A cross-sectional study of musculoskeletal disorder and their environmental determinants among cycle rickshaw pullers of Delhi: A geographical information system-based analysis

Introduction: Rickshaw pulling is among the major activities in the informal sector. Cycle rickshaw pulling involves the task of prolonged sitting, fixed posture, and vibrations which could increase the risk of developing many health problems including one of the major problems of musculoskeletal disorder (MSD). Rickshaw pulling remains important for urban transport system, and such activities contribute in terms of employment and transportation services. The injury and illness resulting from work leads to lower productivity and quality employment which force them to increase their daily hours of working. The work environment and various other environmental determinants for MSD were assessed. The spatial variability of these environmental determinants and MSDs of cycle rickshaw pullers was studied in Delhi. Material and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among cycle rickshaw pullers of Delhi. Five districts were randomly selected, and out of 448 study subjects, a total of 425 were included in the study. Consent was obtained before the study. The Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire instrument for MSDs was used. The spatial distribution of MSD and risk factors was studied using QGIS software. Results: MSD was observed in 51.5% of the cycle rickshaw pullers and the prevalence increased with age from 9.6% to 34.7%. A statistically significant association of MSD with duration of work, sleeping hour, and sleeping place was observed. Poor road condition and posture were also having an association with MSD. Conclusion: Every second cycle rickshaw puller was having MSD. Lifestyle, road conditions, harsh environmental condition, strenuous physical exertion, and ergonomics of the cycle rickshaw were important factors contributing for MSD.

Geographic information system-based spatial modelling of soil-transmitted Helminth Infections among preschool-aged children in Masbate, Philippines

Objectives@#Since the effectiveness of the Zero Open Defecation (ZOD) program as a scaling-up approach in lowering the rates of soil-transmitted helminth (STH) infections has not yet been locally explored, this study aimed to (1) describe the association between environmental determinants and STH cumulative prevalence, and (2) to predict the 2020 STH cumulative prevalence. @*Methods@#A generalized linear regression (GLR) model was used to determine the association of 2014–2015 environmental determinants and observed 2015 STH cumulative prevalence, while a geographically weighted regression (GWR) model was used to produce predicted 2020 STH cumulative prevalence. @*Results@#ArcGIS’ GLR tool with R2 of 63% found that statistically significant environmental determinants include distance near to water bodies, forest land use, access to sanitary toilet, level one water source, and ZOD status, while the ArcGIS’ GWR tool found that barangays, Cabangcalan, Matalangtalang, Talabaan, and Talib in Aroroy hypothetically met the national target below 30% for 2020 STH cumulative prevalence. @*Conclusion@#This study showed that barangays with a moderately low percentage of area with freshwater bodies, a moderately high percentage of households with sanitary toilet and level one water source, and a 100% status of ZOD have lower rates of STH cumulative prevalence in preschool-aged children in the selected municipalities in Masbate.

Malária na fronteira do Brasil com a Guiana Francesa: a influência dos determinantes sociais e ambientais da saúde na permanência da doença / Malaria in the borders between Brazil and French Guiana: social and environmental health determinants and their influence on the permanence of the disease

Resumo O objetivo deste artigo é analisar a influência dos determinantes socioambientais da saúde na incidência de malária por Plasmodium vivax na fronteira franco-brasileira. O estudo foi realizado entre 2011 e 2015, no município de Oiapoque (AP), na Amazônia brasileira. Foram incluídos na amostra 253 indivíduos de ambos os sexos, de 10 a 60 anos de idade. Houve predominância de 63,64% (161/253) de casos de malária em adultos do sexo masculino. A faixa etária mais acometida foi de 20 a 29 anos, com 30% (76/253); 84,6% (214/253) dos pacientes não concluíram o ensino médio, e 29,6% (75/253) não concluíram o ensino primário. No aspecto ambiental, houve correlação negativa entre as precipitações pluviométricas e a incidência da malária por P. vivax (p=0,0026). Em termos de mobilidade, constatou-se considerável proporção de migrantes provenientes dos estados do Pará e do Maranhão (55,73%; 141/253). Por fim, os dados apontaram que 31,23% (79/253) dos casos de malária foram importados da Guiana Francesa. Em síntese, a transmissão da malária na fronteira franco-brasileira envolve fatores ecológico-ambientais, biológicos e sociais que se expressam na elevada vulnerabilidade social da população que vive e circula na zona fronteiriça, favorecendo a ocorrência de surtos e a permanência da enfermidade.

Abstract This study analyzes the influence of socio-environmental health determinants on the maintenance of Plasmodium vivax malaria at the borders between French Guiana and Brazil. This study was carried out between 2011 and 2015 in the city of Oiapoque, Amapá, situated in the Brazilian Amazon region. The sample included 253 individuals of both sexes aged between 10 and 60 years. The disease was predominant in 63.64% (161/253) adult males. The most affected age group was 20 to 29 years old, with 30% (76/253). About 84.6% did not complete high school, while 29.6% (75/253) of the cases had not finished the first degree. Concerning the environmental aspect, negative correlation was observed between rainfall and the incidence of P. vivax malaria (p=0.0026). In terms of mobility, there was a considerable influx of migrants from the states of Pará and Maranhão, with 55.73% (141/253). Lastly, the data indicated that 31.23% (79/253) of malaria cases were imported from French Guiana. In summary, the transmission of malaria in these particular borders involved ecological, environmental, biological and social factors, which are expressed in the high social vulnerability of the population living and circulating in the border zone, favoring the occurrence of outbreaks and the maintenance of the disease.

Biofilm development and environmental determinants in Vibrio cholerae / 生物工程学报

Biofilm associated Vibrio cholerae exhibits hypervirulence and supreme fitness against the harsh stresses during its infectious cycle. It is important to study the relationships between the regulation mechanism of V. cholerae biofilm development and its environmental adaption in host niche and aquatic habitat. Here, we summarize the recent advances in V. cholerae biofilm, including biofilm compositions, development and regulation. Particularly, we extensively discuss how V. cholerae fosters its biofilm architecture and assembly via sensing and responding various environmental determinants, such as bacterium self-produced molecules, natural environment components and host factors.

Draft national health policy 2015: A critical appraisal.

Revising a health policy of any country is a periodic procedure dependent on the change of demographic profile, current health status of the population including epidemiological changes in disease prevalence pattern, and progress made under the earlier policies. Along with it, newer research revelation of the natural history of the existing and emerging health problems, availability of newer technology as well as changing sociopolitical commitment to improve the health status of the population are the driving forces in the change of policy. Draft National Health Policy (NHP) 2015 is an attempt for the same. A review of the draft has been undertaken. The chapter on introduction is crisp and clear. Situation analysis of the draft is sketchy and without any reference of sources. Shifting the health goal is without any basis, and the objectives defined for the policy change are incongruous with the introduction. A detailed description does not give a clear picture but rather confuses the reader as it talks of comprehensive universal health-care services to be provided with a holistic concept but maximum emphasis is made in the implementation of a national program. Private health-care services are an area to reckon but except for mere references on the involvement in private-public mode, nothing concrete is observed, especially in the primary care level. Involvement envisaged in the secondary and tertiary levels is nebulous. The implementation health insurance program as well as regulatory mechanISM with the existing is also not defined exclusively in the context of a newer health policy.

Los servicios ecosistémicos en el ordenamiento ambiental del suelo suburbano del municipio de Pereira, estudio de caso / Ecosystemservicees in the environmental mnagement of suburban land in thhe municipality of pereira, case study

El presente artículo presenta una síntesis de trabajo de investigación sobre la problemática relacionada con el actual modelo de ocupación del suelo suburbano² del municipio de Pereira (Risaralda), dicha investigación parte de la premisa de que dicho modelo genera impactos ambientales negativos y un deterioro progresivo de los Servicios Ecosistémicos (SE), lo que conlleva a una pérdida de las capacidades territoriales para el mantenimiento del bienestar de la población. El estudio de caso metodológicamente se desarrolla bajo un enfoque mixto, vinculando herramientas de análisis cualitativas y cuantitativas, lo que permitió identificar los impactos más representativos sobre los SE y los aspectos comunes a dichos impactos; posteriormente se realizó la identificación de las causas estructurales que originan el actual modelo de suburbanización. Los análisis realizados permitieron conducir a la definición de una propuesta de planificación ambiental territorial, con el objeto de procurar una ocupación sustentable del suelo suburbano, por medio de la identificación de unos principios de sustentabilidad y unas determinantes ambientales para este tipo de suelos, entendidas como el conjunto de directrices, lineamientos y propuestas normativas que direccionan la forma de usar y ocupar el suelo suburbano en busca de una sustentabilidad del mismo, y donde los instrumentos de planificación, gestión y financiación identificados permiten hacerlos operativos.

This article presents a research project synthesis about the problems associated with the current suburban land use model of the municipality of Pereira (Risaralda). The research was conducted under the hypothesis that this model generates a negative environmental impact and progressive deterioration of the Ecosystem Services (ES) which implies the loss of territorial capabilities for the maintenance of the population welfare. Methodologically the study is developed under a mixed approach, linking qualitative and quantitative analysis tools which allowed identifying the most representative impacts about ES and the common aspects to these impacts. Subsequently the identification of structural causes behind the current model of suburbanization was carried out. The analyses performed allowed reaching the definition of a territorial environmental planning proposal in order to ensure sustainable suburban ground occupation by means of the identification of some sustainability principles and environmental determinants for this type of ground, understood as a set of directives, guidelines and policy proposals to address the way to use and occupy the suburban land searching for its sustainability and where the identified planning, management and financing instruments allow them to be operational.

Modelo de organização de indicadores para operacionalização dos determinantes socioambientais da saúde / Model of organization of indicators for operationalizing the social-environmental determinants of health

O tema dos determinantes sociais e suas relações com o processo saúde-doença entre diferentes grupos populacionais é de grande relevância para a Saúde Pública e vêm ganhando cada vez mais destaque. Nesse processo, modelos teórico-conceituais vêm sendo adotados para explicar como os determinantes sociais geram iniquidades em saúde, de modo a subsidiar ações voltadas para as "causas das causas" e indicadores relacionados aos diferentes determinantes vêm sendo organizados por meio de metodologias que possibilitem análises integradas. Apesar desses avanços, os problemas ambientais que hoje se constituem em importantes elementos indutores da geração de doenças por meio da degradação dos ecossistemas e das mudanças climáticas têm sido pouco considerados como determinantes ambientais da saúde em conjunto com os sociais. Este artigo tem o objetivo de ampliar as discussões teóricas sobre os determinantes socioambientais da saúde, apresentando, para isso, uma metodologia de organização de indicadores de saúde ambiental denominada Força Motriz-Pressão-Situação-Exposição-Efeito-Ação, a fim de operacionalizar os determinantes sociais da saúde.

Application of Health Promotion Strategy to International Health Cooperation of Japan / 国際保健医療

Health is heavily influenced by behavioral, social and environmental determinants as well as the biomedical characteristics of individuals. The World Health Organization announced the Health Promotion Charter in Ottawa, Canada in 1986 as a strategy to enable people to have control over and improve these health determinants. This is therefore essential to prevent disease and illness due to risky behavior as well as unsound social and natural environments. Whereas all developing countries have numerous health issues regarding behavior and environment, they need the Health Promotion strategy. Japan has so far implemented a lot of programs of health education and environment improvement to control over such determinants. Thus, Japan should promote and disseminate the Health Promotion project more in international health cooperation through official development assistance for developing countries.