Association between Respirable Dust Exposure and Respiratory Health Concerns among Workers in Apparel Processing Companies in Export Processing Zone (EPZ) in Machakos County, Kenya

Apparel processing is an essential industry in providing clothing needs for the population. The Export Processing Zone (EPZ) in Kenya employs many employees. Garment processing releases respirable dust particles, thus exposing workers to risks to the respiratory system. The study determined the respirable dust health concerns among workers in Apparel Processing Companies (APCs) in EPZ in Machakos County, Kenya. A cross-sectional descriptive design was employed where four companies were studied. Three hundred and sixty-seven participants were selected through systematic random sampling. Data was collected using questionnaires and Interview guides. The study established that workers were exposed to respirable dust PM2.5 ranging from 40.89 ± 24.0 μg·m−3 to 87.49 ± 45.2 μg·m−3 with a mean of 65.61 ± 31.5 μg·m−3. While PM2.5 ranged from 63.59 ± 21.2 μg·m−3 to 313.41 ± 468.0 μg·m−3. With a mean of 104.02 ± 26.0 μg·m−3. Workers complained of different respirable dust-related diseases. The most prevalent conditions were sneezing and coughing (86.4%), chest pains (41.1%), blocked chests (36.8%), and allergic reactions to dust (18.3%). The APC should develop an OSH management system that includes;a dust management policy, dust monitoring, Risk Assessments, Engineering controls installations, medical examination, Training on dust management, PPE provision, and use enforcement.

Addressing the public health concerns of physical inactivity, low levels of fitness, and unhealthy weight among Chinese school-aged children

In China, sports and physical activity （PA） have tradition- ally been an integral part of school curricula to promote fitness and enhance healthy growth among children and ado- lescents. Three decades of economic reforms, however, have brought major changes in social, economic.

Assessing healthcare workers’knowledge and confidence in the diagnosis,management and prevention of Monkeypox

BACKGROUND Monkeypox(Mpox),is a disease of global public health concern,as it does not affect only countries in western and central Africa.AIM To assess Burundi healthcare workers(HCWs)s’level of knowledge and confidence in the diagnosis and management of Mpox.METHODS We conducted a cross-sectional study via an online survey designed mainly from the World Health Organization course distributed among Burundi HCWs from June-July 2023.The questionnaire comprises 8 socioprofessional-related questions,22 questions about Mpox disease knowledge,and 3 questions to assess confidence in Mpox diagnosis and management.The data were analyzed via SPSS software version 25.0.A P value<0.05 was considered to indicate statistical significance.RESULTS The study sample comprised 471 HCWs who were mainly medical doctors(63.9%)and nurses(30.1%).None of the 22 questions concerning Mpox knowledge had at least 50%correct responses.A very low number of HCWs(17.4%)knew that Mpox has a vaccine.The confidence level to diagnose(21.20%),treat(18.00%)or prevent(23.30%)Mpox was low among HCWs.The confidence level in the diagnosis of Mpox was associated with the HCWs’age(P value=0.009),sex(P value<0.001),work experience(P value=0.002),and residence(P value<0.001).The confidence level to treat Mpox was significantly associated with the HCWs’age(P value=0.050),sex(P value<0.001),education(P value=0.033)and occupation(P value=0.005).The confidence level to prevent Mpox was associated with the HCWs’education(P value<0.001),work experience(P value=0.002),residence(P value<0.001)and type of work institution(P value=0.003).CONCLUSION This study revealed that HCWs have the lowest level of knowledge regarding Mpox and a lack of confidence in the ability to diagnose,treat or prevent it.There is an urgent need to organize continuing medical education programs on Mpox epidemiology and preparedness for Burundi HCWs.We encourage future researchers to assess potential hesitancy toward Mpox vaccination and its associated factors.

Modification and coupled use of technologies are an essential envisioned need for bioaerosol study - An emerging public health concern

The airborne microbiome is one of the relevant topics in ecology,biogeochemistiy,environment,and human health.Bioaerosols are ubiquitous air pollutants that play a vital role in the linking of the ecosystem with the biosphere,atmosphere,climate,and public health.However,the sources,abundance,composition,properties,and atmospheric transport mechanisms of bioaerosols are not clearly understood.To screen the effects of climate change on aerosol microbial composition and its consequences for human health,it is first essential to develop standards that recognize the existing microbial components and how they vary naturally.Bioaerosol particles can be considered an information-rich unit comprising diverse cellular and protein materials emitted by humans,animals,and plants.Hence,no single standard technique can satisfactorily extract the required information about bioaerosols.To account for these issues,metagenomics,mass spectrometry,and biological and chemical analyses can be combined with climatic studies to understand the physical and biological relationships among bioaerosols.This can be achieved by strengthening interdisciplinary teamwork in biology,chemistry,earth science,and life sciences and by sharing knowledge and expertise globally.Thus,the coupled use of various advanced analytical approaches is the ultimate key to opening up the biological treasure that lies in the environment.

2022 Monkeypox outbreak:Why is it a public health emergency of international concern?What can we do to control it?

The World Health Organization(WHO) called the recent monkeypox(MPX)outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern on July 23,2022.The United States of America(US) alarmed the recent MPX outbreak as the US public health emergency on August 4,2022.Since early May 2022,more than 35000 MPX cases and 12 deaths had been reported to WHO from 92 countries and territories by August 17,2022,and MPX cases continue rising rapidly with improved surveillance,access to diagnosis,and continuous virus spreading globally.Approximately 99% MPX cases are men,of which 95% cases are men who have sex with man.No evidence of MPX being sexually transmitted infections(STIs) is found;however,a high percentage(25%) of concurrent STIs and frequent anogenital symptoms suggest transmission through local inoculation during close intimate contact or sexual activity.Many approaches including a comprehensive international vaccination strategy and adequate supplies are mandatory to prevent MPX pandemic.Education,vaccination,MPX scrutiny and careful monitoring,and crossborder collaborations with international sectors are practical strategy to contain MPX outbreaks.People are educated to reduce the risk of exposure and to reduce the number of sexual partners especially new ones,to avoid contacting travelers from epidemic regions or animals that may carry MPX virus,and avoid traveling to endemic areas.

Assessment of Health Workers’ Concern about COVID-19 Pandemic: Implication for Surveillance Activities among Primary Health Care Workers in Oyo State, South-Western Nigeria

Background: The outbreak of COVID-19 has continued to threaten the existence of the human race. The novelty and unstable epidemiologic pattern of the virus had generated so much concern among the global health experts. These concerns were found to be escalated among the frontline health care workers to the extent of impeding the timeliness of the response activities. To slow down the spread of the already established community transmission through the surveillance activities, the concern of the health workers at the community level needs to be addressed. Therefore, this study assessed the concern about COVID-19 pandemic among primary health workers in Oyo State, Nigeria. Methods: This was an online cross-sectional survey conducted among primary health care workers in Oyo State between March and April 2020. Using a two-stage sampling technique, we recruited 284 respondents. A semi-structured questionnaire linked to the Google form was used to collect data. Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS version 25;bivariate analysis was done using Chi-square and binary logistic regression was used to identify the predictors of health workers’ concern at 5% level of significance. Results: The mean age of respondents was 45.0 ± 9.0 years. The proportion of the respondents who had good knowledge of COVID-19 was 52.5%. In the domains of concern, 66.9%, 53.2%, 51.4%, and 46.5% of the respondents expressed government-related, self-satisfaction related, work-related and social-status related concerns respectively. Male respondents were less likely to express concern about COVID-19 compared with their female counterparts (aOR = 0.39, 95% CI = 0.20 - 0.76). Nurses/midwives (aOR = 0.21, 95% CI = 0.05 - 0.85) had lesser likelihood of expressing concern about COVID-19 while middle staff (aOR = 2.5, 95% CI = 1.18 - 5.39) and income earner of ≥N200,000 (aOR = 2.3, 95% CI = 1.34 - 3.92) had higher likelihood of expressing concern about COVID-19. Conclusion: The study highlights an average knowledge of COVID-19 among the respondents. Government-related and self-satisfaction related concerns were expressed by the majority of the Primary Health Care (PHC) workers. Now that the second wave of COVID-19 is moving with much more fatality across much of Africa, including Nigeria, it is therefore imperative to address these concerns through a holistic policy that addresses the welfare, safety and capacity building of the health care workers (HCWs).

Legal Problems Concerning Health Discrimination in Employment

Year 2003 was regarded by the Chinese media as a year of antidiscrimination by hepatitis virus B (HVB) carriers. The series of events that happened in the year aroused the attention of the whole society to show concern for discrimination against HVB carriers. On April 3, a murder case occurred in Zhejiang Province; on November 20, 1,611 citizens put their signatures to a proposals, demanding review of the provisions on public servant recruitment that bar HVB carriers in 31 provinces and cities and calling for laws to protect HVB carriers. The signed proposal was delivered to the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress, the Ministry of Health and the Legislative Affairs Office of the State Council. In December, the people’s court in Xinwu District of Wuhu City in Anhui officially accepted the case of the first HVB carrier against the personnel bureau of

Psychological Health of the Youth Cause for Concern

ON February 23, 2002, astudent named LiuHaiyang from TsinghuaUniversity threw vitriolover the black bears on Bear Hillin Beijing Zoo, causing seriousand extensive burns to one, andcompletely blinding another.

A review of physicochemical and biological contaminants in drinking water and their impacts on human health

Clean drinking water is one of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.Despite significant progress in the water purification technology,many regions still lack access to clean water.This paper provides a review of selected water contaminants and their impacts on human health.The World Health Organization(WHO)guidelines and regional standards for key contaminants were used to characterise water quality in the European Union and UK.The concept of safe drinking water was explained based on the non-observed adverse effect level,threshold concentrations for toxic chemicals,and their total daily intake.Various techniques for monitoring water contaminants and the drinking water standards from five different countries,including the UK,USA,Canada,Pakistan and India,were compared to WHO recommended guidelines.The literature on actual water quality in these regions and its potential health impacts was also discussed.Finally,the role of public water suppliers in identifying and monitoring drinking water contaminants in selected developed countries was presented as a potential guideline for developing countries.This review emphasised the need for a comprehensive understanding of water quality and its impacts on human health to ensure access to clean drinking water worldwide.

Electromagnetic Radiation Health Effects in Exposed and Non-Exposed Residents in Penang

A comparative study was conducted between residents exposed and not exposed to electromagnetic radiation (EMR) from TELCO towers in Penang Island with the objective of determining the possible health effects using 14 non-specific health symptoms (NSHS). Interviews on 201 respondents were conducted using structured questionnaire for demographic details, health related problems and the public concern. Comparison of symptoms frequencies and its significance (Chi-square test) between the exposed and not exposed residents from the TELCO tower showed statistical significance (p 1 for all that gave a conclusion that respondents who were exposed were more likely to suffer symptoms as compared to the respondents who were not exposed to EMR. This outcome showed that the existence of TELCO tower in these communities has detrimental health effects towards the residents who were exposed to the electromagnetic fields radiation that was emitted. Measures to be taken to minimize adverse health effects on residents should include imposing more stringent guidelines in terms of safety distance and radiation intensity, practicing of WHO precautionary approach, encouraging electromagnetic fields radiation related conference, researches and public awareness, sharing of transceivers by TELCO companies and using protective barriers. These steps will ultimately promote a healthier, harmonious and sustainable living environment.

Identifying pain-related concerns in routine follow-up clinics following oral and oropharyngeal cancer

AIM:To describe clinical characteristics of head and neck cancer(HNC)patients with pain and those wishing to discuss pain concerns during consultation.METHODS:Cross-sectional,questionnaire study using University of Washington Quality of Life,version 4(UWQOL)and the Patients Concerns Inventory(PCI)in disease-free,post-treatment HNC cohort.Significant pain on UW-QOL and indicating"Pain in head and neck"and"Pain elsewhere"on PCI.RESULTS:One hundred and seventy-seven patientscompleted UW-QOL and PCI.The prevalence of selfreported pain issues was 38%(67/177)comprising25%(44/177)with significant problems despite medications and 13%(23/177)with lesser or no problems but wishing to discuss pain.Patients aged under 65years and patients having treatment involving radiotherapy were more likely to have pain issues.Just over half,55%(24/44)of patients with significant pain did not express a need to discuss this.Those with significant pain or others wanting to discuss pain in clinic had greater problems in physical and social-emotional functioning,reported suboptimal QOL,and also had more additional PCI items to discuss in clinic compared to those without significant pain and not wishing to discuss pain.CONCLUSION:Significant HNC-related pain is prevalent in the disease-free,posttreatment cohort.Onward referral to a specialist pain team may be beneficial.The UW-QOL and PCI package is a valuable tool that may routinely screen for significant pain in outpatient clinics.

On the Role of Consumer Preferences in the Coordination among Health Insurers under Regulated Competition

This paper addresses the coordination problem of price and quality setting insurers, arising on the health insurance market under regulated competition, as introduced, for instance, in the Netherlands in 2006. We use an experimental study to gain novel insights on the impact of the uncertainty about consumer preferences on the coordination problem. This fundamental uncertainty implies uncertainty about the identity of the payoff dominant equilibrium, while the risk dominant equilibrium is independent of the state of the world. The experimental results show that insurers are more likely to coordinate on the payoff dominant equilibrium under incomplete information. When insurers face not only strategic but also fundamental uncertainty in the coordination problem, they delay the response to the risk dominant strategy, and persist longer in trying to coordinate on the payoff dominant equilibrium. For the market we study, this implies that the co-ordination under incomplete information will result in consumers paying higher prices, in contrast to the original objectives of the regulated competition.

互联网模式下专家咨询专线对儿童保健需求的影响

目的:探讨互联网模式下,新型诊疗模式对儿童保健需求的影响。方法:采用横断面观察性研究,对通过《儿童健康有约》专家在线栏目咨询保健需求问题的484例研究对象,采用电话咨询收集其一般资料,在1周后对其监护人进行随访,将单因素分析差异有统计学意义的变量进行Logistic回归分析,探讨影响儿童就医问题的独立影响因素。结果:共纳入研究对象484例,就医问题解决度达80.58%(390/484),单因素分析结果显示,在儿童保健需求的就医过程中,获取资讯途径与咨询内容是其影响因素(P<0.05),Logistic回归分析显示,获取资讯途径是儿童保健就医问题解决度的独立影响因素(P<0.05)。结论:开通电话专线是解决儿童保健问题(80.58%)的重要举措;获取资讯途径可以作为一种特殊儿童保健需求的应对措施,可以有效解答儿童保健问题。

鼻咽癌放化疗致慢性鼻窦炎患者症状困扰分析

目的探讨鼻咽癌放化疗致慢性鼻窦炎患者症状困扰现状并分析其影响因素,为临床制定护理方案提供参考。方法以便利抽样法收集广西某三级甲等综合医院放疗科门诊复查的鼻咽癌放化疗致慢性鼻窦炎患者193例为研究对象,采用一般资料调查表、鼻腔鼻窦结局测试22特异性量表、公众健康积极指数量表、中文版预后和治疗认知问卷进行横断面调查,采用多元线性回归分析患者症状困扰的相关影响因素。结果鼻咽癌放化疗致慢性鼻窦炎患者症状困扰得分为(27.05±6.37)分。多元线性回归分析显示,鼻咽冲洗依从性、健康积极度得分、预后关注度得分为鼻咽癌放化疗致慢性鼻窦炎患者症状困扰的预测因素(均P<0.05)。结论鼻咽癌放化疗致慢性鼻窦炎患者症状困扰处于轻度水平,且普遍存在。医疗人员亟需对鼻咽癌放化疗致慢性鼻窦炎患者制定针对性护理干预措施,以减轻症状负担,提高生存质量。

云南楚雄、红河州农村老年高血压患者心理健康状况及影响因素

目的了解云南农村老年高血压患者的心理健康状况,并探究其影响因素。方法采取多阶段随机抽样方法,在云南楚雄、红河州农村地区选取老年高血压患者,通过问卷调查收集其基本信息、心理健康状况等信息。采用多因素Logistic回归分析老年高血压患者心理健康的影响因素。结果云南楚雄、红河州21.82%(209/958)的高血压老年人心理健康状况差。年龄为80~89岁(OR=2.395,P<0.05)和90岁以上(OR=3.293,P<0.05)及身体残障(OR=2.037,P<0.05)是老年高血压患者的心理健康差的危险因素;相较于自评经济状况非常困难,自评经济状况比较困难(OR=0.490,P<0.05)、中等(OR=0.632,P<0.05)和比较富裕(OR=0.344,P<0.05),有配偶(OR=0.655,P<0.05)、子女很关心(OR=0.411,P<0.05)、子女关系比较好(OR=0.339,P<0.05)是老年高血压患者的心理健康差的保护因素。结论云南楚雄、红河州农村高血压老人的心理健康状况较差;需要重点关注年龄较大的和有身体残障的老年高血压患者的心理健康,倡导子女对老年高血压患者的经济及心理支持对于改善云南楚雄、红河州农村地区老年高血压患者的心理健康状况尤为重要。

“国际公共卫生紧急事件”下的mRNA疫苗研发

“国际公共卫生紧急事件”(简称PHEIC)是指疾病的国际传播对其他国家构成公共卫生风险,需要采取协调一致的国际应对措施的不同寻常事件。迄今为止,世界卫生组织(WHO)一共宣布了7次PHEIC,包括甲型H1N1流感、埃博拉、脊髓灰质炎、寨卡、新型冠状病毒感染和猴痘疫情。疫苗是应对传染病疫情的有力武器,合成生物学的发展突破了传统疫苗存在的难点问题和技术瓶颈,为病毒性传染病防控提供了全新的思路,尤其是mRNA疫苗作为下一代疫苗研发的平台技术,具有安全性强、有效性良好、研发周期短、易规模化生产、易扩大产能等特点,在应对新突发传染病疫情方面具有明显的优势。目前,新冠mRNA疫苗已正式获批上市,针对流感、寨卡和猴痘病毒的多款mRNA疫苗已进入临床研究阶段,埃博拉mRNA疫苗处于临床前研究阶段,而针对脊髓灰质炎病毒尚无mRNA疫苗研究的报道。本文就历次PHEIC应对中mRNA疫苗的研发进展进行了详细梳理和评述,同时对mRNA疫苗应对PHEIC的未来发展趋势和挑战进行了展望和讨论。结合合成生物学、生物化学和人工智能等多学科技术对mRNA分子设计、高效递送以及疫苗生产和储存运输等进行优化,有望进一步提高mRNA疫苗的有效性和可及性。综上,尽管尚无法预知下一次PHEIC何时会出现,但当下一次PHEIC出现时,mRNA疫苗技术一定会成为人类防范PHEIC的有力武器。

育龄期男性癌症患者生育忧虑的潜在剖面分析及影响因素

目的探究育龄期男性癌症患者生育忧虑的异质性,为不同亚群体患者制定个性化干预方案提供参考。方法选取236例育龄期男性癌症患者为研究对象,采用一般资料调查表、癌症后生育忧虑量表-男性版及癌症患者同伴支持量表进行调查,对其生育忧虑进行潜在剖面分析。结果育龄期男性癌症患者生育忧虑得分为63.19±8.25,其生育忧虑分为低生育忧虑-挂念子女健康组(30.93%)、中等生育忧虑-担忧个人健康组(42.37%)与高生育忧虑-顾忌伴侣知晓组(26.70%)3个潜在剖面。年龄小、文化程度高、未育、具有生育意愿、缺乏同伴支持者更易发展为高生育忧虑-顾忌伴侣知晓组(均P<0.05)。结论育龄期男性癌症患者生育忧虑处于中等偏高水平,呈现3种类别。临床工作中医护人员应对患者不同忧虑状况进行识别,以实施针对性干预措施减轻男性患者的生育忧虑。

老年衰弱患者健康照护需求的质性研究

目的 深入了解老年衰弱患者健康照护需求,为构建老年衰弱患者健康照护模式提供参考。方法 入选2020年7月至10月在河北省沧州市人民医院接受诊治的老年衰弱患者作为研究对象,使用半结构式访谈法收集老年衰弱患者对于健康照护的需求及建议,并使用Colaizzi 7步分析法对访谈资料进行分析。结果 共提炼出5个主题,包括衰弱的认知、饮食照护需求、运动照护需求、人文关怀需求、卫生服务需求。结论 对于老年衰弱患者应积极准确评估其健康照护需求,并以合理的方式为患者提供多维度、多内容的健康照护,尽可能减少不良事件发生,从而达到改善患者生活质量的目的。

心灵绿洲工作室在急诊护士遭受心理暴力后的作用研究

目的探讨心灵绿洲工作室在急诊护士遭受心理暴力后给予心理干预的作用。方法成立心灵绿洲工作室,将2016年10月-2017年9月本院曾遭受过工作场所心理暴力的80名急诊科护士按发生时间先后分为观察组和对照组,每组40名。对照组护士给予常规心理干预,观察组护士通过心灵绿洲工作室对其实施个性化的综合心理干预措施,干预时间为2周。采用焦虑自评量表(SAS)、抑郁自评量表(SDS)、症状自评量表(SCL-90)在干预前及干预后2周对两组护理人员进行心理测评。比较两组护士的SAS、SDS及SCL-90评分情况。结果经过心灵绿洲工作室实施个性化的综合心理干预后,观察组护理人员SAS、SDS评分、SCL-90测评因子中躯体化、强迫症状、人际关系敏感、忧郁、焦虑、偏执评分以及总均分均低于对照组,差异有统计学意义(P<0.01)。结论心灵绿洲工作室的设立能有效减轻或消除遭受心理暴力的急诊护士的负性情绪,帮助其建立积极的心理应对能力,从而提高急诊护理人员的心理健康水平,减轻职业倦怠感,降低护士离职率,提高心理资本水平,促进临床关爱能力的提高。

农村地区基层医疗卫生机构新型冠状病毒感染防控工作指引（第一版）

自新型冠状病毒感染疫情爆发以来,全国各地迅速响应和积极开展新型冠状病毒感染的防控工作。我国农村地区是突发公共卫生事件防控工作的薄弱环节,存在医疗卫生资源短缺、诊疗水平落后等问题,应对新型冠状病毒感染疫情防控形势更为严峻。本指引根据当前农村地区基层医疗卫生机构的特点和实际情况,围绕疫情防控空间设置要求、转诊流程、隔离医学观察、特殊人群照顾、村民健康教育、医护人员个人防护、院内感染控制等进行编制,旨在为基层医疗卫生机构规范、安全开展疫情防控工作提供参考。