International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health

Dental caries is a prevalent childhood disease with a multifactorial etiology. The aim of the study is to evaluate the prevalence of extensive dental caries and its association with socioeconomic factors, dietary and daily toothbrushing frequency, and sleep disorders (SDs) in children aged 6 to 10 years. A cross-sectional study with 516 children and their caregivers was carried out. Socioeconomic information and data on dietary habits and oral health behaviors were obtained through a questionnaire administered to parents/caregivers. SDs were assessed using the Sleep Disturbance Scale for Children. Extensive dental caries was assessed using the ICDAS II (codes 5–6). Descriptive analyses and multivariate Poisson regression were performed. The prevalence of extensive dental caries was 20.7%. Extensive caries was associated with lower parental education (PR = 1.68; 95% CI: 1.16–2.44; p = 0.006), household income (PR = 5.64; 95% CI: 1.67–18.99; p = 0.005), frequent consumption of sugary snacks/drinks (PR = 2.74; 95% CI: 1.97–3.83; p < 0.001), and greater severity of SD (PR = 1.02; 95% CI: 1.00–1.03; p = 0.007). Extensive dental caries lesions are more common in children whose parents/caregivers have lower levels of education and income, consume more sugary foods/drinks, and have SDs.

Teacher occupational health is a critical issue worldwide that COVID-19 has worsened. While previous research has highlighted the impact of chronic work-related stress and limited personal resources on burnout, much of this research relies on cross-sectional data that do not capture how these effects develop over time. Additionally, the role of positive organizational factors remains underexplored. Our study examined burnout trajectories among 101 Portuguese elementary teachers (94.1% women, M = 46.03 years, 85.6% enrollment rate) over five data collection points spanning the 1st and 2nd COVID-19 waves (2019–2021) and investigated the impact of organizational climate on teacher burnout indicators. Main work-related stressors were identified through an open-ended question. Trajectories of occupational stress and burnout were analyzed using independent ANOVAs, and moderation analyses tested the relationship between organizational climate, occupational stress, and burnout indicators. Results showed a significant drop in perceived personal accomplishment during the first lockdown. Key stressors included greater job demands and more strained interpersonal relationships. Organizational climate significantly moderated the effect of work-related stress on emotional exhaustion, while having a positive main effect on personal accomplishment. This research contributes to a strengthened theoretical understanding of burnout as a dynamic, context-sensitive process, offering new empirical evidence, especially in underrepresented educational systems like Portugal. It emphasizes the importance of addressing contextual factors when working to reduce teacher burnout. Rethinking professional development and workplace relationships is essential for supporting teachers’ occupational health in today’s uncertain educational environments.

Urbanicity is a recognized determinant of mental health, yet conventional measures such as population density or the rural–urban divide often fail to capture the complex realities of informal settlements in low- and middle-income countries. This paper conceptualizes neighborhood effects through the lived experiences of young women in Kampala, Uganda, drawing on participatory research from the NIH-funded TOPOWA study. Using community mapping and Photovoice, participants identified neighborhood features that shape wellbeing, including sanitation facilities, drainage systems, alcohol outlets, health centers, schools, boda boda stages (motorcycle taxis), lodges, religious institutions, water sources, markets, and recreational spaces. These methods revealed both stressors—poor waste management, flooding, violence, gendered harassment, crime, and alcohol-related harms—and protective resources, including education, places of worship, health centers, social networks, identity, and sports activities. We argue that urbanicity in slum contexts should be understood as a multidimensional construct encompassing deprivation, fragmentation, exclusion, and resilience. This reconceptualization advances conceptual clarity, strengthens the validity of mental health research in low-resource settings, and informs interventions that simultaneously address structural risks and promote community assets. The case of Kampala demonstrates how participatory evidence can reshape the understanding of neighborhood effects with implications, for global mental health research and practice.