scholarly journals Identifying Vulnerable Populations in Subtropical Brisbane, Australia: A Guide for Heatwave Preparedness and Health Promotion

2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Margaret Loughnan ◽  
Nigel Tapper ◽  
Thu Phan
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health Promotion ◽  
Spatial Distribution ◽  
High Risk ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Spatiotemporal Analysis ◽  
Prevention Policy ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Risk Areas ◽  
Heat Events

Building healthy societies is a key step towards climate resilient communities. Ill health is related to increased risk during heat events and is disproportionally distributed within and between communities. To understand the differences in the spatial distribution of climate related health risks and how this will change in the future we have undertaken a spatiotemporal analysis of heatwave risks in urban populations in Brisbane, Australia. The aim of this was to advise emergency managers and public health authorities of high-risk areas during extreme heat events (EHEs). The spatial distribution of heat related morbidity identified areas of high healthcare service demand during EHEs. An index of risk was developed based on social and environmental determinants of vulnerability. Regression analysis was used to determine the key drivers of heat related morbidity from the index. A weighted map of population vulnerability was produced which identified the high risk areas and provided key information to target public health interventions and heat stress prevention policy. The predicted changes in high risk populations such as the proportion of elderly people living in urban areas were also mapped to support longer term adaptation and develop health care infrastructure and health promotion strategies.

scholarly journals Analysis of Malaria Incidence in Banyumas Using Spacial-Temporal Approach

2017 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-6
Author(s):  
Supriyanto Supriyanto ◽  
Nunung Nurhayati ◽  
Dwi Sarwani Sri Rejeki
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Spatial Distribution ◽  
High Risk ◽  
Malaria Incidence ◽  
Temporal Distribution ◽  
Public Health Problem ◽  
Spatial And Temporal Distribution ◽  
Spatial Clusters ◽  
Risk Areas ◽  
Unstable Transmission

Malaria still becomes a public health problem in Indonesia although has declined the last decades. The incidences of malaria in Banyumas shows unstable transmission and still risk of epidemic . Thus, the spatial and temporal distribution is required as part of efforts towards the elimination of malaria in Banyumas. Temporal spatial statistical methods is used to identify a group of malaria incidence at the district level. Purely spatial clusters of malaria incidence from 2004 to 2015 shows that the disease is not distributed randomly in the study area. A total of nine districts of high risk is determined by analysis of Morans I. The analysis showed that by the Morans I test, there is spatial autocorrelation found in the percentage malaria incidence from 2004 to 2015 in Banyumas. The use of the model can provide a means to detect the spatial distribution, temporal, and spatiotemporal malaria, as well as to identify areas of high risk of malaria. This research may help in prioritizing resources on high-risk areas for malaria control in the future and towards the elimination of malaria in Banyumas.

scholarly journals Modeling spatial determinates of teenage pregnancy in Ethiopia; geographically weighted regression

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Seblewongel Tigabu ◽  
Alemneh Mekuriaw Liyew ◽  
Bisrat Misganaw Geremew
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Distribution ◽  
Geographically Weighted Regression ◽  
Teenage Pregnancy ◽  
Wealth Quintile ◽  
Ordinary Least Squares ◽  
Weighted Regression ◽  
Contraceptive Methods ◽  
Hotspot Analysis ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Risk Areas

Abstract Background In developing countries, 20,000 under 18 children give birth every day. In Ethiopia, teenage pregnancy is high with Afar and Somalia regions having the largest share. Even though teenage pregnancy has bad maternal and child health consequences, to date there is limited evidence on its spatial distribution and driving factors. Therefore, this study is aimed to assess the spatial distribution and spatial determinates of teenage pregnancy in Ethiopia. Methods A secondary data analysis was conducted using 2016 EDHS data. A total weighted sample of 3381 teenagers was included. The spatial clustering of teenage pregnancy was priorly explored by using hotspot analysis and spatial scanning statistics to indicate geographical risk areas of teenage pregnancy. Besides spatial modeling was conducted by applying Ordinary least squares regression and geographically weighted regression to determine factors explaining the geographic variation of teenage pregnancy. Result Based on the findings of exploratory analysis the high-risk areas of teenage pregnancy were observed in the Somali, Afar, Oromia, and Hareri regions. Women with primary education, being in the household with a poorer wealth quintile using none of the contraceptive methods and using traditional contraceptive methods were significant spatial determinates of the spatial variation of teenage pregnancy in Ethiopia. Conclusion geographic areas where a high proportion of women didn’t use any type of contraceptive methods, use traditional contraceptive methods, and from households with poor wealth quintile had increased risk of teenage pregnancy. Whereas, those areas with a higher proportion of women with secondary education had a decreased risk of teenage pregnancy. The detailed maps of hotspots of teenage pregnancy and its predictors had supreme importance to policymakers for the design and implementation of adolescent targeted programs.

scholarly journals Spatial Distribution of Breast Cancer in Sudan 2010-2016

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marwa Maweya Abdelbagi Elbasheer ◽  
Ayah Galal Abdelrahman Alkhidir ◽  
Siham Mohammed Awad Mohammed ◽  
Areej Abuelgasim Hassan Abbas ◽  
Aisha Osman Mohamed ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Spatial Distribution ◽  
Spatial Analysis ◽  
High Risk ◽  
Geographical Information ◽  
Risk Level ◽  
Histopathological Diagnosis ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Distribution Maps ◽  
Risk Areas

AbstractBackgroundBreast cancer is the most prevalent cancer among females worldwide including Sudan. The aim of this study was to determine the spatial distribution of breast cancer in Sudan.Materials and methodsA facility based cross-sectional study was implemented in eighteen histopathology laboratories distributed in the three localities of Khartoum State on a sample of 4630 Breast Cancer cases diagnosed during the period 2010-2016. A master database was developed through Epi Info™ 7.1.5.2 for computerizing the data collected: the facility name, type (public or private), and its geo- location (latitude and longitude). Personal data on patients were extracted from their respective medical records (name, age, marital status, ethnic group, State, locality, administrative unit, permanent address and phone number, histopathology diagnosis). The data was summarized through SPSS to generate frequency tables for estimating prevalence and the geographical information system (ArcGIS 10.3) was used to generate the epidemiological distribution maps. ArcGIS 10.3 spatial analysis features were used to develop risk maps based on the kriging method.ResultsBreast cancer prevalence was 3.9 cases per 100,000 female populations. Of the 4423 cases of breast cancer, invasive breast carcinoma of no special type (NST) was the most frequent (79.5%, 3517/4423) histopathological diagnosis. The spatial analysis indicated as high risk areas for breast cancer in Sudan the States of Nile River, Northern, Red Sea, White Nile, Northern and Southern Kordofan.ConclusionsThe attempt to develop a predictive map of breast cancer in Sudan revealed three levels of risk areas (risk, intermediate and high risk areas); regardless the risk level, appropriate preventive and curative health interventions with full support from decision makers are urgently needed.

Defining the PrEP care continuum among recently incarcerated men at high risk for HIV infection (Preprint)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew Murphy ◽  
Colette Sosnowy ◽  
Brooke Rogers ◽  
Siena Napoleon ◽  
Drew Galipeau ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
High Risk ◽  
Hiv Infection ◽  
Care Continuum ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Biomedical Intervention ◽  
Prep Implementation ◽  
Hiv Acquisition ◽  
Risk Of Hiv Acquisition ◽  
Prospective Longitudinal

BACKGROUND HIV disproportionately impacts criminal justice (CJ)-involved individuals, including men who experience incarceration. Men make up the vast majority of those experiencing incarceration as well as those newly diagnosed with HIV infection. Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is a highly effective biomedical intervention that significantly reduces the risk of HIV acquisition. However, implementation in CJ-systems is limited. Little is known about effective PrEP implementation and use in this unique public health context. OBJECTIVE This article describes a PrEP care continuum for men experiencing incarceration who are at increased risk of HIV acquisition, which can help conceptualize approaches to evaluating PrEP implementation. METHODS Men incarcerated in the Rhode Island Department of Corrections, a correctional system composed of all of the state's sentenced and awaiting trial population, are screened for HIV acquisition risk during the course of routine clinical care. Those identified at high risk for HIV acquisition are referred for evaluation for PrEP initiation and enrollment in this study. Individuals who express interest in initiating PrEP and consent to the study are then followed in a prospective longitudinal cohort. RESULTS The outlined study will enroll 100 men experiencing incarceration at high risk for HIV acquisition prior to release into the community. The goal is to initiate PrEP prior to incarceration and link individuals to PrEP providers in the community, capturing barriers and facilitators to PrEP use during this uniquely vulnerable time period for HIV acquisition. CONCLUSIONS Based on the proposed care continuum and what is known about HIV risk and prevention efforts in the CJ-context, we outline key future research efforts to better understand effective approaches to preventing HIV infection among this vulnerable population. The described approach presents a powerful public health opportunity to help end the HIV epidemic.

scholarly journals Using an Open GIS Framework and Epidemiological Intelligence for Dengue Surveillance

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ta-Chien Chan ◽  
Bo-Cheng Lin ◽  
Chiao-Ling Kuo ◽  
Li-hsiang Chiang
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
High Risk ◽  
Dengue Fever ◽  
Surveillance System ◽  
Health Workers ◽  
Open Data ◽  
Outbreak Investigation ◽  
First Line ◽  
Public Health Workers ◽  
Risk Areas

Objective: In this paper we designed one cross-platform surveillance system to assist dengue fever surveillance, outbreak investigation and risk management of dengue fever.Introduction:In the 2015 dengue outbreak in Taiwan, 43,784 people were infected and 228 died, making it the nation’s largest outbreak ever. Facing the increasing threat of dengue, the integration of health information for prevention and control of outbreaks becomes very important. Based on past epidemics, the areas with higher incidence of dengue fever are located in southern Taiwan. Without a smart and integrated surveillance system, the information on case distribution, high risk areas, mosquito surveillance, flooding areas and so on is fragmented. The first-line public health workers need to check all this information through different systems manually. When outbreaks occurred, paper-based outbreak investigation forms had to be prepared and filled in by public health workers. Then, they needed to enter part of this information into Taiwan CDC’s system. Duplicated work occurred and cost lots of labor time during the epidemic period. Therefore, we choose one rural county, Pingtung County, with scarce financial resources, to set up a new dengue surveillance system.Methods: We designed a web-based cross-platform system based on an open geographical information system (GIS) framework including Openlayers, Javascript, PHP, MySQL and open data from government open data in Taiwan. There were seven epidemiological intelligence functions within the system including risk management, outbreak investigation, planning controlled areas, intelligent detection of high-risk areas, useful tools for decision making, historical epidemics, and system management. The website was developed by responsive web design which can let public health workers check information and fill in the investigation form by any devices.Results: The system was promptly set up in June 2016. With first-line public health workers’ efforts and the help of the surveillance system, there were no indigenous dengue fever cases after the system was implemented. There were sporadic imported cases from south-east Asia. The dengue surveillance system achieved three major improvements: integration of all decision support information; digitalization and automation of outbreak investigation; and planning the control areas. The results on outbreak investigation and mosquito surveillance can directly transfer to Taiwan CDC’s database by Web Application Programming Interface (API). It can avoid duplicated work for disease surveillance.Conclusions: Through introducing the new dengue surveillance system into local health departments, first-line public health workers can update all epidemic information at the same time. During epidemic periods, it can provide demographic, epidemiological, environmental, and entomological information for decision making. During non-epidemic periods, it can highlight the high risk areas for enhanced surveillance to reduce the risk of outbreaks.

Peer Crowd Identification and Adolescent Health Behaviors: Results From a Statewide Representative Study

2018 ◽  
Vol 46 (1) ◽  
pp. 40-52 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeffrey W. Jordan ◽  
Carolyn A. Stalgaitis ◽  
John Charles ◽  
Patrick A. Madden ◽  
Anjana G. Radhakrishnan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Substance Use ◽  
High Risk ◽  
Health Behaviors ◽  
Representative Sample ◽  
Risky Behaviors ◽  
Risk Groups ◽  
Representative Study ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Peer Crowds

Purpose. Peer crowds are macro-level subcultures that share similarities across geographic areas. Over the past decade, dozens of studies have explored the association between adolescent peer crowds and risk behaviors, and how they can inform public health efforts. However, despite the interest, researchers have not yet reported on crowd size and risk levels from a representative sample, making it difficult for practitioners to apply peer crowd science to interventions. The current study reports findings from the first statewide representative sample of adolescent peer crowd identification and health behaviors. Methods. Weighted data were analyzed from the 2015 Virginia Youth Survey of Health Behaviors ( n = 4,367). Peer crowds were measured via the I-Base Survey™, a photo-based peer crowd survey instrument. Frequencies and confidence intervals of select behaviors including tobacco use, substance use, nutrition, physical activity, and violence were examined to identify high- and low-risk crowds. Logistic regression was used to calculate adjusted odds ratios for each crowd and behavior. Results. Risky behaviors clustered in two peer crowds. Hip Hop crowd identification was associated with substance use, violence, and some depression and suicidal behaviors. Alternative crowd identification was associated with increased risk for some substance use behaviors, depression and suicide, bullying, physical inactivity, and obesity. Mainstream and, to a lesser extent, Popular, identities were associated with decreased risk for most behaviors. Conclusions. Findings from the first representative study of peer crowds and adolescent behavior identify two high-risk groups, providing critical insights for practitioners seeking to maximize public health interventions by targeting high-risk crowds.

scholarly journals High-risk lifestyle and all-cause mortality in older Australians with stroke: A data linkage study

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
W Peng ◽  
Andrew Hayen ◽  
J a n e Maguire ◽  
J o n Adams ◽  
David Sibbritt
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
High Risk ◽  
Cox Regression ◽  
Healthy Lifestyle ◽  
Lifestyle Factors ◽  
Stroke Survivors ◽  
Vigorous Exercise ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
All Cause Mortality

Abstract Background Stroke prevention via lifestyle modification is a public health priority in developed countries. Few studies have examined the association of high-risk lifestyle factors with long-term mortality of stroke survivors. Therefore, this study aims to explore the effect of key lifestyle factors on all-cause mortality after stroke. Methods Sample is derived from the 45 and Up Study, the largest ongoing study in the Southern Hemisphere focusing on the health of people aged 45 years and older living in NSW, Australia. The lifestyle data in the 45 and Up Study between 2006 to 2015 were linked with data from the NSW Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages, NSW Cause of Death Unit Record File, and NSW Admitted Patient Data Collection by the Centre for Health Record Linkage. We defined a high-risk lifestyle as no vigorous exercise, smokers, or > 10 alcoholic drinks/week. Multivariate Cox regression model is used to examine the effect of high-risk lifestyle on survival using 10-year all-cause mortality as the main outcome, adjusted for key confounders. Results We analysed information on 8410 adults with a stroke event occurring prior to the baseline 45 and Up Study, and 31% of them died in 10 years. 6219 participants were identified as having a high-risk lifestyle at baseline. Being a current smoker and without vigorous exercise were associated with 41% (95% CI: 16%, 73%) and 52% (95% CI: 30%, 78%) increase in the likelihood of death in 10 years, respectively. However, high-risk alcohol drinking was not significantly associated with survival. Of note, having cardiovascular-related comorbidities showed greater risks of mortality (HR range, 3.6-7.2). Conclusions High-risk lifestyle factors were associated with an increased risk of long-term all-cause mortality, suggesting that enhancing public health initiatives to promote 'healthy' lifestyle behaviours can be of great benefit to stroke survivors. Key messages It is essential for stroke survivors to maintain a healthy lifestyle to delay all-cause mortality. Stroke survivors with high-risk lifestyle may be associated with increased likelihood of death if they have comorbidities such as diabetes and hypertension.

scholarly journals Risk Assessment and Prediction of COVID-19 Based on Epidemiological Data From Spatiotemporal Geography

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiong He ◽  
Chunshan Zhou ◽  
Yuqu Wang ◽  
Xiaodie Yuan
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
High Risk ◽  
Prevention And Control ◽  
Health Hazard ◽  
Regional Distribution ◽  
Floating Population ◽  
Effective Control ◽  
The World ◽  
Risk Areas ◽  
And Control

COVID-19 is a highly infectious disease and public health hazard that has been wreaking havoc around the world; thus, assessing and simulating the risk of the current pandemic is crucial to its management and prevention. The severe situation of COVID-19 around the world cannot be ignored, and there are signs of a second outbreak; therefore, the accurate assessment and prediction of COVID-19 risks, as well as the prevention and control of COVID-19, will remain the top priority of major public health agencies for the foreseeable future. In this study, the risk of the epidemic in Guangzhou was first assessed through logistic regression (LR) on the basis of Tencent-migration data and urban point of interest (POI) data, and then the regional distribution of high- and low-risk epidemic outbreaks in Guangzhou in February 2021 was predicted. The main factors affecting the distribution of the epidemic were also analyzed by using geographical detectors. The results show that the number of cases mainly exhibited a declining and then increasing trend in 2020, and the high-risk areas were concentrated in areas with resident populations and floating populations. In addition, in February 2021, the “Spring Festival travel rush” in China was predicted to be the peak period of population movement. The epidemic risk value was also predicted to reach its highest level at external transportation stations, such as Baiyun Airport and Guangzhou South Railway Station. The accuracy verification showed that the prediction accuracy exceeded 99%. Finally, the interaction between the resident population and floating population could explain the risk of COVID-19 to the highest degree, which indicates that the effective control of population agglomeration and interaction is conducive to the prevention and control of COVID-19. This study identifies and predicts high-risk areas of the epidemic, which has important practical value for urban public health prevention and control and containment of the second outbreak of COVID-19.

scholarly journals Prevalence of Hypercholesterolemia among Nurses in Hospitals of Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala

2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 76-79
Author(s):  
D. K. Meera ◽  
Suma Divakar
Keyword(s):  
High Risk ◽  
Sample Size ◽  
Total Cholesterol ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Private Hospitals ◽  
Border Line ◽  
Rural And Urban Areas ◽  
Rural And Urban ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Uniform Sample

The main objective is to study the prevalence of hypercholesterolemia among nurses working on shift and ascertain its association with socio economic parameters. The study was a cross sectional comparative study using randomized sampling technique. The sample population consisted of registered nurses working in randomly selected government and private hospitals in rural and urban areas of Thiruvananthapuram city. A Uniform sample size of 250 each were drawn from government and private hospitals of Thiruvananthapuram district to form a population size (N=500). Again a sub sample size of 25 each were drawn from government and private hospitals in rural and urban areas of Thiruvananthapuram (N=100) for the in depth studies. Only female nurses were included in the study who had minimum of five year experience and those who belonged to the age group between 25-45yrs. All the respondents selected for the study were doing their work on shift base from the day of joining their duty, which is the other condition for the study. A pretested schedule was used to elicit information using interview method. The information regarding demographic characteristics, shift details, medication, morbidity details and physical activities were collected. To estimate the level of total cholesterol, blood samples were collected from the subsample of 100 subjects from each group. Chi square tests were carried out for analysing the quantitative and categorized variables. Out of fifty respondents from private hospitals, the prevalence of border line hypercholesterolemia was thirty two percent and the prevalence of high risk hypercholesterolemia was ten percent. Results from respondents of government hospital also gave the same. Total cholesterol assessed in the subject from the two sectors was not significantly associated with age (χ²=8.738; χ²=6.051), experience (χ²=1.002; χ²=1.181) and area of residence (χ²=8.793; χ²= 2.062). The blood sample analysis revealed that a significant number of respondents were considered to be border line risk and high risk of hypercholesterolemia which suggests that irregular shift hours can be associated with increased risk of hypercholesterolemia leads to further fatal condition. However level of total cholesterol was not significantly influenced by factors like age, work experience and area of residence.

scholarly journals Perinatal Distress During COVID-19: Thematic Analysis of an Online Parenting Forum (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bonnie R Chivers ◽  
Rhonda M Garad ◽  
Jacqueline A Boyle ◽  
Helen Skouteris ◽  
Helena J Teede ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
High Risk ◽  
Sentiment Analysis ◽  
Thematic Analysis ◽  
Public Discourse ◽  
External Environment ◽  
Perinatal Period ◽  
System Level ◽  
Anticipatory Grief ◽  
Increased Risk

BACKGROUND The COVID-19 global pandemic has impacted the whole of society, requiring rapid implementation of individual-, population-, and system-level public health responses to contain and reduce the spread of infection. Women in the perinatal period (pregnant, birthing, and postpartum) have unique and timely needs for directives on health, safety, and risk aversion during periods of isolation and physical distancing for themselves, their child or children, and other family members. In addition, they are a vulnerable group at increased risk of psychological distress that may be exacerbated in the context of social support deprivation and a high-risk external environment. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study is to examine the public discourse of a perinatal cohort to understand unmet health information and support needs, and the impacts on mothering identity and social dynamics in the context of COVID-19. METHODS A leading Australian online support forum for women pre- through to postbirth was used to interrogate all posts related to COVID-19 from January 27 to May 12, 2020, inclusive. Key search terms included “COVID,” “corona,” and “pandemic.” A three-phase analysis was conducted, including thematic analysis, sentiment analysis, and word frequency calculations. RESULTS The search yielded 960 posts, of which 831 were included in our analysis. The qualitative thematic analysis demonstrated reasonable understanding, interpretation, and application of relevant restrictions in place, with five emerging themes identified. These were (1) heightened distress related to a high-risk external environment; (2) despair and anticipatory grief due to deprivation of social and family support, and bonding rituals; (3) altered family and support relationships; (4) guilt-tampered happiness; and (5) family future postponed. Sentiment analysis revealed that the content was predominantly negative (very negative: n=537 and moderately negative: n=443 compared to very positive: n=236 and moderately positive: n=340). Negative words were frequently used in the 831 posts with associated derivatives including “worried” (n=165, 19.9%), “risk” (n=143, 17.2%), “anxiety” (n=98, 11.8%), “concerns” (n=74, 8.8%), and “stress” (n=69, 8.3%). CONCLUSIONS Women in the perinatal period are uniquely impacted by the current pandemic. General information on COVID-19 safe behaviors did not meet the particular needs of this cohort. The lack of nuanced and timely information may exacerbate the risk of psychological and psychosocial distress in this vulnerable, high-risk group. State and federal public health departments need to provide a central repository of information that is targeted, consistent, accessible, timely, and reassuring. Compensatory social and emotional support should be considered, using alternative measures to mitigate the risk of mental health disorders in this cohort.

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