards. This study found that the aggregated sealed soil percentages of the private front yards in the four selected streets are very high: 69%, 78%, 96%, and 97%. These front yards have a significant greening potential. The new insight in this study is that the use of Google Street View images for categorisation of front yards leads to values for individual front yard that can be used for comparison and for establishing sealed soil values per street.

Theater, Space and Place Making in North-East Bangladesh

Although Theater activities inject a significant effect on outdoor public affairs, local urban planners do not sufficiently consider such impact while designing a new civic theater in Habiganj, a growing sub-urban district of Bangladesh. Incoherent theater buildings in such urban areas fail to engage people with theater at large, in consequence, the act of theater remains incomplete. The research was conducted through a semi structured interview, social demographic data analysis, case studies, technical aspects and literature survey providing the anthropomorphic image of a theater as an embodied space, elementary spaces of theater and affordable &amp; inclusive theatrical form as major findings. A regional model is driven from the research for local theater (different types of performing spaces) practice that can guide future municipal theater planning for theater to sustain among society &amp; people.

Educators’ experiences with student voice: how teachers understand, solicit, and use student voice in their classrooms

ABSTRACT As interest in student voice has grown over the past two decades, questions have emerged about how teachers conceive of and engage with student voice, the extent to which they do so, and how these practices vary across different school and district policy contexts. This study explores these questions, using survey data collected from U.S. teachers in two urban and two suburban districts. The findings reveal that while many educators see student voice as synonymous with students’ input into classroom or school decision-making, a comparable number equate student voice with student opinions in general. This difference highlights the need for shared understanding so that educators, administrators, policymakers, and researchers can unite around a common conception and set of practices and so that the field can become more cohesive. The study also finds that those educators who define student voice as students’ input into school or classroom decision-making use a range of techniques for soliciting student voice in order to inform their instruction, empower students, and build strong student-teacher relationships. Implications for further research, teacher training, professional development, and policy are discussed.

Kiến thức, thái độ về thuốc lá điện tử của thanh thiếu niên 15-24 tuổi tại Hà Nội và Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh năm 2020

Objective: The study was undertaken in Hanoi and Hochiminh city to identify the knowledge and attitude of youth 15-24 years of age to e cigarettes in 2020. Method: This was a cross sectional study with a qualitative study combination. KISH method was applied to select 1,211 study participants at one urban and one suburban district in each city. There were 6 indepth interviews, 4 group interview and 2 group discussions to be conducted. Data was clean and entered using EpiData 3.1 software and was analyzed by STATA 16.0 software. Mean value, frequencies were used with a significant level of .05. Qualitative data was transcribed and analyzed by given topics. Results: The average knowledge score of adolescents is 5.88 points compared to a maximum total score of 14 (SD: 3.44). 15.8% of teenagers think that e-cigarettes are more dangerous than traditional cigarettes. The average point of the study's attitude is 4.43 compared to the maximum score of 8 points (SD: 2.44). More than two-thirds of the respondents (68.1%) said that smoking e-cigarettes is a matter of public health concern and nearly half (49.5%) said that e-cigarettes should be banned in Vietnam. Conclusion: The knowledge and attitudes of 15-24 year olds about e-cigarettes are still limited. Information on e-cigarettes needs to be introduced into schools, at least from the lower secondary level so that students can better understand the harmful effects of e-cigarettes, in order to reduce the risk of smoking e-cigarettes at the age from high school and above.

Failure of Repeated MDA with Albendazole for Trichuriasis Control in Schoolchildren of the Yangon Region, Myanmar.

Soil-transmitted helminth (STH) infections are still a considerable challenge in Myanmar. We undertook a control program for STH infections (especially Trichuris trichiura) among schoolchildren in Myanmar using mass drug administration (MDA) and health education. Around 1,700 schoolchildren from 15 primary schools in 3 suburban districts (Shwe Pyi Thar, Twantay, and Kyauktan) of the Yangon Region were subjected in this study during 2017–2019. All of the schoolchildren in each school were orally administered albendazole (400 mg in a single dose) 2, 3, and 4 times a year in 2017, 2018, and 2019, respectively. The results revealed that the egg positive rate of any intestinal helminths (including STH) was reduced from 37.6% (649/1,724) in 2017 to 22.8% (352/1,542) in 2019. The egg positive rate of Ascaris lumbricoides was decreased remarkably from 23.3% (402/1,724) in 2017 to 3.6% (56/1,542) in 2019. However, that of T. trichiura was only slightly reduced from 26.9% (464/1,724) in 2017 to 20.2% (312/1,542) in 2019. The intensity of infection with A. lumbricoides and T. trichiura was both more or less reduced, and the proportion of light infection cases with A. lumbricoides and T. trichiura increased from 35.6% in 2017 to 64.3% in 2019 and from 70.3% in 2017 to 81.7% in 2019, respectively. The results indicated that repeated MDAs (2–4 times a year for 3 years) using albendazole on schoolchildren in Myanmar failed to control T. trichiura infection. For a successful control of trichuriasis in Myanmar, new MDA strategies, using a modified albendazole regimen (multiple daily doses for 2 or 3 days) or an alternative anthelmintic drug, such as oxantel pamoate, is strongly recommended.

Thực trạng sử dụng thuốc lá điện tử của thanh thiếu niên 15-24 tuổi tại Hà Nội và Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh năm 2020 và một số yếu tố liên quan

Objective: The study was undertaken in Hanoi and Hochiminh city to identify the use of e-cigarettes among youth 15-24 years old in 2020 and some related factors. Method: This was a cross sectional study with a qualitative study combination. KISH method was applied to select 1,211 study participants at one urban and one suburban district in each city. There were 6 indepth interviews, 4 group interview and 2 group discussions to be conducted. Data was clean and entered using EpiData 3.1 software and was analyzed by STATA 16.0 software. Mean value, frequencies were used with a significant level of .05. Qualitative data was transcribed and analyzed by given topics. Results: There are 7.3% of adolescents aged 15-24 years using e-cigarettes, the rate of using e-cigarettes among men and women is 9.1% and 4.6%, respectively. Men tend to smoke e-cigarettes 1.86 times higher than women. People with a higher attitude score about e-cigarettes, the more likely they are to use e-cigarettes. Conclusion: It is necessary to strengthen the enforcement of the Law on Tobacco Control and the Law on Tobacco Advertising; Proposing to promote inter-sectoral monitoring and supervision of violations of tobacco advertising, promotion, and sale on the internet.

Thực trạng phơi nhiễm với quảng cáo thuốc lá điện tử của thanh thiếu niên 15-24 tuổi tại Hà Nội và Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh năm 2020

Objective: The study was undertaken in Hanoi and Hochiminh city to identify the exposure of youth 15-24 years of age to the advertisement of e cigarettes in 2020. Method: This was a cross sectional study with a qualitative study combination. KISH method was applied to select 1,211 study participants at one urban and one suburban district in each city. There were 6 indepth interviews, 4 group interview and 2 group discussions to be conducted. Results: It revealed that 73.2% of the study participants who were exposed at least one time to one source of e cigarette advertisement in the previous 30 days up to the time of data collection. The most common source that youth exposed to the advertisement of e cigarettes was social media (45%), followed by shops, supermarkets and points of sale (33,4%), printed and e newspaper (25.2%). There were 12.1% youth who was invited to use e cigarettes free by promotional salers. Types or characteristics of e cigarettes advertisement were colourful image (30.9%), attractive image (31.3%). Key opinion leaders participated in e cigarette advertisement were seen by 13.6% of the study participants. Conclusion: Social media was the most common source that youth exposed to e cigarette advertisement. There should be appropriate policy to strictly prevent the youth’ exposure to e cigarettes in different sources with focus on social media and key opinion leaders.

Clerical Turnover in the K–12 Campus Office

Clerical staff in the campus office (secretaries and registrars) perform critical functions essential to the operation of schools, yet do not receive research attention regarding their contributions. This study describes turnover rates of K–12 campus clerical employees in order to establish base information in the field. Eight years of employment data within a large suburban school district in Texas are examined to determine the number of clerks moving to different positions and/or leaving campus clerical employment. Findings reveal that the average clerical employee in this district is female, 50 years old, White or Hispanic, has 11 years of experience, changed positions at least once, and earns $15.61 an hour. The demographics of clerical staff more closely resembles student demographics that of than the teachers within the district. Turnover averaged 22% per year, with 16% representing leavers and under 7% representing movers; 25% of clerks left in their first year. Although teacher turnover is more frequent in high-poverty schools and varies based on level of campus, clerical staff turnover is significantly based on the level of position and pay. Results confirm findings from research on paraprofessionals (who have similar levels of pay) that level of pay and perceived lack of support are reasons for leaving. By providing induction activities and additional training, districts can reduce turnover costs of clerical staff despite the added cost of training.

Positioning self and other: building equity literacy in collaboration

AbstractCollaborative meaning‐making across difference is often undertaken in pursuit of equity, but too often socially constructed power differentials between collaborators on the basis of social class, race, gender, ability, age or other markers are reified. This article examines the ripples produced by one literacy collaboration that took place across public, private and charter schools, nested within urban, suburban and rural districts, traversing cultural, racial and class boundaries. Specifically, we examine retrospective interview data from youth and teachers reflecting on a collaborative project that asked youth to work together with young people from other schools to compose dramatic performances together. Our findings reveal limitations to equitable outcomes across disparate groups working together, particularly around identity markers like race or neurological difference. After juxtaposing a range of positionalities that youth took up when describing the experience of this field trip after the fact, we suggest a set of equity literacy tools for teachers and researchers interested in facilitating more equitable collaborations.

Solar Thermal Regeneration of Borehole Heat Exchangers in Urban and Suburban Districts

To prevent undercooling of the ground in densely populated areas, regeneration of borehole heat exchangers (BHEs), for example by solar thermal heat, may become necessary. However, the usable roof area is often small compared to the building’s heat demand, especially in urban areas. It was investigated how much regeneration is possible in districts that are supplied entirely by heat pumps with BHEs. Example buildings were modelled based on the buildings of two districts in Zurich. Uncovered PVT collectors and glazed flat-plate collectors were used as regeneration sources. The possible regeneration was determined in a simulation process that included the effects of mutual influences between the BHEs of neighbouring buildings. As expected, glazed flat-plate collectors allow for more regeneration than uncovered PVT collectors. For full regeneration, the required usable roof area relative to the annual heat demand is about 1.8m2/MWh for PVT and 1.2m2/MWh for flat-plate collectors. Large buildings often do not provide sufficient roof area for full regeneration. A sustainable heat supply of the entire district with regenerated BHEs can be possible in suburban neighbourhoods, if the bigger buildings are distributed rather evenly. In urban neighbourhoods, areas may exist in which solar thermal regeneration alone is not sufficient.

Weekly SARS-CoV-2 screening of asymptomatic kindergarten to grade 12 students and staff helps inform strategies for safer in-person learning

SummarySevere acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) transmission in K–12 schools was rare during in 2020–2021; few studies included Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)-recommended screening of asymptomatic individuals. We conduct a prospective observational study of SARS-CoV-2 screening in a mid-sized suburban public school district to evaluate the incidence of asymptomatic coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), document frequency of in-school transmission, and characterize barriers and facilitators to asymptomatic screening in schools. Staff and students undergo weekly pooled testing using home-collected saliva samples. Identification of >1 case in a school prompts investigation for in-school transmission and enhancement of safety strategies. With layered mitigation measures, in-school transmission even before student or staff vaccination is rare. Screening identifies a single cluster with in-school staff-to-staff transmission, informing decisions about in-person learning. The proportion of survey respondents self-reporting comfort with in-person learning before versus after implementation of screening increases. Costs exceed $260,000 for assays alone; staff and volunteers spend 135–145 h per week implementing screening.

Implementation of an Evaluation Mindset in School Crisis Response

Despite advances in the practice of school crisis preparedness and response, evaluation data are very limited. This article highlights the importance of adopting an evaluation mindset for school crisis teams. Evaluation can be formative, which analyzes interventions as they occur, and summative, to assess overall outcomes. An illustrative example is provided from a large suburban district in the Washington DC area that has been evaluating crisis response since 2007, with efforts in the past five years focusing more specifically on goal attainment scaling. From 2015–2020, the district engaged in 70 documented crisis responses, 31 for human-caused or intentional crises (e.g., suicide, homicide, injury) and 39 for natural or accidental deaths or injuries. The most common crisis interventions used were individual crisis intervention with students (n = 585) and student psychoeducational groups (n = 359). Individual crisis intervention, suicide risk assessment, referral for outside counseling, and student follow-up were more frequently used in response to human-caused or intentional crises compared to natural or accidental incidents. Tools and resources used to document the intervention effectiveness, including the goal attainment scaling, are provided along with implications for how school-based crisis teams can use this information in their evaluation efforts.

Exploring trust: culturally responsive and positive school leadership

PurposeThis article explores the connection between Culturally Responsive School Leadership (CRSL) and Positive School Leadership (PSL) and how both engage with a concept that deeply connects both leadership expressions – trust.Design/methodology/approachA multi-year, single site case study method examined a district-level equity leader, and her struggles and successes with promoting equity and positive culture throughout a large suburban district in the US.FindingsTrust, established through regular interactions, allowed the district's leadership equity team to build positive relationships with building leaders. Trust was not only a mitigating factor on the relationships themselves, but also regulated the extent to which equitable practices were discussed and implemented in the district. Trust allowed conflicts to surface and be addressed that led to individual and organizational change.Research limitations/implicationsThe case highlights the importance of both CRSL and PSL principals, along with the idea of “soft power” in cultural change, to foster equity in schools. Established trust does not erase the difficulties of enacting CRSL/PSL, but allows the difficulties to be addressed. The authors found that dynamic, iterative, regular interactions over a long period reinforced trust allowed CRPSL to take root in the district.Originality/valueThe authors use a single subject case to argue that the core of empirical work moving forward should draw on an integration of culturally responsive leadership.

Mask Use Depends on the Individual, Situation, and Location-Even Without COVID-19 Transmission: An Observational Study in Shanghai.

COVID-19 has drastically altered people’s mask-wearing behaviors around the world. What is unknown is how long these mask behaviors will last post-COVID-19? To investigate how individual, situational, and locational factors influence mask use in the absence of community spread of COVID-19, we conducted an observational study in public areas in the megacity of Shanghai, China. Researchers coded people’s mask use in various suburban and urban districts and outdoor and indoor locations with and without mask requirements. Firstly, even without any local transmissions in more than 40days, 62% of the sample (N=1,282) still wore masks in public places. The data showed that people in more urban areas wore masks more often and that people wore masks in places where it was mandated. Women also wore masks more than men, and older people complied more with mask enforcement policies. We found that more densely populated districts and areas with more inflow of non-locals also predicted more mask use. We argue that the pandemic has long-lasting effects on human behavior like mask usage and reflects individuals’ continual conformity to new social norms.

Effects of Urbanization on Solid Waste Pollution in the Current Urban Suburbs of Ha Noi: The Case of Hoai Duc District

In recent years, solid waste pollution has been a burden on sustainable development in Vietnam. The suburban districts in major cities, in particular, have all witnessed a high rate of urbanization and a rapidly increasing amount of solid waste. Focusing on the case of unsustainably managed solid waste in Hoai Duc district (2016-2020), five research hypotheses, including factors affecting the increase of solid waste in Hoai Duc, are proposed, i.e.: Industrialization (based on the change of agricultural land area), population growth, urbanization (manifested by changes in urban land area), socio-economic policies, and educational qualification and public awareness of residents as well. It can be seen that population growth is just an indirect contributor to the situation, meanwhile, the sole cause of large daily plastic waste is none other than the burgeoning population attracted by urbanization. Therefore, the majority of attention and resources should be placed on strengthening policies that can keep urbanization under control, to ensure sustainable environmental development in addition to economic development.

Accessibility Assessment of Buildings Based on Multi-Source Spatial Data: Taking Wuhan as a Case Study

The question of whether each building of housing estate has equal access to nearby social service resources (e.g., public transportation service, catering, entertainment, etc.) is a major concern of citizens. This paper takes Wuhan as a case to explore the equality in social service resource sharing of the housing estate at a microscopic level by analyzing the accessibility of each building under different travel patterns. To estimate the accessibility of each building, we developed a novel model with multi-travel modes and residential suitability evaluation of residents. The specific values of the parameters involved in the proposed model were extracted from the multi-source spatial data such as social media data, census data, point of interest, and road network data. These data were acquired from multiple platforms, e.g., Gaode map, OSM (OpenStreetMap), and GeoQ. We chose three types of districts in the city of Wuhan, including the old central district, new central district, and suburban district. We applied the proposed model to assess the accessibility of communities in these districts. Based on the results, we further analyzed whether and to what extent the distribution of each building in urban communities is equitable for social service resource sharing in China.

Assessing equity in park accessibility using a travel behavior-based G2SFCA method in Nanjing, China

Spatial equity of parks is a major concern in environmental justice studies. While many measurements have been used to evaluate access to parks, few studies have considered the impact of travel behavior on park accessibility. This study aims to establish a travel behavior-based Gaussian two-step floating catchment area (TB-G2SFCA) method to assess spatial equity of parks in the Nanjing region, and Local Moran's I index is applied to identify spatial agglomeration patterns in assessing equity. The results demonstrate that (1) the traditional single-mode model maybe cannot provide accurate approach to evaluating park accessibility while the TB-G2SFCA method can provide a more realistic park accessibility evaluation; (2) the inhabitants of most communities distributed south of the Yangtze River can obtain better park services than the northern areas; (3) the spatial disparities of equity in park accessibility are severe in three suburban districts, relatively minor in four central districts, and insignificant in two central districts. These findings may assist urban planners and policy makers to frame more reasonable policy and planning to improve spatial equity to parks in urban areas.

Community Environment and Attitudes Toward Retirement Among Chinese Older Adults: A Moderated Mediation Study.

This study explored the effects of community environment on older adults' attitudes toward retirement based on a sample survey of 1,979 retired workers in a suburban district of Beijing, China. After controlling for demographic characteristics, it is found that older people's satisfaction with the community environment has a positive and direct effect on their retirement attitudes; community participation plays a mediating role in the relationship; and the mediating effect of community participation is moderated by a higher level of self-efficacy. Our results have practical significance for improving the quality of retirement life among older adults.