To see the other types of publications on this topic, follow the link: Urban health.
Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Urban health'
Create a spot-on reference in APA, MLA, Chicago, Harvard, and other styles
Consult the top 50 dissertations / theses for your research on the topic 'Urban health.'
Next to every source in the list of references, there is an 'Add to bibliography' button. Press on it, and we will generate automatically the bibliographic reference to the chosen work in the citation style you need: APA, MLA, Harvard, Chicago, Vancouver, etc.
You can also download the full text of the academic publication as pdf and read online its abstract whenever available in the metadata.
Browse dissertations / theses on a wide variety of disciplines and organise your bibliography correctly.
1
Leibe, Mary. "Creating Healthy Urban Environments: Commercial Landscaping, Preference and Public Health." ScholarWorks@UNO, 2016. http://scholarworks.uno.edu/td/2262.
Full textAbstract:
Landscape development[1] can provide many benefits, including the reduction of stormwater runoff and the creation of habitats for wildlife. It can also provide health benefits. Researchers, such as Roger Ulrich and Rita Berto have demonstrated that views of trees and other vegetation are associated with lower blood pressure and reduced recovery times in hospitals and that environments with more natural elements may lessen mental fatigue (R. Ulrich 1984) and (Berto 2005).
As rebuilding in New Orleans continues 11 years after Hurricane Katrina, landscape development has been limited or lacking, especially in the redevelopment of commercial properties. Two prominent reasons for this deficiency are a lack of funding and, until August of 2015, the absence of a comprehensive landscape ordinance.
The purpose of the research presented here is to determine the degree to which community residents express a preference for healthier commercial environments. As part of my research, I measured community perceptions of four potential redevelopment concepts for a blighted strip shopping center utilizing attention restoration theory (ART), which postulates that certain environmental qualities contribute to reductions in mental fatigue. I found that commercial environments with the most quality landscaping[2] are those that neighborhood residents most prefer and are most conducive to better health.
Keywords: mental fatigue, attention restoration theory, perceived restoration scale, commercial landscape quantity, public health, healthy urban environment
[1] Refer to operational definitions (pages 4-6).
[2] Refer to operational definitions (pages 4-6).
2
Avila-Palencia, Ione 1985. "Urban environment, transport behaviours, and health." Doctoral thesis, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, 2018. http://hdl.handle.net/10803/665298.
Full textAbstract:
Urban environments are very complex systems with a myriad of factors intricately related. Built environment, transport, physical activity and sedentary behaviours, air pollution, and social contacts and feelings of loneliness can have effects on urban population’s health and well-being. Also, some of these determinants can be associated and can interact between them modifying their effects on health. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), health is “a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity”. Taking into account this comprehensive health definition, this thesis covered different layers of health: general, mental, and physical. With four different studies, the results of the present thesis suggest that it is possible to design urban environments that can increase physical activity levels, mainly through active transport, and that the crime-safety perceptions can have an important role in terms of reinforcing the effects of the built environment on physical activity and sedentary behaviours. Furthermore, active transport, mainly bicycle use, seems to be a source of good mental health and well-being, and a tool to boost social capital production. Increasing physical activity levels also seems to be a good way to improve cardiovascular health through blood pressure levels reduction.
The present thesis suggests that urban and transport planning have a great potential to promote healthy behaviours and ensure mental and physical health of city dwellers, mainly through active transport promotion. In order to improve the health promotion through urban environment, more research about aesthetics urban attributes, urban social capital production, effects on mental health and well-being, and effectiveness of urban interventions is needed.Los entornos urbanos son sistemas muy complejos con una miríada de factores intrincadamente relacionados. El entorno construido, el transporte, la actividad física y los comportamientos sedentarios, la contaminación del aire y los contactos sociales y los sentimientos de soledad pueden tener efectos en la salud y el bienestar de la población urbana. Además, algunos de estos determinantes se pueden asociar y pueden interactuar entre ellos modificando sus efectos sobre la salud. Según la Organización Mundial de la Salud (OMS), la salud es "un estado de completo bienestar físico, mental y social y no simplemente la ausencia de enfermedades o dolencias". Teniendo en cuenta esta definición integral de salud, esta tesis cubre diferentes niveles de salud: general, mental y física. Con cuatro estudios diferentes, los resultados de la presente tesis sugieren que es posible diseñar entornos urbanos que puedan aumentar los niveles de actividad física, principalmente a través del transporte activo, y que las percepciones de seguridad con respecto al crimen pueden tener un papel importante en términos de reforzar los efectos del entorno construido sobre la actividad física y los comportamientos sedentarios. Además, el transporte activo, principalmente el uso de bicicletas, parece ser una fuente de buena salud mental y bienestar, y una herramienta para impulsar la producción de capital social. El aumento de los niveles de actividad física también parece ser una buena forma de mejorar la salud cardiovascular a través de la reducción de los niveles de presión arterial. La presente tesis sugiere que la planificación urbana y de transporte tienen un gran potencial para promover comportamientos saludables y garantizar la salud mental y física de los habitantes de las ciudades, principalmente a través de la promoción del transporte activo. Para ir mejorando la promoción de la salud a través del entorno urbano, se necesita más investigación sobre los atributos urbanos estéticos, la producción de capital social urbano, los efectos sobre la salud mental y el bienestar, y la efectividad de las intervenciones urbanas
3
Tomlinson, Charlie John. "Incorporation of urban heat in risk assessment : a health perspective." Thesis, University of Birmingham, 2013. http://etheses.bham.ac.uk//id/eprint/3856/.
Full textAbstract:
This thesis analyses heat health risk spatially in Birmingham (UK) via a combination of remote sensing and GIS techniques, including urban influences which are not generally considered in heat risk assessments or climate change projections. The world’s urban population is growing rapidly, and the risk of extreme heat to human health has been highlighted by recent events such as the 2003 heatwave in Europe, where mortality rates significantly increased. This thesis presents a methodology using satellite data to quantify the surface urban heat island of Birmingham at 1 km resolution, with results showing extreme events are much warmer (\(\sim\)5°C) than average conditions (\(\sim\)2°C). This urban heat island data is combined with social data in a spatial risk assessment, illustrating that many vulnerable people live in areas of increased heat risk. A custom collection of ground based sensors is utilised to investigate the relationship between surface and air temperatures, finding air temperatures are warmer than LST measurements at night. Then UK Climate Projections 2009 are used to explore the influence of the urban heat island on climate projections in Birmingham, showing that changes could be large (90% increase in minimum temperature under 2080s extreme scenarios).
4
Burton, Salma. "Evaluation in health promotion : assessing effectiveness of Healthy City Project evaluations." Thesis, London South Bank University, 2001. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.326942.
Full text
5
Yang, Hui, and 杨慧. "Shifting health care regimes in urban China and the impact on the urban poor." Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 2010. http://hub.hku.hk/bib/B45142002.
Full text
6
Mayr, Michael. "Perceptions of oral health in urban housing developments." Thesis, Boston University, 2012. https://hdl.handle.net/2144/12510.
Full textAbstract:
Thesis (M.A.)--Boston University
PLEASE NOTE: Boston University Libraries did not receive an Authorization To Manage form for this thesis or dissertation. It is therefore not openly accessible, though it may be available by request. If you are the author or principal advisor of this work and would like to request open access for it, please contact us at open-help@bu.edu. Thank you.Objectives: The purposes of this study was to assess the perceptions of individuals directly and indirectly involved in the operations of public housing developments across the U.S, to better understand how these perceptions of oral healthcare might influence the development of initiatives targeted a improving overall healthcare among individuals living in public housing developments. Methods: The target population was the 180 attendees of the 2010 meeting of the Health Care for Residents of Public Housing National Conference. A ten-question survey which assessed conference attendees' beliefs about oral health and its importance to public housing residents was distributed. Data was analyzed using SAS 9.1. Descriptive statistics were calculated for each variable and results were stratified by participants' roles. Free response question were compiled according to specific criteria. Results: Sixty participants were surveyed. The majority of survey participants resided in Massachusetts (n=16; 27.1%) and Ohio (n=11; 18.6%) with a total of 18 states represented in the completed surveys. Among all participants, 38.6 percent rated oral health as one of the top three health issues faced by public housing residents and that residents of public housing developments believe oral health is the 'Most Important' health issue. Those respondents who worked within a Housing Authority, the largest represented role, chose Oral Healthcare as the greatest of the three health needs followed by 'Access to Nutritional Food' and 'Access to Primary Healthcare'. The majority (n=11; 50%) of public housing residents preferred using the term 'Dental Health' as compared to Agency Representatives (n=3; 50%) and Housing Authority employees (n=12; 50%), both of whom preferred the term 'Oral Health'. Conclusions: According to survey participants, Oral Health is a one of the greatest unmet needs for public housing residents. And while some participants come from housing developments that have programs in place to promote health issues, the majority of participants report having no such programs in place. Important to also note are the similarities and differences shared by participants who serve in different roles within a public housing development (i.e. residents v. housing authority). While there was no noted difference in preference to the term Oral Health versus Dental Health, it is worth noting the responses of participants who had different interpretations of the two terms. Limitations of this survey include sample size, and further analysis on this subject might include specific surveys targeted at residents of public housing or to those who are involved in the operations of public housing developments.
7
Wang, Yan. "China’s Urban Household Food Consumption, Nutrition and Health." Thesis, North Dakota State University, 2017. https://hdl.handle.net/10365/28360.
Full textAbstract:
The effect of family structure on household nutrition intake and the effect of wine, beer, and spirits consumption on household nutrition and health are examined. To evaluate nutrition intake, an Eating Healthy Index (EHI) is developed following the Compilation of Food-Based Dietary Guidelines, published by the Chinese Nutrition Society, and the Healthy Eating Index-2010 components and standards for scoring from USDA. Using previously collected household survey data from 11 cities in China, an EHI is developed and calculated for each family to assess their nutrition intake. The score is calculated such that it increases if consumption is in a range representing healthy food intake. The relationship between the score, representing healthy nutrition intake, and household income, wife's education level, demographics, and household composition is explored using regression analysis. The results indicate that changes in family structure have significant effects on household nutrition intake.
8
Strong, Heather. "Examining Health Behaviors in Urban Preschool Age Children." University of Cincinnati / OhioLINK, 2016. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1446546860.
Full text
9
Iversen, Lisa. "Exploring respiratory health in rural and urban Scotland." Thesis, University of Aberdeen, 2006. http://digitool.abdn.ac.uk/R?func=search-advanced-go&find_code1=WSN&request1=AAIU214168.
Full textAbstract:
The study aimed to describe: the epidemiology of self-reported chronic respiratory disease, patterns of respiratory-related health service utilisation and quality of life in the community in Scotland, in relation to rural and urban locations, and to investigate change over time. At baseline compared with urban respondents, rural respondents reported a significantly lower prevalence of any chest illness, asthma, more than two other chronic conditions and eczema/dermatitis. Rural respondents were less likely to report a number of respiratory symptoms. Respiratory-related health service utilisation was significantly lower among respondents from rural rather than urban practices. Rural residency appeared to be associated with better health status among those with COPD and/or emphysema but the results were not adjusted for potential confounding. At follow-up, the cumulative incidence of self-reported chronic respiratory disease and respiratory symptoms was similar among respondents from rural and urban practices. Patterns of respiratory-related health service use were similar to baseline. There was no evidence of significant rural-urban differences in changes in quality of life scores. The Scottish Executive Urban Rural Classification produced similar results to the general practice-based rural-urban definition. The intermethod reliability study found that some conditions tended to be over-reported, especially those likely to be self-diagnosed. Importantly, there did not appear to be any systematic rural-urban difference in the strength of agreement between self-reported information and the medical records. Where there were rural-urban differences in mean FEV1, FVC or PEF values, rural residents had higher (better) values than urban dwellers.
10
Carter, May Elizabeth. "Health and the nature of urban green spaces." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 2009. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/1838.
Full textAbstract:
Recognition that city-dwelling people can benefit from contact with nature is not new. The urban open air movement of the 19th century advised retention of greenways and development of urban parks and gardens to stop disease spread through lack of fresh air, poor sanitation and overcrowding. Now, in the early 21st century, urban green spaces are under threat from inner city infill projects and clearing of remnant vegetation to accommodate suburban sprawl.
While much literature discusses positive health benefits of contact with nature, few studies explore explicit pathways between urban green space and health, despite mounting concern that disassociation between people and nature in urban communities may be detrimental to physical and mental health. This study explored how people’s attitudes toward nature might influence perceptions of nearby green spaces and feelings of attachment to living in their neighbourhood, and in turn, whether people with positive attitudes towards nature and positive perceptions of nearby green space would report better health.
A mixed method research design was adopted in this study. Exploration of research questions required objective measurement of relationships between different aspects of health and nature, and interpretation of the subjective meanings people attach to those relationships. Study design involved distribution of a cross-sectional survey to residents in four neighbourhoods in Perth, Western Australia with respondents invited to participate in a semi-structured interview. Neighbourhoods were selected based on location (either an inner or outer suburban area), age of neighbourhood (established or new), diversity of nearby green space, and socio-demographic characteristics. Data from 440 surveys and 25 interviews were analysed.
Attitudes towards urban nature were diverse and it was clear that feelings about natural environments strongly influenced preference and perceptions of useable green spaces, and for some people, their choice of neighbourhood. In essence, people who enjoyed spending time in nature were more inclined to seek green spaces within their neighbourhood environment that provided complexity and opportunities for exploration or escape. Those who professed little connection to nature and saw bushland areas as untidy, uninviting or unsafe, tended to be more concerned about aesthetic and functional aspects of green space design and preferred to visit ‘civilised’ parks and gardens with manicured lawns, formal paths and playgrounds.
Green spaces were important sites for physical activity, relaxation and social interaction and proximity to useable green space was a significant factor in predicting better selfreported health. In addition, neighbourhoods with trees and greenways were described as healthier places to live. People who lived in close proximity to parks and green spaces where social interaction regularly occurred, who reported that diverse green spaces and bushland areas were being retained in their neighbourhood, who cared about environmental issues and were interested in being involved in conservation activities, were more likely to report better physical function, general health, mental health and feelings of vitality. People who regularly visited nearby green spaces described feeling happier and more satisfied with living in their neighbourhood.
Encouraging people to regularly visit and become actively involved in caring for local nature reserves and parklands can play an important role in health promotion and preventive health strategies. Conservation, useability and management of diverse green spaces must be considered as a critical element of urban planning. This will only occur with continuing recognition of the health benefits that can be achieved by retaining diverse, quality green spaces within suburban neighbourhoods.
11
Sarkar, Chinmoy. "The science of healthy cities : deciphering the associations between urban morphometrics and health outcomes." Thesis, Cardiff University, 2013. http://orca.cf.ac.uk/47613/.
Full textAbstract:
Over the past decade there has been mounting evidence of the significant role played by the myriad attributes of our city's built environments in shaping our health and well-being. This thesis hypothesizes that the constituent components of the built environment, especially the configuration and design of land uses and street networks governs the distribution of resources and services, configures the neighbourhood activity space, and thereby influences individual physical activity behaviours, social interactions, weight outcomes as well as mental health and well being. Enhanced accessibility to health-promoting community resources improves local opportunities for physical activity, thereby enhancing mobility, social interactions and independence as well as reducing isolation. The first section of this thesis conceptualizes the urban health niche as a novel holistic and spatially-explicit paradigm in public health and proposes a health niche model of healthy city. Based on the proposed paradigm and gathered research evidence, multilevel data sets pertaining to health, socio-economic, built and natural environment have been produced and integrated together to constitute the high resolution database, spatial Design Network Analysis for Urban Health (sDNA-UH). sDNA-UH has been developed for the assembly constituency of Caerphilly, South Wales enabling operationalization of the spatial elements of the proposed urban health niche. State-of-the-art spatial and network analysis techniques have been employed upon the UK Ordnance Survey Mastermap data layers to quantify the various facets of urban built environment in the form of built environment morphological metrics (morphometrics) with the potential to influence individual's health. Based on the developed sDNA-UH, a series of three empirical studies comprising multilevel cross-sectional and longitudinal models have been presented which examine the association between specific attributes of a built environment and health outcomes. Firstly, a two-part multi-level regression model was employed to examine the impact of built environment configuration upon psychological distress. Land use mix, density of amenities, local street-network general accessibility (‘betweenness’) and slope variability were identified as significant predictors. Secondly, the first long-term longitudinal evidence relating the built environment to change in obesity in older people identified land use mix, density of amenities street network accessibility and slope variability as significant predictors. The third study examined the health effects of differential accessibility of an individual's dwelling with respect to multiple service and facility catchments at multiple spatial scales. Dwelling level density, dwelling type, density of community services, street network movement potential expressed in terms of betweenness index as well as neighbourhood-level deprivation were identified as the significant parameters. The study reported significant differences in point estimates and level of significance when comparing the two spatial scales of 0.5 and 1.0 mile street network catchments. The empirical evidence thus generated lends support to the thesis’ principal hypothesis that the built environment influences individual health behaviour and eventually health. The research concludes that optimized design and planning of urban built environments act as effective public health intervention in our goal of health-sustaining communities and a healthy city.
12
Mann, David. "Urban Agriculture: A Response to Urban Food Deserts." University of Cincinnati / OhioLINK, 2009. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1250617494.
Full text
13
Mehdipanah, Roshanak 1984. "Urban renewal and health : the effects of the Neighbourhoods Law on health and health inequalities in Barcelona." Doctoral thesis, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/10803/301438.
Full textAbstract:
Urban renewal interventions aim to improve physical infrastrucutres, promote social
integration and increase economic gains. However, they also have the potential to
improve the wellbeing of residents.
The objective of this dissertation was to better understand how an urban renewal policy,
the Neighbourhoods Law, could affect health and health inequality in Barcelona, Spain.
Using a mixed-methods approach, three studies were produced to better understand this
connection. The first study used Concept Mapping techniques to study the perception of
neighbours towards changes that had occurred in their intervened neighbourhoods in
recent years and their importance for their wellbeing. The second study used the
Barcelona Health Survey to analyse poor self-rated health and mental health status in
women and men, before and after the intervention in participating neighbourhoods
while comparing them to a group of non-intervened neighbourhood but with similar
socio-demographic characteristics. The analysis was repeated to introduce the
dimension of health inequality using social (occupational) class as a stratifying
indicator. The third study used the results attained from previous studies and the
existing literature to propose possible mechanisms linking urban renewal to health.
The results from these studies indicate that the Neighbourhoods Law had a positive
effect on residents’ health and health inequality.Les intervencions de renovació urbana tenen com a objectiu millorar les infraestructures físiques, promoure la integració social i augmentar els guanys econòmics. A més, també tenen el potencial de millorar el benestar dels residents. L'objectiu d'aquesta tesi és poder comprendre com una política de renovació urbana, la Llei de Barris, pot afectar a la salut i a les desigualtats en salut a la ciutat de Barcelona. Per respondre a aquest objectiu s’han realitzat tres articles usant un enfocament de mètodes mixtos. El primer estudi utilitza la metodologia de “Concept Mapping” per analitzar la percepció dels veïns en relació als canvis que s’han produït en el barri en els últims anys i la seva importància per al seu benestar. El segon estudi utilitza l'Enquesta de Salut de Barcelona per analitzar la mala salut autopercebuda i l'estat de salut mental, abans i després de la Llei de Barris en els barris participants utilitzant com a grup de comparació un grup de barris no participants de característiques socio-demogràfiques similars. Les anàlisis es van repetir per introduir la dimensió de la desigualtat en salut utilitzant la classe social (ocupacional) com a indicador. El tercer estudi utilitza els resultats obtinguts dels dos estudis anteriors i de la bibliografia existent per proposar possibles mecanismes que vinculin la renovació urbana en la salut. Els resultats d'aquests estudis indiquen que la Llei de Barris té un efecte positiu en la salut i en la desigualtat en salut dels veïns.
14
Mueller, Natalie 1988. "Health impact assessment of urban and transport planning policies." Doctoral thesis, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, 2017. http://hdl.handle.net/10803/664239.
Full textAbstract:
Urbanization processes are ongoing. Some aspects of urban life such as a sedentary lifestyle, the risk of traffic incidents, high levels of air pollution, noise and heat, and a lack of green spaces can have detrimental effects on our health and well-being. Despite consensus that these exposures related to urban and transport planning affect our health, there is little quantification of these health risk factors in the urban context. Quantitative health impact assessment (HIA) can provide numeric indices of health risk factors and can inform the health benefit-risk tradeoff of public policies. The present thesis sheds light on the utility of quantitative HIA in urban and transport planning policies. Almost 3,000 premature deaths, over 50,000 disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) and over 20 million € in direct health care spending were estimated to be attributable to current urban and transport planning practices in Barcelona, Spain annually. The present thesis suggests that overwhelming motor transport fleets in cities need to be reduced through (1) the promotion of active transport (i.e. walking and cycling for transport in combination with public transport), facilitated by for instance the expansion of cycling networks and (2) the reinforcement of green spaces. Active transport together with green spaces, were assessed to provide considerable net health benefits through increases in physical activity levels and mitigation of motor transport-associated emissions of air pollution, noise and heat. The present thesis concludes that HIA is a useful tool for quantification of anticipated health impacts of public policies and more extensive application of HIA is encouraged.Algunas de las características de la vida urbana como el estilo de vida sedentario, el riesgo de sufrir accidentes de tráfico, los altos niveles de contaminación atmosférica, el ruido, el calor y la falta de espacios verdes pueden tener efectos perjudiciales en nuestra salud y bienestar. Aunque se sabe que estas exposiciones afectan nuestra salud, existe poca cuantificación de estos factores de riesgo en el contexto urbano. Las evaluaciones del impacto sobre la salud cuantitativas (HIA por sus siglas en inglés) proporcionan datos sobre los factores de riesgo en la salud e información del equilibrio entre beneficio y riesgo de las políticas públicas. Se estima que cada año casi 3,000 muertes prematuras, más de 50,000 años de vida ajustados por discapacidad (DALYs por sus siglas en inglés) y más de 20 millones de € de gastos directos en el sistema de salud que son atribuibles a las actuales políticas urbanas y de transporte en Barcelona, España. Esta tesis sugiere que el tráfico rodado en las ciudades necesita ser reducido mediante (1) la promoción del transporte activo (caminar, ir en bicicleta, transporte público), facilitada p.ej. por la expansión de la red de carril de bicicleta, y (2) con el aumento de los espacios verdes. Se estimó que el transporte activo y los espacios verdes proporcionan considerables beneficios netos para la salud a través del aumento de la actividad física y de la mitigación de las emisiones de contaminantes atmosféricos, ruido y calor asociadas al transporte motorizado. La presente tesis concluye que la HIA es una herramienta útil para la cuantificación anticipada de los impactos en la salud de las políticas públicas y se recomienda una aplicación extensiva de esta metodología
15
Wanless, Deanna. "Health differentials among elderly women : a rural-urban analysis /." Burnaby B.C. : Simon Fraser University, 2005. http://ir.lib.sfu.ca/handle/1892/2041.
Full text
16
Charlton, Alexander James. "Characterisation of urban particulates and their potential health effects." Thesis, University of Leeds, 2011. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.578622.
Full textAbstract:
Urban particulate matter (UPM) is known to be a causative agent in a number of diseases including cancers of the respiratory system. Toxicological analysis has implicated particle size, surface area, metal ions, free radical induction, and organic chemistry as potential drivers of human health effects; however the relative importance of these factors is unclear. This project attempts to determine the factors responsible for the in vitro toxicity of particulate air pollution. The importance of fuel type on exhaust particle characteristics was examined through the collection of engine exhaust particles (EEP) produced by a heavy diesel engine operating using conventional diesel and rapeseed oil based biofuels. The effects of particle aging in the atmosphere, and the contributions of sources other than engine exhausts were determined through the collection of UPM from a roadside site. The genotoxic potential of particulate samples was determined using the comet assay, and particle free radical induction was measured with the plasmid strand break assay. Particle organic chemistry was determined using gas chromatography mass spectrometry. Particular emphasis was placed on the accurate quantification of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), a class of carcinogenic hydrocarbons known to be present on the surface of particulate matter. Engine particulate samples were collected from a heavy duty diesel engine using conventional petrodiesel, rapeseed oil (RSa) or rapeseed oil with a fuel additive (RSaAd). Analysis of particulate specific emissions indicated that Rsa combustion generated a significantly greater mass of particulate matter than the combustion of diesel. This increase in particulate mass output was attributed to poor RSa combustion characteristics due to coking of fuel injectors during engine operation. ' This could be corrected through the use of a fuel additive, which bought Rsa particulate emissions into line with diesel. In all fuels the majority of the particulate mass collected had an aerodynamic diameter of less than one 1 urn, indicating that they may potentially deposit within the lower respiratory tract in humans, and as such are relevant to human health. Analysis of total suspended particle and size fractionated samples of engine particulate material showed that engine exhaust particles produced through diesel combustion were significantly more genotoxic than those produced whilst operating with biofuels. A statistically significant size dependency was found in diesel exhaust particles, with finer material inducing a greater level of DNA damage. Finer rapeseed oil exhaust particles were also shown to be more genotoxic than coarser material, although this trend was not as pronounced as in diesel exhaust particles, and was not statistically significant. Free radical analysis of exhaust particles showed that for all fuels the coarsest fraction of PM induced the largest level of radical activity. In most fractions diesel and Rsa EEP induced similar levels of damage, whereas coarse RSaAd induced significantly greater levels of free radicals. Free radical induction was indicated to be a result of particle phase metals present due to engine wear. Diesel EEP P AH levels were higher than Rsa or RSaAd samples in most size fractions of particles examined. Diesel EEP showed finer fractions to have the greatest P AH concentrations, with P AH concentration being roughly in line with v what might be expected based on projected surface area, suggesting absorption from the vapour phase as the mechanism by which P AH arrive on diesel PM. RSO and RSOAd EEP contained significantly lower P AH concentrations than diesel EEP. A correlation was found between particle phase P AH concentrations and observed DNA damage in the comet assay, suggesting PAH as potential drivers of genotoxicity. The concentration and distribution of n-alkane species was shown to be independent of fuel type, which is in line with previous studies that have indicated that engine lubricating oil is the major source of particle n-alkanes. Qualitative analysis of compounds other than P AH and n-alkanes in EEP showed differences in composition between diesel and RSO derived EEP, with the latter containing a greater number of oxygenated compounds. Size fractionated samples of UPM were collected from the Kirkstall Road air monitoring enclosure, located on a busy road servicing Leeds city centre. As in engine experiments the majority of particulate mass was found to be present in finer particles. In addition to particle size seasonal effects were observed with higher particle mass concentrations observed during colder sampling periods. Comet assay analysis of size fractionated UPM indicated that the majority of DNA damage was observed in the finest fraction of particles. However this damage was lower than that observed in the finest fraction of diesel EEP. In general particles collected during colder periods exhibited greater levels of DNA damage than those collected during warm sampling periods. As in diesel EEP the majority of the particle phase P AH detected were in the finest fractions of particulate material. Coarse UPM fractions contained a greater proportion of total particle phase P AH contributions than was observed in diesel EEP, possibly indicating particle agglomeration in the atmosphere. Additionally, a seasonal component was observed, with particles collected during colder seasons generally containing greater levels of PAH. A strong correlation between particle PAH concentrations and DNA damage in the comet assay was observed, indicating that the mechanism by which DNA damage occurs may involve PAH. Free radical analysis showed that the trend observed in EEP was reversed in UPM, with the finest fractions of UPM inducing greater levels of plasmid unwinding. This was at odds with the results of analysis of free radicals by EEP. The reason for this difference was unclear; however this may be a result of UPM and EEP inducing free radical activity by different mechanisms. The use of PAH diagnostic ratios and analysis of n-alkane species distribution indicated that the anthropogenic sources of particulate matter predominate at the roadside. There was evidence that UPM represented a more complex chemical mixture than EEP, with a greater number of particle bound organic compounds. The majority of these species were oxygenates, indicating oxidative processing of particles during atmospheric residence.
17
Presern, Carole Bridget. "Reproductive health care in poor urban areas of Nepal." Thesis, University of London, 1996. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.243545.
Full text
18
Wang, Yan. "China?s Urban Household Food Consumption, Nutrition and Health." Thesis, North Dakota State University, 2017. https://hdl.handle.net/10365/28360.
Full textAbstract:
The effect of family structure on household nutrition intake and the effect of wine, beer, and spirits consumption on household nutrition and health are examined. To evaluate nutrition intake, an Eating Healthy Index (EHI) is developed following the Compilation of Food-Based Dietary Guidelines, published by the Chinese Nutrition Society, and the Healthy Eating Index-2010 components and standards for scoring from USDA. Using previously collected household survey data from 11 cities in China, an EHI is developed and calculated for each family to assess their nutrition intake. The score is calculated such that it increases if consumption is in a range representing healthy food intake. The relationship between the score, representing healthy nutrition intake, and household income, wife's education level, demographics, and household composition is explored using regression analysis. The results indicate that changes in family structure have significant effects on household nutrition intake.
19
Chiriboga, Christian Alejandro. "TREE HEALTH, CARBON SEQUESTRATION, AND SUSTAINABILITY OF URBAN FORESTS." The Ohio State University, 2013. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1366342199.
Full text
20
Salgado, Crystal. "Assessing Mental Health Stigma Between Rural and Urban Pharmacists." The University of Arizona, 2017. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/624211.
Full textAbstract:
Class of 2017 AbstractObjectives: To explore whether rural pharmacists express more stigmatized attitudes towards patients with psychiatric disorders, compared to their urban counterparts. Methods: Data was collected from participants attending the AzPA Southwestern Clinical Pharmacy Seminar during a weekend in February, 2015, using a questionnaire adapted from the Mental Illness: Clinicians’ Attitudes (MICA) Scale v4. The questionnaire consisted of demographic and attitude assessment questions regarding patients suffering from psychiatric disorders across different domains (quality of life, fear of patients, admitting to having a psychiatric disorder, and more). Participants were also asked if they would be interested in taking a continuing education course on mental health. Results: The majority of participants that completed the study were women (75%) and identified racially as white (89%). Pharmacists practice settings were as follows: 79% of pharmacists worked in urban areas and 21% in rural areas. Rural pharmacists displayed significantly higher rates of stigmatized attitudes compared to their urban peers (mean scale score 37.65 vs. 40.15, p=0.049). Conclusions: Pharmacists that practice in rural settings expressed more stigmatized attitudes, compared to their urban counterparts, towards patients diagnosed with psychiatric disorders.
21
Reynoso, Claudia S., and Claudia S. Reynoso. "Increased Urban Green Space Improves Human Health: Meta-Analysis." Thesis, The University of Arizona, 2017. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/625271.
Full textAbstract:
The objective of this paper is to provide a robust understanding of the magnitude and direction of effect of urban green space on human health outcomes. This relationship has been studied using a variety of health and green space measures and multiple approaches to collect health data. Due to the various approaches used to study the relationship between green space and health, it is difficult to clearly understand the general relationship. In order to have a robust and clear understanding of the relationship between green space and human health, it is necessary to do a meta-analysis that considers all the approaches to assessing green space, health, and health data. Overall, the average estimated effect shows that surrounding urban green space improves human health by 1.14 fold (~u=0.13 (95% CI: (0.07-0.19)). The magnitude of effect increased when accounting for perceived health and when using greenness as the urban green space measure (~u=0.29 (95% CI: (-0.06-0.63)). In conclusion we can now objectively imply that health can be improved with increased surrounding green space. Further, that the magnitude depends on how studies assess green space and health measures, as well as how health data is collected.
22
Chatterjee, Nandita. "Social dimensions of health care practices in Urban Slums." Thesis, University of North Bengal, 2004. http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/121.
Full text
23
Fabbri, Ilaria. "SMART HEALTHY CITY innovative urban services to improve the health in the city and its residents’ wellbeing." Doctoral thesis, Università degli studi di Ferrara, 2022. http://hdl.handle.net/11392/2496473.
Full textAbstract:
In the frame of the promotion of healthy lifestyle in urban environment, this research seeks to identify viable design solutions to motivate people, both collectively and individually, to pursue daily healthy habits while enjoying the experience, through the use of improved services in the city.
When it comes to urban health, street furniture, especially in terms of tactile and visual quality, urban placement and spacing, rarely makes headlines or attracts academic attention; nevertheless, each small object – be it a bench, a bus-stop, a waste container or a drinking fountain – can make our daily life easier, richer and more comfortable. Small-scale urban elements greatly influence the attractiveness of our surroundings, and whether people want to go to and spend time in, a crucial aspect if city dwellers are to lead healthier, more active lifestyles.
Furthermore, thanks to the digital revolution, urban amenities and facilities are currently being transformed, becoming more and more efficient and responsible to environmental conditions, or, conversely, some of them are disappearing, if no longer in keeping with dwellers’ needs.
Among all pieces of street furnishings, the project investigates the frequently overlooked role of public drinking fountain, a seemingly insignificant urban element with a huge potential if properly reinvented: not only as a public utility, but also as an expression of neighbourhood identity and sustainability, a valuable Public Health tool promoting virtuous behaviour.
This research addresses the questions of what role drinking fountains should play today in public space, how a contemporary street furniture including water outlet should look like, and where should be located to best serve the community.
Firstly, the study highlights the most promising features of water fountains from a public health perspective; secondly, as it configures itself as an applied research, an innovative multifunctional service, likely to create new opportunities in the city for safer and more sustainable living, is designed, prototyped and tested.
Finally, the research outlines a concept of healthy-driven urban services in network, including the ones developed through prototypes, providing incentives for their most health-conscious and environmentally friendly users. In this way, urban amenities located in public spaces, linked one
another, may convert demanding self-control practices dealing with health prevention and sustainability into positive moments of enjoyment and reward, thus become urban interfaces enhancing public health and personal wellbeing.
The design outcomes and the prototype development of the innovative service fall within a wider University-Industry research conducted between Next City Lab, an interdisciplinary research group at Architecture Department University of Ferrara, headed by professor Gabriele Lelli, and Hera Group, one of the leading Italian multi-utility operating in environmental, energy and water services.Nell’ambito degli studi rivolti alla promozione di stili di vita sani, questa ricerca intende individuare strategie e soluzioni concrete per motivare le persone, sia singolarmente che come comunità, a coltivare quotidianamente abitudini virtuose, per la propria salute e quella dell’ambiente, attraverso l’interazione con servizi urbani innovativi. Quando si tratta di salute pubblica, l’arredo urbano, soprattutto in termini di qualità, carattere, diffusione e rapporto con lo spazio pubblico, raramente attrae l’attenzione delle principali ricerche; tuttavia, i piccoli oggetti che insistono sullo spazio collettivo di base – siano essi panchine, fermate dell’autobus, fontanelle, pensiline – contribuiscono sensibilmente alla ricchezza della vita urbana, e a renderla più semplice e comoda. Nonostante la scala relativamente piccola, questi elementi incidono fortemente anche sull’attrattività del paesaggio urbano e sulla percezione di esso da parte del pedone, e, di conseguenza, sulla scelta delle persone di uscire e trascorrervi del tempo, aspetto cruciale per ottenere spazi pubblici invitanti e vivaci, ed incentivare i cittadini ad adottare stili di vita più attivi. Inoltre, le diverse interfacce fisiche dei servizi urbani sullo spazio pubblico risentono dell’attuale effetto dirompente della tecnologia, responsabile dell’evoluzione o della sparizione di alcuni elementi di arredo tradizionali, e la nascita di nuovi dispositivi capaci di raccogliere e trasmettere dati, capillarmente diffusi nell’ambiente costruito e perciò ancor più rilevanti per il carattere di un quartiere e il comportamento di chi lo vive. Tra tutti gli oggetti urbani, la tesi di dottorato indaga in particolare il ruolo spesso ignorato delle fontanelle per bere, un elemento apparentemente insignificante ma dal grande potenziale se ripensato, non solo nella modalità di erogazione del servizio pubblico, ma anche come espressione dell’identità locale, un presidio di quartiere per la sostenibilità ambientale, un prezioso strumento a sostegno della salute pubblica. Questa ricerca si interroga in particolare su quale ruolo le fontane debbano giocare oggi nello spazio pubblico, quale aspetto e quali funzionalità debba avere un elemento stradale contemporaneo che eroga anche acqua da bere, e dove e come debba essere distribuito nel tessuto urbano per servire al meglio la comunità. Prima di tutto, lo studio evidenzia le caratteristiche e le potenzialità delle fontane dal punto di vista della salute pubblica; in secondo luogo, ad espressione della componente applicata della ricerca in oggetto, si illustra il processo di ideazione, progetto di dettaglio, realizzazione e sperimentazione di un oggetto urbano innovativo multifunzionale. In ultima istanza, la tesi propone un progetto di rete di servizi – incluso quello direttamente sviluppato attraverso i prototipi – volto ad aumentare il benessere delle persone e premiare i fruitori più sostenibili e attenti alla salute. In questo modo, piccoli oggetti che popolano lo spazio pubblico sono interconnessi, acquisiscono capacità di dialogo con i cittadini e possono trasformare alcune attività quotidiane, talvolta faticose, legate alla sostenibilità e alla prevenzione della propria salute, in momenti di divertimento e gratificazione personale. La ricerca, quindi, oltre a disegnare scenari e forme per nuovi servizi urbani, delinea le possibili implicazioni che tale innovazione può avere per l’utente e la città, in termini di salute, qualità degli spazi, senso di comunità, gestione della complessità urbana. Lo sviluppo dei prototipi illustrati in questa tesi rientra in una più ampia collaborazione tra Next City Lab, gruppo di ricerca interdisciplinare condotto dal prof. Gabriele Lelli presso il Dipartimento di Architettura dell’Università di Ferrara, e il Gruppo Hera, una delle maggiori aziende italiane multiservizi operante nel settore ambientale, idrico ed energetico.
24
Williams, Roy Jerome III. "Integrating community health workers in schools." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2013. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/81642.
Full textAbstract:
Thesis (M.C.P.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning, 2013.Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.
Includes bibliographical references (p. 59-63).
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) has set the tone for a radically revised health landscape in America that focuses on community-based care. Our health care system, however, has neither the infrastructure nor the vision to properly account for these demands. One possible solution is to redefine how established positions and organizations can be utilized to help accommodate the emerging needs. School-based health centers (SBHCs), for example, have traditionally provided general health services to students and members of the surrounding community. In many low-income neighborhoods, however, the needs of the community members far outpace the capabilities of the SBHCs and local community-based health centers. One promising answer to the need for community-based care is the integration of community health workers (CHWs) in SBHCs. The PPACA has identified CHWs as an integral component of health teams. They serve to connect people who have been historically marginalized to necessary health services and advocate on the behalf of community needs. This commentary proposes the integration of the CHW role into schools to provide comprehensive health-services to more students and community members than can be currently served. The argument begins with an examination of Massachusetts' CHW advocates' struggle to legitimize the field to gain the professional respect of other medical professions. Next, it explores the possibilities of a CHW in a school setting and makes recommendations to improve the viability and effectiveness of the role. It closes with an analysis of different views of community-based care and the role of planning in negotiating future workforce development challenges.
by Roy Jerome (RJ) Williams, III.
M.C.P.
25
Vance, Lyle R. "Relationships Between Health Information Behaviors and Health Status in the Context of Urban Ecology." Thesis, University of North Texas, 1999. https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc277961/.
Full text
26
MoyseÌs, Samuel Jorge. "Oral health and healthy cities : an analysis of intra-urban differentials in oral health outcomes in relation to 'Healthy Cities' policies in Curitiba, Brazil." Thesis, University College London (University of London), 1999. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.314169.
Full text
27
Risendal, Betsy Corsino 1962. "Cancer screening among urban American Indian women." Diss., The University of Arizona, 1998. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/288796.
Full textAbstract:
Existing information about cancer among American Indians, although limited, suggests that incidence and mortality rates are increasing. Cancer is now the second leading cause of death among American Indian women. American Indians also have the poorest cancer survival of any group in the US. Improving the early detection of cancer is key to reducing mortality and improving survival. This study assessed screening rates and behaviors for breast and cervical cancer, two of the main causes of cancer death in American Indian women. The health beliefs and practices of urban American Indian women, a group which comprises half of this special population, were the focus of this cross-sectional random household survey. Our results are similar to the results of other studies which indicate that breast and cervical cancer screening rates in American Indian women are below both national estimates and goals set forth by the Public Health Service for the Year 2000. The prevalence of recent mammogram among urban southwestern American Indian women surveyed (35.7%) was less than half that of the US population, and only 49.5% indicated they had received a Pap smear in the last year in accordance with current guidelines for this high-risk population. Rate of physician referral for several cancer risk reduction programs also did not meet recommended levels. Improving health care access and knowledge and awareness of cancer screening are other potential ways of increasing screening participation, and more research is needed to promote the link between lifestyle habits and long-term health promotion in urban southwestern American Indian women.
28
Denyer, Laurie Michelle. "Call me 'at-risk' : maternal health in Sao Paulo's public health clinics and the desire for cesarean technology." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/55107.
Full textAbstract:
Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning, 2009.Vita. Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.
Includes bibliographical references (p. 63-69).
This paper is based on ethnographic field research undertaken in a public health clinic in the periphery of São Paulo, as well as an examination of the "Humanisation of Childbirth Campaign". The Humanisation Campaign is a Brazilian public health initiative targeted at low-income women that aims to drastically lower country-wide caesarean rates. This paper will consider how pregnant women actively seek to be labeled 'at risk' during ante-natal care by doctors, nurses and health care technicians in order to ensure access to caesarean technology during their birthing process, in order to avoid the discrimination and physical abuse often associated with a vaginal delivery. I suggest that experiences of riscos, or riskiness, bear heavily on women's pragmatic adoption of interventionist birthing. Riscos, as it has been explained to me, is experienced both bodily and socially, as a physical threat to bodies that is experienced via physical and social violence within the clinic. In this paper, I plan to explore the phenomenology of risk, and how, for women from the periphery, risk to body and health is an embodied experience, and situated within the social and political context within which individual experience occurs. Ethnographic work suggests that women seek inclusion into 'expert' biomedical risk assessments and categories that ordinarily exclude or overlook them. This paper will be situated in an examination of the Humanisation of Birth Campaign, it will explore the conflicting meanings about what 'natural, normal and tradtional' means in Brazil, and the ongoing debate over birthing that is currently encapsulated in the narratives surrounding the Humanisation Campaign.
(cont.) This pragmatic desire to adopt risk labels offers a window into understanding a new range of questions about how public health narratives have direct implications for women's reproductive health, while at the same time reconfigure women's conceptions of, and negotiations with, bodily risk and flexibility.
by Laurie Michelle Denyer.
S.M.
29
Arcaya, Mariana Clair. "Possibilities for health-conscious assisted housing mobility." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2008. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/44359.
Full textAbstract:
Thesis (M.C.P.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning, 2008."June 2008."
Includes bibliographical references.
Many poor, segregated, urban neighborhoods are rife with risks to health, which contributes to stark racial and geographic disparities in health. Fighting health disparities requires buy-in from non-health professionals whose work directly impacts the way cities are designed and governed. This thesis provides a case study of one non-health initiative, assisted housing mobility, with clear relevance to health disparities. Research suggests that moving from high- to lower-poverty neighborhoods may confer a range of health benefits on individuals; however, assisted housing mobility programs are, to date, relocation-only interventions. Could these programs more deliberately promote health, and should they do so? Through interviews and a review of counseling materials, I examine. how nine assisted housing mobility programs are linked to health, how health is understood by program staff, and how managers might offer more health-conscious programming. Based on a review of pathways between health and housing and neighborhoods, I identified five areas of intervention around which managers could build healthful programs: housing units, neighborhoods, health behavior and awareness, social connectedness, and access to health services. For each area of intervention, I detail possibilities for active versus passive approaches, and document relevant practices from the profiled programs. I then explore practitioner attitudes towards integrating health into mobility programs. Although most practitioners see their work as disconnected from health, their programs actually play a promising mediating role. Concerns about mandate, privacy, legality, liability, and capacity hinder programs from exploring health. So does limited understanding of how to incorporate health appropriately.
(cont.) Yet, most staff members are encouraged that their work may improve client health, and many want to do more. I recommend steps programs could take to provide better health-related information and discuss health more openly throughout housing counseling so families can make deliberate choices. I provide a preliminary assessment of relative costs and benefits of each step. I note that program managers will require technical and collegial support in order to implement the suggested changes well. The Poverty & Race Research Action Council, which helped guide my research, could provide needed support.
by Mariana Clair Arcaya.
M.C.P.
30
Castillo, Contreras Raquel. "Urban wild boar. Drivers of presence, phenotypic responses and health concerns." Doctoral thesis, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 2019. http://hdl.handle.net/10803/669709.
Full textAbstract:
Els recursos disponibles al medi urbà poden ser aprofitats per diverses espècies de fauna salvatge. El porc senglar (Sus scrofa) porta temps explorant àrees urbanes i peri-urbanes, però això causa problemes i riscs per a la seguretat i la salut de les persones. Les interaccions entre persones i porcs senglars van en augment, paral·lelament a les tendències creixents de les seves poblacions, especialment a les àrees urbanitzades d’Europa. Aquesta tesi identifica els factors que determinen la presència de porcs senglars a l’àrea urbana de Barcelona, descriu els canvis fenotípics dels porcs senglars urbans respecte als no urbans, i posa de manifest l’existència de riscs sanitaris derivats de dita presència a un àrea urbana.
La presència de porcs senglars a la ciutat de Barcelona va ser més freqüent en punts pròxims a les rieres que baixen del massís de Collserola cap a la ciutat, en paisatges fragmentats i amb major presència de zones verdes i colònies de gats de carrer. Així mateix, també va ser més abundant durant la primavera i l’estiu, possiblement degut a la major grandària dels grups familiars després dels parts, a la dispersió de juvenils i subadults, i a la menor disponibilitat d’aliment durant l’estiu a les regions mediterrànies. A més, els porcs senglars urbans van consumir més aliment d’origen antropogènic, van tenir un creixement més accelerat, assolint una major massa corporal que els no urbans. Les femelles d’origen urbà també començaren a reproduir-se abans que les d’origen no urbà, probablement perquè arribaren abans al pes requerit. No obstant això, l’esperança de vida es va veure minvada en els porcs senglars urbans, assenyalant una possible conseqüència negativa derivada d’explorar Barcelona.
Aquesta tesi també descriu la presència de patògens zoonòsics al porc senglar i a les seves paparres. Els porcs senglars de l’Àrea Metropolitana de Barcelona (AMB) es trobaren parasitats per les paparres Hyalomma lusitanicum, Dermacentor marginatus, Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato i, de forma anecdòtica, Rhipicephalus bursa. Alhora, les paparres analitzades foren portadores de tres espècies zoonòsiques i emergents de Rickettsia (R. massiliae, R. slovaca i R. raoultii), tot i que les mostres de melsa de porc senglar foren negatives. Per tant, malgrat que els porcs senglars no semblen actuar com a reservoris de Rickettsia spp. a l’AMB, sí que podrien afavorir la dispersió de les paparres, així com la circulació de Rickettsia spp. entre elles en promoure la seva abundància. També podrien facilitar la transmissió de Rickettsia spp. entre paparres mitjançant l’alimentació simultània del mateix hoste.
Tanmateix, els porcs senglars de l’AMB també van ser portadors de dues espècies de Campylobacter, essent C. lanienae més prevalent que C. coli, i diversos serotips de Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica. Els aïllats de Campylobacter mostraren una gran diversitat genètica, i alguns exhibiren un gran potencial de virulència. Tots els aïllats de Campylobacter foren resistents com a mínim a un dels antimicrobians analitzats, i prop del 60% dels aïllats de C. coli i un aïllat de Salmonella mostraren multirresistència. Aquest aïllat de Salmonella és la variant monofàsica del serotip Thyphimurium i s’ha relacionat amb problemes de salut pública a Europa. Aquests resultats confirmen la importància del porc senglar com a reservori d’espècies de Campylobacter zoonòsiques i termòfiles, i posen de manifest que els porcs senglars poden ser portadors i propagadors d’aquests bacteris a zones urbanes i peri-urbanes de l’AMB.
Els resultats d’aquesta tesi són rellevants tant per a la gestió del porc senglar a zones urbanes, com per a la protecció de la salut pública a l’AMB. Diverses mesures de gestió derivades dels resultats d’aquesta tesi ja s’estan aplicant i avaluant a la ciutat de Barcelona. Aquesta tesi contribueix a la millora del coneixement sobre el porc senglar urbà amb una perspectiva ecològica, epidemiològica i de gestió.There are wildlife species able to exploit the resources offered by urban environments. Wild boars can explore urban and peri-urban areas, but their presence in these areas is a nuisance and poses a risk for public health and safety. Interactions between wild boars and people are expected to continue rising in Europe owing to increasing wild boar and human population trends, particularly in urban settings. This thesis determines the drivers of wild boar presence in the urban area of Barcelona, addresses the phenotypic changes shown by urban individuals with respect to non-urban ones, and identifies wild boar related public health concerns in an urban environment. Wild boar presence in the city of Barcelona was positively correlated to proximity to streams in the bordering Collserola natural space, higher landscape fragmentation and the presence of both urban green areas and stray cat colonies. The presence was also more frequent in spring and summer, which could be related to births leading to a higher group size and increased energetic needs, juvenile and yearling dispersal and lower availability of food resources in the warm seasons in Mediterranean regions. Moreover, urban wild boars used more anthropogenic food resources, showed higher body mass and grew faster than non-urban ones. Urban female wild boars started reproducing earlier than non-urban ones, probably as a result of achieving the required body mass earlier. However, urban wild boars died at a younger age than non-urban wild boars, indicating a possible cost of exploring the urban area for the wild boar in Barcelona. This thesis also describes the presence of zoonotic tick-borne and foodborne pathogens carried by ticks parasitizing wild boars and wild boars, respectively. Wild boars in the Metropolitan Area of Barcelona (MAB) carried ticks belonging to species Hyalomma lusitanicum, Dermacentor marginatus, Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato and, anecdotally, Rhipicephalus bursa. Screening of tick pools revealed the presence of three emerging zoonotic Rickettsia species (R. massiliae, R. slovaca and R. raoultii), whereas wild boar spleen samples yielded negative results. Therefore, despite wild boars do not seem to act as reservoirs of Rickettsia spp. in the MAB, they could be favouring tick dispersion and promoting Rickettsia spp. circulation among ticks by sustaining abundant tick populations and facilitating the transmission via co-feeding. Wild boars in the MAB also carried Campylobacter spp., C. lanienae being more prevalent than C. coli, and different serovars of Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica. There was a high genetic diversity among Campylobacter isolates, some of which showed a high virulence potential. None of the Campylobacter isolates were susceptible to all the antimicrobials tested, and nearly 60% of C. coli isolates and one Salmonella isolate were multiresistant, the latter being a monophasic S. Typhimurium clone of public health concern in Europe. These results provide further evidence on the role of wild boars as reservoirs of zoonotic thermophilic Campylobacter species, and show that they can carry and spread these foodborne zoonotic bacteria into urban and peri-urban areas in the MAB. Results from this thesis have management and public health implications, and several management measures derived from these results are currently being applied and scientifically evaluated in Barcelona. This thesis contributes to improve the incipient knowledge of wild boars in urban and peri-urban areas from an ecological, epidemiological and applied management approach.
31
Mepatia, Amália Issufo. "Self-assessment of oral health status, behaviours and oral health risk factors among adolescents from urban and peri-urban public schools in Maputo City." University of the Western Cape, 2019. http://hdl.handle.net/11394/6625.
Full textAbstract:
Magister Scientiae Dentium - MSc(Dent)A good oral health self-perception can contribute to improved knowledge of oral health self-care and practice as well as increase the proper use of dental care services. This study evaluated how adolescents from urban and peri-urban Maputo City assess their oral health status, behaviour and oral health risk factors. This is an analytic cross-sectional study, conducted in the urban and peri-urban schools of Maputo City involving adolescents in the age groups of 12 and 15-19 years old. The study was carried out in five schools, three Complete Primary schools and two Secondary schools from urban and peri-urban areas in Maputo City selected by convenience due to their geographic location. The size of the sample was 500 comprising 236 twelve year olds and 264 15-19 year olds. Data was collected using a self-completion questionnaire designed by the World Health Organization (WHO) and translated into Portuguese. The questionnaire included variables such as socio-demographic data (age, gender, location and parent or guardian level of education), self-assessment of oral health status and quality of life; self reported oral health behaviour and lifestyles, oral health risk factor knowledge (alcohol, tobacco and dietary), dental visits and daily impact of oral health. Chi-square for associations and a Spearman correlation tests were used to determine relationships between categorical data. All tests were assumed statistically significant at p≤0.05. The results showed that most of the adolescents classified their teeth (49.7%) and gum (38.2%) health as normal. There was no statistical difference between adolescents from urban and peri-urban schools (Spearman rs (399) = 0,114, p =0,02). The majority (n=322; 65.2%) of the adolescents clean their teeth twice a day. There was no difference between school level (primary and secondary school) and frequency of teeth cleaning. Most of the adolescents use a toothbrush (97.8%) and toothpaste (93.5%) to clean their teeth and only 11.9% also use dental floss but 52.1% didn´t know if their toothpaste was fluoridated or not. Smoking was reported by less than 1% of the adolescents. The main reason for dental service utilization, (reported by 67.5%) was pain or problems with teeth, gums or mouth. There was an association between oral health status and problems experienced in daily life because of their teeth and mouth. There was no significant difference for oral health assessment, risk factors and behaviours, between adolescents from urban and peri-urban schools. Although some satisfactory results were found, the need to strengthen oral health promotion in schools is high, especially considering the causes for dental service utilization were mostly pain and trouble with teeth in this group.
32
Anderson, Kathryn Freeman. "Residential Segregation and Health Outcomes: The Role of Health-Promoting Community Organizations in Urban Neighborhoods." Diss., The University of Arizona, 2016. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/613588.
Full textAbstract:
Research has long established that racial/ethnic minority residential segregation is related to a variety of social problems, including poor health and health care outcomes. Yet, little research in this area has attempted to tease out the mechanisms underlying this association. Furthermore, within this work, few studies address this relationship for racial/ethnic minority groups outside of the Black/White differences. In this dissertation, I argue that community organizations and service providers in neighborhoods provide important local sites which can improve residents' access to key health-related resources. I put this forward as a mechanism which can link segregation to health and health care outcomes, in that racial/ethnic minority neighborhoods are less likely to have a variety of such establishments compared to their White counterparts. I test this mechanism through a series of three empirical studies. In the first, using a nation-wide health data set combined with metropolitan area measures, I examine the association between racial residential segregation and poor self-rated health. I include the three largest racial/ethnic minority groups in the U.S. - Blacks, Latinos, and Asians. I find that the segregation of each group is related to a greater likelihood of poor self-rated health. However, for Black respondents, this is partially accounted for by economic variables at the metropolitan level, and for Asian respondents, is fully accounted for by recent immigration. In the second study, I analyze the distribution of health-related facilities by segregation status using a nation-wide Census data source. I find that racial residential segregation for Blacks, and to a lesser extent Latinos and Asians, is related to a decrease in the density of such facilities, including food sources, fitness facilities, pharmacies, a number of health care organizations, civic society, and social services. The inclusion of socio-economic indicators removes this effect for most of the health care organization outcomes, across all three groups. In the third and final study, I examine this full pathway using the case of the Phoenix urbanized area. Using a 2013-2014 survey of families about their children's health care utilization combined with area-level Census measures, I test where families are able to obtain care for their children, if any location, in light of what is physically proximate to them in space, and how this may be patterned or constrained by the segregation status of their local neighborhood. I find that Latino and Native American segregation is related to a decreased number of health care facilities. Further, the lack of such facilities is related to a decreased likelihood of families being able to utilize a physician's office as their regular source of care, versus a clinic or health care center. However, for those who do not have a regular source of care, or who utilize an emergency room, this seems to be patterned more by economic considerations, chiefly whether or not the child has health insurance. Further, the distribution of health care organizations also accounts for a sizable portion of the effect of segregation on health care utilization choices. As a whole, this dissertation demonstrates that segregation, for a number of racial/ethnic minority groups, is related to a lower density of a number of health-related organizations, both in a nationwide analysis, as well as through an extended case study of the Phoenix area. Moreover, using the Phoenix case, I find that the lack of such facilities is consequential, and that at least for certain health care providers, patterns where families are able to go for their children's health care needs. This suggests that the distribution of health-related organizations and service providers across communities may serve as an important explanatory mechanism to understand the association between segregation and a variety of health and health care outcomes.
33
Slagle, Derek Ray. "Rural versus Urban: Tennessee Health Administrators' Strategies on Recruitment and Retention for Allied Health Professionals." Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University, 2010. https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/1726.
Full textAbstract:
There is a growing interest in understanding recruitment, retention, and turnover of allied health professionals considering employment trends and workforce mobility, an increased need to understand the healthcare delivery system, and the dynamic nature of the allied health workforce especially for rural areas. A survey was sent to allied health administrators across a variety of allied health disciplines from the state of Tennessee hospitals in order to gauge opinions on retention and recruitment strategies. Overall successful strategies for recruitment and retention of allied health professionals were reported as well as differences between urban and rural areas, differences among allied health disciplines perceptions of strategy effectiveness, and key strategies for rural allied health recruitment.
34
Slagle, Derek R., Randy L. Byington, and Ester L. Verhovsek. "Rural Versus Urban: Tennessee Health Administrators’ Strategies on Recruitment and Retention for Allied Health Professionals." Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University, 2012. https://dc.etsu.edu/etsu-works/2584.
Full textAbstract:
Due to an increase in the need for allied health professionals, there is a growing interest to assess the allied health workforce and its employment needs. This is especially true in medically underserved rural areas where there is a critical shortage of allied health professionals. A survey was sent to allied health administrators across a variety of allied health disciplines working in Tennessee hospitals in order to gauge opinions on retention and recruitment strategies. Overall successful strategies for recruitment and retention of allied health professionals were reported as well as differences between urban and rural areas, differences of perceptions of strategy effectiveness among allied health disciplines, and key strategies for rural allied health recruitment. Little is known about organizational policies impacting recruitment and retention practices of allied health professionals in Tennessee hospitals. Understanding of this problem is vital to the prevention of a critical shortage of allied health professionals. Therefore, this study sought to compare rural and urban hospital in Tennessee with respect to recruitment and retention needs.
35
Mngadi, Nontokozo. "Factors facilitating pest infestation in two low-income urban areas of Cape Town, South Africa : an urban health observation study." Master's thesis, University of Cape Town, 2016. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/20961.
Full textAbstract:
High pest burdens in low-income urban areas pose a significant public health threat to residents due to pest-induced diseases and other negative health consequences. Furthermore, pests can also be a source of nuisance and social stigma. To ward off pests and the problems they are associated with, many residents of socioeconomically disadvantaged urban areas frequently use pesticides, including highly toxic illegal pesticides. Inappropriate and indiscriminate use of pesticide is a concern since pesticide exposures can put residents, especially children, at risk for negative health effects. While pesticide use and exposures are common in many low socioeconomic urban areas globally, pesticide-induced adverse health effects are of particular concern in developing countries, such as South Africa, where pesticide regulations and enforcement thereof is often lacking. Following the alarming rise in number of children hospitalized with pesticide poisoning in the Cape Town surrounds, researchers at the University of Cape Town conducted a study whose aim was to identify common in-home pests, pesticide use and exposure patterns, and pesticide risk perceptions in Khayelitsha and Philippi, two low socioeconomic communities of Cape Town. This study was part of the larger project and was focused on investigating factors that contribute to pest infestation in low socioeconomic urban areas. An analysis of qualitative data that examined factors in housing, environment and practices and pest control behaviours of poor urban residents that facilitate pest infestation is presented in this mini-dissertation. The protocol (Part A) describes the study population and the methods used to collect and analyse the data. The structured literature review (Part B) describes the double health burden from pests and pesticide exposure faced by low-income urban residents. It also discusses the poverty-related factors that contribute to pest infestations in impoverished urban areas. Lastly, it critically evaluates research on alternative non-toxic pest control methods relevant for low socioeconomic urban communities.
36
Sheehy, Grace. "A Reproductive Health Needs Assessment in Peri-Urban Yangon, Myanmar." Thesis, Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa, 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/10393/32785.
Full textAbstract:
The 2010 elections in Myanmar installed the country’s first civilian-elected government in more than 50 years, and subsequent growth and change have been rapid. However, reproductive health indicators are generally poor and reflect significant regional and geographic disparities. Rural populations are increasingly migrating to urban centers, like Yangon, in search of better economic opportunities and in response to persistent conflict. Many are settling in peri-urban Yangon, a dynamic series of townships characterized by poor infrastructure, slums, and a highly mobile population. However, very little is known about the reproductive health needs of this population. This study was designed to identify the reproductive health needs of women in peri-urban Yangon, and to understand better current practices, available services, and potential avenues for improvement. My research focused on delivery care, contraception, abortion, and post-abortion care. Using a multi-methods approach, and standard qualitative analytic techniques, I identified significant unmet reproductive health needs in peri-urban Yangon. The findings suggest that reproductive health services are often available but inaccessible. Findings demonstrate considerable misinformation, common and unsafe practices surrounding abortion and delivery, and a dearth of comprehensive sexual and reproductive health services for adolescent and unmarried populations.
37
Woo, Chunho Anthony, and 鄔俊豪. "Molecular ecology and public health risks of urban bio-aerosols." Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 2012. http://hub.hku.hk/bib/B49617680.
Full textAbstract:
The Earth’s atmosphere supports microorganisms and they include potential pathogens and microbial allergens. Whilst indoor environments have been well studied, relatively little is known of bio-aerosols in outdoor locations and their potential influence on human health, particularly with regard to urban development. Hong Kong provides an ideal model system for testing hypotheses related to the impact of urbanization on bio-aerosols, with a well-defined gradient of urbanization and large population. This thesis describes work to establish the biodiversity and spatio-temporal dynamics of outdoor bio-aerosols in Hong Kong. A comprehensive study of multi-domain microbial diversity and allergen levels in urban aerosols over a contiguous annual timescale and along a gradient of urbanization was carried out. A comprehensive suite of climatic and pollutant variables were also recorded during the sampling interval. Terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) was employed to investigate variations in bacterial and eukaryal assemblages, followed by phylogenetic assessment using high-throughput sequencing. The results revealed a strong seasonality in both bacterial and eukaryal assemblages, with Archaea forming a negligible part of the urban bio-aerosols. The most abundant bacteria were proteobacteria but community shifts were seen due to increases in algae in summer, and betaproteobacteria and cyanobacteria in winter. This was most parsimoniously explained by considering the backward trajectory analysis of air mass. A greater abundance of marine-associated phylotypes such as Bacillariophyta and Chlorophyta were identified when the dominant air mass arriving in Hong Kong in the summer originated from oceanic sources. In contrast, betaproteobacteria, which indicated soil sources were prevalent when the origin of air mass was from terrestrial sources. A trend in fungal phylotypes was also apparent, with summer samples dominated by basidiomycetous Agaricales, and winter samples by the ascomycete genus Cladosporium. This was likely due to favourable climatic conditions during wetter summer months enhancing release of fungal basidiospores. A range of airborne human pathogens was also detectable at low levels including pathogenic bacteria such as Acinetobacter baumannii, Clostridium perfringens, Escherichia coli O157:H7, and Ricinus communis, and the pathogenic fungus Aspergillus terreus. Microbial allergens including bacterial endotoxins and fungal glucans were also quantified with immunological assays. These generally followed variations in biomass, and during some months were recorded at levels that may impact human health upon chronic exposure. Carbon dioxide levels were the only climatic or pollutant variable that correlated with allergen levels. Conversely changes in microbial assemblages were strongly correlated to several climatic variables including temperature, rainfall, air pressure and relative humidity, but not with the degree of urbanization or airborne pollutants. This study highlights the importance of including microbial assessments in future bio-surveillance of urban aerosols.published_or_final_version
Biological Sciences
Doctoral
Doctor of Philosophy
38
Cueva, Luna Teresa Elizabeth. "Bargaining for maternal health : partnerships and families in urban Mexico." Thesis, University of East Anglia, 2006. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.430582.
Full textAbstract:
Maternal health in developing countries is a longstanding public concern with a marked orientation to problems of access to and quality of medical services. Debates on reproductive rights have led not only to the enhancement of conditions for pregnant women's health but also to a new understanding of previously disregarded micro-factors which undermine women's health. This thesis investigates maternal health at household level throughout pregnancy by focusing on 'maternal health behaviours' and 'pregnancy care' developed by each household member. A gender analysis on the different perceived roles, interests and contributions of household members highlights elements of conflict and cooperation in intra-household relations. Within such cooperative conflict the importance of pregnancy care is assessed. A longitudinal perspective on contemporary events in pregnancy led to the application of a case study approach. The exploratory character of this research in the absence of similar studies called for the identification of variations in pregnancy care. It was assumed that conjugal status mediates the bargaining process as well as pregnancy care. Eleven case studies included five types of relationship: long-term relationships; young couples; stepfamilies; reunited former couples and single women. However, subsequent acknowledgment of Mexico's tight family networks made me realize that conjugal contracts and pregnancy care are affected by how couples connect with their extended families. Pregnancies on the site are often unplanned and frequently trigger marital bargaining. Again, conjugal status is related to female bargaining power and the issues that the women brought to bargaining. The women's behaviour in seeking health-care varied according to the degree to which they could afford to mix private and public medical care and their sense of what medical services were appropriate at different points in the pregnancy. Poverty and social practices concerning pregnancy on the site highlighted a patriarchal system with harsh conditions and insecure pregnancy care for the women studied.
39
Spark-du, Preez Natalie. "Health-seeking behaviour for childhood illnesses in urban South Africa." Thesis, Loughborough University, 2006. https://dspace.lboro.ac.uk/2134/11748.
Full textAbstract:
In urban South Africa there has been increasing child morbidity and mortality as a result of HIV/AIDS; a paucity of data on health-seeking behaviour for childhood illnesses; high reported use of traditional medicine and general patient dissatisfaction with free public health services. This study therefore aims to investigate the main factors influencing choice of health care provider for Black children under 6 years of age in Johannesburg and Soweto, using both qualitative and quantitative methods. In-depth interviews with caregivers (n = 5), providers of traditional (n = 6) and Western (n=6) health care, as well as 5 focus groups with caregivers, provide insight into different health care beliefs and practices. An utilisation-based survey was conducted with 206 Black caregivers of children under 6 years of age from 1 public clinic in Soweto (n = 50), 2 private clinics (50 caregivers in total) in Johannesburg, 2 public hospitals (53 caregivers in total) from Johannesburg and Soweto and 2 traditional healers (53 caregivers in total) from Johannesburg and Orange Farm, an informal settlement on the outskirts of Johannesburg. The facilities where interviews took place in this study were purposively selected. Caregiver beliefs were found to be at the heart of the decision-making process. These beliefs are shaped by the caregiver's world-view, religion, family (particularly grandmothers of the child and caregiver), social networks and previous experiences. Beliefs were also found to affect the caregiver's perceptions of the child and the illness. Findings suggest that the caregiver will be limited in her decision-making by her age and accumulated knowledge, her socio-economic status as well as the availability of support and social networks. These in turn affect the degree to which distance and cost are barriers to health care-seeking. Characteristics of the provider, experiences in the past, as well as the outcome of the treatment, were all found to interact with the afore-mentioned factors to shape current patterns of resort, as well as future decisions made. When a child was unwell, caregivers usually gave home treatments first, particularly for diarrhoea, vomiting, fever, constipation and crying. Although the use of over-the-counter (OTC) medicines in this study varied according to the illness being treated, overall the higher socio-economic status (SES) respondents were more likely to use OTC medicines and less likely than other groups to use home treatments. Home treatments as well as OTC medicines were not always used appropriately. Nearly three-quarters of caregivers had given or would give traditional medicine to their child if the need arose, although this varied by education levels and SES. The most wellknown African childhood illnesses were inyoni and ibala, which in the South African world-view Western medicine is not able to treat. In general, private sector care (primary and higher) was perceived to be better than public sector care because of more thorough examinations, stronger medicines, enough medicines and generous prescriptions, no queues, friendly staff who listen and are attentive, the availability of a doctor, high-tech equipment, cleanliness and the food provided. Although the public hospitals suffer from similar problems to those found at PHC clinics, compared with the primary health care facilities they were generally thought to be better-stocked with medicines and more accessible in terms of opening hours, performing better physical examinations, having more doctors and high-tech equipment, and staff were believed to be more attentive than their PHC counterparts. Results from this study highlight the need for community and household integrated management of childhood illnesses {IMCI) which has remained underdeveloped in South Africa. In particular, this should involve understanding the symptoms that mothers themselves recognise as significant and incorporating these into health education messages, as well as educating caregivers (mothers, grandmothers and relatives) about the safe, timely and appropriate use of enemas, home treatments, over-the-counter medicines and traditional medicines. Furthermore, these results underline the need to improve patient and provider communication as well as patient care in public services, the need to include traditional healers in the community component of IMCI, as well as training Western health care providers about health-seeking behaviour in the context of the local belief system. In order to improve the future health and well-being of millions of children in South Africa, understanding the determinants of health-seeking behaviour is essential for ensuring that effective strategies are put in place and that changes are implemented where they are needed most.
40
Jenkins, Katherine. "Professional health promoters? : re-conceptualising urban women's organising in Peru." Thesis, University of Newcastle Upon Tyne, 2005. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.424139.
Full text
41
Battersby, Stephen. "Urban rat infestations : society's response and the public health implications." Thesis, University of Surrey, 2002. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.250892.
Full text
42
Blue, Ilona Karen. "Intra-urban differentials in mental health in Sao Paulo, Brazil." Thesis, London South Bank University, 1999. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.298017.
Full text
43
Wilson, Hannah J. "Health indicators in double burdened urban Maya children and mothers." Thesis, Loughborough University, 2012. https://dspace.lboro.ac.uk/2134/10233.
Full textAbstract:
Background Middle-income countries are currently undergoing nutrition transition more rapidly than did high income countries. These populations are therefore at high risk of over-nutrition (obesity) and nutrition-related, non-communicable diseases before the elimination of under-nutrition and infectious diseases. Such nutritional double burden is most common in low SES groups of middle-income countries, such as the Maya of Mexico. Long-term poor environmental conditions during early life results in a population with high levels of chronic under-nutrition (stunting), and a consequent predisposition toward overweight/ obesity, and associated health risks later in life. It is important to be able to identify individuals at an increased risk of diseases related to double burden and to determine whether stunting impacts the ability to identify at risk individuals. Aims The overall purpose of this doctoral research was to examine double burden in the urban Maya, a low SES section of the Mexican population which is a current example of a population undergoing significant transition. The specific aims of this thesis were fourfold: 1) To describe the living conditions and population characteristics of the urban Maya of southern Merida in the spring and summer of 2010; 2) to determine whether body mass index (BMI) predicts adiposity indicators in a sample of women and children with a high prevalence of stunting, 3) to determine whether measures of linear growth in women can be predicted by their recalled childhood environment and 4) To determine whether the relationship between objectively estimated free-living energy expenditure and body composition is altered by stunting. Methods Data from interviews, anthropometric measurements and bioelectrical impedance analysis were collected on 58 Maya schoolchildren aged 7-9 years-old and their mothers living in the south of Merida, Mexico. Objective, free-living physical activity monitoring using combined accelerometry and heart rate monitoring of the children was also performed for one week. The interview data was used to describe the living conditions of the south of Merida. Whether stunting status or body proportions influenced the power of BMI to predict adiposity indicators was assessed for the mothers and the children. The mothers recalled early life SES was compared to their current measures of linear growth. The children s objectively estimated energy expenditure was compared to their body composition and measurements of body size. Results The Maya of southern Merida overall had access to clean drinking water and basic health care and have apparently eliminated acute under-nutrition. Yet they remained double burdened with simultaneous stunting and overweight/ obesity. Individual double burden levels were high, with 70% of the mothers were simultaneously stunted and overweight. Family level double burden was also high, with 28% of the families having an overweight mother and a stunted child. The rates of childhood malnutrition varied widely when using different cut-offs. Child stunting rates were between 15.5% and 37.9% when using -2 z-scores of Frisancho s Comprehensive (created using NHANES data) reference versus the 5th percentile of the WHO reference, respectively. Child overweight/ obesity rates were less than 10% when using weight-for-age on both the Comprehensive and WHO reference charts. Child overweight/ obesity as classified using BMI z-scores was between 27.5 to 34.5% using the Comprehensive and WHO reference, respectively, while child overfat was over 80% when using body fat percentage for age reference curves. BMI predicted adiposity indicators in these Maya children, explaining between 33 and 84% of the variance in arm fat index and waist circumference z-score, respectively. BMI was less strongly related to the mothers adiposity indicators, explaining between 19 and 70% of the variance in arm fat area and waist circumference. The relationship between BMI and adiposity indicators was unchanged by stunting or body proportions in either mothers or children. Mothers recalled early life SES was significantly related to but explained little of the variance in her measures of linear growth. Birth decade explained 5% of the variance in stature and the Modernisation index (urban/ rural birth, sugar sweetened beverage consumption, packaged food consumption) explained 5% of the variance in mothers leg length. Birth order, sibling number and consumer durable ownership were also significantly related to linear growth of the mothers. These Maya children had high levels of physical activity, as all exceeded the recommended 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity per day. After controlling for fat free mass, short stature did not predict lower resting energy expenditures in the children. However shorter stature did predict lower levels of activity energy expenditure, particularly in girls. Stunted girls had the lowest activity energy expenditures. Conclusions These urban Maya tend to have access to basic sanitation and services and are at a very high risk for NR-NCDs with the co-existence of chronic under-nutrition (stunting) and overweight/ obesity. The high rates of stunting do not impact the usefulness of BMI to estimate adiposity nor does stunting appear to impact children s energy expenditure. While BMI is useful to predict adiposity in these urban Maya children, it is not recommended for use in the mothers. Interventions to reduce childhood adiposity need to begin very early in life to most effectively reduce adiposity. Research into the low SES groups of middle-income countries, offers insight to what may occur in low-income countries as they advance in the nutrition transition.
44
Franklin, Joshua C. "Improving Urban Watershed Health Through Suburban Infill Design and Development." Thesis, Virginia Tech, 2011. http://hdl.handle.net/10919/43713.
Full textAbstract:
Up to 75 percent of new construction between 2000 and 2030 may â be redirected inward or into more compact, mixed-use suburban developments (Nelson, 2004). If this assertion is even nearly true, and if the goals of the Clean Water Act are to be met in the next generation of American cities, then we must find feasible and effective ways of improving urban watershed health using retrofit and infill development as a primary means. The aim of this study is to evaluate the patterns and approaches of suburban infill developments in order to determine which methods and extents are deemed capable of improving the health, sustainability and natural services of urban streams and watersheds. Water is considered to be foundational to urban and suburban sustainability and is treated as a primary indicator of overall health and sustainability within the context of this study.
This thesis presents three pilot studies that examine urban watershed health using a single case as a vehicle. The studies, in the order they are presented, are: 1) Form- analyzing the relationship between landuse patterns and imperviousness, 2) Planning- relating questions of development scale planning and design to natural and cultural systems at the watershed scale and 3) Valuation- illustrating three possibilities for determining the economic value of improving urban watershed health.Master of Landscape Architecture
45
Reeves, Jennifer E. "An Assessment of Soil Health and Productivity in Urban Gardens." The Ohio State University, 2012. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1354207218.
Full text
46
Joseph, Alexis Lauren. "Health Perceptions of Cancer Survivors Harvesting at an Urban Garden." The Ohio State University, 2014. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1397204362.
Full text
47
Carpenter, Kaleigh M. "Health Perceptions of Cancer Caregivers Harvesting at an Urban Garden." The Ohio State University, 2019. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1555500843228716.
Full text
48
Bjertness, Espen. "A multidimensional study of dental health in urban Norwegian adults." Oslo : Dept. of Operative Dentistry, Dental Faculty, University of Oslo, 1990. http://catalog.hathitrust.org/api/volumes/oclc/22775459.html.
Full text
49
Newman, Belinda. "Orchids as Indicators of Ecosystem Health in Urban Bushland Fragments." Thesis, Newman, Belinda (2009) Orchids as Indicators of Ecosystem Health in Urban Bushland Fragments. PhD thesis, Murdoch University, 2009. https://researchrepository.murdoch.edu.au/id/eprint/2374/.
Full textAbstract:
In this thesis I investigate the utility of orchids as indicators of ecosystem health. The study areas were urban bushland fragments on the Swan Coastal Plain, a global biodiversity hotspot. The study focuses on the abundance, reproductive success, mycorrhizal abundance and seedling biomass accumulation of a suite of native terrestrial orchids common to Perth’s urban bushland fragments. A critical factor in exploring the ecological responses of these orchids to site condition and their application as indicators of ecosystem health is the assessment of the ecosystem health of each of the study sites.
I studied the vegetation condition gradient across eleven urban bushland fragments using three known ecosystem health assessment methods. Correlations were found between the perimeter to area ratio, native vegetation cover, weed cover and canopy cover in relation to site condition gradients. Floristic complexity at sites was found to mask relationships with environmental variables that were apparent following classification into plant functional groups. Of the plant functional traits only facultative sprouter, sub-shrub, barochory and perennial trait frequencies correlated with the vegetation condition gradient, all traits showing a decline with decreasing vegetation condition.
Multivariate analysis of orchid abundances and environmental parameters revealed three orchid species that could potentially be used as indicators of ecosystem health. Diuris magnifica and Microtis media correlated strongly with poor condition sites. Pterostylis sanguinea correlated strongly with very good condition sites. However, environmental parameters, floristic composition and plant functional groups provided weak correlation to orchid species presence and abundance. Reproductive response, mycorrhizal abundance and biomass accumulation across the vegetation condition gradient were then measured to determine the extent to which orchids can be used as indicators of ecosystem health.
The effects of site condition on fruit set success were not found to be significant for any of the orchid species in this study. Widespread pollen limitation across sites revealed that fruiting success was likely to be too insensitive a measure for examining ecosystem health.
Mycorrhizal distribution across the cline of condition was found to be patchy within fragments and revealed unoccupied niches capable of supporting orchid germination. Further evidence of the use of Microtis media as an indicator of poor condition sites was found in an increased abundance of the associated mycorrhizal symbiont. The abundance of mycorrhizal symbionts for Caladenia arenicola and Elythranthera brunonis at sites of very good condition indicated their potential use as indicators.
An inverse relationship was found to exist between biomass allocation to leaf or tuber in sites of good and poor condition. In sites of poor condition, Diuris magnifica and Caladenia arenicola increased allocation of biomass to shoots presumably in order to obtain photosynthates. In sites of very good condition these two species increased their allocation of biomass to the tuber. Initial findings suggest biomass allocation in Caladenia arenicola and Diuris magnifica may be a useful tool in measuring ecosystem health.
The lack of currently undisturbed urban remnants and a poor historical record of past disturbance events in the study sites make understanding the role of past disturbances on the current condition gradient difficult. The results of this study suggest that orchid presence and abundance, orchid growth and orchid symbionts can be used as indicators of ecosystem health, although work needs to be undertaken to refine the understanding of their response to specific disturbances. This study provides a baseline for investigating the utility of orchids as indicators of ecosystem health in highly fragmented systems.
50
Kenyon, Anna. "The built environment, walking and health inequalities in urban Scotland." Thesis, University of Edinburgh, 2018. http://hdl.handle.net/1842/29551.
Full textAbstract:
Background: Many adults do not take recommended amounts of physical activity (PA). This is associated with adverse health outcomes such as obesity, overweight, diabetes and heart disease. Moreover, physical inactivity is socially patterned. People with lower socioeconomic status or who live in more deprived areas do less PA which may in turn contribute to inequalities in health outcomes. Identifying the causes and possible pathways for increasing PA and addressing health inequalities is a pressing national and international priority. There is increasing evidence that features of the built environment (BE) can support physical activities such as walking. The built environment may also ameliorate health inequalities by providing a supportive context for walking across diverse sections of the population. However, there is little evidence relating to the UK and Scottish context or about inequalities in these associations for different groups such as people with different demographic characteristics or people living in areas with different levels of deprivation. This study aimed to fill this knowledge gap, examining associations between built environments and walking in urban Scotland. It considered individual and spatial inequalities in these relationships. Methods: This study had a quantitative cross-sectional design. Geographical Information Systems (GIS) was used to create neighbourhood level BE measures of Area Walking Potential (AWP) across urban Scotland. These were destination accessibility, street connectivity, residential density and walkability (a composite measure of the former three measures). An examination of the distribution of AWP across Scotland and in relation to area deprivation was made. The measures were then appended to individual level walking data for adults aged 19+ years from the 2010 Scottish Health Survey. Regression analysis tested for associations between the AWP measures with four different walking outcomes: any walking, frequency of walking, achieving 30 minutes of walking per day and total minutes walked in the previous week. Individual and area level confounders were controlled for. Associations were examined using two sizes of neighbourhood area: 500m and 1000m zones around residential centres. Interactions with individual demographic, socioeconomic, household characteristics and area deprivation were evaluated. Results: There was modest evidence of positive associations between AWP and walking. After controlling for covariates, destination accessibility showed the strongest associations with frequency of walking. There were limited associations for street connectivity and walkability and no associations between residential density and walking. Positive associations remained for some groups less likely to walk, such as older adults. However, there were also interaction effects showing inequalities in associations between AWP and walking. In particular, people with lower educational attainment were less influenced by AWP. The spatial analysis showed areas with lowest deprivation had lowest AWP although people in more deprived areas walked less overall. Conclusions: There is some evidence that the BE supports some types of walking in Scotland. The BE may also enhance walking opportunities for certain groups who generally walk less, and therefore could potentially reduce inequalities in health outcomes. However, the socioeconomic inequalities in outcomes suggest multifaceted approaches to increasing walking are more likely to reach all sections of the population. The evidence that there are geographic inequalities in levels of AWP can be used to inform geographically targeted interventions aimed at improving walking environments. This research has generated original evidence in the Scottish context, highlighting the importance of context specific research.