scholarly journals Impact of Coal Mining on Self-Rated Health among Appalachian Residents

2015 ◽  
Vol 2015 ◽  
pp. 1-6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shannon M. Woolley ◽  
Ada O. Youk ◽  
Todd M. Bear ◽  
Lauren C. Balmert ◽  
Evelyn O. Talbott ◽  
...  

Objective. To determine the impact of coal mining, measured as the number of coal mining-related facilities nearby one’s residence or employment in an occupation directly related to coal mining, on self-rated health in Appalachia.Methods. Unadjusted and adjusted ordinal logistic regression models calculated odds ratio estimates and associated 95% confidence intervals for the probability of having an excellent self-rated health response versus another response. Covariates considered in the analyses included number of coal mining-related facilities nearby one’s residence and employment in an occupation directly related to coal mining, as well as potential confounders age, sex, BMI, smoking status, income, and education.Results. The number of coal mining facilities near the respondent’s residence was not a statistically significant predictor of self-rated health. Employment in a coal-related occupation was a statistically significant predictor of self-rated health univariably; however, after adjusting for potential confounders, it was no longer a significant predictor.Conclusions. Self-rated health does not seem to be associated with residential proximity to coal mining facilities or employment in the coal industry. Future research should consider additional measures for the impact of coal mining.

2021 ◽  
pp. tobaccocontrol-2020-056451
Author(s):  
Minal Patel ◽  
Alison F Cuccia ◽  
Shanell Folger ◽  
Adam F Benson ◽  
Donna Vallone ◽  
...  

IntroductionLittle is known on whether cigarette filter-related knowledge or beliefs are associated with support for policies to reduce their environmental impact.MethodsA cross-sectional, population-based sample of US adults aged 18–64 years (n=2979) was used to evaluate filter-related knowledge and beliefs by smoking status using data collected between 24 October 2018 and 17 December 2018. Multivariate logistic regression models explored whether these knowledge and belief items were associated with support for two policies, a US$0.75 litter fee and a ban on sales of filtered cigarettes, controlling for demographic characteristics and smoking status.ResultsRegardless of smoking status, 71% did not know plastic was a cigarette filter component and 20% believed filters were biodegradable. Overall, 23% believed filters reduce health harms and 60% believed filters make it easier to smoke; 90% believed cigarette butts are harmful to the environment. Individuals believing cigarette butts harmed the environment were more likely to support a litter fee (adjusted OR (aOR)=2.33, 95% CI: 1.71 to 3.17). Individuals believing that filters are not biodegradable had higher odds of supporting a litter fee (OR=1.47, 95% CI: 1.15 to 1.88). Respondents believing that filters do not make cigarettes less harmful were more likely to support a litter fee (aOR=1.50, 95% CI: 1.20 to 1.88) and filter ban (aOR=2.03, 95% CI: 1.64 to 2.50). Belief that filters make it easier to smoke was associated with decreased support for a filter ban (aOR=0.69, 95% CI: 0.58 to 0.83).ConclusionsComprehensive efforts are needed to educate the public about the impact of cigarette filters in order to build support for effective tobacco product waste policy.


2013 ◽  
Vol 31 (15_suppl) ◽  
pp. 9549-9549
Author(s):  
Chunkit Fung ◽  
Chintan Pandya ◽  
Katia Noyes ◽  
Emelian Scosyrev ◽  
Deepak M. Sahasrabudhe ◽  
...  

9549 Background: The impact of BC on HRQL is poorly understood. To our knowledge, this is the first and largest cross-sectional study that compares HRQL of patients before and after BC diagnosis (DX). Methods: Our sample included 1,476 BC patients (≥ age 65) within the SEER-Medicare Health Outcomes Survey linkage database (1998-2007). We assessed differences in HRQL as measured by SF-36 physical (PCS) and mental (MCS) summary scores in patients who had a survey >1 yr before BC DX (n=620) and those who had a survey after BC DX (n=856). We compared groups by year from BC DX using regression analyses and results were adjusted for cancer stage, race, gender, age at BC DX, marital status, education, income, smoking status, activity of daily living (ADLs), and non-cancer comorbidities. Results: Patients who had a survey after BC DX were diagnosed with BC at an older age than those with a survey before BC DX (55.9% at age ≥75 yr vs. 36.8%; P<0.01). Other baseline demographic and socioeconomic characteristics were similar. Baseline HRQL were poor in patients before DX (PCS mean=40.1; MCS mean=51.1) with 50.6% and 31.9% of them having comorbidity score ≥2 and impairment of ≥1 ADLs, respectively. After BC DX, significant decreases in PCS (-2.7; 95% CI -3.8,-1.7) and MCS (-1.4; 95% CI -2.6, -0.3) were observed, with HRQL being lowest in those who had BC DX within 1 yr (PCS mean= 36.6; MCS mean=49.7). Declines in PCS during the <1, 1-3, 3-5, 5-10, and 10+ yr periods after BC DX compared to before BC DX were -3.8 (P<0.01), -2.5 (P<0.01), -2.2 (P=0.01), -1.1 (P=0.19) and -0.8 (P=0.57) whereas decreases in MCS were -2.0 (P=0.01), -2.2 (P<0.01), -1.2 (P=0.21), -0.1 (P=0.92), -0.8 (P=0.62) respectively. More advanced BC, lower educational level, higher comorbidity score, and impaired ADLs were significantly associated with both worse PCS and MCS after BC DX (P<0.05). Lower income and older age at BC DX showed significant association with low PCS (P<0.05). Conclusions: Older BC patients are a vulnerable population with poor baseline HRQL. HRQL of patients after BC DX is significantly worse than HRQL of patients before DX, possibly due to therapy and/or disease progression. Future research that evaluates interventions to improve HRQL in older patients with BC is critical.


2013 ◽  
Vol 34 (11) ◽  
pp. 1189-1193 ◽  
Author(s):  
Justin Zaghi ◽  
Jing Zhou ◽  
Dionne A. Graham ◽  
Gail Potter-Bynoe ◽  
Thomas J. Sandora

Objective.Stethoscopes are contaminated with pathogenic bacteria and pose a risk for transmission of infections, but few clinicians disinfect their stethoscope after every use. We sought to improve stethoscope disinfection rates among pediatric healthcare providers by providing access to disinfection materials and visual reminders to disinfect stethoscopes.Design.Prospective intervention study.Setting. Inpatient units and emergency department of a major pediatric hospital.Participants.Physicians and nurses with high anticipated stethoscope use.Methods.Baskets filled with alcohol prep pads and a sticker reminding providers to regularly disinfect stethoscopes were installed outside of patient rooms. Healthcare providers' stethoscope disinfection behaviors were directly observed before and after the intervention. Multivariable logistic regression models were created to identify independent predictors of stethoscope disinfection.Results.Two hundred twenty-six observations were made in the preintervention period and 261 in the postintervention period (83% were of physicians). Stethoscope disinfection compliance increased significantly from a baseline of 34% to 59% postintervention (P < .001). In adjusted analyses, the postintervention period was associated with improved disinfection among both physicians (odds ratio [OR], 2.3 [95% confidence interval (CI), 1.4-3.5]) and nurses (OR, 14.3 [95% CI, 4.6-44.6]). Additional factors independently associated with disinfection included subspecialty unit (vs general pediatrics; OR, 0.5 [95% CI, 0.3-0.8]) and contact precautions (OR, 2.3 [95% CI, 1.2-4.1]).Conclusions.Providing stethoscope disinfection supplies and visible reminders outside of patient rooms significantly increased stethoscope disinfection rates among physicians and nurses at a children's hospital. This simple intervention could be replicated at other healthcare facilities. Future research should assess the impact on patient infections.


2018 ◽  
Vol 21 (10) ◽  
pp. 1320-1330 ◽  
Author(s):  
Allison Glasser ◽  
Haneen Abudayyeh ◽  
Jennifer Cantrell ◽  
Raymond Niaura

Abstract There is concern that e-cigarette use among youth and young adults (YAs) may lead to future cigarette or other combustible tobacco product use. A synthesis of the literature on this topic is needed because existing longitudinal studies are limited in number and not consistent in their conclusions. We conducted a search in PubMed through December 31, 2017 for peer-reviewed studies related to e-cigarette patterns of use. Of 588 relevant studies, 26 had a youth or YA sample, were longitudinal in design, and assessed e-cigarette use at baseline and cigarette smoking at follow-up. Most studies followed a sample over time and compared cigarette smoking at follow-up between baseline e-cigarette users and nonusers. Other studies examined the difference at follow-up in cigarette smoking status among smokers according to e-cigarette use at baseline. Results suggest that, among never smokers, e-cigarette use is associated with the future (6 months to 2.5 years) cigarette trial; however, firm conclusions cannot be drawn because of limitations including small sample size, measurement of experimental use (ie, ever use, past 30-day use) rather than established use, and inadequate controls for potentially confounding variables. Conclusions also cannot be drawn from studies examining the impact of e-cigarette use among smokers due to the limited number of studies and additional limitations. A comprehensive understanding of this literature is needed to inform policy makers and consumers for evidence-based decision-making and to guide future research on e-cigarette use among youth and young adults. Implications The present article provides a review of the impact of e-cigarette use on subsequent cigarette smoking among youth and YAs. Studies presented here suggest that e-cigarette use among nonsmokers is associated with subsequent cigarette smoking, but study designs are subject to numerous limitations. Future research should focus on addressing the characteristics that put youth and YAs at the risk of using either product and how appeal and accessibility of these products are related to product use in order to inform future policy-making.


2019 ◽  
Vol 37 (15_suppl) ◽  
pp. e20645-e20645
Author(s):  
Juan Ruiz Bañobre ◽  
María C. Areses Manrique ◽  
Rosario García Campelo ◽  
Rafael Lopez ◽  
Francisco J. Afonso Afonso ◽  
...  

e20645 Background: The lung immune prognostic index (LIPI) has been proposed as a new biomarker to select advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients for anti-programmed cell death-1 or programmed death ligand 1 therapy. In this study, we investigate the prognostic and predictive utility of the LIPI in a multicentric nivolumab monotherapy-based cohort. Methods: 153 patients with available baseline LIPI were included. Survival estimates were calculated by the Kaplan-Meier method, and groups were compared with the log-rank test. The impact of the baseline LIPI on survival (PFS and OS), and DCR and ORR was assessed by Cox and logistic regression models respectively, adjusted for age, sex, ECOG-PS, smoking status, histology, TNM stage at diagnosis, presence of brain metastases and number of prior regimens. All p values were 2-sided, and those less than 0.05 were considered statistically significant. Results: 50.3% (n = 77) of the patients had a good (0 factors) LIPI, while 41.2% (n = 63) and 8.5% (n = 13) had intermediate (1 factor) and poor (2 factors) LIPI respectively. No significant differences were observed between the LIPI groups according to clinicopathologic characteristics. A high LIPI was significantly associated with poor OS in univariate (HR = 3.12, 95% CI 2.12 – 4.60; p < 0.0001) and multivariate (HR = 3.10, 95% CI 2.09 – 4.58; p < 0.0001) analyses. A high LIPI was associated with poor PFS (HR = 1.49, 95% CI 1.07 – 2.07; p = 0.02), but this correlation did not reach a statistical significance in multivariate analysis (HR = 1.37, 95% CI 0.98 – 1.92; p = 0.07). A higher LIPI was associated with a lower disease control rate in univariate (OR = 0.50, 95% CI 0.29 – 0.85; p = 0.01) and multivariate (OR = 0.55, 95% CI 0.31 – 0.98; p = 0.04) analyses. Conclusions: This study confirms the utility of the LIPI in prognostication and disease control prediction in advanced NSCLC patients treated with nivolumab in the second line of therapy or beyond.


2019 ◽  
pp. 088626051988016
Author(s):  
Julia Cusano ◽  
Sarah McMahon

Campus sexual violence is a complex issue that has led to a proliferation of federal legislation and best practices with the intent to better support student survivors. Despite these efforts, research suggests that many survivors do not disclose to formal resources on campus, but rather, to their peers. While there is growing theoretical and empirical support for the role of peer-level influences on both preventing and responding to sexual violence on college campuses, our understanding of students’ confidence in knowing how to respond is limited. Furthermore, disclosure research has yet to assess the impact of broader campus-level factors on students’ confidence in being able to support survivors. In the present exploratory study, undergraduate students responded to a survey, which included questions about receiving disclosures and perceived ability to respond as well as measures of individual-level correlates (gender, race, prior victimization) and campus community factors (perceptions of the university’s responsiveness, exposure to information, awareness of resources). Bivariate analyses were conducted to examine whether certain students were more likely to receive a disclosure on campus. To look at the impact of individual- and community-level factors, a series of hierarchical logistic regression models were estimated. Ability to respond to a disclosure was measured using three separate dichotomous variables. Findings show that 34% of our sample has received at least one disclosure of sexual violence from a peer since coming to campus. In addition, results show that above and beyond individual correlates, campus-level factors impacted students’ confidence in their roles as disclosure recipients. These results have significant implications for sexual violence programs on campus. Suggestions for future research are also discussed.


Author(s):  
Daniel Quan ◽  
Lucía Luna Wong ◽  
Anita Shallal ◽  
Raghav Madan ◽  
Abel Hamdan ◽  
...  

Abstract Background The impact of race and socioeconomic status on clinical outcomes has not been quantified in patients hospitalized with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Objective To evaluate the association between patient sociodemographics and neighborhood disadvantage with frequencies of death, invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV), and intensive care unit (ICU) admission in patients hospitalized with COVID-19. Design Retrospective cohort study. Setting Four hospitals in an integrated health system serving southeast Michigan. Participants Adult patients admitted to the hospital with a COVID-19 diagnosis confirmed by polymerase chain reaction. Main Measures Patient sociodemographics, comorbidities, and clinical outcomes were collected. Neighborhood socioeconomic variables were obtained at the census tract level from the 2018 American Community Survey. Relationships between neighborhood median income and clinical outcomes were evaluated using multivariate logistic regression models, controlling for patient age, sex, race, Charlson Comorbidity Index, obesity, smoking status, and living environment. Key Results Black patients lived in significantly poorer neighborhoods than White patients (median income: $34,758 (24,531–56,095) vs. $63,317 (49,850–85,776), p < 0.001) and were more likely to have Medicaid insurance (19.4% vs. 11.2%, p < 0.001). Patients from neighborhoods with lower median income were significantly more likely to require IMV (lowest quartile: 25.4%, highest quartile: 16.0%, p < 0.001) and ICU admission (35.2%, 19.9%, p < 0.001). After adjusting for age, sex, race, and comorbidities, higher neighborhood income ($10,000 increase) remained a significant negative predictor for IMV (OR: 0.95 (95% CI 0.91, 0.99), p = 0.02) and ICU admission (OR: 0.92 (95% CI 0.89, 0.96), p < 0.001). Conclusions Neighborhood disadvantage, which is closely associated with race, is a predictor of poor clinical outcomes in COVID-19. Measures of neighborhood disadvantage should be used to inform policies that aim to reduce COVID-19 disparities in the Black community.


2021 ◽  
Vol 278 ◽  
pp. 03030
Author(s):  
Irina Dymova ◽  
Yanina Formulevich ◽  
Olga Karpova ◽  
Igor Lyamkin

The article analyzes the trends of the strategy of sustainable development of coal industry in Kuzbass and the prospects for its development. The main problems connected with the coal enterprises operations are identified, possible ways of their solutions are presented within the framework of the adopted "Strategy for social-and-economic development of the region for the period up to 2035". Having analyzed the program under study, the proposals for its correction or addition in terms of improving the ecology of the region, social-and-economic development, preserving the natural landscape and biogeocenosis were made. The options for transporting coal and increasing the level of coal production technologies in underground mining were proposed. The article provides statistical data on coal mining for the period 2009-2020, and international experience of coal-mining countries. The authors consider the problems of export and transportation of coal, the impact of world prices on coal production. In addition, the authors of the article focus on the legal and legislative consolidation of the main conditions for control and regulation of the subsoil use in Kuzbass, make proposals for its effectiveness, in order to reduce social tension, environmental pollution, reduce the risk of earthquakes, and preserve coal resources for future generations.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ibtisam M. Al-Zaru ◽  
Dina Masha'al ◽  
Ghada Shahrour ◽  
Audai A. Hayajneh

Abstract Background: It is well-established in the literature that coronary artery disease (CAD) is a risk factor for depression and that depressive symptoms inversely affect the development and progression of CAD. No published studies have examined the relationship between depression and adherence to healthy lifestyle behaviors among patients with CAD in Jordan. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of depression on adherence to healthy lifestyle behaviors among CAD patients in Jordan. Methods: A convenience sample of 130 patients with CAD was recruited from out-patient cardiac clinics in a university-affiliated hospital and government-operated hospital in Northern Jordan. Data were collected using self-administered questionnaires on depression and adherence to healthy lifestyle behaviors among CAD patients. Results: Our data showed that 41% of the participants were non-adherent to healthy lifestyle behaviors, especially in the areas of physical activity (6.2%), maintaining a healthy diet (24.6%), and weight loss (26.15%). Gender, smoking status, and number of cardiac catheterization procedures were found to be significant predictors of patient adherence to healthy lifestyle behaviors. Although depressive symptoms were present in 56.9 % of the participants, depression was not found to be a significant predictor of adherence to healthy lifestyle behaviors among our sample. Conclusion: Our study provides valuable data regarding the levels and predictors of adherence to healthy lifestyle behaviors among CAD patients with CADs. Implications for future research and practice are addressed.


2018 ◽  
Vol 25 (9) ◽  
pp. 1147-1152 ◽  
Author(s):  
A Jay Holmgren ◽  
Eric W Ford

Abstract Objective Horizontal consolidation in the hospital industry has gained momentum in the United States despite concerns over rising costs and lower quality. Hospital systems frequently point to potential gains in interoperability and electronic exchange of patient information as consolidation benefits. We sought to assess whether hospitals in different health system structures varied in their interoperable data sharing. Materials and methods We created a cross-sectional national hospital sample from the 2014 AHA Annual Survey and 2015 IT Supplement. We combined the existing taxonomy of health system organizational forms and the ONC’s functionality-based, technology-agnostic definition of interoperability. We used logistic regression models to assess the relationship between health systems’ organizational forms and interoperability engagement, controlling for hospital characteristics. Results We found that interoperability engagement varied greatly across hospitals in different health system structures, with facilities in more centralized health systems more likely to be interoperable. Hospitals in one system type, featuring centralized insurance product development but diverse service offerings across member organizations, had significantly higher odds of being engaged in interoperable data sharing in our multivariate regression results. Discussion The heterogeneity in health system interoperability engagement indicates that incentives to share data vary greatly across organizational strategies and structures. Our results suggest that horizontal consolidation in the hospital industry may not bring significant gains in interoperability progress unless that consolidation takes a specific business alignment form. Conclusion Policymakers should be wary of claims that horizontal consolidation will lead to interoperability gains. Future research should explore the specific mechanisms that lead to greater interoperability in certain health system organizational structures.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document