Non-compliance with smoke-free law in public places: a systematic review and meta-analysis of global studies.

Introduction: Non-compliance with smoke-free law is one of the determinants of untimely mortality and morbidity globally. Various studies have been conducted on non-compliance with smoke-free law in public places in different parts of the world; however, the findings are inconclusive and significantly dispersed. Moreover, there is a lack of internationally representative data, which hinders the evaluation of ongoing international activities towards smoke-free law. Therefore, this meta-analysis aimed to assess the pooled prevalence of non-compliance with smoke-free law in public places. Methods: International electronic databases, such as PubMed/MEDLINE, Science Direct, Cochrane Library, CINAHL, African Journals Online, HINARI, Semantic Scholar, google and Google Scholar were used to retrieve the relevant articles. The study followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis Protocols (PRISMA) guidelines. The Higgs I2 statistics were used to determine the heterogeneity of the reviewed articles. The random-effects model with a 95% confidence interval was carried out to estimate the pooled prevalence of non-compliance. Results: A total of 23 articles with 25,573,329 study participants were included in this meta-analysis. The overall pooled prevalence of non-compliance with smoke-free law was 48.02% (95% CI: 33.87-62.17). Extreme heterogeneity was observed among the included studies (I2 = 100%; p < 0.000). The highest non-compliance with smoke-free law was noted in hotels (59.4%; 95% CI: 10.5-108.3) followed by homes (56.8%; 95% CI: 33.2-80.4), with statistically significant heterogeneity. Conclusion: As the prevalence of non-compliance with smoke-free law is high in public places, it calls for urgent intervention. High non-compliance was found in food and drinking establishments and healthcare facilities. In light of these findings, follow-up of tobacco-free legislation and creating awareness that focused on active smokers particularly in food and drinking establishments is recommended.

Microbial contamination status of swimming places for infants and young children in Shijia-zhuang City and comparison with other public places, 2021–2022 / 环境与职业医学

Background At present, China's Public places health management regulations list 7 categories and 28 sub-categories of public places, but infant and young child swimming places are not in the list yet. Objective To understand the microbial pollution status in commercial infant and young child swimming places in Shijiazhuang City, compare with the microbial pollution in other five types of public places, and find the potential safety hazards in infant and young child swimming places. Methods A total of 3438 microbial samples were collected from the environment of infant and young child swimming places and 5 types of public places (hotels, barber stores, waiting rooms, shopping malls and supermarkets, and conventional swimming places) in Shijiazhuang City from 2021 to 2022. Sampling and monitoring were carried out according to the requirements of Examination methods for public places—Part 6: Technical specifications of health monitoring (GB/T 18204.6-2013). Chi-square test was used to compare hygiene qualification by microbial indicators, and Kruskal-Wallis H test was used to compare overall distributions of total bacterial counts on the surface of public articles. Results From 2021 to 2022, the highest qualified rate of microbial indicators on the surface of public articles was Staphylococcus aureus (100%) for all tested public places in Shijiazhuang City, followed by coliforms (99.44%), and that of total bacterial count was relative low (92.83%). The qualified rate of total bacterial count on the surface of public articles in the swimming places for infants and young children was 87.76%, and the qualified rates in hotels, barber stores, waiting rooms, shopping malls and supermarkets were all above 92%, and the difference among the 5 types of places was statistically significant (P<0.001). The highest value of total bacterial count on the surface of public articles in the swimming places for infants and young children was 80000 CFU·(25 cm2)−1 [100 CFU·(25 cm2)−1=4 CFU·cm−2]; that in 4 types of public places such as hotels (except mouthwash cups), barber stores, waiting rooms, and shopping malls or supermarkets was 2500 CFU·(25 cm2)−1. The difference of total bacteria count on the surface of public articles was statistically significant in comparing infant and young child swimming places with hotels (except mouthwash cups) or barber stores (H=5.432, H=2.997, both Ps<0.05); but the difference was not significant in comparing with waiting rooms and shopping malls or supermarkets (P>0.05). The qualified rates of total bacteria count and coliforms in pool water of infant and young child swimming places were 45.99% and 74.69% respectively, and the two indicators in pool water of conventional swimming places were 94.57% and 98.91% respectively; both showed significant differences between the two types of public places (χ2=162.532, χ2=71.910, both Ps<0.001). Conclusion Compared to conventional swimming places, hotels, barber stores, waiting rooms, and shopping malls or supermarkets, the infant and young child swimming places are not optimistic in hygiene condition; therefore, there is an urgent need to formulate national health standards for infants and young child swimming places, and include them in standard management to further improve their hygiene condition.

Outdoor gyms and physical function: A cross-sectional comparative study between active and sedentary older adults.

Outdoor gyms (OG) are public places designed for physical activity, especially for older adults. This is a cross-sectional study that aimed to compare morphofunctional characteristics of sedentary and active older adults regarding OG. The participants consisted of 194 older people divided into three groups: sedentary (n = 76, mean age = 70.5 ± 6.4 years, 38.7% male); OG + walking (n = 86; mean age = 69 ± 6.1 years; male 50.6%); and OG (n = 32; mean age = 70.3 ± 8.3 years; male 56.3%). Socioeconomic and morphofunctional characteristics, anthropometric measurements, body composition, and functional tests were collected. For comparison among groups ANOVA, for categorical variables the chi-square test or Fisher's exact test, and to verify factors related to gait speed logistic regression were used. We found that sedentary older adults had lower educational level and lower prevalence of polypharmacy. OG + walking participants had lower waist circumference and fat percentage, and better gait speed. Older people in the OG + walking were less likely to show gait difficulty (i.e., <1.0 m/s) in reference to the sedentary group. In addition, strength and better performance on the Timed Up and Go were also associated with gait speed >1 m/s. It is understood that the higher volume of physical activity performed by OG + walking may be one of the reasons why they obtained better indicators in health aspects. The findings, especially regarding the characterization of profiles of older adults who use OG, leads to the definition of public policies aimed at the real needs of this public.

Recognition models of cigarette smoking behavior by real-time indoor PM2.5 concentrations in public places / 环境与职业医学

Background Public places are frequently polluted by cigarette smoking, and there is a lack of accurate, real-time, and intelligent monitoring technology to identify smoking behavior. It is necessary to develop a tool to identify cigarette smoking behavior in public places for more efficient control of cigarette smoking and better indoor air quality. Objective To construct a model for recognizing cigarette smoking behavior based on real-time indoor concentrations of PM2.5 in public places. Methods Real-time indoor PM2.5 concentrations were measured for at least 7 continuous days in 10 arbitrarily selected places (6 public service providers and and 4 office or other places) from Oct. to Nov. 2022 in Pudong New Area, Shanghai. Indoor nicotine concentrations were monitored with passive samplers simultaneously. Outdoor PM2.5 concentration data were obtained from three municipal environmental monitoring stations which were nearest to each monitoring point during the same period. Mann-Whitney U test was used to compare indoor and outdoor means of PM2.5 concentrations, and Spearman rank correlation was used to analyze indoor PM2.5 and nicotine concentrations. An interactive plot and a random forest model was applied to examine the association between video observation validated indoor smoking behavior and real-time indoor PM2.5 concentrations in an Internet cafe. Results The average indoor PM2.5 concentration in the places providing public services [(97.5±149.3) µg·m−3] was significantly higher than that in office and other places [(19.8±12.2) µg·m−3] (P=0.011). The indoor/outdoor ratio (I/O ratio) of PM2.5 concentration in the public service providers ranged from 1.1 to 19.0. Furthermore, the indoor PM2.5 concentrations in the 10 public places were significantly correlated with the nicotine concentrations (rs=0.969, P<0.001). Among them, the top 3 highly polluted places were Internet cafes, chess and card rooms, and KTV. The results of random forest modeling showed that, for synchronous real-time PM2.5 concentration, the area under the curve (AUC) was 0.66, while for PM2.5 concentration at a lag of 4 min after the incidence of smoking behavior, the AUC increased to 0.72. Conclusion The indoor PM2.5 concentrations in public places are highly correlated with smoking behavior. Based on real-time indoor PM2.5 monitoring, a preliminary recognition model for smoking behavior is constructed with acceptable accuracy, indicating its potential values applied in smoking control and management in public places.

Legionella pneumophila contamination in central air-conditioning systems of public places in China：a meta-analysis / 预防医学

Objective @#To systematically evaluate the detection of Legionella pneumophila in central air-conditioning systems of public places in China, so as to provide insights into the management of L. pneumophila contamination.@*Methods@#The publications pertaining to L. pneumophila contamination in central air-conditioning systems of public places in China were searched in international and national databases, including CNKI, Wanfang Data, CBM, PubMed and Web of Science from January 1, 2010 to December 31, 2022. The publication quality was evaluated using the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology. A meta-analysis was performed using the software Stata version 16.0. The pooled detection of L. pneumophila and its 95%CI were estimated. The publication bias was evaluated using Begg's test, and sensitivity analysis was performed with the leave-one-out evaluation for assessment of the robustness of the outcomes.@*Results@#A total of 742 publications were initially searched, and 29 publications were finally included, all of which were cross-sectional studies. The publications included 10 high-quality and 19 moderate-quality studies covering 6 160 samples, and the pooled detection of L. pneumophila was 17.20% (95%CI: 12.80%-21.90%). Subgroup analysis showed a higher detection rate of L. pneumophila in cooling water (21.80%) than in condensed water (5.50%) (P<0.01). According to the criteria defined in Hygienic Specification of Central Air-conditioning Ventilation System in Public Buildings (2006 version), the detection of L. pneumophila was 23.30%, which was higher than the detection (13.20%) according to the Hygienic Specification of Central Air-conditioning Ventilation System in Public Buildings (WS 394-2012) (P<0.05). The detection of L. pneumophila did not vary in place, region or sample (P>0.05). Begg's test showed no significant publication bias, and sensitivity analysis showed robustness of the results. @*Conclusions@#The detection of L. pneumophila ranges from 12.80% to 21.90% in central air-conditioning systems of public places in China. Health and environmental protection sectors need to improve the monitoring of L. pneumophila contamination in central air-conditioning systems of public places.

Undercover investigation on the creation of smoke-free environments in public places in Hangzhou City / 预防医学

Objective@#To investigate the creation of smoke-free environments in public places in Hangzhou City, so as to provide insights into effective implementation of the tobacco control policy. @*Methods@#The party and government administrations at each level, medical institutions, educational places, restaurants and entertainment places, and open public places were enrolled. The creation of smoke-free environments was investigated in these places through undercover investigation with field observations and concealed photography by a third-party professional investigation company from November to December, 2022. The building of smoke-free environments (totally 60 scores) and no smoking indoors (totally 40 scores) were evaluated according to the Criteria for Scoring of Smoke-free Organizations in Hangzhou City. @*Results@#Totally 909 places were investigated, and the comprehensive score of smoke-free environment building was (82.83±14.13) points. There were 285 party and government administrations with a comprehensive score of (84.19±12.85) points, 65 medical institutions with a comprehensive score of (90.35±6.95) points, 65 educational places with a comprehensive score of (83.43±16.81) points, 403 dining and entertainment places with a comprehensive score of (80.68±14.75) points, and 91 open public places, with a comprehensive score of (82.34±14.77) points. There were 397 places with standardized tobacco control tips at entrances (43.67%), 308 places with tobacco control signs posted as required (33.88%), 707 places that set outdoor smoking areas correctly (77.78%), 68 places with smoking paraphernalia (7.48%), 28 places with tobacco sales (3.08%). There were 732 places without signs of indoor smoking (80.53%), 850 places without indoor smoking (93.51%) and 24 places without dissuading from smoking (2.64%).@*Conclusion @#The indoor no-smoking is overall satisfactory in public places in Hangzhou City; however, standardizing no-smoking tips at entrances, standardizing the posting of no-smoking signs and assignment of tobacco control materials remain to be improved.

Knowledge, attitude, and practice towards face mask use among residents of Greater Chennai Corporation, India, March 2021.

Background: Wearing a mask is one of the simplest ways to reduce the spread of COVID-19. Studies reported poor mask compliance in Greater Chennai Corporation, India. Hence, we described the knowledge, attitude, and practice regarding mask use among adults (≥18 years) in Greater Chennai Corporation, Tamil Nadu, India. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional survey among residents of Greater Chennai Corporation in March 2021. We estimated the sample size to be 203 per strata (slum and non-slum). We used a simple random sampling technique to select 20 locations using a digital map in the slum and non-slum areas. After reaching the location chosen, we selected 10 consecutive households and one adult (≥18 years of age) from each household. We used a validated, semi-structured questionnaire for collecting data regarding knowledge, attitudes, and practices for mask use. We estimated proportions and 95% CI for key variables and compared the variables between slums and non-slums. Results: Of 430 participants included in the study, 51.4% were males. The mean (S.D.) age of the participants is 41.1 (14.6) years. The majority (86.7%) of the participants felt that wearing a mask helped in reducing the spread of coronavirus and the knowledge differed (p-value < 0.05) between the slum (81.4%) and non-slum (92.3%). Nearly half (46.5%) of the participants did not like being forced to wear the mask. About 63.9% of the participants reported the practice of mask use while going out which was similar across slums and non-slums. Conclusion: Although the knowledge regarding mask use was good among the public, the attitude was unfavorable. We suggest continuous reinforcement by spreading awareness and educating the community on the appropriate use of the mask.

Assessment of passive human exposure to tobacco smoke by environmental and biological monitoring in different public places in Wuhan, central China.

Passive exposure to tobacco smoke is a global public health problem, while there are few data on public place monitoring and general population exposure assessment in central China. This study aimed to examine the levels of airborne nicotine (n = 256) in ten kinds of different public places in Wuhan, central China, and assess short-term and long-term smoke exposure in 340 non-smokers aged 18-67 who worked in these public places using tobacco biomarkers [i.e., cotinine and 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanol (NNAL), respectively]. The highest median concentration of airborne nicotine (17.0 µg/m3) was observed in internet cafes, approximately 304-fold of the lowest value found in nurseries (55.9 ng/m3). Among the other studied public places, restaurants had the highest median concentrations (ng/m3) of airborne nicotine (3,120), followed by subway stations (810), hotels (624), government officess (286), middle schools (269), health institutions (268), public institutions (190), and primary schools (140). Urinary cotinine and NNAL were found in almost all the participants, and the highest concentrations were found in non-smokers from the internet cafes [specific gravity (SG)-corrected urinary median concentrations: 23.1 ng/mL, geometric mean (GM): 24.1 ng/mL, range: 0.62-1679 ng/mL] for cotinine and 104 pg/mL (GM: 97.6 pg/mL, range: 32.3-236 pg/mL) for NNAL, respectively]. Urinary cotinine concentrations in male non-smokers (median: 2.02 ng/mL) were significantly higher than those in female non-smokers (1.44) (P < 0.01). Participants aged 18-27 were detected with the highest urinary cotinine and NNAL concentrations. Urinary cotinine and NNAL concentrations were significantly correlated with daily and monthly working hours, respectively. Besides, a positive correlation was observed between log-transformed urinary concentrations of cotinine and NNAL (r = 0.32, P < 0.001). This is the first time to report matched data on airborne nicotine and urinary cotinine/NNAL among employees in different public places. This study demonstrated ubiquitous exposure to environmental tobacco smoke in the studied public places.

Evacuation Optimization Strategy for Large-Scale Public Building Considering Plane Partition and Multi-Floor Layout.

Large-scale public buildings (e.g., stadiums and comprehensive hospitals) in modern cities provide places for various social activities. However, all of these public places encounter the scenario of large passenger flow and crowd gathering, which is highly likely to induce serious safety problems, such as stampedes. Previous studies have shown that efficient evacuation is an important way to ensure the safety of dense crowds in public places. This study aims to explore the optimization methods to improve the evacuation efficiency of public buildings. Two strategies considering plane partition and multi-floor layout are proposed for plane evacuation and vertical evacuation, respectively. Simulation scenarios and models of large stadiums and high-rise hospitals are established to verify the strategies. The results show that plane partition could effectively shorten the total evacuation time, which is due to the optimization of the initial exit choice of individuals and the avoidance of regional congestion in some evacuation channels or exits. Multi-floor layout optimization is an effective management method to arrange the different features of different floors, which could improve the evacuation efficiency for the whole multi-floor building. This study is helpful for building designers and managers to improve the building space layout design and the daily safety management mode.

Investigation on pH value of towels in public places in Hangzhou City / 预防医学

Objective@#To investigate the pH value of towels in public places in Hangzhou City, so as to provide the evidence for improving health supervision of towels in public places.@*Methods@#One three- and higher-star hotel, one less than three-star hotel, one express hotel, one barber shop and one beauty shop were selected from 13 counties (districts) of Hangzhou City in 2021, and 3% to 5% of all cleaned and disinfected towels that planned to be used were randomly sampled. The type of public places and towels cleaning and disinfection were collected using the basic investigation form provided in the Public Place Health Risk Factors Surveillance Program (2021 version), and the pH value of towels was measured according to the national criteria Textiles-determination of pH of aqueous extract (GB/T 7573-2009). According to the national criteria of Hygienic indicators and limits for public places (GB 37488-2019), a pH value of 6.5 to 8.5 was defined qualified, and the rates of qualified pH values was estimated for towels sampled from different places and with different cleaning and disinfection types.@*Results@#Totally 64 public places were investigated, and 807 towels were measured for pH values, with a median pH value of 7.3 (interquartile range, 0.7). A total of 655 towels had qualified pH values (81.16%). The rates of qualified pH values were 84.95%, 75.56%, 73.21%, 85.61% and 88.81% for towels sampled from the three- and higher-star hotel, less than three-star hotel, express hotel, barber shop and beauty shop, respectively (χ2=19.307, P=0.001). The rate of qualified pH values for self-cleaned and -disinfected towels was significantly higher than for towels with outsourcing cleaning and disinfection services (88.28% vs. 77.18%; χ2=14.973, P<0.001). The rate of qualified pH values was 83.82% for towels with outsourcing cleaning and disinfection services sampled from the three- and higher-star hotel, and was both 100.00% for self-cleaned and -disinfected towels sampled from the less than three-star hotel and beauty shop.@*Conclusion@#The cleaning quality of towels remains to be improved in public places in Hangzhou City, and health supervisions on towels are recommended to be improved in public places.

Hygiene risks and management advices for "Room Escape" venues / 环境与职业医学

In recent years, the "Room Escape" industry in China is booming, and this real live game has become popular. However, health threatening events such as fire, trauma, coma, and lung infection in the game venues have been reported at home and abroad. If these venues are not supervised in time, there will be great potential public safety and health hazards. In this review, we summarized the hidden dangers of public safety and health in such venues, including fire and safety hazards, persistent stress state, indoor ventilation problems, risk of contagious infection, non-player characters’ health risk, special film effects of 4D cinemas, mosquito problems, light pollution and noise, and food safety. Meanwhile, health management recommendations for the game venues were proposed from the aspects of formulating health management standards, improving health security measures, and strengthening related health education to players, so as to improve the hygiene levels of such venues and protect players and staff from injuries or diseases.

Characteristics and outcome after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest with the emphasis on workplaces: an observational study from the Swedish Registry of Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation.

BACKGROUND: Characteristics and outcome in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) occurring at workplaces is sparsely studied. AIM: To describe (1) the characteristics and 30-day survival of OHCAs occurring at workplaces in comparison to OHCAs at other places and (2) factors associated with survival after OHCAs at workplaces. METHODS: Data on OHCAs were obtained from the Swedish Registry of Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation from 1 January 2008 to 31 December 2018. Characteristics and factors associated with survival were analysed with emphasis on the location of OHCAs. RESULTS: Among 47,685 OHCAs, 529 cases (1%) occurred at workplaces. Overall, in the fully adjusted model, all locations of OHCA, with the exception of crowded public places, displayed significantly lower probability of survival than workplaces. Exhibiting a shockable rhythm was the strongest predictor of survival among patients with OHCAs at workplaces; odds ratio (95% CI) 5.80 (2.92-12.31). Odds ratio for survival for women was 2.08 (95% CI 1.07-4.03), compared with men. At workplaces other than private offices, odds ratio for survival was 0.41 (95% CI 0.16-0.95) for cases who did not receive bystander CPR, as compared to those who did receive CPR. Among patients who were found in a shockable rhythm were 23% defibrillated before arrival of ambulance, which was more frequent than in any other location. CONCLUSION: Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest occurring at workplaces and crowded public places display the highest probability of survival, as compared with other places outside hospital. An initial shockable cardiac rhythm was the strongest predictor of survival for OHCA at workplaces.

Effect of Street Performance (Busking) on the Environmental Perception of Public Space.

This is the first experimental study testing the effect of street performance (aka busking) on the subjective environmental perception of public space. It is generally believed that street performance can enhance people's experience of public space, but studies advocating such a view have not used a control group to explicitly verify the effect of street performance. In response to this methodological limitation, we conducted two studies using experimental design. Study 1 (N = 748) was an online computer-based study where research participants evaluated the extent to which the presence vs. absence of street performance could change their perception of public space. Study 2 (N = 162) was a between-group quasi-experiment in an actual public space where people physically present in the space evaluated the perception of the space with vs. without street performance. Overall, we found converging results that street performance could make public space more visitable, more restorative, and more preferable. The current findings not only fill in a gap in the literature on street performance, but they also inform the policy making and regulations of street performance.

[Investigation of Legionella contamination in artificial water environment of public places and identification of its pathogenic types in Shanghai from 2011 to 2018].

Objective: To understand the epidemiological and pathogenic characteristics of Legionella in artificial water environment of public places in Shanghai from 2011 to 2018, and to provide scientific basis for the prevention and control of Legionellosis. Methods: A total of 4 817 samples of artificial water environment were collected from 31 public places in Huangpu, Jing'an, Xuhui and Songjiang districts of Shanghai from 2011 to 2108. Epidemiological characteristics of the collected years and months, regional and site types, and sample types were analyzed. After treatment, culture and isolation of the collected water samples, the positive samples were analyzed for Legionella typing characteristics. Results: The positive rate of Legionella pneumophila was 21.57% (1 039/4 817), of which 96.25% (1 000/1 039) was single type, 84.31% (876/1 039) was Legionella pneumophila type 1, followed by Legionella pneumophila type 7 and 6, which accounted for 4.72% (49/1 039) and 3.75% (39/1 039), respectively, and 29 (29/1 039) were multi-type positive. Further typing. From May to October, the highest positive rates were found in July and August, 27.61%(222/804)and 28.61% (230/804)respectively. There were significant differences between different months (P<0.001); the highest positive rates were found in central air-conditioning cooling water and chilled water (32.40%) and there were significant differences among different water samples (P<0.001). Legionella pneumophila type 1, type 7 and type 6 were the main diversity distribution characteristics in artificial water environment of different regions, different time, different places and different types of public places. Legionella pneumophila type 1 accounted for the highest proportion, and the proportion of positive samples under different epidemiological characteristics was more than 71.64%. Conclusion: There is relatively serious pollution of Legionella pneumophila type 1 in the artificial water environment of public places in Shanghai. It is necessary to strengthen the disinfection of cooling water/freezing water of central air conditioning in public places in July and August every year.

High Parasitic Contamination of Soil Samples in the North of Iran: A Potential Risk of Parasitic Infection for Tourists.

BACKGROUND: Soil-transmitted parasites (STPs) are significant intestinal parasites that infect humans and animals and impose considerable burdens on human society and animal husbandry industries. Therefore, the present study aimed to determine the prevalence of parasitic elements of soil samples collected from the north of Iran. METHODS: A total of 256 soil samples were collected from public parks, public places, vegetable gardens, sand heaps, and shadow areas near houses in the north of Iran and examined using the sucrose flotation method. RESULTS: Out of 256 examined samples, 131 (51.2%) showed parasitic contamination, including larvae (43%), oocysts (14.1%), and different eggs (6.6%). According to the results, the most and least common parasites observed in the samples were larvae (43%), as well as Toxascaris leonina, and Trichuris trichiura (0.4%), respectively. Moreover, the most and least contaminated locations were sand heaps (62.5%) and shadow areas near houses (45.6%), respectively. Regarding cities, Behshahr (68.3%) and Sari (67.5%) had the highest contaminated soil samples, whereas Chalus (37.5%) showed the lowest contamination. On the other hand, rural samples showed more contamination compared to urban areas (P< 0.05). CONCLUSION: The findings of the present study indicate that the overall prevalence of STPs in examined areas and highly contaminated soil samples can be considered as a potential source of human contamination particularly tourists with STPs.

Scale Development for Environmental Perception of Public Space.

We developed a psychometric scale for measuring the subjective environmental perception of public spaces. In the scale development process, we started with an initial pool of 85 items identified from the literature that were related to environmental perception. A total of 1,650 participants rated these items on animated images of 12 public spaces through an online survey. Using principal component analyses and confirmatory factor analyses, we identified two affective factors (comfort and activity) with 8 items and six cognitive factors (legibility, enclosure, complexity, crime potential, wildlife, and lighting) with 22 items. These eight factors represent the core attributes underlying environmental perception of public spaces. Practicality of the scale and limitations of the study are also discussed.

Do corpo do sodomita à resistência pública do prazer: um itinerário para o estudo da pegação masculina nas cidades / From the body of the sodomite to the public resistance of pleasure: an itinerary for the study of cruising gay men in cities / Del cuerpo de la sodomita a la resistencia pública del placer: un itinerário para el estudio de la práctica del cruising en las ciudades

A pegação masculina em espaços públicos da cidade é um fenômeno plural, rico em experiências instauradoras de práticas e modos de ocupar o mundo dissidentes da heteronorma. Não por acaso, foi submetido a muitos registros de infâmia. Dos antigos crimes jurídico-religiosos de sodomia forjados na Europa, que colonizaram, inclusive, os prazeres nas Américas, até sua inscrição patológico-criminal apoiada pela ciência do século XIX, a pegação tornou-se um atentado ao pudor, uma afronta à moral pública. Contudo, as figuras anônimas homoeróticas que circulam oscilantes pela urbe, instauradoras de territórios de prazer em meio ao espaço público, nos ajudam a entender, através de seus rastros, muitas vezes captados pelos aparelhos de poder, justamente suas histórias de repressão.

The cruising gay men in public spaces of the city is a plural phenomenon, rich in experiences instituting dissident practices and lifestyle of the heteronormativity. It is not by chance that this phenomenon was subjected to many registers of infamy. From the ancient juridical religious sodomy crimes established in Europe that even colonized the pleasures in the Americas to their pathological criminal inscription supported by nineteenth-century science, the cruising gay men became an indecent assault, an affront to the public moral principles. However, the anonymous homoerotic figures that circulate around the city, establishing pleasure territories in the midst of public space, help us to understand through their traces often captured by the power apparatus, precisely their stories of repression.

La práctica del cruising en los espacios públicos de la ciudad es un fenómeno plural, rico en experiencias que establecen prácticas y formas de ocupar el mundo disidentes de la heteronorma. No por casualidad, el fenómeno fue sometido a muchos registros de infamia. Desde los antiguos crimenes jurídico-religiosos de sodomía, establecidos en Europa y que incluso colonizaron los placeres en las Américas, hasta la inscripción criminal patológica apoyada por la ciencia del siglo XIX, la práctica del cruising se convirtió en un atentado contra el pudor, una afrenta a la moral pública. Sin embargo, las figuras anónimas homoeróticas que circulan alrededor de la ciudad, estableciendo territorios de placer en el espacio público, nos ayudan a comprender, a través de sus rastros, a menudo capturadas por los aparatos del poder, precisamente sus historias de represión.

Changes in urinary cotinine concentrations in non-smoking adults from the Korean National Environmental Health Survey (KoNEHS) II (2012-2014) after implementation of partial smoke-free regulations.

BACKGROUND: The Korean government implemented partial smoke-free regulations in hospitality venues ≥150 m2 in July 2013 and in venues ≥100 m2 in February 2014. This study examined changes in urinary cotinine concentrations in the Korean non-smoking adult population, and socio-demographic subgroups thereof, between 2012 and 2014, and the relationships between urinary cotinine concentrations and socio-demographic factors in 2014. METHODS: Data from the Korean National Environmental Health Survey II (2012-2014), a nationally representative cross-sectional study, were used. In total, 4218 non-smoking adults (≥19 years) were selected based on questionnaires and urinary cotinine concentrations. Linear trend tests of urinary cotinine over time and socio-demographic factors associated with urinary cotinine in 2014 were examined based on weighted linear regression models. RESULTS: Overall, the covariate-adjusted least-square geometric mean concentrations of urinary cotinine were 2.95 µg/g creatinine (Cr) (95% confidence interval, CI = 2.37-3.67) in 2012, 1.54 µg/g Cr (95% CI = 1.26-1.88) in 2013, and 1.47 µg/g Cr (95% CI = 1.23-1.76) in 2014, a significant decrease during 2012-2014. Urinary cotinine concentrations decreased significantly during 2012-2014 in most socio-demographic subgroups. However, concentrations in adults who worked in hospitality venues, including restaurants, bars, cafes, fast-food franchises, and bakeries, remained unchanged. Data from 2014, when smoke-free regulations were implemented in hospitality venues ≥100 m2, showed urinary cotinine concentrations were significantly higher in adults working in hospitality venues than in unemployed adults. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, urinary cotinine concentrations of Korean non-smoking adults decreased during 2012-2014. However, implementation of partial smoke-free regulations in hospitality venues was not effective in reducing secondhand smoke exposure in workers at hospitality venues.

Secondhand smoke exposure at home and public places among smokers and non-smokers in India: findings from the Global Adult Tobacco Survey 2016-17.

Secondhand smoke (SHS) accounts for 0.9 million deaths and 24 million disability adjusted life years (DALYs) annually. Nearly 30% of adults in India are exposed to SHS in India. To reduce SHS exposure, India enacted a smoke-free law in 2003 under which smoking in public places is banned. However, the compliance to this law has been variable in several assessments in the country. A better understanding of the nature and extent of SHS exposure can help inform better implementation of national smoke-free policies. The Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) India 2016-17 collects information on the self-reported prevalence of SHS exposure in homes, workplaces, government buildings, restaurants, public transportation and health care facilities among adults (> 15 years of age).The present study utilized the GATS India 2016-17 dataset to provide estimates of SHS exposure among adults in India in homes, workplace and other public places, across gender and age groups and among the overall population and non-smokers. Weighted analysis was carried out. In the overall population, exposure to SHS in the home was 29.2%, more among young females. In workplaces, exposure to SHS was 29.2% overall, significantly higher among males (32.5%) compared to females (17.8%). In public buildings such as health care facilities and government offices, SHS exposure was less with 15.6% and 21.2% respectively. SHS exposure was high in restaurants with 39.3% overall, significantly higher among males (43.2%) compared to females (22.2%). Similar results were also seen among non-smokers. A large proportion of adults in India, both smokers and non-smokers are exposed to SHS in their homes, workplaces and other public places, especially restaurants, workplaces and public transportation. Females are more exposed to SHS at home, whereas males are more exposed in public places including workplaces. High SHS exposure among youths is also a concern. Stricter enforcement of legislation is required to ensure 100% smoke-free homes, public places and workplaces and reduce SHS exposure.

Hygienic evaluation of central air-condition ventilation system in public places in Nanshan District of Shenzhen, 2016-2019 / 公共卫生与预防医学

Objective To investigate the hygienic status of ventilation systems in centralized air-conditioning in Nanshan district of Shenzhen City, and to provide a basis for standardizing hygienic management and targeted prevention and control. Methods According to the requirements of "Hygienic Specifications for Central Air Conditioning and Ventilation Systems in Public Places" WS 394-2012, 303 public places using central air conditioning and ventilation devices in Nanshan District of Shenzhen City were sampled from 2016 to 2019 for four consecutive years. From these, 19 large public places were randomly selected for investigation of the hygienic condition of the air supply system. Results The qualified rates of central air conditioning ventilation systems from 2016-2019 were 94.56%, 96.96%, 98.33% and 95.65%, respectively, and there was no statistically significant difference among them (P>0.05). The qualified rates of accumulated dust, total bacterium and fungus counts on the inner surface of the ducts were 100%, 98.34% and 98.67%, respectively. PM10, total bacterium counts and fungus counts in the supplied air of the randomly selected 19 large public places were 100%, 63.15% and 78.94% respectively. The overall detection rate of Legionella pneumophila was 12.21%, and the detection rate of cooling water was larger than that of condensed water (P0.05). Conclusion The sanitary condition of the central air conditioning ventilation system in the public places of Nanshan district needed to be improved. Legionella pneumophila was still detected in some public places. Daily cleaning and disinfection management of central air condition systems should be strengthened.