Search Results (66)

Educational buildings, including schools, nurseries and universities, face stricter regulation and design control on indoor air quality (IAQ) and thermal conditions than other built environments, as these may affect children’s health and wellbeing. In this scoping review, wide-ranging health, performance, and absenteeism consequences of poor—and benefits of good—IAQ and thermal conditions are evaluated, focusing on source control, ventilation and air purification interventions. Economic impacts of interventions in educational buildings have been evaluated to enable the assessment of tangible building-related costs and savings, alongside less easily quantifiable improvements in educational attainment and reduced healthcare. Key recommendations are provided to assist decision makers in pathways to provide clean air, at an optimal temperature for students’ learning and health outcomes. Although the role of educational buildings can be challenging to isolate from other socio-economic confounders, secondary short- and long-term impacts on attainment and absenteeism have been demonstrated from the health effects associated with various pollutants. Sometimes overlooked, source control and repairing existing damage can be important cost-effective methods in minimising generation and preventing ingress of pollutants. Existing ventilation standards are often not met, even when mechanical and hybrid ventilation systems are already in place, but can often be achieved with a fraction of a typical school budget through operational and maintenance improvements, and small-scale air-cleaning and ventilation technologies, where necessary. Full article

Agroforestry systems (ASs) are increasingly recognized as effective strategies for ecological restoration and sustainable land use in semi-arid regions. This study aimed to evaluate the implementation and early outcomes of an AS established in a degraded urban area in the Brazilian semi-arid region. Specifically, we analyzed the system’s establishment process, estimated its costs, assessed structural development over time, and compared species performance and carbon accumulation across different biodiversity arrangements. After three years, the system accumulated 17.69 Mg ha⁻¹ of carbon and demonstrated significant basal area growth, particularly among fast-growing species such as Ceiba glaziovii, Gliricidia sepium, and Moringa oleifera. These species enhanced overall system productivity and likely contributed to increases in soil organic matter, facilitating the establishment of more demanding, slow-growing species. Cost analysis indicated a total implementation and maintenance estimate of BRL 57,468.79 ha⁻¹ (USD 11,096.29) over three years, with irrigation and maintenance accounting for 44.39%, labor and site preparation 31.59%, and seedling production 24.02%. Although the system proved viable under institutional support, its replicability for smallholders remains dependent on reliable water access or implementation aligned with the rainy season. The use of nursery seedlings enhanced seedling survival and system feasibility. The broader adoption of agroforestry in semi-arid regions will require supportive public policies and technical assistance. Strengthening government programs such as PNAE and PRONAF is essential, as these initiatives can promote system adoption by facilitating access to credit while also reducing costs, particularly when short-cycle crops grown within the system are sold to local schools. It is important to note that agroforestry costs vary depending on the intended objectives, species diversity, and arrangement design. Therefore, technical assistance is critical to guiding smallholders in selecting and implementing context-appropriate systems. Our findings reinforce the potential of agroforestry systems to promote carbon sequestration, restore degraded lands, and support food security and sustainable development in climate-vulnerable regions. Full article

Background/Objectives: The global nursing shortage encompasses issues such as the uneven nurse distribution in low- and middle-income countries, nurse outflow to other countries, and nurse retirement in developed countries, necessitating effective retention strategies. Our objective was to clarify the changes in facility selection reasons among Japanese nurses after changing jobs and the personal attributes influencing facility selection. Methods: In January 2023, an online survey was conducted among licensed practical nurses, registered nurses, midwives, and public health nurses in Japan. The survey items included personal attributes (age and sex), information on ≤five employment facilities, and facility selection reasons. The variations in facility selection reasons by facility number were analyzed using a generalized linear model with a binomial distribution. A logistic regression analysis was conducted with personal attributes and reasons for workplace selection as the independent and dependent variables, respectively. Results: In total, 721 participants were included; 90.8% selected hospitals as their first place of employment. As nurses changed jobs, they increasingly selected non-hospital facilities, including nursing homes, nursery schools, and government agencies. With multiple job changes, the facility selection reasons included “good location for commuting”, “good salary”, and “convenient working style”. Among personal attributes, “age”, “sex”, “age at employment at the facility”, “educational background”, “number of children”, and “living alone” influenced workplace choice reasons. Conclusions: Considering the study results, country-specific demographic trends, medical policy changes, and nursing-shortage-related causes, medical facility managers and policymakers should devise appropriate employment conditions and develop recruitment strategies, especially for situations with severe nursing shortages. Nurses can learn from the career choices of others to manage their own careers. Full article

Despite being well-positioned to promote healthy lifestyles in young children, early years practitioners often face barriers to supporting child weight management. This mixed-methods study aimed to assess the preliminary effectiveness and acceptability of an e-learning toolkit (HealthyWEY) designed to upskill and support multi-agency professionals to promote healthy weight in early childhood. A total of 54 health visitors/community nursery nurses, 38 children’s centre staff and 17 other health professionals engaged with the HealthyWEY e-learning, which drew on self-determination theory and consisted of nine modules that were completed over 7–10 weeks. Non-parametric statistical analysis using Wilcoxon’s signed-rank tests were used to explore participants’ practice-based knowledge, psychological needs satisfaction and motivations for prioritising pre-school child weight from pre- to post-intervention. Focus groups (n = 11) were conducted with a sub-sample of multi-agency professionals (n = 39) to explore the process of implementation across sites, while interviews were also conducted with two parents/carers who took part in consultations with HealthyWEY-trained practitioners. After completing the HealthyWEY e-learning, participants perceived fewer barriers to pre-school child weight management (median change = −0.7; p < 0.001), greater autonomy (median change = 0.7, p < 0.001), competence (median change = 0.8, p < 0.001) and relatedness (median change = 0.4, p < 0.001) and a higher autonomous motivation towards promoting healthy weight (median change = 0.3, p < 0.001). E-learning was perceived to be highly relevant to participants’ roles and congruent with local child weight strategies. Challenges to implementation included time constraints and disruptions related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Recommendations for a better user experience were offered by enhancing the toolkit’s design and interactivity. Engagement with the HealthyWEY e-learning led to promising changes in perceived barriers and motivational variables. The toolkit was perceived to be acceptable amongst multi-agency workforces, albeit challenging to prioritise within time-pressured health and early years settings. Full article

Parvovirus B19 (B19V) infection is the cause of erythema infectiosum, or the “fifth disease”, a widespread infection, potentially affecting 1–5% of pregnant women, in most cases without significant damage to the pregnancy or fetus. It follows a seasonal variation, with a higher prevalence in temperate climates, mainly in late winter and early spring. Women at increased risk include mothers of preschool and school-age children, and those working in nurseries, kindergartens, and schools. Vertical transmission occurs in 33% to 51% of cases of maternal infection. Parvovirus infection is an important cause of fetal perinatal infection resulting in increased morbidity through the development of fetal anemia, heart failure, and non-immune hydrops. A comprehensive literature review was conducted using PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Google Scholar, focusing on publications from the last 10 years and prioritizing studies related to parvovirus B19 infection in pregnancy. We summarized the existing data in the literature on the effects of parvovirus B19 infection during pregnancy and weighed if there is a need for screening in pregnant patients. Routine screening for parvovirus B19 infection can be considered in communities where infection is common, there is occupational exposure, or during endemic periods, with the reason being that accurate identification and treatment of fetuses affected by congenital B19V infection have been shown to improve perinatal outcomes. Full article

In this study, we investigated the sleep–wake rhythm of nursery school children with the aim of supporting their health and mental/physical development. We analyzed 4881 children from infancy to 6 years of age, using 2 week sleep tables recorded by their guardians. The tables contained night bedtimes, wake times, nighttime/daytime sleep duration, and the differences in these between weekdays and weekends. The total sleep decrement of children with increasing age is attributed to a decrease in daytime sleep, while nighttime sleep duration remains almost unchanged at about 10 h, which is, therefore, referred to as the nighttime basic sleep duration (NBSD). Although bedtime stabilizes at around 9:30 p.m. by the age of 2, wake-up times tend to be before 7 a.m., which results in sleep insufficiency during weekdays. This lack of sleep is compensated for by long naps on weekdays and by catching up on sleep on weekend mornings, which may contribute to future social jet lag. Guardians are encouraged to know their children’s exact NBSD and set an appropriate bedtime to be maintained on weekdays. This helps to prevent sleep debt and fosters a consistent daily rhythm of waking up at the same time both on weekdays and weekends. These conditions are believed to support mental/physical development and school and social adaptation. Full article

Allées used to be the essential artistic tools and indispensable parts of the strictly architectural, formal Baroque gardens. Beyond the practical purposes of edging paths and garden ways for walking, hunting, or horse and carriage riding, allées played a vital role in marking visual and landscape connections and thus the spatial projection of the noble estate, its wealth, and social rank. In Historical Hungary, Baroque architecture and garden art appeared in German-Austrian and French examples in the 18th century. The Széchenyi Linden Allée is an outstanding linear garden space of Baroque Garden art at Nagycenk, West Hungary. The generous composition, created by the prominent Count Széchenyi family in the mid-18th century, has remained a magnificent entity in the landscape ever since. Despite barely two hundred years of detected or unknown environmental or habitat changes, as early as 1942, the allée received a nature conservation nomination. More than a half-century later, in 2002, the allée became a historical and landscape aesthetical heritage within the Fertő-Hanság Cultural Landscape World Heritage site. Unfortunately, the once magnificent tree lines have severely eroded in recent decades due to mature trees’ subsequent death, inadequate replacement, lack of regular maintenance and tree care, and effects of climate change. In recent years (2011, 2018), landscape and horticultural analyses and visual and instrumental tree assessments were performed to help the conservation and rebirth of the allée, maintain the mature trees, and restore the landscape within a long-term renewal plan. Along with the 2018 survey and plan, the short-term maintenance works were completed in 2019–2020. This study, based on site surveys in 2022 and 2024, aims to identify the results of the primary management, analyses the vitality of mature trees after crown reductions, and then proposes a resilient and sustainable regeneration method with the habitat, cultural, natural, and genetic heritage, and the feasible maintenance contexts in focus. As proposed in the 2018 plan, the reproduction of mature trees started in 2020 and resulted in well-developing grafts for a later allée restoration. Due to the challenges of climate change, the regeneration project requires a special, long-term restoration management plan with a special focus on the still vital and possible remaining mature trees, the well-growing individuals from previous replanting, and the nursery school seedlings conserving the genetic heritage of the Széchenyi lime trees with long-viability capacity. Full article

Background/Objectives: Socioeconomic status and parental lifestyle influence dietary behaviors, including the administration of oral dietary supplements in children. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of selected health, dietary, and sociodemographic factors on the use of dietary supplements by children. Methods: In this cross-sectional observational study, a diagnostic survey based on the computer-assisted web interview method was conducted in November 2022 among 2826 parents whose children attend public educational institutions in Krakow, Poland. The study group included data on 497 nursery children (17.6%), 599 kindergarten children (21.2%), 1594 primary school children (56.4%), and 136 secondary school children (4.8%). Results: Among all respondents, 72.2% were taking oral nutritional supplements, with vitamin D supplementation being particularly popular in all groups. Logistic regression analysis identified predictors of supplement use, including special diet (p < 0.001), use of medication for chronic disease (p = 0.012), regularity of main meals (p = 0.022), and attending a sports school (p = 0.021). A decrease in supplement use was observed with the increasing level of education of children (p < 0.001). Conclusions: These results highlight the importance of various health, dietary, and sociodemographic factors in influencing decisions regarding dietary supplementation in children. Further assessment of dietary supplement usage should be conducted alongside evaluations of nutrient intake from the children’s diet. Full article

This paper reports research that investigated how digital technologies were used to develop and maintain home–school connections and develop positive relationships when children transition to nursery schools and schools. School case studies, comprising four purposively selected schools with nursery provision in Northern Ireland and four primary schools in New Zealand, provided the context and evidence to enable a small-scale comparative study of how digital technologies enabled the development of relationships between homes and schools over time. In this paper, the findings were analysed using a conceptual model and framework derived from earlier studies in this field. However, given the contemporary social and technological context, it was found that the framework could be reviewed and elaborated, enabling the creation of a new conceptual framework that is offered here. Our findings reveal methods of employing digital technologies to positively support parental engagement when children transition to nurseries and schools. From the analysis of our findings using the framework developed, points to consider for future practice, policy, and research are highlighted, with an emphasis on understanding and integrating parents’ aspirations into the transition process. Opportunities that use existing and emerging methods for home–school–community connections need to be made known to teachers and schools. While the digital technologies used must be capable of maintaining appropriate regular communication, additionally, supporting ways for involving parental voice in reviews of existing practices and exploring new opportunities should be shared with teachers and schools. Future research should explore how the use of digital technologies in developing wider and deeper engagement and participation of parents and carers with nurseries and schools might lead to a longer-term and positive engagement in later years beyond nursery schools and initial transition to school. Full article

Background: This study was conducted to assess parents’ willingness to vaccinate their children with the RSV vaccine and the key predictors of this intention among parents in Italy. Methods: Data were collected using an anonymous self-administered questionnaire from April to November 2023, targeting parents in public kindergartens and nursery schools in southern Italy. The survey assessed parents’ socio-demographic characteristics, health-related details, their child’s health status, attitudes toward RSV infection and its vaccine, and their source(s) of information. Results: A total of 404 parents agreed to participate in the study. Only 18.2% of participants were very concerned that their children could get infected by RSV, and this concern was more likely among parents whose child had been diagnosed with bronchiolitis, those who received information from HCWs, those who had heard of RSV, and those who needed additional information. Almost half (51.3%) were willing to vaccinate their child, and this inclination was more likely among fathers, employed parents, those with daughters, those who had heard of RSV, those who received information from HCWs, and those who needed additional information. Conclusions: An educational campaign regarding a future RSV vaccine, especially about its safety and efficacy, is needed in order to improve parents’ willingness. Full article

We investigated whether the abnormal rhythms in infants are related to the future development of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), using a questionnaire from September to October 2016. The parents of 160 children with ASD (male, n = 123; female, n = 37) were recruited from two hospitals in K and H cities, and as a control group, 145 children (male, n = 75; female, n = 70) were recruited from four nursery schools in T city. The associations between ASD and bedtime and waking time on weekdays and weekends in infancy (<1 years of age), at 1–3 years, and at 3–5 years of ages were studied using a multivariable logistic regression analysis. In particular, at <3 years of age, the following factors were associated with an increased prevalence of ASD in the future: (1) short sleep periods (<8 h); (2) taking a long time to fall asleep (>60 min); (3) sleep beginning after 22:00; (4) a wake-up time after 08:00; and (5) frequent (>3 times) and long-term awakening periods (>60 min). The misalignment and/or shift of the circadian rhythm in infants may be one of the precursors and/or risk factors for the future development of ASD. Full article

The COVID-19 lockdown and the consequent distance school learning made epochal changes in children’s lifestyles; however, little is known about the lockdown effects on school teacher habits. The aim of this observational study is to examine differences in the lifestyle of nursery (NS) and primary (PS) school teachers after one of the COVID-19 lockdowns and investigate the relationship between perceived physical/mental health and demographics, weight status and lifestyle determinants, such as adherence to the Mediterranean Diet (MD) and physical activity level (PAL). A total sample of 265 participants (49.22 ± 6.95 years) filled out an online information questionnaire and standardized questionnaires to collect data on the Physical Component Summary (PCS), Mental Component Summary (MCS), PAL and MD-adherence. A t-test or ANOVA analysis was used to assess differences between quantitative variables: Mann–Whitney U or Kruskal–Wallis tests for qualitative variables. Spearman’s correlations and multinomial logistic regression analyses were performed to identify categorical factors associated with classes of PCS and MCS. Teachers showed sufficient/high PAL, with a significantly higher level in the PS group (p < 0.05). This last showed a higher PCS score (p < 0.05). No differences between groups were found for MD-adherence, which was moderate/fair in both groups, and MCS, which was sufficient/good. Logistic regression showed that the only positive predictor of a high PCS was being physically active (OR 2.10, 95%CI 1.05–4.2, p < 0.05), while MCS was positively associated with normal weight status (OR 0.48, 95%CI 0.33–0.78, p = 0.020). This study highlights that PS teachers are more active than the NS group and perceive a higher physical health level. Mere predictors of physical and mental well-being are PA practice and being normal weight, respectively. This suggests that interventions to improve perceived health in this work category should be focused on the promotion of physical activity practice and on the maintenance of an optimal weight status. Full article

This study explored the association of spousal support and marital satisfaction with the subjective well-being of fathers and mothers using a mediation analysis. Data were gathered from 360 fathers and 338 mothers (aged 25–50 years). Subjective well-being was measured as an outcome using the Japanese version of the World Health Organization-Five Well-Being Index. Marital satisfaction was measured as a mediating variable using the Japanese version of the Marital Relationship Satisfaction Scale. Spousal social support (including instrumental, emotional, and appraisal support) was measured as an independent variable using four-point scales. Control variables were the father’s and mother’s ages, number of children, age of the youngest child, children going to nursery school or kindergarten, use of childcare services, self-evaluated low economic status, and weekday working hours. Among fathers, instrumental and emotional support had significant direct and indirect effects, with the latter mediated by the impact of marital satisfaction on subjective well-being; appraisal support had only significant indirect effects. Among mothers, instrumental support had significant direct and indirect effects; emotional and appraisal support had only significant indirect effects. Our findings indicate that social support from spouses has protective direct and indirect effects on subjective well-being among parents and suggest the need for mutual support between spouses to facilitate effective co-parenting. Full article

The present research delves into the experimental investigation of the mechanical properties of bee bricks, which serve as nesting habitats for solitary bees. The study aims to provide valuable insights into the efficacy of these bricks as eco-friendly alternatives emphasizing a low energy footprint. It is designed as a masonry unit to provide nest sites in urban or civil areas to order to protect and contribute to the reproduction of solitary (wild) bee pollinators. The invention concerns the solid structural and architectural material of masonry bricks, which have different sizes of cavities and constitute a natural habitat for various solitary bee species. It is an innovative material that can be used as a building material in both new constructions and existing masonry structures. At the same time, it can be used as a decorative material in gardens, nurseries, fields, the courtyards of houses, schools, and buildings in cities; it can even be used in “green” and sustainable buildings. To protect bees, it is necessary to address the threats mentioned above. The results indicate that the physical materials composed a high-performance product with a remarkable compressive strength of 12 MPa and 13 MPa in loading directions perpendicular and parallel to the bed joint, respectively. Simultaneously, despite the smooth surface, the bee brick presented respectable adhesive properties proving that this product is appropriate and can be proposed as a masonry unit for safe seismically designed structures. Furthermore, the direct shear results indicate that the low strength of the binder mortar as well as the bond strength of the masonry unit and the mortar play a significant role. Overall, this presents awareness about the reduction of biodiversity and, at the same time, a proposal of the dual use of the construction material for the construction of load-bearing masonry and a biotope needed for the reproduction and protection of pollinator bees. Full article

Nursery school workers are known for having a high prevalence of low back pain (LBP). The natural history of LBP and the determinants of persistent LBP remain unclear. We examined the prevalence of persistent LBP and whether pain intensity and disability in daily life due to LBP affected the persistence of LBP among these workers. A five-year panel study was conducted for 446 nursery school workers in Japan. LBP, pain intensity, and disability in daily life due to LBP were assessed with a self-administered questionnaire survey. Pain intensity was assessed using the numerical rating scale (NRS). The Roland–Morris Disability Questionnaire (RDQ) was used to assess disability in daily life due to LBP. At baseline, 270 nursery school workers (60.5%) suffered from LBP. The estimated prevalence of persistent LBP was 84.6% (80.3–88.9%), 82.2% (77.7–86.8%), and 82.0% (77.4–86.5%) at 1, 3, and 5 years after the initial study, respectively. NRS scores of 5 or greater predicted the persistence of LBP at 1 and 3 years after the initial survey (adjusted odds ratios: 4.01 (1.27–12.6) and 8.51 (1.87–38.7), respectively), while RDQ scores did not. In conclusion, LBP highly persisted for a long time and pain intensity predicted persistent LBP among nursery school workers in Japan. Full article