ABSTRACT
The New Zealand Institute of Environmental Health (NZIEH) is a nongovernmental institute for all environmental health professionals in New Zealand. In 2021, NZIEH held its annual conference as an online virtual event for the first time. One inclusion to the program was an evolving outbreak scenario delivered in installments including "injects" of information (i.e., inserts of information relevant to the scenario) that mimic the evolution of a real-life epidemiological outbreak investigation. Questions were posed to attendees related to each added information inject. The scenario also included discussion in virtual breakout rooms that allowed attendees to network and reach consensus before responding to questions;discussions were also initiated by the scenario facilitators. Details of the scenario, its aims, evaluation of success, and limitations of this approach are discussed.
ABSTRACT
The development of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), raises concerns about heightened stress and anxiety in people's lives. The purpose of this research was to investigate the emotional influence of COVID-19 that professional coaches faced and how they managed to deal with social seclusion during the second wave of COVID-19. More precisely, it was investigated whether the age and educational level of coaches had an impact on their psychological condition during this period. The sample consisted of 605 Greek National coaches, 398 men, 206 women, and one coach who did not indicate sex preference, between the ages of 18-67 (M=38.18, SD=11.19). The results indicated the age differences between the youngest and oldest groups, and between high school and Ph.D. graduates. Overall, it was found that the Greek version of ERQ constitutes a reliable instrument for measuring emotion regulation situations in a professional sports environment.
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The integrated, safety-net healthcare system for the City and County of San Francisco includes the Priscilla Chan and Mark Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center, San Francisco's only Level 1 trauma center, and the Laguna Honda Hospital and Rehabilitation Center. [...]even when folks can't get out of their home, we at the San Francisco Health Network know we can still reach out to them with access to substance abuse and mental health support as well as other critical preventive screenings. Dr. Ford: A few years ago, San Francisco enacted a law directing firms that employ 20 or more employees, most notably food service workers, to contribute a minimum amount to health benefits per employee hour. [...]many of them are doing two or three jobs to support their families, so it is impossible for them to get healthcare during periods that may be "normal” for the rest of us.
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Study aim: To identify symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress in Brazilian university students of both sexes and the association of physical activity parameters during the COVID-19 pandemic.Material and methods: An online cross-sectional study was conducted from March to April 2021. Data on occupational and social variables and mental health symptoms were investigated using the Beck Anxiety Inventory, Hamilton depression rating scale, and Perceived Stress Scale questionnaires. Physical activity levels were assessed using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire.Results: In total, 277 college students over eighteen years old participated in the study (66% female;46.7% brown race). Higher scores and symptoms of anxiety and depression were observed in women (p < 0.0001). Anxiety symptoms were negatively associated with physical activity levels in women. Sedentary time, including sitting correlated with depression scores in women (r = 0.171;p < 0.05).Conclusions: University students are a risk group for the appearance of symptoms related to mental health. In addition, these disorders occur more frequently in females, and sedentary habits, such as more time sitting, were related to higher scores in depression and anxiety.
ABSTRACT
ChatGPT, a new, easily accessible, and user-friendly artificial intelligence (AI) platform, as well as other emerging AI platforms, allow for the creation of well-crafted essays complete with citations, and quickly and mostly correct answers to multiple-choice questions. These types of platforms pose significant concerns for academic programs, including environmental health, as much of the students' learning is guided by written assignments. Academic integrity is an educational and professional attribute and breaches of ethical conduct risk the reputations of organizations and by association, those who work in them. To address this threat, the Environmental Health Community of Practice (CoP)--a group of academic professionals in environmental health from across the globe--has developed potential approaches to address AI within the academic and professional realms of environmental health.
ABSTRACT
NEHA offers an exciting opportunity for environmental health professionals to join their private delegation to Havana, Cuba, on Nov 2-6, 2023. They will explore Cuba's rich and varied cultural heritage and go beyond tourist corridors by engaging with local environmental health professionals, officials, engineers, entrepreneurs, musicians, and artists who will offer indepth commentary on health policies, economics, environmental justice, art, history, architecture, and culture. The trip is being organized by CLE Abroad, a provider of customized educational travel programs around the world. The trip is open to all individuals over 18 years.
ABSTRACT
Tumoural calcinosis is a rare entity commonly caused by hyperphosphatemia due to bone mineral disease, hyperparathyroidism of chronic renal failure. However, our case demonstrated a normo-phosphatemic tumoural calcinosis post-COVID-19. This is a 36-year-old with a multiple history of soft-tissue calcification presented with acute onset severe right shoulder pain associated with anterior shoulder swelling at day 20 post-COVID-19. The clinical examination reveals anterior shoulder swelling at bicipital groove with severe restriction of range of motion due to pain. Ultrasound revealed an initial solid mass arising from the sheath of long head of biceps tendon which turns into cystic mass at week 4 of the disease. Computed tomography scan demonstrate sedimentation sign. His blood parameters revealed normo-calcemic, normo-phosphatemic bone profile, normal renal function and no sign suggestive of rheumatological disease. He was started on short course on non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) for 3 week and does not require surgical intervention. His symptoms completely resolved after 4 weeks with persistent shoulder swelling. He was started with prophylaxis low phosphate diet to prevent future recurrence. Our case demonstrates that conservative management using the short course of NSAIDs can be beneficial in treating primary normophosphatemic tumoural calcinosis.
ABSTRACT
The COVID-19 pandemic has encouraged many to engage with determining what is most effective in the realm of teaching and learning and how we can negotiate what we have done in the past with what makes sense for the future. In proposing a framework in which to encourage the community of physical education teacher educators to redefine physical education teacher education (PETE) practices, we argue that we need to start by revisiting, embedding and challenging Zeichner's [(1983). Alternative paradigms of teacher education. Journal of Teacher Education, 34(3), 3–9] paradigms at a programmatic level. Drawing on Rink's [(1993). Teacher education: A focus on action. Quest (Grand Rapids, Mich), 45(3), 308–320] main thesis of considering the different philosophical orientations as complementary, and not competing ideologies, this paper is a response to the call of Carmi and Tamir [(2020). Three professional ideals: Where should teacher preparation go next? European Journal of Teacher Education] to improve strategies for blending paradigms in teacher preparation programmes, by providing some specific directions and reflective prompts for PETE programmes. We introduce the reader to the consideration that decisions made around the paradigms and the blending of paradigms across a programme may be essential to provide pre-service teachers (PSTs) with transformative experiences that enable their understanding of the different contexts and ontologies to succeed in their pedagogical and professional endeavours. We develop a double-pyramid approach evidencing how more than one paradigm of teacher education can co-exist to create a holistic and comprehensive plan to facilitate PETE. We convey that a programmatic structure with decisions around the paradigms and their blending, and how those might shape PSTs' educational experience will provide a starting point if teacher educators are to re-define PETE practices.
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Is the air safe to breathe? Is the water safe to drink? Can I feed my child the apple I bought at the grocery store? Is my house safe from toxic substances? How will climate change-related flooding and drought impact food security? These are some of the questions environmental health science professionals are trained to counter. From the time John Snow removed the pump handle and Rachel Carson described the origin of a Silent Spring, environmental health professionals consistently provided the evidence that the health of the environment is inextricably linked to that of people. Never before has the profession been in such need of bolstering its workforce. Over the last few decades many communities have taken for granted the ability to control disease outbreaks and have access to safe food, clean water, healthy homes, and reliable sanitation. This trend has been combined with a realization that the traditional definition of environment is no longer relevant.
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The Australian government is working to establish a Center for Disease Control (CDC). The goal is to ensure pandemic preparedness, lead the federal response to future disease outbreaks, and prevent noncommunicable and communicable diseases. This news is welcomed as Australia is the only country in the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) without a CDC or similar national organization. The nation is uniquely placed to build on lessons from other countries to create a "world-class" Australian CDC by reinforcing environmental health systems and becoming the champion for evidence-based policy.
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The spread of the COVID-19 virus significantly impacted the fitness industry with government restrictions including mandated closures. CrossFit, a major player in the global fitness industry, faced a new industry landscape and significant internal division while coping with the crisis. This study contributes to the literature on CrossFit coaches, who are important cultural figures in fitness services. This study investigated CrossFit coaches' perceptions of COVID-19 restrictions through semi-structured interviews with a diverse sample in Georgia and Florida, U.S. The coaches displayed CrossFit exceptionalism, believing that fitness facilities should have been treated differently, and CrossFit gyms in particular were distinctive enough to merit special consideration. Some coaches approved of the governmental response, but others disapproved, and many expressed gratitude that they were in states with short restriction periods. Their demonstration of uncertainty, however, somewhat conflicted with their exceptionalism. These perceptions may influence coaches' behaviors and impact CrossFit participants, which makes the topic worthy of additional study.
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Sports spectators are one of the factors that affect home advantage. The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic created unique conditions under which most of the leagues in the world played matches without crowds for over six months. This situation facilitated an analytical comparison of two different periods: before and during the coronavirus pandemic. The current study sought to examine home advantage in the Israeli sport domain in general, and specifically the impact of the absence of a crowd. The study consisted of 4,030 matches played in Israel's top football and basketball leagues, of which 3,589 took place with crowds from August 2015 to March 2020, while the others were held without spectators from May 2020 to February 2021. Descriptive and analyses of variance procedures indicated a home advantage independent of crowd size, density, geographic region, league level, and type of sport. However, higher-quality teams demonstrated a higher home advantage ratio for the goals conceded. The findings of the study indicate that in the Israeli context, the crowd plays less of a role in home advantage than other potential factors.
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Lifestyle interventions focusing on prenatal physical activity (PA) and healthy nutritional habits can carry forward into the postpartum period. As many health resources, like PA facilities and postpartum support groups, were inaccessible due to the Coronavirus-19 (COVID-19) pandemic restrictions, it may be plausible that individuals who participated in a prenatal lifestyle intervention continued engaging in positive health behaviours on their own. This study explored experiences of postpartum individuals during the pandemic who had engaged in a prenatal PA and nutrition program prior to COVID-19. Semi-structured interviews were completed with postpartum individuals following a qualitative description approach. The study objectives were to identify and summarize the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on PA and nutritional behaviours postpartum, and the role of previous participation in a prenatal lifestyle intervention, pre-pandemic, on PA and nutritional habits during postpartum quarantine restrictions. Thirteen participants completed interviews and reported that overall, PA levels stayed the same however, there was a change in PA type, as walking became the prominent choice of PA. Diet became more limited and involved a great deal of meal planning. Participation in a prenatal lifestyle intervention prior to the pandemic positively impacted PA and nutritional habits postpartum during COVID-19 restrictions. Specifically, it enabled individuals to implement walking as a daily PA habit and encouraged important concepts such as mindful eating and meal planning. Prenatal lifestyle interventions can be beneficial in establishing healthy postpartum habits, even during pandemic restrictions.
ABSTRACT
To curb the spread of Covid-19, governments have introduced social distancing measures with varying degrees of enforcement, ranging from unenforced recommendations to quarantine. Physical activity is an important determinant of health, and it is likely affected by social distancing measures introduced to combat the pandemic. This study presents findings from an online survey examining behaviour and the perception of physical activity and exercise during the period of the movement control order (MCO) in Malaysia. A total of 307 respondents (male = 134, female = 173) participated in the survey, which comprised three sections with a total of 33 items. Results indicate that about 80% of the respondents engaged in physical activity and exercise during the MCO period, but male respondents reported a greater impact on their actual physical activity and exercise as compared to female respondents. This study reveals no significant correlation between gender and perception, but it does show a significant correlation between gender and behaviour (p < 0.05) in terms of physical activity and exercise during the MCO period. This study found that both genders have a positive understanding and awareness of the benefits of physical activity and exercise, which are crucial for physical and mental health during the pandemic.
ABSTRACT
Introduction: Various fitness challenges had been invented and innovated in order to integrate exercise in life, especially during the new norm of Covid-19 pandemic. There is a lack of study on the effect of push-up exercise on sedentary women. The study aimed to compare the effects of six-week push-up (PU) and low-load bench press (BP) exercise interventions towards muscular strength (MS) and muscular endurance (ME) among healthy sedentary female youth. Methodology: Forty (n = 40) healthy sedentary female youth (aged 18.93 ±.97 years;body mass index 23.44 ± 4.5 kg/m2) were recruited in the study. Participants were divided into two groups of training interventions (push-up and bench press group). Resistance exercise intervention involving four sessions per week for six consecutive weeks. Each session comprised of 3 sets of 12 repetitions with one minute of rest between each set. Bench press exercise was performed at 40% 1RM for bench press group. One-repetition maximum bench press (1RM BP) test and one-minute push-up (1 Min PU) test were performed at pre and post-intervention to measure muscular strength and muscular endurance. A 2 × 2 mixed model ANOVA was employed to compare the effects of the two interventions following six-weeks of training. Result: Muscular strength and muscular endurance for the push-up group have significantly improved (p < .05), with at the end of the intervention were 59.75 ± 13.91 and 45.05 ± 6.59 as compared to during the pre-intervention of 42.0 ± 11.40 and 28.95 ± 5.93, respectively. A similar result also found for bench press group. Muscular strength and muscular endurance for bench press group had significantly increased (p < .05), from the pre-test of 44.50 ± 9.58 and 29.95 ± 6.28 to the post-test of 60.25 ± 10.45 and 41.45 ± 6.20, respectively. However, there is no significant difference observed between groups (bench press and push-up protocols) on muscular strength (p = .661) and muscular endurance (p = .472). Conclusions: The present study concludes that push-up and low-load bench press exercise interventions do significantly improve muscular strength and muscular endurance of sedentary female youth, with push-up as an alternative for bench press for sedentary female youth.
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Study aim: In the education of physiotherapists, communication skills should be developed: this can be done by conducting special workshops. In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, the need arose for replacing conventional forms of education with remote classes. Therefore, it was decided to test the effectiveness of a social skills workshop conducted using active online methods for second-year physiotherapy students.Material and methods: The experimental factor was the contents of workshop classes taught online as part of the mandatory course included in the curriculum. The platforms Teams, Zoom, and the Messenger were used to carry out the experiment. The workshops used active learning methods: simulation of work situation, drama, peer feedback and interaction-based communication.Results: The results obtained from 78 participants (pre-test and post-test, including 45 women) were analyzed. The age of the participants ranged from 20 to 22 years, with a mean of 20.7 years. A self-reported social skills questionnaire consisting of 17 statements was used. participation in the course resulted in a significant increase in the index of general communication skills of the students (Z = 5.11, p < 0.001, R = 0.582).Conclusions: Online workshops using active teaching methods, which are an essential element of students of physiotherapy preparation for clinical work, can stimulate the development of their communication skills.
ABSTRACT
To return to being physically active, COVID-19 survivors need a guide to safely return to exercise. The most common symptoms reported in COVID-19 survivors were fatigue and breathlessness. It is crucial to rule out severe complications post-acute COVID-19 such as myocarditis, pulmonary embolism, pulmonary fibrosis and deep vein thrombosis before exercise. In this study, we proposed a self-guide assessment to safely return to exercise using post-COVID-19 Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire and discussed on COVID-19 survivor-graded exercise programme. The key points highlighted during graded exercise programme are (1) individualisation, (2) monitoring for red flag symptoms (chest pain, breathlessness at rest or minimal exertion, palpitation, chest tightness and severe calf pain), (3) step down 1 stage if feels extreme fatigue on exercise, (4) start slow and progress slow with the exercise and (5) if in doubt, to refer yourself out to health professionals. These steps will encourage COVID-19 survivors to continue being active. It will also ease the healthcare burden by reducing the number of referrals of pre-participation health evaluation for mild symptoms or asymptomatic COVID-19 survivor patients to return to exercise.
ABSTRACT
Since the establishment of the National Environmental Health Association (NEHA) on June 25, 1937 in Long Beach CA under the name of the National Association of Sanitarians, they have stood strong offering shelter to the profession from literal and political storms while lifting up the science and expertise of the workforce. Whether championing the first water regulations to reduce cholera and typhoid or modern water regulations to eliminate lead exposure, they walk alongside their members to provide the best science and practice and to raise their collective environmental health voice for the communities they serve. In 2021, they embarked on a journey to reflect on where the organization--and the workforce--has been over the past 84 years, including the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. To keep themselves centered, they returned to the original NEHA charter to reflect on the wisdom of their professional forebearers. From this charter, they developed a new mission anchored on their history that reaches toward their future: To build, sustain, and empower an effective environmental health workforce.