Search Results (17)

This study investigates residential segregation and housing types in Craiova, Romania, with a particular focus on the disparities shaped by historical and contemporary urban developments. Using collected data from former hostels built for young workers during the communist era, this research maps and analyzes the spatial distribution and living conditions of these housing types at a neighborhood level. Key metrics such as the number of inhabitants, the surface area of rooms, the current occupancy rates, and the number of unoccupied rooms were collected. Additionally, residential segregation is measured using indices of dissimilarity, isolation, exposure, concentration, and centralization, providing a comprehensive view of the socio-spatial divides within the city. The findings indicate significant disparities between these buildings with unsuitable living conditions and the newer residential developments, revealing a clear urban divide. No differences have been identified in terms of access to urban services like education, health, green areas, banks, or supermarkets, despite the appropriate location differences being noted in access to water and gas supply, and internet services. This study contributes to the understanding of how housing types and access to services in Craiova shape patterns of residential segregation, and it suggests policy interventions aimed at mitigating the negative impacts of these urban divides. Full article

Background and Objective: Aging in place (AIP) refers to the ability to remain in one’s home and community as one ages. While AIP is widely regarded as beneficial, disparities in housing stability, accessibility, and affordability create inequitable barriers. Current clinical AIP interventions focus on individual-level solutions, often overlooking broader socio-economic and structural determinants.This study examines how community-based interventions, particularly those from Rebuilding Together Richmond (RT-R), address these gaps through home modifications and critical repairs. Methods: Using the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD) Research Framework, demographic and service data from home modifications from a community-based organization, RT-R was analyzed. Descriptive statistics assessed the characteristics of homeowners served, the types of repairs performed, and their potential impact on AIP. Repairs were categorized as structural or occupational to evaluate their contributions to home safety and accessibility. Results: RT-R provided repairs for 33 homes, benefiting 47 individuals all of whom were Black or African American living in a ZIP code with high eviction rates. The majority (63.8%) were female, and 51% were older adults and/or had a disability. Structural repairs were more frequent than occupational modifications reflecting both homeowner needs, service availability, and community organizational goals. Conclusions: Housing stability is a critical yet overlooked factor in AIP. Integrating clinical AIP interventions with community-based solutions can more effectively address health disparities, reduce institutionalization risks, and improve long-term livability. Partnerships between healthcare practitioners and organizations like Rebuilding Together are essential to advancing equity in AIP. Access to housing is not accessible housing, and to remove barriers, practitioners and community-based organizations should expand their appreciation of obstacles to include historical, contemporary, economic, and environmental factors to work toward equity in aging in place for all. Full article

Background: Exclusive breastfeeding (EB), feeding an infant solely breast milk, has been recommended worldwide due to its health benefits for infants and mothers. However, EB rates remain low, due to several socio-demographic, occupational, and cultural factors. Objectives: Our aim was to investigate the factors associated with EB amongst Arab mothers living in Israel, i.e., age, education, religiosity, employment status, and the number of children which impact breastfeeding practices. Methods: Data were collected through surveys from Arab mothers of different religious and geographical backgrounds. Results: The findings revealed that older maternal age, higher levels of religiosity, and an increased number of children were positively associated with EB. Employment reduced EB. Muslim mothers were more likely to combine breastfeeding with formula; Christian and Druze mothers showed higher EB rates. Geographical disparities were also noted. Conclusions: This study highlights the complex interplay of socio-demographic and cultural factors that impact breastfeeding practices amongst Arab mothers in Israel, with significant implications for policy development and maternal support programs. We underscore the importance of incorporating religious and cultural considerations into breastfeeding promotion strategies. Public health initiatives should target support for working mothers by advocating extended maternity leave and breastfeeding-friendly workplace policies. Furthermore, community-based interventions should engage family members in supporting breastfeeding mothers. Full article

Over the past decade, China has enacted forward-looking environmental policies that have significantly reduced air pollution. However, while there appears to be a synergy between economic development and improvements in air quality, regional imbalances in development and disparities in health risks underscore systemic challenges in environmental governance. This study employed a population-weighted exposure index to evaluate disparities in PM_2.5 exposure and its temporal and spatial trends, considering multidimensional socio-economic factors such as education, age, gender, occupation, and urban/rural backgrounds across 32 provinces and regions in China. The findings reveal that despite a notable decline in overall PM_2.5 concentrations between 2013 and 2020, improvements in air quality are uneven across regions, with less developed areas bearing a disproportionate burden of emission reductions. Urban centers exhibit lower exposure levels due to resource and industrial advantages, whereas towns experience higher risks of air pollution. Socio-economic disparities are evident, with increased exposure observed in high-pollution industries and among groups with lower educational attainment. Women are more likely to be exposed than men, and both the elderly and children face higher risks. To address these challenges, policies should focus on the economic development of underdeveloped regions, balance environmental protection with growth, prioritize heavily polluted areas and vulnerable populations, and promote the adoption of clean energy to mitigate pollution inequality. Full article

Background/Objectives. Burnout and occupational stress are significant issues among forensic professionals, impacting their well-being and job performance. This systematic review aims to provide an up-to-date overview of the occupational stress and burnout experienced by forensic personnel, exploring the profound and multifaceted impact on their physical, mental, professional, and interpersonal well-being. Methods. A systematic review was conducted following PRISMA guidelines using Scopus and WOS databases to search for articles published from 1 January 2000 to 31 August 2024. The search used keywords related to burnout and forensic professions. Inclusion criteria were original articles in English and French, while reviews, book chapters, editorials, and notes were excluded. A total of 10 studies were included after eliminating duplicates and excluding irrelevant articles. Results. The review identified seven key findings. (1) High levels of occupational stress and burnout among forensic personnel necessitate effective stress management strategies and resilience training; (2) autopsy technicians in Romania experience burnout and alexithymia, particularly related to traumatic events involving children, highlighting the need for specialized support systems; (3) disparities in burnout and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms were observed in autopsy technicians and resident doctors, suggesting tailored mental health resources; (4) organizational factors, such as peer support and compensation satisfaction, significantly impact burnout and secondary traumatic stress (STS) among sexual assault nurse examiners; (5) burnout among forensic physicians, both in Romania and Egypt, is linked to personality traits, job satisfaction, and socio-demographic factors; (6) pathologists face a range of health issues, including musculoskeletal problems and psychological disorders, underscoring the need for industry-specific health measures; and (7) the lack of wellness resources for forensic professionals calls for improved mental health support and training. Conclusions. The findings highlight the pervasive issue of burnout and stress among forensic professionals globally. Addressing these challenges requires comprehensive stress management programs, tailored mental health resources, and organizational support. Future research should focus on developing and implementing effective interventions to enhance resilience and job satisfaction within this high-stress field. Full article

Climate change presents an urgent global challenge, manifesting in rising temperatures and extreme weather events with severe societal impacts. The Eastern Mediterranean, warming faster than the global average, faces immediate repercussions. Climate literacy emerges as pivotal, empowering individuals to comprehend climate science and act accordingly. This study delves into climate literacy, attitudes, and ‘greening’ behaviours in the Eastern Mediterranean hotspot of Greece, based on a survey of 1962 citizens. Findings indicate high climate literacy but lower adoption of ‘greening’ behaviours, especially those involving financial costs. Regression analyses highlight the significant role of climate literacy, concerns about personal impacts, coping appraisal, and trust in institutions in promoting ‘greening’ behaviours. This study underscores the need for multifaceted strategies emphasising financial motivation, trust-building, and societal norm shifts. Socio-demographic disparities, including gender and occupation, highlight areas for targeted interventions. The emphasis on the mental health impacts of climate-related events underscores the need for comprehensive disaster management that addresses not only physical damage but also psychological and social dimensions. Policy implications are discussed, highlighting the potential of expanded climate literacy to catalyse collective action toward sustainability. Full article

In the 21st century, climate change has emerged as a critical global public health challenge. Women experience the most severe impacts of climate change, intensifying pre-existing gender inequalities. This scoping review aims to explore the intersection of climate change, health, and gender, considering the social determinants of health. The methods for this review follow the Arksey and O’Malley framework for a scoping review and the PRISMA-ScR checklist. The review, covering January 2019 to February 2024, included PubMed, LILACS, and SciELO databases. We identified 71 studies with 19 meeting the inclusion criteria. The results revealed the differential effects of climate change on health according to gender in areas such as mental health, reproductive health, gender-based violence, occupational health, and health issues associated with heat and air pollution. Our findings also elucidated how socio-economic and gender inequities intersect, exacerbating the risk of experiencing these effects. In conclusion, the study highlights a clear need for gender-sensitive climate policies and interventions to address these disparities and protect vulnerable populations from the health impacts of climate change. Full article

Psychosocial risks seem to have a great impact on non-university teachers, giving rise to consequences such as burnout, health problems, and lack of engagement. These consequences result from high levels of stress, caused by an imbalance between demands and resources at work. Socio-cultural differences between Spain and Mexico, such as fewer educational resources and higher job insecurity in Mexico, can lead to a disparity in burnout rates, disproportionately impacting the occupational health in teachers from these countries. Thus, this study aims to (1) analyse psychosocial risks in two samples; (2) evaluate the relationships between demands, resources, and consequences; and (3) study the moderating effect of country on these relationships. Participants were 169 Spanish teachers and 218 Mexican teachers. Results showed that Spanish teachers experienced more role conflict, interpersonal conflict, work overload, and job insecurity. In both countries, work overload was the strongest predictor of burnout and health problems. Engagement was positively influenced by social support and autonomy in both contexts, with autonomy being the strongest predictor in Mexico. The type of country only moderated the relationship between job insecurity and burnout, being stronger in the case of Mexico. These findings provide crucial insights for the development of intervention programs aimed at reducing workload, managing conflicts, and enhancing social support, thus contributing to the social sustainability of the teaching profession. Full article

Spatial mobility is an important means of tackling regional disparities and matching problems in education and labor markets, but it is also a source of individual social inequality as it is associated with higher socio-economic resources and returns; however, there is a paucity of research on the prevalence and predictors of spatial mobility among youth entering vocational education and training (VET). We examine the importance of (a) individual occupational orientations, (b) regional opportunity structures, and (c) social ties for the spatial mobility of youth in this early transition phase using longitudinal data from the German NEPS, which we combined with administrative geospatial data of German districts (NUTS-3). Our results show widespread spatial mobility among students entering the VET system: 16% are mobile within and 22% between regional labor markets. Multinomial logistic regression models show that, in addition to young people’s occupational orientations (status aspirations; search duration) and social ties to friends, regional opportunity structures (general unattractiveness; person–environment mismatch) are crucial for youths’ spatial mobility. This underscores the importance of spatial mobility given regional disparities to promote youths’ access to VET and reduce regional mismatches in the VET market. Full article

This study aims to describe the socio-demographic profile of so-called “key workers” during the first lockdown in France and to assess their potential occupational exposure to SARS-CoV-2 under routine, pre-pandemic working conditions. We used the French list of essential jobs that was issued during the first lockdown to identify three subgroups of key workers (hospital healthcare, non-hospital healthcare, non-healthcare). Based on the population-based “Conditions de travail-2019” survey, we described the socio-demographic composition of key workers and their potential work-related exposures (to “infectious agents,” “face-to-face contact with the public,” and “working with colleagues”) using modified Poisson regression. In general, women, clerical and manual workers, workers on temporary contracts, those with lower education and income, and non-European immigrants were more likely to be key workers, who accounted for 22% of the active population. Non-healthcare essential workers (57%) were the most socially disadvantaged, while non-hospital healthcare workers (19%) were polarized at both extremes of the social scale; hospital healthcare workers (24%) were intermediate. Compared to non-key workers, all subgroups had greater exposure to infectious agents and more physical contact with the public. This study provides evidence of accumulated disadvantages among key workers concerning their social background, geographical origin, and potential SARS-CoV-2 exposure. Full article

(1) The objective of this socio-epidemiologic cross-sectional study was to investigate caries burdens in Ghanaian children aged 3 to 13 years. The main focus was the analysis of urban–rural disparities and associating socio-demographic and behavioural factors. (2) Standardized caries examination with documentation of decayed, missing, filled deciduous (dmft) and permanent teeth (DMFT) was conducted in 11 school facilities according to WHO guidelines. A parental questionnaire gathered data considering associating factors. Descriptive statistics were used to evaluate their influence on caries prevalence and experience using mean dmft+DMFT, Significant Caries Index (SiC), and Specific Affected Caries Index (SaC). (3) In total, 313 study participants were included (mean age 7.7 ± 3.8 years; 156 urban, 157 rural). The urban region showed slightly higher caries prevalence (40.4% vs. 38.9%). The rural region had higher caries experience in mean dmft+DMFT (1.22 ± 2.26 vs. 0.96 ± 1.58), SiC (3.52 ± 2.73 vs. 2.65 ± 1.71), and SaC (3.15 ± 2.68 vs. 2.37 ± 1.68). Lower education and occupation level of parents and rural residence were associated to higher caries values. Sugary diet showed an inverse relation with caries prevalence and oral hygiene practices supported the generally known etiologic correlation. (4) This study highlights the importance of targeting children vulnerable to caries due to social inequality with adequate preventive means. The implementation of regular dental screening and education, e.g. in schools, may be helpful. Full article

This article analyses the available income of farmer households in Poland in 2003–2020 in the context of their level, variability, and differentiation. The income situation of farmers was analysed from the intra-sectoral perspective and the inter-sectoral perspective by comparing the average monthly available income per capita of farmer households to the income of employees and total households. The research aimed to assess the stability of farmers’ incomes against the background of comparative groups and to assess their social sustainability. We understand farmers’ income parity relative to other socio-professional groups and a similar level of intra-sectoral differentiation. The source of empirical materials was the cyclical statistics of the Central Statistical Office prepared as part of the Household Budget Surveys, published in the years 2004–2021. It was found that despite a significant increase in the real income of farmers’ households in Poland over the studied years, the income disparity of farmers relative to other socio-occupational groups persisted. However, the income gap of farmers in relation to workers from the non-agricultural sector decreased from 35.1% in 2003 to an average of 15.7% in 2004–2020, which is largely due to the support for agriculture from the CAP funds. Compared to the analysed groups, the income of farmers’ households is characterised by the most significant instability and greater diversification. These results indicate a persistent deficit in the social sustainability of farmers’ household income in Poland. Full article

Health literacy is the ability of individuals to access, process, and understand health information to make decisions regarding treatment and their health on the whole; it is critical to maintain and improve public health. However, the health literacy of urban and rural populations in China has been little known. Thus, this study aims to assess the status of health literacy and explore the differences of its possible determinants (e.g., socio-economic factors) among urban and rural populations in Henan, China. A cross-sectional study, 78,646 participants were recruited from a populous province in central China with a multi-stage random sampling design. The Chinese Resident Health Literacy Scale was adopted to measure the health literacy of the respondents. In the participants, the level of health literacy (10.21%) in central China was significantly lower than the national average, and a big gap was identified between urban and rural populations (16.92% vs. 8.09%). A noticeable difference was reported in different aspects and health issues of health literacy between urban and rural populations. The health literacy level was lower in those with lower levels of education, and a significant difference was identified in the level of health literacy among people of different ages and occupations in both urban and rural areas. Note that in rural areas, as long as residents educated, they all had higher odds to exhibit basic health literacy than those uneducated; in rural areas, compared with those aged 15 to 24 years, residents aged 45 to 54 years (OR = 0.846,95% CI (0.730, 0.981)), 55 to 64 years (OR = 0.716,95% CI (0.614, 0.836)) and above 65 years (OR = 0.679, 95% CI (0.567, 0.812)) were 84.6%, 71.6%, and 67.9%, respectively, less likely to exhibit basic health literacy. Considering the lower health literacy among rural residents compared with their urban counterparts, a reorientation of the health policy-making for Chinese rural areas is recommended. This study suggests that urban–rural disparity about health literacy risk factors should be considered when implementing health literacy promotion intervention. Full article

Urban infrastructure systems responsible for the provision of energy, transportation, shelter, and communication to populations are important determinants of health and health equity. The term “smart city” has been used synonymously with other terms, such as “digital city”, “sustainable city”, and “information city”, even though definitional distinctions exist between terms. In this review, we use “smart cities” as a catch-all term to refer to an emerging concept in urban governance practice and scholarship that has been increasingly applied to achieve public health aims. The objective of this systematic review was to document and analyze the inclusion of equity considerations and dimensions (i.e., a measurement, analytical, or dialectical focus on systematic disparities in health between groups) in smart city interventions aimed to improve human health and well-being. Systematic searches were carried out in the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), Psychological Information Database (PsycINFO), the PubMed database from the National Center for Biotechnology Information, Elsevier’s database Scopus, and Web of Science, returning 3219 titles. Ultimately, 28 articles were retained, assessed, and coded for their inclusion of equity characteristics using the Cochrane PROGRESS-Plus tool (referring to (P) place of residence, (R) race, (O) occupation, (G) gender, (R) religion, (E) education, (S) socio-economic status (SES), and (S) social capital). The most frequently included equity considerations in smart city health interventions were place of residence, SES, social capital, and personal characteristics; conversely, occupation, gender or sex, religion, race, ethnicity, culture, language, and education characteristics were comparatively less featured in such interventions. Overall, it appears that most of intervention evaluations assessed in this review are still in the early testing phases, and thus did not include or feature robust evaluative designs or commercially available technologies Full article

Reading practices play an important role in the learning process of students. Especially in a fast-changing world where knowledge about nature and society is in a constant state of flux, book reading helps students foster skills such as thinking, valuing, adaptability and creativity for sustainable development. This research study used a dataset of 1676 observations of junior high school students from Northern Vietnam to explore students’ academic achievement and its association with their reading passion, family socio economic condition, parental education and occupational aspiration. The empirical results show that higher grades in STEM-related subjects are predicted by reading interest (β_Readbook = 0.425, p < 0.0001), with students who love reading books achieve higher score than those who take no interest in books. Remarkably, the education level of the mother strongly enhances academic performance, with β = 0.721 (p < 0.0001) in cases of mother having a university diploma or higher. Students coming from wealthy families are more likely to buy books whereas borrowing from the library is the main source of books for students who grow up in not-rich families. However, even among wealthy families, investment into buying books still rely more on personal interest, despite the aforementioned educational benefits of book reading, as evidenced by an over 7 percentage point disparity between the likelihood of purchasing books among wealthy-family students who took an interest in reading (45%) versus students of the same background who did not like to read (38.7%). The results present implications for education policy making with a vision towards United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal 4: Quality Education. Full article