Linking Perceived Risk of Public Health Emergency to Psychological Distress among Chinese College Students: The Chain Mediation Role of Balanced Time Perspective and Negative Coping Styles

Background:With public health emergencies(PHE)worldwide increasing,the perceived risk of PHE has been one of the critical factors influencing college students’psychological distress.However,the mechanisms by which the perceived risk of PHE affects college students’psychological distress are not clear.The study’s purpose was to investigate the mediation roles of deviation from a balanced time perspective(DBTP)and negative coping styles between the perceived risk of PHE and psychological distress.Methods:A convenience sampling method was used to survey 1054 Chinese college students with self-reporting.Data was collected using the Public Risk Perception Scale(PRPS),the Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory(ZTPI),the Simplified Coping Style Questionnaire(SCSQ),the PHE Anxiety Scale,and the Chinese version of the Patient Health Questionnaire(PHQ).The associations between the perceived risk of PHE,DBTP,negative coping styles,and psychological distress were clarified using the correlation analysis.Additionally,the mediating roles of DBTP and negative coping styles between the perceived risk of PHE and psychological distress were investigated using a structural equation model.Results:The findings revealed low to moderate correlations between the variables studied.Students’perceived risk of PHE was a positive predictor of their psychological distress(b=0.219,p<0.01).DBTP and negative coping styles played chain mediation roles between them with the effect being 0.009 and a 95%Boot CI of[0.003,0.023].This chain mediation model had an excellent fit index(χ^(2)/df=4.732,CFI=0.973,TLI=0.930,RMSEA=0.048,SRMR=0.047).Conclusion:These findings showed how the perceived risk of PHE affected college students’psychological distress.Specifically,these results suggested that improving students’mental ability to switch effectively among different time perspectives depending on task features and situational considerations and reducing their negative coping styles might be effective ways to promote their mental health.

Comprehensive Analysis of Cancer Incidence and Mortality Trends in Costa Rica: Implications for Public Health

This commentary delves into the evolving landscape of cancer incidence and mortality in Costa Rica, presenting a comprehensive analysis of the data. Key findings reveal a concerning upward trajectory in cancer incidence rates, placing Costa Rica at the forefront within Central America. While prostate cancer and breast cancer dominate, disparities emerge when scrutinizing gender-specific trends. Notably, stomach and cervical cancers show declines, potentially attributed to targeted interventions. However, colorectal and liver cancers witness mortality increases, necessitating strategic responses. Geographical disparities persist across provinces, highlighting the need for equitable healthcare access. In conclusion, this commentary underscores the urgency of addressing the burgeoning cancer burden in Costa Rica, calling for evidence-based interventions and collaborative efforts on a global scale.

Development and psychometric assessment of the public health emergency risk perception scale:Under the outbreak of COVID-19

Objective:Correctly understanding and evaluating the level of public risk perception toward public health emergencies not only helps experts and decision-makers understand the public’s preventative health behaviors to these emergencies but also enhances their risk information communication with the public.The aim of this study was to develop a risk perception scale for public health emergencies and test its validity and reliability during the coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)pandemic.Methods:Guided by the theoretical model of risk perception,an initial scale was generated through literature review,group meetings,resident interviews,and expert consultation.A pretest and item screening were then conducted to develop a formal risk perception scale for public health emergencies.Finally,the reliability and validity of the scale were validated through a questionnaire survey of 504 Chinese adults.Results:The final scale had 9 items.The content validity index of the scale was 0.968,and the content validity index of individual items ranged from 0.83 to 1.00.Three common factors,dread risk perception,severe risk perception,and unknown risk perception,were extracted for exploratory factor analysis,and together they explained 66.26%of the variance in the score.Confirmatory factor analysis showed that the model had a satisfactory fit,whereχ^(2)/df=1.384,the goodness-of-fit index(GFI)=0.989,root mean square error of approximation(RMSEA)=0.028,root mean square residual(RMR)=0.018,comparative fit index(CFI)=0.995,normed fit index(NFI)=0.982,and non-normed fit index(NNFI)=0.990.The correlations between dimensions ranged from 0.306 to 0.483(P<0.01).Cronbach’s a was 0.793 for the total scale and ranged between 0.687 and 0.801 for the individual dimensions.The split-half coefficient was 0.861 for the total scale and ranged from 0.727 to 0.856 for induvial dimensions.The test-retest coefficient was 0.846 for the total scale and ranged from 0.843 to 0.868 for induvial dimensions.Conclusion:The developed scale for the risk perception of public health emergencies showed acceptable levels of reliability and validity,suggesting that it is suitable for evaluating residents’risk perception of public health emergencies.

Managing Public Health Risks Using Air Monitoring at a Former Manufactured Gas Plant Site

Monitoring emissions from a former Manufactured Gas Plant (MGP) site during remediation was used to manage risks associated with inhalation of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) and contaminated particulates acting as an exposure conduit for Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) and heavy metals. This risk management case study presents a USEPA-approved air monitoring program implemented to manage public health risks during remediation at a former MGP site located in the southeast United States. Risk-based Acceptable Air Concentrations (AACs) were developed and a sampling regimen established to monitor potential emissions to maintain contaminant concentrations below the AACs. The exposure duration used was based on a twelve-month project duration and an exposure time of 24 hours per day;equations, toxicity values and sources were based on USEPA’s Regional Screening Levels. A total 535 twenty-four hour time weighted samples (269 VOC samples and 266 PAH samples) were collected over the project duration. Only minor levels of VOCs and PAHs were detected and no results were above the AACs. These timeweighted averages demonstrate that the real-time air monitoring and control measures implemented at the site effectively maintained concentrations below the AACs and were protective of public health.

On COVID-19 and Membrane Lipids and Public Health

Coronavirus has a lipid membrane.Whist replication requires hijacking the RNA tools of the host to synthesize virion protein,that then has to be wrapped in a lipid membrane to enable the budding off which extends the infection.Recent studies implicate certain essential fatty acids with replication suppression properties.The lipid membrane is commonly thought of as a fatty barrier to water solubles.It is however highly ordered and compositionally specific to cellular and sub cellular functions.There will likely also be an optimum specificity for the viral coat.Whist DNA,RNA and protein compositions are not affected by diet,the lipid membrane is.Moreover,the greater sensitivity of males over females to inadequacy of these essential fatty acids and membrane integrity has been known since the 1960 s.With evidence that arachidonic and docosahexaenoic acids exhibiting anti-viral,immune,anti-inflammatory,blood pressure control and resolvin activity,their status needs to be urgently examined in relation to the prevention and therapy for Covid-19.It would also be advisable to re-assess food policy.The lipid requirements for the membrane rich systems as in the brain,nervous,vascular and immune systems have not been considered.There is little doubt these were significant in shaping the human genome over several million years.Departure from such conditions would be predicted to put populations at risk to disorder and infection,with males being more at risk than females.

Childhood constipation as an emerging public health problem

Functional constipation(FC) is a significant health problem in children and contrary to common belief, has serious ramifications on the lives of children and their families. It is defined by the Rome criteria which encourage the use of multiple clinical features for diagnosis. FC in children has a high prevalence(0.7%-29%) worldwide, both in developed and developing countries. Biopsychosocial risk factors such as psychological stress, poor dietary habits, obesity and child maltreatment are commonly identified predisposing factors for FC. FC poses a significant healthcare burden on the already overstretched health budgets of many countries in terms of out-patient care, in-patient care, expenditure for investigations and prescriptions. Complications are common and range from minor psychological disturbances, to lower health-related quality of life. FC in children also has a significant impact on families. Many paediatric clinical trials have poor methodological quality, and drugs proved to be useful in adults, are not effective in relieving symptoms in children. A significant proportion of inadequately treated children have similar symptoms as adults. These factors show that constipation is an increasing public health problem across the world with a significant medical, social and economic impact. This article highlights the potential public health impact of FC and the possibility of overcoming this problem by concentrating on modifiable risk factors rather than expending resources on high cost investigations and therapeutic modalities.

Reduction of Tobacco Smoking Health Risk Through an Appropriate Media Based Communication Strategy in Uganda

The health impacts of tobacco consumption are well documented and have gained acceptance worldwide. Today, a substantial, preventable burden of tobacco attributable diseases exists in most countries, though in most of the cases, unknown. Smoking accounts for almost half of the deaths in middle age in some regions. In Uganda, translating findings into policy action is slow and involves several stakeholders. It will continue to require support from tobacco control campaign groups. This paper analyses secondary literature on tobacco smoking and later provides an appropriate medium based communication strategy that can be adopted to counteract the persuasive smoking evil adverts of tobacco companies as well as creating awareness among the population of the health impacts caused by smoking.

Comments by opponents on the British Medical Association’s guidance on non-therapeutic male circumcision of children seem one-sided and may undermine public health

The British Medical Association(BMA)guidance on non-therapeutic circumcision(NTMC)of male children is limited to ethical,legal and religious issues.Here we evaluate criticisms of the BMA’s guidance by Lempert et al.While their arguments promoting autonomy and consent might be superficially appealing,their claim of high procedural risks and negligible benefits seem one-sided and contrast with high quality evidence of low risk and lifelong benefits.Extensive literature reviews by the American Academy of Pediatrics and the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in developing evidence-based policies,as well as risk-benefit analyses,have found that the medical benefits of infant NTMC greatly exceed the risks,and there is no reduction in sexual function and pleasure.The BMA’s failure to consider the medical benefits of early childhood NTMC may partly explain why this prophylactic intervention is discouraged in the United Kingdom.The consequence is higher prevalence of preventable infections,adverse medical conditions,suffering and net costs to the UK’s National Health Service for treatment of these.Many of the issues and contradictions in the BMA guidance identified by Lempert et al stem from the BMA’s guidance not being sufficiently evidence-based.Indeed,that document called for a review by others of the medical issues surrounding NTMC.While societal factors apply,ultimately,NTMC can only be justified rationally on scientific,evidence-based grounds.Parents are entitled to an accurate presentation of the medical evidence so that they can make an informed decision.Their decision either for or against NTMC should then be respected.

Growing Public Health Concerns from Poor Urban Air Quality: Strategies for Sustainable Urban Living

Urban areas around the world, particularly in emerging nations such as China, India, and Brazil are experiencing high levels of air pollution due to increased population, economy, spending, and consumption, all of which contribute to deterioration in environmental and public health conditions in urban areas. This paper briefly discusses important sources of air pollution, air pollutants of concern, public health impacts, and proposed strategies to combat urban air pollution and promote sustainable urban living. A team of researchers under the mentorship of the main author is working on a number of air quality projects that involve air quality monitoring (sources, ambient, indoor, and occupational), emissions modeling, atmospheric dispersion modeling, air pollution control, and development of knowledge-based systems to manage air quality.? This paper presents potential strategies that could help address the growing public health concerns in urban areas and promote sustainable and healthy living.

Implications of the Reanalysis and Weight of Evidence Determination of Human Health Studies for Exposure to Perchlorates under Cumulative and Aggregate Risk Assessment

This paper applies cumulative and aggregate risk methods and weight of evidence determination to re-analysis of epidemiological and clinical studies of exposure to perchlorates. The implications of cumulative and aggregate risk are considered for 28 epidemiological studies on IUI, serum thyroid hormone levels and clinical indicators. Consideration is given to simultaneous exposures to perchlorates, nitrates, thiocyanates and organohalogens in the study populations. The elevation of effects by perchlorates alone is found only in the studies that use urinary perchlorate as the metric of exposure. These studies are beset by a problem with use of urinary perchlorate concentration in that there is large inter-subject variability in the relationship between intake and urinary concentration due to differences in metabolism and disposition of the compounds following ingestion. As a result, an individual placed into the “high urinary concentration” group may be there due to high values of exposure, to long biological clearance halflives, or due to high transfer fractions from the serum into the urine. The influence could be removed by correcting urinary levels by measured clearance half-times for individuals in a study, but that has not been done in the case of the studies examined here. It is of interest therefore that the studies that use direct measures of intake of perchlorates rather than urine concentration fail to display the hormone effects. The current study uses a “weight of evidence” approach for perchlorates, employing all 28 studies. The result is a slope of the exposure response curve (percentage change in hormone effect per unit exposure) of 0.3% per μg/kg-day, with 95% confidence interval of (?0.05%, 1%). This confidence interval for the slope encompasses 0, indicating no statistically significant slope when all data are combined in a weight of evidence determination. This is consistent with the conclusions of the USEPA and EFSA that the epidemiological studies do not provide compelling evidence for a causal association between exposures to perchlorates and either hormone effects or clinically adverse effects. The conclusions are 1) that current epidemiological results do not provide evidence of effects induced by perchlorates apart from the IUI effects, 2) that the same results provide evidence that the IUI effects induced at environmental levels of exposure are associated with down-stream adverse effects and 3) that effective risk management requires the cumulative and aggregate risk framework adopted here, suggesting a need for risk assessors to return to the original studies and provide separate estimates of exposure response relationships for all four compounds or at the least to control for exposures to nitrates, thiocyanates and organohalogens.

Legal response to environmental health risks in a risky society

The protection of public health is one of the legislative purposes of China’s environmental legal system.Article 39 of the Environmental Protection Law of the People’s Republic of China establishes an environmental and health risk assessment system.The health risk assessment system has biases in understanding,and it fails to face up to the functional transformation from the ex-post relief of environmental damage to the pre-prevention prevention of health risks in the environmental legal system;lack of a complete environmental and health legal system,unclear environmental and health risk assessment framework,and unclear environmental and health risk assessment frameworks.Health risk management capabilities need to be improved,there is a lack of specialized environmental and health risk assessment institutions,and there is a lack of supporting risk assessment technical standard system construction.It is necessary to combine practical experience with China’s national conditions and actual needs,construct an environmental health risk assessment system with Chinese characteristics from both the entity and the procedure,strengthen legislative support,and improve my country’s environmental and health laws on the basis of objective and scientific protection of the assessment process.Institutional system,establish a national environmental health risk assessment expert committee as soon as possible,improve my country’s environmental and health risk assessment framework,strengthen environmental and health management capacity building,improve the environmental and health risk assessment technical system,and promote the development of China’s environmental and health risk assessment system develop and give play to the institutional mission of safeguarding public health.

Oral candidiasis and potential risk factors among disabled and nondisabled in Al-Baha region, Saudi Arabia

BACKGROUND Oral candidiasis(OC)is an oral health disease that could influence patients’oral health quality of life.AIM To estimate prevalence of OC among disabled and non-disabled individuals and its potential risk factors in the Al-Baha region,Saudi Arabia.METHODS An observational cross-sectional study was carried out among 148 disabled and non-disabled participants.The technique of concentrated oral rinse employing the Sabouraud Dextrose Agar medium accompanied with 0.05%chloramphenicol was conducted to assess and isolate candida.Oral examination using the World Health Organization guidelines was conducted to examine participants’oral hea-lth status.A pre-designed questionnaire was also used to evaluate sociodemo-graphic,medical history,and oral hygiene habits of the studied population.RESULTS Out of 148 participants(n=57,38%)had colonized candida.None of the studied population had visible Candida lesions.However,Candida was found in the oral rinses without the subject presenting any lesions or issues caused by Candida(asymptomatic colonization).The most common prevalent OC among participants were Candida albicans,Candida glabrata,Candida dubliniensis,Candida krusei,Candida tropicalis,and Candida parapsilosis(n=35,61%;n=8,14%;n=6,10%;n=5,9%;n=2,4%;and n=1,2%)respectively.Diabetes,smoking,poor plaque,and gingival status were key potential risk factors that significantly associated with candida’s density and presence(P=0.001,P=0.001,P=0.01,and P=0.01)respectively.Disability status had no statistically significant effect on presence and density of Candida.CONCLUSION The prevalence of OC is almost third of the studied population;thus,may provoke a need to develop preventive strategies to reduce the OC rate and establish solid treatment plans.

Study of risk factors for gastric cancer by populational databases analysis

AIM:To study the association between the incidence of gastric cancer and populational exposure to risk/protective factors through an analysis of international databases.METHODS:Open-access global databases concerning the incidence of gastric cancer and its risk/protective factors were identified through an extensive search on the Web.As its distribution was neither normal nor symmetric,the cancer incidence of each country was categorized according to ranges of percentile distribution.The association of each risk/protective factor with exposure was measured between the extreme ranges of the incidence of gastric cancer(under the 25th percentile and above the 75th percentile)by the use of the Mann-Whitney test,considering a significance level of0.05.RESULTS:A variable amount of data omission was observed among all of the factors under study.A weak or nonexistent correlation between the incidence of gastric cancer and the study variables was shown by a visual analysis of scatterplot dispersion.In contrast,an analysis of categorized incidence revealed that the countries with the highest human development index(HDI)values had the highest rates of obesity in males and the highest consumption of alcohol,tobacco,fruits,vegetables and meat,which were associated with higher incidences of gastric cancer.There was no significant difference for the risk factors of obesity in females and fish consumption.CONCLUSION:Higher HDI values,coupled with a higher prevalence of male obesity and a higher per capita consumption of alcohol,tobacco,fruits,vegetables and meat,are associated with a higher incidence of gastric cancer based on an analysis of populational global data.

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.

Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on health-promoting lifestyle behaviors:A cross-sectional study

Objective:To explore health-improving behaviors during COVID-19 pandemic and to reveal the impact of the risk perception of COVID-19 on these behaviors.Methods:We recruited a total of 510 participants for this cross-sectional study.The data were collected online using a questionnaire booklet covering a form inquiring about the participants’demographic,physical,and mental characteristics,the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 Scale,and the COVID-19 Perceived Risk Scale.Results:The mean age of the participants was(28.7±10.1)years,and 76.1%were females.Of the participants,31.8%were overweight and obese.While 35.1%experienced negative alterations in their dietary patterns,23.9%reported positive changes to their diet during the pandemic.Besides,47.8%reported their sleep to be negatively affected during the pandemic.While the rate of those with extended screen time was 72.5%,it was 44.3%for the participants engaging in regular exercise.More than one-third of the participants(35.9%)had high and severe anxiety.We also found increased risk perception of COVID-19 among females,obese,those with disturbed eating and sleep quality,healthcare workers,and those with severe anxiety.Conclusions:Overall,the pandemic has appeared to have brought both positive and negative impacts on maintaining and improving eating,sleep,physical activity,and mental health.

Association between Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factor Knowledge and Lifestyle

Objective: To relate cardiovascular risk factor knowledge to lifestyle. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, food consumption and lifestyle characteristics were recorded using mailed questionnaires. The dietary pattern was described using the Mediterranean Diet Score (MDS). An open ended questionnaire without predefined choices or answers was used to capture cardiovascular knowledge. Results: Lack of physical activity, smoking and eating too much fat were the 3 most cited potential cardiovascular risk factors, while being overweight, eating too much salt and a low consumption of fruits and vegetables were the least cited risk factors. Age, Body Mass Index, physical activity, smoking, income and dietary habits were not consistently associated with knowledge of risk factors. A low socioeconomic position as measured by the indicator education was associated with a lower knowledge of established and modifiable cardiovascular risk factors. Conclusions: Risk factor knowledge, an essential step in prevention of CVD, is not systematically associated with a healthier lifestyle. The findings of this study confirm that there is a gap between risk factor knowledge and lifestyle.

Risk Factors Contributing to Microbiological Contamination of Boreholes and Hand Dug Wells Water in the Vina Division, Adamawa, Cameroon

This study examined the sanitary conditions of public boreholes and hand dug wells water in relation to pathogenic bacteria isolated in water samples. To assess the suitability of drinking water, sanitary inspection of surroundings of the sources was conducted, membrane filtration technic was used to trap the microorganisms in the water sample and other standard microbiological technics were applied to check the heterotrophic plate counts, total coliforms, fecal coliforms and some pathogenic bacteria in the samples. It was observed that there were no delineated protection zones around many boreholes (61.19%) and in almost all hand dug wells;thus, hand dug wells were pruned to more contamination than boreholes. Heterotrophic plate counts of boreholes were significantly different between (p < 0.0001) zones in dry and rainy seasons. Total coliforms per 100 ml varied significantly (p < 0.001) between the two seasons both in boreholes and hand dug wells. Fecal coliforms were significantly absent in some boreholes, but significantly present in all hand dug wells with the presence of E. coli 157H in some. Risk assessment of factors contributing to water contamination showed that: pumps manipulation with feet, other sources of contamination such as wastewater dumps, within 10m were significantly associated to boreholes contamination with Salmonella spp, Staphylococcus aureuse, fecal coliform (p = 0.01);in hand dug wells, presence of latrine or septic tank soak-away within 10 m of the wells, poor depth and lack of internal lining, uncapped wells, presence of trees near the wells, animal and birds feces, were significant and associated to contamination with Salmonela spp., B. cepaceae, S. aureus E. coli 1 (p < 0.05). Generally water collection points are marked with very poor sanitary conditions and this situation may not change unless the contaminating risk factors are fixed and sanitary measures are taken.

城市重大公共卫生风险全过程防控体系构建

在复杂多样的城市风险中,重大公共卫生风险是影响力与破坏力较为严重的一种,探索建立符合中国城市发展进程的城市重大公共卫生风险全过程防控体系迫在眉睫。遵循风险发生过程,以“全周期管理”理念为指引,结合4R危机管理理论、风险管理理论和整体性治理理论,构建重大公共卫生风险全过程动态防控理论框架,同时立足于“以体系为核心”和“以风险为主线”的研究视角,深入分析“全过程动态”的核心意识,将风险防控过程划分为“全面风险评估预警—精准动态响应控制”,进而探讨构建包含风险识别、风险评估、风险评价和决策支持的风险评估体系,以及包含应急响应和常态化控制的风险控制机制的实践路径,提升中国重大公共卫生风险治理水平。

交互视角下重大突发公共卫生事件风险影响因素识别

为了有效识别重大突发公共卫生事件风险的影响因素,基于交互视角,从事件特征、预防能力、控制能力、恢复能力等4个方面,构建了包含4个一级指标、18个二级指标的重大突发公共卫生事件风险影响因素的指标体系。在此基础上,运用模糊DEMATEL方法识别影响重大突发公共卫生事件风险的关键因素。最后,通过实际案例,对重大突发公共卫生事件风险影响因素的影响度、原因度和中心度进行了分析,识别出关键影响因素,验证了方法的可行性。

旅游者风险感知对目的地信任影响研究——政府信任的中介作用

旅游者风险感知与信任密切相关,各种风险所带来的不确定性会改变社会互动并造成信任危机,而旅游者目的地信任是影响旅游者满意度与忠诚度的重要因素。以安东尼·吉登斯关于风险感知和信任的论述为理论依据建立分析框架,通过网络问卷对326名风险经历者进行调查,并以政府信任为中介变量,以风险沟通、应急处置为调节变量,重点探讨了公共卫生事件情境下旅游者风险感知对其目的地信任的作用机制与效应。结果显示:风险感知对旅游者政府信任具有显著负向影响,而风险感知对旅游者目的地信任无显著影响;政府信任对旅游者目的地信任具有显著正向影响;风险沟通在风险感知与政府信任中不存在调节作用,应急处置在风险感知与政府信任中存在调节作用。