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International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, Volume 20, Issue 17

2023 September-1 - 89 articles

Cover Story: Increasing numbers of long-term gastrointestinal (GI) cancer survivors highlight the importance of understanding the factors contributing to their health-related quality of life (HRQoL). We investigated the risk factors of HRQoL, including demographics, clinical characteristics, and social and behavioral determinants of health (SBDH). Our results show that SBDH, such as racial/ethnic minorities, poor socioeconomic status, unhealthy behaviors, poor physical activity, and poor healthcare access, have a critical role in HRQoL. Future studies are warranted to develop a tailored survivorship intervention, such as physical rehabilitation, and to explore machine learning/artificial intelligence-based predictive models to identify cancer survivors at a high risk of developing poor HRQoL. View this paper
 
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Articles (89)

  • Article
  • Open Access
18 Citations
8,808 Views
14 Pages

During the COVID-19 pandemic, when stress levels were heightened and social connections were threatened, a spike in green space visits was observed. Drawing upon the value–belief–norm (VBN) theory, which explains the influence of personal...

  • Article
  • Open Access
3 Citations
3,850 Views
15 Pages

Conspiracy Theories, Trust in Science, and Knowledge during the Third Wave of the COVID-19 Pandemic in Cyprus

  • Marilena Mousoulidou,
  • Michailina Siakalli,
  • Andri Christodoulou and
  • Marios Argyrides

Conspiracy theories flourish during periods of crisis. One way to counteract the believability of conspiracy theories is trust in science and knowledge about the “perceived threat”, such as the SARS-CoV-2 virus. A total of 363 adults from...

  • Article
  • Open Access
3 Citations
3,597 Views
17 Pages

Serratia marcescens Outbreak at a Correctional Facility: Environmental Sampling, Laboratory Analyses and Genomic Characterization to Assess Sources and Persistence

  • Donna Ferguson,
  • Rahil Ryder,
  • Rawni Lunsford,
  • Arie Dash,
  • Amanda Kamali,
  • Akiko Kimura,
  • John Crandall,
  • Rituparna Mukhopadhyay,
  • Heather Dowless and
  • Nathaniel K. Jue
  • + 1 author

Serratia marcescens is an environmental bacterium and clinical pathogen that can cause an array of infections. We describe an environmental sampling and comparative genomics approach used to investigate a multi-year outbreak of S. marcescens at a cor...

  • Article
  • Open Access
8 Citations
5,034 Views
20 Pages

Green Social Prescribing in Practice: A Case Study of Walsall, UK

  • Qian Sun,
  • Mary Loveday,
  • Saw Nwe,
  • Nike Morris and
  • Emily Boxall

This paper presents a case study of Green Social Prescribing (GSP) in Walsall, a medium-sized urban area located in the West Midlands, UK. GSP is a means of enabling health professionals to refer people to a range of local non-clinical nature-based a...

  • Article
  • Open Access
7 Citations
4,804 Views
18 Pages

The Role of Social Media in Building Pandemic Resilience in an Urban Community: A Qualitative Case Study

  • Joel Oommen George,
  • Suzanne Elayan,
  • Martin Sykora,
  • Marin Solter,
  • Rob Feick,
  • Christopher Hewitt,
  • Yiqiao Liu and
  • Ketan Shankardass

This paper explores the influence of social media in fostering resilience within an urban spatial context, specifically in Bangalore, India, during the COVID-19 lockdown, a period marked by a surge in digital communication due to movement restriction...

  • Review
  • Open Access
4 Citations
7,176 Views
25 Pages

Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) results from teratogenic impacts of alcohol consumption during pregnancy. Trauma and prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) can both cause neurodevelopmental impairment, and it has been proposed that FASD can amplify e...

  • Article
  • Open Access
6 Citations
3,516 Views
18 Pages

Development of a Culturally Adapted Dietary Intervention to Reduce Alzheimer’s Disease Risk among Older Black Adults

  • Ashley R. Shaw,
  • Mickeal N. Key,
  • Samantha Fikru,
  • Saria Lofton,
  • Debra K. Sullivan,
  • Jannette Berkley-Patton,
  • Crystal M. Glover,
  • Jeffrey M. Burns and
  • Eric D. Vidoni

The objective of this study is to identify and understand knowledge and attitudes that influence dietary practices among older Black adults using a community-engaged approach. This is a non-interventional mixed methods study designed to inform the de...

  • Article
  • Open Access
3 Citations
3,120 Views
17 Pages

This study aimed to conceptualize the dental hygiene intervention performed by dental hygienists based on the dental hygiene process of care. The dental hygiene intervention classification was conducted on the qualitative content analysis method. The...

  • Article
  • Open Access
3 Citations
5,410 Views
15 Pages

Unhealthy Dietary Patterns and Their Associations with Sociodemographic Factors as Predictors among Underweight and Overweight Adolescents in Southern Thailand

  • Pikuntip Kunset,
  • Chuchard Punsawad,
  • Rewwadee Petsirasan,
  • Charuai Suwanbamrung,
  • Shamarina Shohaimi,
  • Udomsak Narkkul and
  • Naiyana Noonil

(1) Background: Adolescence is a critical developmental phase; dietary intake and nutritional status significantly impact health outcomes. (2) Objective: This cross-sectional study investigated dietary patterns (DPs) and the association between socio...

  • Article
  • Open Access
4 Citations
2,616 Views
14 Pages

We examined the association between variation in COVID-19 deaths and spatial differences in the racial, ethnic, and nativity-status composition of New York City neighborhoods, which has received little scholarly attention. Using COVID-19 mortality da...

  • Article
  • Open Access
4 Citations
3,032 Views
13 Pages

Urban traffic officers in many low- and middle-income countries are exposed to high levels of traffic-related air pollutants (TRAP) while working vehicle control on heavily congested streets. The impact of chronic TRAP exposure on the cardiovascular...

  • Article
  • Open Access
1 Citations
2,150 Views
9 Pages

Learning to Live with HIV: The Experience of a Group of Young Chilean Men

  • Macarena Belén Calderón Silva,
  • Lilian Marcela Ferrer Lagunas and
  • Rosina Cianelli

Young men aged 20–29 present the highest rates of HIV in Chile, yet little is known about their experiences after diagnosis. This study sheds light on the meaning of living with HIV for young gay Chilean males. Qualitative analysis of 11 in-dep...

  • Article
  • Open Access
3 Citations
2,765 Views
19 Pages

Organizational Learning in Healthcare Contexts after COVID-19: A Study of 10 Intensive Care Units in Central and Northern Italy through Framework Analysis

  • Maddalena Gambirasio,
  • Demetrio Magatti,
  • Valentina Barbetta,
  • Silvia Brena,
  • Giordano Lizzola,
  • Chiara Pandolfini,
  • Francesca Sommariva,
  • Anna Zamperoni,
  • Stefano Finazzi and
  • Silvia Ivaldi

The rapid spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus has forced healthcare organizations to change their organization, introducing new ways of working, relating, communicating, and managing to cope with the growing number of hospitalized patients. Starting from...

  • Article
  • Open Access
2 Citations
2,596 Views
10 Pages

Impacts of COVID-19 on Stress in Middle School Teachers and Staff in Minnesota: An Exploratory Study Using Random Forest Analysis

  • Alyson B. Harding,
  • Marizen R. Ramirez,
  • Andrew D. Ryan,
  • Bao Nhia Xiong,
  • Christina E. Rosebush and
  • Briana Woods-Jaeger

While the COVID-19 pandemic has negatively impacted many occupations, teachers and school staff have faced unique challenges related to remote and hybrid teaching, less contact with students, and general uncertainty. This study aimed to measure the a...

  • Article
  • Open Access
5 Citations
2,529 Views
9 Pages

Post-COVID-19 Syndrome: Audiometric Findings in Patients with Audiological Symptoms

  • Oscar O. Ríos Coronado,
  • Claudia A. Igual Félix,
  • Gabriel Paz Flores,
  • Magdicarla E. De Alba Márquez,
  • Cynthia R. Cárdenas Contreras,
  • Esteban González Díaz,
  • Ana I. Sedano Paz and
  • Luis R. González-Lucano

Since the SARS-CoV-19 pandemic, the possibility of audiological involvement by this virus has been speculated without being able to generate a true cause–effect relationship. The objective of this observational, descriptive cross-sectional stud...

  • Article
  • Open Access
2 Citations
4,063 Views
18 Pages

Teacher and Caregiver Perspectives on Water Is K’é: An Early Child Education Program to Promote Healthy Beverages among Navajo Children

  • Carmella B. Kahn,
  • Brianna John,
  • Sonya S. Shin,
  • Rachel Whitman,
  • Asia Soleil Yazzie,
  • Renee Goldtooth-Halwood,
  • Ken Hecht,
  • Christina Hecht,
  • Laura Vollmer and
  • Carmen George
  • + 3 authors

The Water is K’é program was developed to increase water consumption and decrease consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages for young children and caregivers. The pilot program was successfully delivered by three Family and Child Educatio...

  • Article
  • Open Access
1 Citations
4,154 Views
15 Pages

To research the health and nutritional status in Korean children and adolescents belonging to food insecure households (FI), the preregistered secondary data of 18 items from the Food Security Evaluation in the Korea National Health and Nutrition Exa...

  • Article
  • Open Access
3 Citations
5,168 Views
12 Pages

Among the various thermal stress indices, apparent temperature (AT) is closely related to public health indicators, and consequently is widely used by weather agencies around the world. Therefore, in this paper we estimate the changes in AT and contr...

  • Article
  • Open Access
5 Citations
3,311 Views
14 Pages

Violence in the Nursing Workplace in the Context of Primary Health Care: A Qualitative Study

  • Kisa Valladão Carvalho,
  • Priscila Norié de Araujo,
  • Felipe Lima dos Santos,
  • Poliana Silva de Oliveira,
  • Janaina Pereira da Silva,
  • Karen da Silva Santos,
  • Angelina Lettiere Viana and
  • Cinira Magali Fortuna

Violence demands considerable attention due to its complexity and social consequences. The objective of this study was to analyze violence in the nursing professional workplace in the context of primary health care in Brazil. It is a qualitative stud...

  • Article
  • Open Access
6 Citations
2,512 Views
9 Pages

Sink Drains in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit: A Retrospective Risk Assessment and Evaluation

  • Julia S. Schneider,
  • Neele J. Froböse,
  • Thorsten Kuczius,
  • Vera Schwierzeck and
  • Stefanie Kampmeier

Water systems in health care facilities can form reservoirs for Gram-negative bacteria. While planning a new neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), we performed a retrospective evaluation of potential risks from water-diverting systems on the existing...

  • Reply
  • Open Access
1,560 Views
2 Pages

We read the comments by Meule on our article with great interest, and we thank the author for his thoughtful suggestions [...]

  • Article
  • Open Access
21 Citations
5,392 Views
19 Pages

Greenspace as Workplace: Benefits, Challenges and Essentialities in the Physical Environment

  • Victoria Linn Lygum,
  • Katia Dupret,
  • Peter Bentsen,
  • Dorthe Djernis,
  • Sidse Grangaard,
  • Yun Ladegaard and
  • Charlotte Petersson Troije

There is a scarcity of knowledge regarding the potential benefits of human–nature contact within the context of working life. Even more limited is the research that focuses on working outdoors and the setting in which it takes place. This study...

  • Article
  • Open Access
8 Citations
2,797 Views
12 Pages

Association between Physical Activity Habits with Cardiometabolic Variables, Body Composition, and Physical Performance in Chilean Older Women

  • Jordan Hernandez-Martinez,
  • Camila González-Castillo,
  • Tomás Herrera-Valenzuela,
  • Cristopher Muñoz-Vásquez,
  • Braulio Henrique Magnani Branco and
  • Pablo Valdés-Badilla

This study aimed to associate physical activity habits with cardiometabolic variables (blood pressure, fasting glucose, HDL cholesterol, and triglycerides), body composition (body fat percentage and fat-free mass), and physical performance (handgrip...

  • Article
  • Open Access
7 Citations
3,897 Views
18 Pages

The Determination of Assistance-as-Needed Support by an Ankle–Foot Orthosis for Patients with Foot Drop

  • David Scherb,
  • Patrick Steck,
  • Iris Wechsler,
  • Sandro Wartzack and
  • Jörg Miehling

Patients who suffer from foot drop have impaired gait pattern functions and a higher risk of stumbling and falling. Therefore, they are usually treated with an assistive device, a so-called ankle–foot orthosis. The support of the orthosis shoul...

  • Article
  • Open Access
4 Citations
2,521 Views
14 Pages

Maternal, Fetal and Neonatal Outcomes Related to Recreational Cannabis Use during Pregnancy: Analysis of a Real-World Clinical Data Warehouse between 2010 and 2019

  • Emilie Bouquet,
  • Pascal Blouin,
  • Marie-Christine Pérault-Pochat,
  • Caroline Carlier-Guérin,
  • Frédéric Millot,
  • Jean-Baptiste Ricco,
  • Joe De Keizer,
  • Stéphanie Pain and
  • Farid Guétarni

Background: Cannabis is the main illicit psychoactive substance used in French childbearing women and very few data are available about adverse events (AEs) related to its use during pregnancy. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association be...

  • Review
  • Open Access
7 Citations
4,316 Views
25 Pages

Decision Support Frameworks in Public Health Emergencies: A Systematic Review of Dynamic Models in Complex Contexts

  • Alex S. Príncipe,
  • Aloísio S. N. Filho,
  • Bruna A. S. Machado,
  • Josiane D. V. Barbosa,
  • Ingrid Winkler and
  • Cristiano V. Ferreira

Public health emergencies are extraordinary events of disease spread, with health, economic, and social consequences, which require coordinated actions by governments and society. This work aims to analyze scopes, application possibilities, challenge...

  • Article
  • Open Access
13 Citations
3,324 Views
12 Pages

This study aimed to compare the distribution of indoor, outdoor, and personal PM2.5 (particulate matter ≤ 2.5 μm) hourly concentrations measured simultaneously among 81 nonsmoking elderly participants (65 years or older) living in urban, indust...

  • Article
  • Open Access
11 Citations
3,899 Views
15 Pages

Mental Health Challenges during COVID-19 Pandemic: Experiences of Primary Healthcare Nurses in Durban, South Africa

  • Stanley Chibuzor Onwubu,
  • Maureen Nokuthula Sibiya and
  • Mokgadi Ursula. Makgobole

The COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on the mental health of individuals globally, and primary healthcare (PHC) nurses play a critical role in providing mental healthcare services. However, limited research has explored the experiences of P...

  • Article
  • Open Access
1 Citations
6,580 Views
17 Pages

Physical activity has mental and physical health benefits; however, globally, three-quarters of the population do not meet physical activity guidelines. The Couch-to-5k is a beginner runner programme aimed at increasing physical activity. However, th...

  • Review
  • Open Access
34 Citations
12,620 Views
18 Pages

Achilles Tendinopathy Pathogenesis and Management: A Narrative Review

  • Domiziano Tarantino,
  • Rosita Mottola,
  • Giuseppina Resta,
  • Rossana Gnasso,
  • Stefano Palermi,
  • Bruno Corrado,
  • Felice Sirico,
  • Carlo Ruosi and
  • Rocco Aicale

The Achilles tendon is the thickest and strongest tendon of the human body, and it is frequently injured during sports activity. The incidence of Achilles tendon pathologies has increased over recent decades, especially in the last few years, because...

  • Review
  • Open Access
22 Citations
21,053 Views
14 Pages

Many medication errors in the hospital setting are due to manual, error-prone processes in the medication management system. Closed-loop Electronic Medication Management Systems (EMMSs) use technology to prevent medication errors by replacing manual...

  • Article
  • Open Access
7 Citations
3,084 Views
15 Pages

Psychological Reactions during and after a Lockdown: Self-Efficacy as a Protective Factor of Mental Health

  • Francesco Ruotolo,
  • Gennaro Ruggiero,
  • Zaira Cattaneo,
  • Maria Arioli,
  • Michela Candini,
  • Francesca Frassinetti,
  • Francesca Pazzaglia,
  • Ferdinando Fornara,
  • Andrea Bosco and
  • Tina Iachini

The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of home confinement/social isolation (i.e., lockdown), imposed to reduce large-scale spread of a disease in the population, on the mental health of individuals. Through an online survey duri...

  • Article
  • Open Access
4 Citations
2,225 Views
12 Pages

Factors Associated with Long COVID-19 in a French Multicentric Prospective Cohort Study

  • Nagham Khanafer,
  • Laetitia Henaff,
  • Sabrina Bennia,
  • Anne Termoz,
  • Roland Chapurlat,
  • Vanessa Escuret,
  • Mathilde Proriol,
  • Florence Duvert,
  • Camille Mena and
  • Philippe Vanhems
  • + 3 authors

(1) Background: A substantial proportion of COVID-19 patients continue to experience long-lasting effects that hamper their quality of life. The objectives of this study were (1) to report the prevalence of persistent clinical symptoms 6–12 mon...

  • Article
  • Open Access
2 Citations
4,712 Views
17 Pages

Stress-related health problems have increased sharply over the last two decades and have become a serious issue at all levels of society. In the Jönköping Region in southern Sweden, a nature-based rehabilitation (NBR) program for adults wit...

  • Article
  • Open Access
9 Citations
4,714 Views
15 Pages

Risk Factors of Health-Related Quality of Life among Gastrointestinal Cancer Survivors in the U.S.: With a Focus on Social and Behavioral Determinants of Health (SBDH)

  • Claire J. Han,
  • Fode Tounkara,
  • Matthew Kalady,
  • Anne M. Noonan,
  • Natasha R. Burse,
  • Electra D. Paskett and
  • Diane Von Ah

Background: Increasing numbers of long-term gastrointestinal (GI) cancer survivors highlight the importance of understanding the factors contributing to their health-related quality of life (HRQoL). We investigated the risk factors of HRQoL, includin...

  • Review
  • Open Access
8 Citations
5,471 Views
13 Pages

Task-Shifting: Can Community Health Workers Be Part of the Solution to an Inactive Nation?

  • Estelle D. Watson,
  • Shabir Moosa,
  • Dina C. Janse Van Rensburg,
  • Martin Schwellnus,
  • Estelle V. Lambert and
  • Mark Stoutenberg

Background: In low-to-middle income countries (LMICs), there is a growing burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) placing strain on the facilities and human resources of healthcare systems. Prevention strategies that include lifestyle behavior cou...

  • Article
  • Open Access
5 Citations
3,709 Views
16 Pages

The Intersection of the COVID-19 Pandemic and the 2021 Heat Dome in Canadian Digital News Media: A Content Analysis

  • Emily J. Tetzlaff,
  • Nicholas Goulet,
  • Melissa Gorman,
  • Gregory R. A. Richardson and
  • Glen P. Kenny

During the 2021 Heat Dome, 619 people in British Columbia died due to the heat. This public health disaster was made worse by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Few studies have explored the intersection of heat with COVID-19, and none in Canada. Conside...

  • Article
  • Open Access
7 Citations
3,572 Views
18 Pages

Reducing subjective poverty among the elderly is an important aspect of poverty governance and is a necessary part of implementing the healthy aging strategy in China. In both China and the majority of low- and middle-income countries, systematic res...

  • Review
  • Open Access
61 Citations
6,172 Views
19 Pages

Immunomodulatory Effects of SGLT2 Inhibitors—Targeting Inflammation and Oxidative Stress in Aging

  • Ema Schönberger,
  • Vjera Mihaljević,
  • Kristina Steiner,
  • Sandra Šarić,
  • Tomislav Kurevija,
  • Ljiljana Trtica Majnarić,
  • Ines Bilić Ćurčić and
  • Silvija Canecki-Varžić

Given that the increase in the aging population has grown into one of the largest public health issues, inflammation and oxidative stress, which are closely associated with the aging process, became a focus of recent research. Sodium-glucose co-trans...

  • Article
  • Open Access
3 Citations
3,796 Views
14 Pages

Implementing Innovative Approaches to Improve Health Care Delivery Systems for Integrating Communicable and Non-Communicable Diseases Using Tuberculosis and Diabetes as a Model in Tanzania

  • Stellah G. Mpagama,
  • Kenneth C. Byashalira,
  • Nyasatu G. Chamba,
  • Scott K. Heysell,
  • Mohamed Z. Alimohamed,
  • Pendomartha J. Shayo,
  • Albino Kalolo,
  • Anna M. Chongolo,
  • Catherine G. Gitige and
  • Kaushik L. Ramaiya
  • + 6 authors

Background: Many evidence-based health interventions, particularly in low-income settings, have failed to deliver the expected impact. We designed an Adaptive Diseases Control Expert Programme in Tanzania (ADEPT) to address systemic challenges in hea...

  • Article
  • Open Access
7 Citations
3,181 Views
18 Pages

UAE Women’s Knowledge and Attitudes towards Physical Activity during Pregnancy

  • Sharifa AlBlooshi,
  • Rafiq Hijazi,
  • Lynne Kennedy and
  • Ala Al Rajabi

The benefits of being physically active during pregnancy are widely acknowledged. It is important for the prevention of chronic diseases and the promotion of good health for mothers and children. However, physical activity by women in the UAE is noto...

  • Article
  • Open Access
10 Citations
3,885 Views
12 Pages

Men show a significantly higher suicide rate, are less often recognized as persons at risk, and are more difficult to reach for suicide prevention interventions. Warning signs and deterioration in mental health are often not recognized by their surro...

  • Review
  • Open Access
94 Citations
8,089 Views
23 Pages

Plastics, due to their varied properties, find use in different sectors such as agriculture, packaging, pharmaceuticals, textiles, and construction, to mention a few. Excessive use of plastics results in a lot of plastic waste buildup. Poorly managed...

  • Article
  • Open Access
14 Citations
6,629 Views
23 Pages

Health System Performance and Resilience in Times of Crisis: An Adapted Conceptual Framework

  • Camille Poroes,
  • Laurence Seematter-Bagnoud,
  • Kaspar Wyss and
  • Isabelle Peytremann-Bridevaux

With the COVID-19 pandemic, the notion of health system (HS) performance has been discussed, and the notion of resilience has become increasingly important. Lacking a recognised framework that measures the performance of HSs throughout a crisis, i.e....

  • Article
  • Open Access
1 Citations
4,907 Views
11 Pages

Depression in adolescence is recognized as an important social and public health issue that interferes with continued physical growth and increases the likelihood of other mental disorders. The goal of this study was to examine online documents poste...

  • Article
  • Open Access
1 Citations
3,387 Views
18 Pages

“Collapsing into Darkness”: An Exploratory Qualitative Thematic Analysis of the Experience of Workplace Reintegration among Nurses with Operational Stress Injuries

  • Chelsea Jones,
  • Brenda Juby,
  • Shaylee Spencer,
  • Lorraine Smith-MacDonald,
  • Elly O’Greysik,
  • Michelle Vincent,
  • Colleen Mooney,
  • Katherine S. Bright,
  • Phillip R. Sevigny and
  • Suzette Brémault-Phillips
  • + 7 authors

Background: Nurses are engaged in an unpredictable and dynamic work environment where they are exposed to events that may cause or contribute to physical and/or psychological injuries. Operational stress injury (OSI) may lead to an extended time away...

  • Article
  • Open Access
1 Citations
2,393 Views
16 Pages

Artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) harms the environment and human health, because it requires mercury (Hg). Therefore, this study uses a questionnaire survey to identify the effects of the medical checkup findings, group discussion, and ed...

  • Article
  • Open Access
2 Citations
2,710 Views
18 Pages

In several developing countries, such as Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Lao PDR), the fight against malnutrition is carried out through programs that involve collaboration between internal (national) and external (international) actors. Thes...

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Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health - ISSN 1660-4601