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Baleta, Adele. "Healing the rift : an assessment of a World Health Organisation's media communication programme for health scientists". Thesis, Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch, 2006. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/17344.
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Thesis (MPhil)--University of Stellenbosch, 2006.ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Health scientists agree that the media is a crucial conduit for communicating life-saving, preventative and curative health messages to a wider audience. They also concur that they are the gatekeepers, and the responsibility of communicating their findings and health information to the public rests with them. And yet, their relationship with journalists is often unhealthy and in need of attention. Many health scientists lack knowledge and understanding about who the media are, and what they require to do the job of reporting ethically and professionally. They often lack the skills needed to frame simple, succinct messages timeously, especially on controversial issues such as vaccines and drug safety, immunisation and drug treatment for infectious diseases such as HIV/AIDS. This study argues that health scientists/professionals globally, irrespective of culture, ethnicity, creed, language or media systems, need training on how to communicate with the media in the interests of public health. This is especially so in the modern world with its complex, high-speed communication. The objective of the study was to assess the impact of a WHO media communication training programme for health scientists worldwide. More specifically, the study sought to shed light on whether the training shifted their perceptions and attitudes to the media. And, if so, in what way? It also aimed to find out if the trainees learned any skills on how to deal with reporters. The research methodology was qualitative. A review of the literature, to establish current thinking in the field, was followed by interviews with health professionals. The interviewees are from China, South Africa and Ghana and received the same basic training either in South Africa, China or Sri Lanka. Some were trained in 2005, others in 2004 and others before that. Most had been trained together with participants from other countries. Two focus groups were conducted in China before and after training. Included, is an account of the aims and objectives of each module of the actual training. The study also made use of WHO documents and news and feature articles from newspapers, radio and the internet. Most participants had never had media communication training but had been interviewed by reporters. While some had positive experiences, others felt bruised by their interactions with journalists. After training, however, they registered a shift in attitude toward feeling more positive and less fearful of the media. They felt more confident and better equipped to engage with journalists. Most participants desired more training to consolidate the skills that they had learned. Some had managed to put the training to good use by developing similar programmes in their own country. Others who were trained more recently were enthusiastic about the prospect of sharing ideas with colleagues. Those who were unlikely to deal with the media directly said they felt they could at last contribute to discussions on the media in the workplace. The WHO training, albeit a first step aimed at bridging the gap between health professionals and journalists, goes a long way in addressing the frustrations and the complexities of dealing with the media. Health professionals want to communicate because they need to reach their target population, the ordinary person in the street. Training and facilitation can empower health professionals to deal constructively with the media in getting health messages to the public. This training programme, which imparts practical skills including how to prepare and manage interviews, could be adapted to meet the needs of scientists from different disciplines.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Gesondheidswetenskaplikes is dit eens dat die media ‘n uiters belangrike middel is om lewensreddende, voorkomende en genesende gesondheidsboodskappe aan ‘n groter gehoor oor te dra. Hulle stem ook saam dat hulle die hekwagters is en die verantwoordelikheid het om hul bevindinge en gesondheidsinligting aan die publiek oor te dra. Tog is hul verhouding met joernaliste dikwels ongesond en sorgwekkend. Talle gesondheidswetenskaplikes het geen kennis en begrip van wie die media is en wat hulle nodig het om hul taak – verslaggewing – eties en professioneel te verrig nie. Hulle kort dikwels die vaardighede om eenvoudige, saaklike boodskappe betyds te formuleer, veral as dit kom by omstrede aangeleenthede soos veilige entstowwe en medisyne, immunisering en medisyne vir die behandeling van aansteeklike siektes. Hierdie studie voer aan dat wetenskaplikes/gesondheidsberoepslui wêreldwyd – ongeag kultuur, etnisiteit, geloof, taal of mediastelsels – ‘n behoefte het aan opleiding om beter met die media te kommunikeer ter wille van openbare gesondheid. Dit is veral belangrik vir die ingewikkelde en snelle kommunikasie van die moderne wêreld. Die doel van die studie was om die uitwerking van ‘n wêreldwye opleidingsprogram van die WGO oor kommunikasie met die media te bepaal. Die studie het meer spesifiek probeer lig werp op die vraag of die opleiding hul begrip van en ingesteldheid teenoor die media verander het. En, indien wel, op watter manier? Dit het ook probeer vasstel of deelnemers enige vaardighede aangeleer het oor hoe om met verslaggewers om te gaan. ‘n Kwalitatiewe navorsingsmetodiek is gevolg. Bestaande literatuur is bestudeer om huidige denkrigtings op die gebied te bepaal, waarna onderhoude met gesondheidsberoepslui asook ‘n TV-gesondheidsverslaggewer van Beijing, China, gevoer is. Die ondervraagdes kom van China, Suid-Afrika en Ghana en het dieselfde basiese opleiding in Suid-Afrika, China of Sri Lanka ondergaan. Sommige is in 2005 opgelei, party in 2004 en ander vroeër. Die meeste is saam met deelnemers van ander lande opgelei. Twee fokusgroepe is voor en ná opleiding in China bestudeer. ‘n Verslag oor die oogmerke en doelwitte van elke module van die werklike opleiding is ingesluit. Die studie het ook gebruik gemaak van WGO-dokumente, nuus- en artikels uit nuusblaaie, die radio en die internet. Die meeste deelnemers het nooit opleiding in mediakommunikasie gehad nie, hoewel verslaggewers al onderhoude met hulle gevoer het. Terwyl dit vir sommige ‘n aangename ondervinding was, het ander nie goeie herinneringe aan hul interaksie met joernaliste nie. Ná opleiding het hulle egter getuig van ‘n positiewer gesindheid teenoor en minder vrees vir die media. Die meerderheid van die deelnemers wou graag verdere opleiding hê om hul pas verworwe vaardighede uit te bou. Party kon selfs soortgelyke programme in hul eie lande ontwikkel. Van die meer onlangse deelnemers was geesdriftig oor die vooruitsig om gedagtes met kollegas te wissel. Diegene wat waarskynlik nie veel met die media te doen sou hê nie, het gesê hulle kon nou minstens by die werk aan gesprekke oor die media deelneem. Hoewel dit maar die eerste tree is om die gaping tussen gesondheidsberoepslui en joernaliste te oorbrug, slaag die WGO se opleiding in ‘n groot mate daarin om die frustrasies en verwikkeldhede van omgang met die media te oorkom. Mense in die gesondheidsberoepe wil graag kommunikeer omdat hulle hul teikenbevolking – die gewone mense – moet bereik. Opleiding en tussentrede kan hulle toerus om konstruktief met die media om te gaan ten einde gesondheidsboodskappe aan die publiek oor te dra. Hierdie opleidingsprogram kan aangepas word om in die behoeftes van wetenskaplikes in verskeie vakgebiede te voorsien.
2
Tlou, Boikhutso. "Statistical methods to model the influence of age and gender on the behavioral risk factors of HIV/AIDS". Thesis, University of Fort Hare, 2010. http://hdl.handle.net/10353/400.
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The effects of gender and age on the behavioral risk of HIV/AIDS are not clearly understood as previous distinct studies which have been carried out, have given disputable and contradictory outcomes. This study therefore, discusses the statistical methods which can be used to model the influence of age and gender on the behavioral risk factors of HIV/AIDS. In general, generalized linear models are the main methods which can be applied to depict the impact of age and gender on the behavioral risk of becoming infected with HIV/AIDS virus. In this study, the main methods used were logistic regression, log-linear regression and multiple regressions. Behavioral risk was taken as the dependent variable while age, gender, number of sexual partners, religious beliefs and alcohol and drug abuse were fitted as predictor variables. The three statistical methods gave significant results for gender and insignificant results for age. Furthermore, comparisons were made on the three regression methods and the logistic regression gave the best results. It was therefore concluded that gender plays a significant role on the behavioral risk of HIV/AIDS. The results of the study showed that gender of the student and number of sexual partners had a significant effect on the risk behavior of the university students. In future, it may be very important to find out why age is not a significant factor on risk behavior of HIV/AIDS among university students.
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Nygren, Peggy. "Exploring the Effects of Multi-Level Protective and Risk Factors on Child and Parenting Outcomes in Families Participating in Healthy Start/Healthy Families Oregon (HS/HFO)". PDXScholar, 2013. https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/open_access_etds/1513.
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While many studies focus on the links between multiple risk factors and negative outcomes such as child maltreatment, less is known about the influence of protective factors in the face of risks. The theoretical base of this study was a social ecological model of interactive influences including individual parent, family, and neighborhood level factors to predict outcomes. Protective Factor Index (PFI) and Risk Factor Index (RFI) predictors were developed to explore potential multi-level protective factor buffering effects on key child development and parenting outcomes. Participants were first time mothers enrolled in a randomized controlled study of the Healthy Start/ Healthy Families Oregon (HS/HFO) home visitation program (treatment group) who completed a follow-up phone survey at the child’s 12 month birthday (n = 405). Families were offered HS/HFO services prenatally after meeting risk screening eligibility criteria on the New Baby Questionnaire (NBQ). Program mothers having received at least one home visit (n = 248) were included in the final analyses. Families had an average of 3.1 (SD = 1.2) NBQ risk factors at enrollment and 83% reported having trouble paying for basic needs. Families received an average of 16 home visits in the first 6 months of the program. Thirty-one percent of mothers were aged 19 or younger, 60% were White and Non-Hispanic, 31% were Hispanic, and 9% were another race/ethnicity. Hierarchical regression models with main effects (RFI, PFI, race) and an interaction term (RFI X PFI) were developed to predict eight outcomes. Interaction effects models were not significant. Five RFI main effects were significant: higher RFI scores were associated with greater likelihood of child welfare involvement, greater parenting stress, less favorable scores on child health and well-being, lower parent responsiveness and ii acceptance, and less supportive learning environments. One PFI main effect was significant: higher PFI scores predicted lower parenting stress. A trend level result showed higher PFI scores were associated with less child welfare involvement. Race was significant in two models: White/Non-Hispanic families were more likely to have a home visitor report child welfare involvement and had more frequent parent-child activities compared to other race/ethnicity families. Unpacking the results with separate single risk factor (12 items) and protective factor (10 items) regression models followed. Results showed parent’s prior family history of maltreatment and younger maternal age predicted child welfare involvement (home visitor report), while protection was seen for those with access to housing support. Social support and family functioning protectors were linked to lower parenting stress, while maternal depression showed the opposite finding. Better scores on a child health and well-being measure were seen with higher neighborhood cohesion and greater participation in HS/HFO; in contrast, neighborhood violence and frequent mobility were linked to worse scores. Developmentally supportive home environments were seen for families participating in additional parent support programs, in which the mother had greater knowledge of infant milestones and behavior, and if the family had access to housing supports. Unemployment proved to be associated with less enriched home environments. In summary, there was no support for the cumulative PFI in buffering risk for negative outcomes in this model. The RFI was also a more robust predictor of outcomes compared to the PFI in the main effects models. Overall, study findings provide some evidence for the utility of specific protective factors, as well as cumulative and specific single risk factors, for screening families for effectively targeting services and guiding the conceptual development of program and evaluation formats.
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Van, Wyk Mirna F. "Emotional-social competencies that enhance wellness in teachers : an exploratory study /". Thesis, Link to the online version, 2006. http://hdl.handle.net/10019/1277.
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Alcaraz, Cristina. "A community risk assessment of Huntington Park, California". Thesis, California State University, Long Beach, 2015. http://pqdtopen.proquest.com/#viewpdf?dispub=1588575.
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The purpose of the study was to conduct a community risk assessment of the city of Huntington Park, California by utilizing the Communities That Care model to identify the most concerning risk factors for delinquency and school dropout. Forty-seven indicators measuring 18 risk factors were gathered from public sources. Data from Huntington Park was compared to data from Los Angeles County and California. The risk factors of main concern for the community appeared to be transition and mobility, low neighborhood attachment and community disorganization, extreme economic deprivation, family management problems, academic failure beginning in elementary school, early and persistent antisocial behavior, friends who engage in the problem behavior and early initiation of the problem behavior. Efforts to reduce involvement in delinquency and school dropout should target the community, school and peer and individual domains. Suggestions for evidence-based programs and approaches to reduce the most salient risk factors are provided.
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Ngan, Wai-tak Eden, i 顔偉得. "Health risk assessment of toxic air pollutants in Hong Kong". Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 1997. http://hub.hku.hk/bib/B31253854.
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Man, Yu Bon. "Risk assessment of soils after changing agricultural land use in Hong Kong". HKBU Institutional Repository, 2011. http://repository.hkbu.edu.hk/etd_ra/1227.
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Xing, Guanhua. "Human exposure and health risk assessment of polychlorinated biphenyls at two major electronic-waste recycling sites in China". HKBU Institutional Repository, 2008. http://repository.hkbu.edu.hk/etd_ra/994.
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Cameron, Kirsteen Sarah. "Needs-led assessment in health and social care : a community-based comparative study". Thesis, University of Glasgow, 2006. http://theses.gla.ac.uk/2984/.
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The assessment of need underpins the delivery of community-based care. Following the NHS and Community Care Act (1990), the principle of needs-led assessment was reinforced as it applied to the assessment and care management process. Translation of needs-led assessment into practice in Scotland has been further influenced by policy-based organisational change including the introduction of Single Shared Assessment and Community Health Partnerships. This study seeks to describe the political and practice landscape within which needs-led assessment exists, identify and explore factors which influence needs-led assessment, and consider the practice implications of the policy driver for community-based practitioners across the main disciplines of health and social care. Following a short pilot, the main study was undertaken using sequences vignettes within a semi-structured interview involving 105 social workers, health and housing staff. Key findings indicated a cloak of consensus around definitions of need and assessment with perceptions based upon a medical or social model of care or a professionally or personality-driven assessment of need. A preoccupation with the outcome of assessments caused many respondents to describe needs with reference to the interventions or resources required to address them. The practice of needs-led assessment, according to study results, was hampered by an awareness of resource availability, concerns over client compliance and risk and, an underlying alignment to the values and principles upheld by the employing discipline.
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Nagel, Barbara Jean. "Risk Comparisons: The Role of Self-Threat vs. Self-Affirmation in Shaping Responses to Social Comparative Risk Information". University of Toledo / OhioLINK, 2013. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=toledo1384505067.
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Dixon, Jeremy. "Identity, risk and control : the perceptions of service users subject to section 37/41 of the Mental Health Act 1983 towards risk, risk assessment and social supervision". Thesis, Cardiff University, 2013. http://orca.cf.ac.uk/46753/.
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Whilst risk assessments have come to assume an increased level of importance in mental health policy and practice in England and Wales since the 1990s, there has been relatively little focus on the way in which service users themselves experience such practices. This thesis examines the views of offenders subject to Ministry of Justice restrictions under section 41 of the Mental Health Act 1983 towards their own offending, risk assessments and supervision. A primarily qualitative methodology is used to examine the views of 19 service users. Using theories of identity, the thesis examines the way that research participants explained and justified offending behaviour. It is argued that mentally disordered offenders used illness as a form of mitigation, utilised ‘techniques of neutralisation’ or employed a combination of these approaches. The thesis moves on to use governmentality theory as a means to analyse participants’ awareness and views toward risk assessment practices and their conditions of discharge. Although participants believed that assessments were seen as important by mental health professionals, they were often unaware of the content of such assessments. Research participants usually had little or no knowledge of their conditions of discharge. Service user perceptions of the supervision process are then examined with reference to theories of social control. It is argued that service users held a range of views towards the supervision order, seeing it variously as a means of identifying and supporting them as mentally ill individuals; as a means of establishing internal controls or as a negative means of labelling socially stigmatised behaviours. The thesis concludes through considering the ways in which social workers might consider the use of risk assessment practices through an ethical framework. It I argued that social workers should seeks to bridge Kantian and utilitarian perspectives through a consideration of service user autonomy.
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Ihenacho, Kelechi Nkeiruka, i Christina Nicole Burden. "The influence of gender scripts on African American college student condom use". CSUSB ScholarWorks, 2011. https://scholarworks.lib.csusb.edu/etd-project/3329.
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This study examines how African American gender scripts influence condom use for disease and pregnancy prevention. One-hundred African American California State University, San Bernardino (CSUSB) students were selected to participate in this study. Fifty African American males and fifty African American females were surveyed for this study to be representative of the African American community on campus.
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Tillberg, Anders. "A multidisciplinary risk assessment of dental restorative materials". Doctoral thesis, Umeå : Univ, 2008. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:umu:diva-1860.
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Alhassan, Abraham Basil. "Assessment of Social, Dietary and Biochemical Correlates of Cardiometabolic Risk in Pre-adolescent Hispanic Children". Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University, 2017. https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/3245.
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Obesity, elevated blood pressure and dyslipidemia are highly prevalent in Hispanic children. Compared to their non-Hispanic White peers, Hispanic children experience higher prevalence of obesity and hypertension. The Hispanic population in Tennessee has been growing, with about a tenth of newborn babies being Hispanic. This study aimed to: 1. Examine the influence of sociodemographic factors on Hispanic children’s cardiometabolic risk; 2. Assess the relationship between food group intake and cardiometabolic risk in Hispanic children; and 3. Evaluate the efficacy of non-traditional biomarkers for detecting cardiometabolic risk in Hispanic children. Data for the study came from a larger cross-sectional pilot study of metabolic syndrome in Hispanic children attending a community health center in Johnson City, TN. Descriptive and multiple logistic regression analyses were used. The prevalence of overweight and elevated blood pressure were 40.7% and 31.0% respectively. Children of obese mothers were more likely than children of mothers with normal body mass index to engage in less than three days of at least 60 minutes of vigorous physical activity (PA) per week (OR: 6.47: 95% CI: 1.61-26.0). Children whose mothers did not engage in moderate PA were more likely to have elevated blood pressure (OR: 2.50, 95%CI: 1.02-4.53); and to engage in less than three days of at least 60 minutes of vigorous PA per week (OR: 2.92, 95% CI: 1.18-7.24), than children whose mothers engaged in moderate PA. Children generally exceeded fruit and legume intake recommendations, but did not meet vegetable, wholegrain, dairy and fiber recommendations. Higher legume (OR: 0.052, 95% CI: 0.04-0.64), dairy (OR: 0.61, 95% CI: 0.37-0.99) and fiber intake (OR: 0.88, 95% CI: 0.81-0.96) were protective against elevated blood pressure, but only fruit intake was protective against overweight (OR: 0.93, 95% CI: 0.87-0.99). Leptin, C-peptide and TNF-α showed significant positive correlations with cardiometabolic risk factors. The optimal cut-offs for detecting three or more cardiometabolic risk factors were: leptin, 5.95 ng/ml, C-peptide, 0.73 ng/; and TNF-alpha, 4.28 pg/ml.
Helping mothers to achieve and maintain a healthy BMI and promoting children’s consumption of more vegetables, fruits, dairy and fiber could help reduce cardiometabolic risk in Hispanic children.
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Saguin, Joana Valerie Garong. "A Community Health Risk Assessment of Individuals Experiencing Homelessness in Long Beach California 90813 Zip Code". Thesis, California State University, Long Beach, 2018. http://pqdtopen.proquest.com/#viewpdf?dispub=10785256.
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The purpose of this study was to conduct a community health risk assessment of the city of Long Beach, California specific to the 90813 ZIP code by utilizing an adaptation of the Catholic Health Association of the United States (2013) model for community health assessment to identify the most imperative risk factors for the chronic homeless population in the 90813 ZIP code of Long Beach. Data on three domains (physical health, mental health, and housing) measuring 16 risk factors were gathered from both archival data and major public sources. Data from Long Beach 90813 ZIP code were compared to data from Los Angeles County, California, and the United States. Risk factors that are the utmost concerning for the community appeared to be difficulties in obtaining health care, infectious diseases, both ER and hospitalization rates due to alcohol abuse and high poverty rate. Efforts to reduce the amount of both sheltered and unsheltered chronic homeless individuals should target all three domains. Recommendations for evidence-based programs and interventions to reduce the most salient risk factors are provided.
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Kang, Yuan. "Risk assessment of human exposure to persistent organic pollutants via indoor dust in Hong Kong". HKBU Institutional Repository, 2011. https://repository.hkbu.edu.hk/etd_ra/1292.
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Olujimi, Olanrewaju Olusoji. "The concentrations, distribution and health risk assessment of suspected endocrine disrupting chemicals (phenols, phthalates and heavy metals) in freshwater systems of Cape Town, South Africa". Thesis, Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11838/2009.
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Thesis (DTech (Environmental Health))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2012.Environmental pollution with persistent organic chemicals and inorganic trace metals is an increasingly important issue. Recently, a variety of chemicals are introduced in a very large scale on the surface water network. The main pathway of these pollutants into the environment was identified as wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). The extended use of chemicals in many product formulations and insufficient WWTPs has lead to an increase in the levels of the detected micro-pollutants wastewater effluents. The majority of these compounds are characterized by a rather poor biodegradability. A large spectrum of pollutants present in waste as traces has been reported to exert adverse effects on human and wildlife. Even though compounds are found in wastewater in a very small amount, they may have the undesirable capability of initiating health effect on various high forms of life. This survey constitutes the first study in the City of Cape Town to report data for a variety of priority substances (phenols and phthalate esters) in WWTP effluents and receiving rivers. These results are of critical importance since the data generated are used to generate potential health risk associated with both the organic and inorganic compounds analyzed.
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Zhang, Manwen. "Air pollution and human health risk assessment in e-waste recycling sites and urban indoor environment in South China". HKBU Institutional Repository, 2017. https://repository.hkbu.edu.hk/etd_oa/463.
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1.1\xWith the emphasis on particulate matter (PM) and persistent organic pollutants (POPs) from uncontrolled sources, this study focused on the ambient air pollution of e-waste recycling regions and the indoor air quality of urban areas in South China.;1.2\xIn the past decades, severe PM and POPs pollutions were recorded in e-waste recycling regions in China. Since the 2010s, more effective measures, stricter regulations and sophisticated dismantling technologies have been implemented in Guiyu and Qingyuan by local authorities. In this study, total suspended particles (TSP), fine particles (PM2.5), gas phase samples, and indoor settled dust were collected simultaneously in the primary recycling areas as well as reference sites in Guiyu and Qingyuan in August, 2013. The results showed that both PM, PCDD/Fs (polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and polychlorinated dibenzofurans) , PBDEs (polybrominated diphenyl ethers) and PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls) in ambient air showed significantly reduced levels in the regions, compared with the former corresponding reports. The changed source patterns of the POPs confirmed the environmental effects of the implementation of stricter regulation and advanced technologies in these years. Nevertheless, the remained uncontrolled e-waste recycling activities in Guiyu, including plastics recycling and circuit board baking, still made significant influence to the air environment and resulted in alarming levels of PCDD/Fs (0.73~2.43 pg I-TEQ/m3) in the recycling areas. While in Qingyuan, high environmental PCBs burden was observed both in informal (1737 pg/m3) and formal recycling areas (1075 pg/m3), which could attribute to the uncontrolled dismantling of PCB-contained transformers. The estimated non-cancer risk for children and adults in the recycling regions were 2.7~25.2 and 1.2~3.2, respectively, and moderate cancer risk were found for the residents living in the recycling regions of Guiyu and the vicinage of the formal recycing factory (CR>10-4). The unacceptable estimated risk for both children and adults suggested unsafe air environments in the two recycling regions.;1.4\xCollectively, our results suggest unsatisfactory air quality in both e-waste recycling regions and common urban areas. The air problems could both attribute to the uncontrolled sources of the related spaces. The obtained results firstly indicated that a long way to solve e-waste issues and more effective measures are needed to control the contaminants release and the exposure to the local residents. Secondly, indoor air quality standard for fine particulate matters as well as associated toxicants such as PAHs is urgently needed to guide common populations and communities.;1.5\xKeywords: Air pollution; E-waste recycling; Urban areas; Indoor air; Ambient air; PM2.5; Persistent organic pollutants; Health risk assessment
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Louw, E. J. M. "Climate change in the Western Cape : a disaster risk assessment of the impact on human health". Thesis, Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch, 2007. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/1158.
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Thesis (DPhil (Geography and Environmental Studies))—University of Stellenbosch, 2007.Background The Disaster Management Act (Act 57 of 2002) instructs a paradigm shift from preparedness, response and recovery towards risk reduction. In order to plan for and mitigate risks, all spheres of government must firstly assess their hazards, vulnerabilities, capacity to cope and therefore risks. Studies in this regard, in South Africa, have however only focussed on current risks. Climate Change has now been accepted by leading international studies as a reality. Climate change can impact upon many aspects of life on earth. Studies to quantify the impact of climate change on water resources, biodiversity, agriculture and sustainable development are steadily increasing, but human health seem to have been neglected. Only general predictions, mostly regarding vector-borne disease and injury related to natural disasters are found in literature. Studies in South Africa have only focussed on malaria distribution. Most studies, internationally and the few in South Africa, were based on determining empirical relationships between weather parameters and disease incidence, therefore assessing only the hazard, and not the disaster risk. Methodology This study examines the impact of climate change on human health in the Western Cape, within the context of disaster management. A qualitative approach is followed and includes: · A literature overview examining predicted changes in climate on a global and regional scale, · A discussion on the known relationships and possible impacts climate change might have on human health, · A disaster risk assessment based on the status quo for a case study area, the Cape Winelands District Municipality, · An investigation into the future risks in terms of health, taking into account vulnerabilities and secondary impacts of climate change, resulting in the prioritisation of future risks. · Suggestions towards mitigation within the South African context. Results The secondary impacts of climate change were found to have the larger qualitative impact. The impact of climate change on agriculture, supporting 38% of the population can potentially destroy the livelihoods of the workforce, resulting in poverty-related disease. Other impacts identified were injuries and disease relating to temperature, floods, fire and water quality. Conclusion Risk is a function of hazard, vulnerability and capacity to cope. The impact of an external factor on a ‘spatial system’ should be a function of the impacts on all these factors. Disasters are not increasing because of the increase in the frequency of hazards, but because of the increasing vulnerability to hazards. This study illustrated that the major impacts of the external factor could actually be on the vulnerabilities and the indirect impacts, and not on the hazard itself. Climate change poses a threat to many aspects of the causative links that should be addressed by disaster management, and its impacts should be researched further to determine links and vulnerabilities. This research also illustrates that slow onset disasters hold the potential to destroy just as much as extreme events such as Katrina, Rita or a tsunami. It also reiterates that secondary impacts may not be as obvious, but are certainly not of secondary importance.
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Sun, Qi. "Assessing Social Determinants of Severe Mental Illness in High-Risk Groups". Thesis, University of North Texas, 2014. https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc500085/.
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The primary objective of this research was to explore the impact of possible social factors on non-institutionalized adults 18 years of age or older residing in the United States who exhibited severe mental illness (SMI). A holistic sociological model was developed to explain SMI by incorporating elements of social learning theory, social disorganization theory, and gender socialization theory with social demographic factors. Based on the holistic sociological model, the following factors were investigated: demographic aspects of age, education, income and gender; gender socialization; influence of neighborhood area; social network influence based on communication and interaction among peers and family members; and socially deviant behaviors such as frequently smoking cigarettes, drinking alcohol and using drugs specifically marijuana. The impact of these factors on SMI was examined. A sample of 206 respondents drawn from National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 2003 was assessed. These respondents had answered all the questions related to SMI; social deviant behaviors; neighborhood environment; and communications among peers, family members and friends; and the other studied factors. Ordinary linear regression with interaction terms was employed as a statistical tool to assess the impact of social determinants on SMI. Being female, living a disorganized neighborhood, and frequent and high levels of smoking cigarettes and drinking alcohol had a significant influence on SMI. This reevaluation and reexamination of the role of gender socialization path, socially deviant behaviors like smoking and drinking, and community construction on SMI provided additional insights. This research is one of the first to develop a more holistic sociological model on SMI and explored the previously untested interactive relationships. The limitations of this study suggest the need to test a potential recursive research model and explore additional bi-directional associations.
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Boneau, Rebecca Dunnan. "This is Your Brain on Football: Making Sense of Parents' Decision to Allow Their Child to Play Tackle Football". Thesis, University of North Texas, 2018. https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc1157613/.
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Parents make decisions on behalf of their children on a daily basis. Some parents in the United States face the unique decision of whether or not to allow football participation for their child at a very young age. Using sensemaking theory, I examined how parents assessed the risks involved in making the decision to allow their child to play tackle football. I interviewed 24 participants in the form of 12 parental couples who had children playing middle school football and coded their responses to identify themes and strategies for risk assessment. Themes that emerged were decision-agency (parent and child agency), risk assessment (downplaying risk, acknowledgement of risk with rationalizations, zero risk assessment), and decision-making concepts (cultural influence, familial identity, social influences, information sources). I expanded on the sensemaking supposition of individual identity by arguing that familial identity can also impact decision-making. A key finding to this study was the typology of parents that emerged including football families-parent agency, hesitant family- parent agency, and child focused family-child agency. The type of family reflected families' reception to community culture, impact of social influence, and openness to information sources. Family type also impacted the risk assessment process and belief of control over outcomes in football participation.
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Chan, Kit Yan. "Dietary exposure, human body loadings, and health risk assessment of persistent organic pollutants at two major electronic waste recycling sites in China". HKBU Institutional Repository, 2008. http://repository.hkbu.edu.hk/etd_ra/943.
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Eliasson, Kristina. "Occupational health services in the prevention of musculoskeletal disorders : Processes, tools and organizational aspects". Licentiate thesis, KTH, Ergonomi, 2017. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-200392.
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Work-related musculoskeletal disorders are associated with high costs and it is essential to prevent them. Occupational Health Services(OHS) provide expert services regarding work environment, health and rehabilitation of work related disorders. Risk assessments of the work environment can be an initial step for preventive measures, and ergonomists can be assigned by clients to assess exposures in the work environment. For such assignments different tools can be used. The aim of this thesis was to explore prerequisites, processes and practices of OHS consultants in Sweden within the domain of primary prevention of work-related musculoskeletal disorders. This was explored through the work of ergonomists in their role of assessing ergonomics risks. The research methodology was both quantitative and qualitative. Data collection includes a web questionnaire, semi-structured interviews and inter- and intra-observer reliability tests. The results shows that ergonomics risk assessments were most commonly initiated reactively and a systematic work methodology for the risk assessment process was often lacking. Swedish ergonomists used only a few standardized tools for risk assessment. The Ergonomics provision from the Swedish Work Environment Authority, AFS-98, was widely used, but other observation-based tools were used far less often. Ergonomics risks were often assessed solely by means of observation, based on ergonomists’ knowledge and experience. The results also pointed to that that the reliability was not acceptable when risk assessment was performed without any standardized tool. Furthermore, the results point to that support from the OHS organizations is an important prerequisite for ergonomists to work with primary prevention. Further, opportunities for specialization within a specific industry sector seem to facilitate ergonomic interventions. It is also important to have close relationships with clients and to make them aware about ergonomists competence. Conclusively, this thesis identifies a numbers of areas in which OHS must develop to improve primary preventive services regarding work environment.QC 20170127
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Luyt, Stanley Arthur. "A study to assess the changes in hygiene of food premises following a specific health education programme". Thesis, Cape Technikon, 1992. http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11838/800.
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Thesis (Masters Diploma in Technology (Public Health)) -- Cape Technikon, Cape Town, 1992In order to evaluate a health education programme for food handlers at a meat plant, a bakery/confectionery and a catering premises, changes in hygiene were assessed by the bacteriological analysis of swabs for hygiene indicator organisms from food contact surfaces. In this evaluation three phases were established on the basis of bacteriological assessment prior to, during and after the education programme. The first phase involved the establishment of a base line for hygiene indicator organisms prior to the education programme by taking 5 sets of bacteriological swabs over a two month period at each of the three premises, each swab set consisting of 14 swabs of food contact surfaces making a total of 210 swabs. During this time the food hygiene educational needs of the employees were assessed and on this basis a set of three video taped presentations were produced relating respectively to personal hygiene, environmental hygiene and food handling practices. The second phase consisted of the implementation of a health education programme involving consecutive tutorial sessions at one month intervals during which the video taped programme was presented. At this stage a further 5 sets of bacteriological swabs was taken at each of the premises. The third phase involved the assessment of hygiene shortly after completion of the education programme by taking a final 5 sets of bacteriological swabs of food contact surfaces at each of the premises over a further two month period. Statistically significant reductions in a number of the indicator organisms were observed during the course of the study.
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Qin, Yanyan. "Health risk assessment of POPs and heavy metals in Hong Kong residents based on their concentrations in selected food items and different human tissues (blood plasma and adipose tissues)". HKBU Institutional Repository, 2010. http://repository.hkbu.edu.hk/etd_ra/1234.
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Lazenby, Victoria S. "Personal exposure of children to formaldehyde in Perth, Western Australia". Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 2010. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/1742.
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Formaldehyde is a common air pollutant that tends to be found in elevated concentrations in indoor air. Exposure to formaldehyde has the potential to impact on respiratory health, particularly amongst sensitive individuals and populations, including children. Children spend most of their time indoors at home, however, there are very little data on the contribution of formaldehyde concentrations in homes to personal exposure in children. The principal aim of this cross sectional study was to investigate whether the domestic environment is the most significant source of personal exposure of formaldehyde in children. Forty-one primary school children (aged between 8 and 12) were recruited from two areas of Perth, Western Australia. Each child wore a personal passive formaldehyde sampler over a 24 hour period on two separate occasions, winter and summer. Samplers were also located indoors at home, outdoors at centralised locations and indoors at school for the corresponding period. A questionnaire about lifestyle and behaviour and a daily activity diary were completed for each participant. Passive samplers used filter papers impregnated with 2,4-dinitrophenylhadrazine (DNPH), with formaldehyde detected using high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC). In winter there was a wide range of personal exposure concentrations, with geometric mean concentrations of 9.7ppb at Duncraig and 11.5ppb at Calista. Indoor geometric mean concentrations at Duncraig were l0.lppb, with outdoor and classroom concentrations below the analytical limit of detection (4ppb). At Calista, mean indoor concentrations were 14.2ppb. The outdoor concentrations were below the limit of detection and school concentrations were 8.0ppb. Summer monitoring occurred during mild meteorological conditions and were very similar to winter results. Geometric mean personal exposure concentrations were 9.2ppb at Duncraig and 8.0ppb at Calista. Indoor geometric mean concentrations at Duncraig were 9.0ppb, with outdoor and classroom concentrations below the limit of detection (4ppb). At Calista, mean indoor concentrations were 9.9ppb, outdoor was below detection limit and school concentrations were l5.2ppb. There were strong correlations between personal exposure and domestic concentrations at both Duncraig and Calista in winter (r2 = 0.73 and 0.88, respectively) and in summer (r2 = 0.67 and 0.84, respectively). The correlation for both seasons combined was significant, with a coefficient of r2 = 0. 78. A time weighted model estimated personal exposure concentrations for each participant using stationary measures in combination with time activity data. These estimates of exposure correlated significantly with measured personal exposure concentrations, with a coefficient of r2 = 0.80 for all data combined. The indoor domestic environment was found to be the most important source of formaldehyde exposure for children. Time weighting was found to provide a stronger estimate of personal exposure than indoor air monitoring alone, although the time weighted model was not a significant improvement over the indoor measure alone.
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De, Vos Johanna B. M. "Respiratory health effects of occupational exposure to bushfire smoke in Western Australia". University of Western Australia. School of Population Health, 2008. http://theses.library.uwa.edu.au/adt-WU2009.0001.
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Bushfires are an integral part of the Australian environment, and consequently Australian fire fighters are regularly confronted with the challenge of bushfire fighting activities. Bushfires can be extensive and long-lasting, and as a result fire fighters can be exposed to bushfire smoke for long periods without respite. Anecdotal evidence suggests that bushfire smoke exposure can lead to respiratory symptoms such as coughing, wheezing, and shortness of breath. In an optimal environment, fire fighters are equipped with respirators and protective filters to prevent the inhalation of the air toxics in bushfire smoke. Yet, reports from the fire ground indicate that the protective filters are not effective in preventing the inhalation of bushfire smoke. As a result, fire fighters have increasingly expressed concern about the ineffective equipment and the resultant respiratory symptoms during and after bushfire fighting. This research aims to establish a scientific data base to support the anecdotal evidence. The objectives of the research were: (1) to identify and quantify the air toxics in Western Australian bushfire smoke; (2) to profile the acute respiratory health effects associated with bushfire smoke exposure; (3) to assess the effectiveness of three different types of filters under controlled conditions in a smoke chamber, and in the field during fuel reduction burn-off; (4) to formulate recommendations for reducing fire fighters' exposure to bushfire smoke; and (5) to inform policy decision makers about the most effective form of respiratory protective equipment for bushfire fighting. Exposure trials were conducted in an experimental setting utilising bushfire smoke conditions in a smoke chamber and during prescribed burn-offs. Repeated measurements of respiratory symptoms, pulmonary function and oximetry were undertaken before and after bushfire smoke exposure. In addition, personal air sampling inside the respirators was undertaken to quantify and compare the levels of filtered air toxics. The analysis of the collected data demonstrated that, of those compared, the particulate/organic vapour formaldehyde filter was most effective in protecting fire fighters' respiratory health during the smoke exposure period of maximally 120 minutes. Further research would be useful to determine the v effectiveness of the filters under more realistic conditions during bushfire fighting activities. The findings of this research have resulted in a policy review in Western Australia. In 2006, the Fire and Emergency Services Authority of Western Australia (FESA) reviewed its Bush Fire Smoke Exposure Standard Operational Procedures 51, and now issues the recommended particulate/organic vapour/formaldehyde filters to the 1,000 FESA career fire fighters. The use of protective equipment for bushfire fighters is inadequately regulated worldwide and the recommendation implemented by FESA can be seen as proactive and in advance of national and international best practice. In conclusion, this project was instrumental in the translation of public health research into best practice that protects occupational health, without the need for the lengthy process of legislative reform. Fire fighter organisations in other countries with high frequencies of bushfires could learn from this example, and move to review their policies and introduce adequate personal protection for fire fighters.
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Géliga-Vargas, Jesús A. "Ethnic Identity, Gay Identity and Sexual Sensation Seeking: HIV Risk-taking Predictors Among Men of Color Who Have Sex with Men". Thesis, University of North Texas, 1999. https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc2216/.
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This study examined relationships among ethnic identity, gay identity, sexual sensation seeking, and HIV risk-taking behaviors among 302 men of color recruited from gay bars, bathhouses, community agencies, and the 1998 United States Conference on AIDS. The sample included 24% African American, 28% Latino, 25% Asian/ Pacific Islander, 19% Caucasian, 1% American Indian, and 3% other ethnicity. Logistic regression analysis identified sexual sensation seeking, having an undefined gay identity, being in a sexually exclusive relationship, not being HIV seronegative, and length of stay in the country (for those born overseas) as significant predictors of unprotected anal intercourse (insertive and penetrative) among men of color who have sex with men.
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Allender, Margaret. "Media social responsibility and risk communication : a critical analysis of newspaper headlines of the SARS outbreak". Scholarly Commons, 2005. https://scholarlycommons.pacific.edu/uop_etds/628.
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This study analyzed headlines in three influential newspapers to assess how those publications exercised media social responsibility in reporting the outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). The situation posed the common media paradox where inherent news values encourage dramatic reports and escalation of conflict that, in tum, are criticized as irresponsible. The particular circumstances surrounding the SARS outbreak presented an opportunity for media social responsibility through public education and conveying perspective about risk from the disease.
This study developed an analytical framework to evaluate the extent of fearful language, style of communication about risk of the disease, use of source material, and prevalence of journalistic normative behaviors. The analysis indicates that personal fear responses of journalists may influence the use of frightening language in news headlines. The study found that in early stages of reporting about the disease, journalists relied on overtly fearful language with little analysis or situational context. As the story became more familiar, even though the factual circumstances did not change, headlines revealed more efforts to communicate productively about risk and less use of explicit fearful terminology. However, most of the headlines demonstrated reliance on traditional news-gathering behaviors emphasizing conflict, controversy and human interest, rather than analysis and interpretation. Political controversy stemming from concerns about disease management by the Chinese government often prevailed over headlines representing socially responsible information about health protection or risk perspective.
This study affirms the importance of media in public education during health crises. It also suggests journalists would benefit from better understanding risk communication principles and the influence of personal fear responses on their reporting. Additionally, the study demonstrates that the concept of media social responsibility deserves to be reconsidered in contemporary terms, to better guide both journalists and those charged with developing communication strategies during such circumstances.
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Wang, Wei. "Risk assessment of human exposure to persistent organic pollutants associated with air particulates and settled dust in two urban centers of Pearl River Delta". HKBU Institutional Repository, 2013. http://repository.hkbu.edu.hk/etd_ra/1486.
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Himes, Lori J. "Homeowner perception and response to radon". Thesis, This resource online, 1994. http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/theses/available/etd-01312009-063622/.
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Geaves, Linda Helen. "Public priorities and public goods : the drivers and responses to transitions in flood risk management". Thesis, University of Oxford, 2016. https://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:6a5de60c-1920-403e-aaf7-0c8b8655edef.
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This thesis examines the role of the public in Flood Risk Management (FRM) service provision at a time when the perceptions of the distribution of benefits provided by FRM interventions are in flux, and the role the public should play in FRM highly contested among stakeholders. Two schemes have marked the revised role of the public in FRM - Partnership Funding and Flood Re - both of which challenge existing judgments of the excludability and rivalry of benefits delivered by FRM interventions. The Partnership Funding scheme allocates capital for FRM projects proportionately to the public benefits they provide, allowing communities to top-up grants through local contributions. In comparison, by increasing accessibility to affordable insurance through cross-subsidies and pricing signals, Flood Re highlights a growing recognition that the distribution of gains as a result of widespread insurance uptake is greater than the benefits received by the policyholder alone. Following the identification of these schemes, we tested their social feasibility, examining both the scale and distribution of benefits. Due to the different stages of implementation of each scheme at the time of writing this thesis, two distinct methods were developed. The Partnership Funding Chapter used field data to examine how public-private funding of flood defences has changed service provision and the public acceptance of this transition. Whereas the Flood Re chapter used computer-based experiments to hypothesize how Flood Re may make the purchase of insurance a more or less attractive investment for different types of consumer. We found that Partnership Funding enabled more FRM projects to go ahead, raised public awareness of flood risk, and improved collaboration between stakeholders, but encouraged lower-cost projects, which, in the longer term, could transfer the expense of managing residual risk to the householder. In comparison, Flood Re provided peace of mind to householders struggling to afford rises in insurance premiums, but disproportionately benefited those who annually purchased insurance. Combining this proposed inequity in Flood Re with increasing residual risks, we identify a gap in service provision for the public who cannot afford household mitigation measures. We propose that loss mitigation and flood defence should become increasingly collaborative in line with the complexities of flooding within a community. We seek a move away from the information asymmetry which currently exists between insurance providers and policyholders, and yet simultaneously call for local authorities to recognise the capacity of the public to participate in FRM, and sustain resilience in the face of rising flood risk.
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Tay, Lee Y. "Engaging academically at-risk primary school students in an after-school ICT-mediated program". Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 2008. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/168.
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This case study documented how a group of 14 academically at-risk Primary 5 students were engaged in academic related tasks in an after-school program mediated by a game-like 3D Multi User Virtual Environment (MUVE), Quest Atlantis (QA). Although there was no significant difference in the students' academic performance, they were observed to be more engaged in the-learning tasks and had acquired a range of information and communication technology (lCT) skills. The program started off with irregular students' attendance. However, this situation gradually improved over the year long program. It had also attracted other Primary 5 students to enrol themselves in the program. The planned schedule of the after-school program and the 3D MUVE provided the structures and online learning environment to engage these students. Adopting an activity theoretical perspective, this thesis reported on the after-school program from the perspectives of the students and teacher, emphasising on the context that was made up of rules, community, and roles. Activity theory was used to organise and analyse the actions, repair actions, and identify the disturbances in the activity systems of both teacher-researcher and students and through this, the more systemic contradictions were identified. Activity theory provided the framework to reveal and illuminate the disturbances and contradictions during the implementation of the after-school program. The insights and findings from this study emerged through the analysis of the disturbances and contradictions. A case study approach was used in this thesis to look into the effectiveness of the intervention of the use of a 3D MUVE to re-engage a group of academically at-risk students in an after-school program, using both quantitative and qualitative methods. The main findings suggested that: (1) the importance of the less visible social mediators - the rules, community, and division of labour - in this after school activity system; (2) the pivotal role of the teacher; (3) that QA is both a tool and an object to the students; (4) the importance of the object of the activity in determining focus and direction of an activity; and (5) that authenticity of learning tasks enhances learning engagement. This study illuminated the possibilities and potentials of the use of a game-like 3D MUVE for the re-engagement of this group of academically at-risk students. However, the context, the teacher, and the design of the learning tasks also played crucial roles in the engagement of these students.
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Williams, Brian Don. "An Investigation of the Impact of Social Vulnerability Research on the Practice of Emergency Management". Thesis, University of North Texas, 2017. https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc1011783/.
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This dissertation examines the extent to which social vulnerability, as studied by researchers across multiple disciplines, has influenced the practice of emergency management at the local level. This study addresses two major research questions to accomplish this goal. First, how do local emergency managers perceive and define social vulnerability? Second, what strategies do local emergency managers employ to reach and meet the needs of socially vulnerable populations? Semi-structured interviews were conducted in person or by phone with a sample of local emergency managers, city managers, and American Red Cross personnel from the Houston - Galveston and the South East Texas regions as defined by the respective Councils of Government. A modified grounded theory approach was used with a constant comparative method to identify themes for each research question. Triangulation was accomplished through secondary census data and supplemental interviews. The interview data reveal that social vulnerability research has had an indirect influence on the practice of emergency management at the local level. This influence is facilitated through state and federal policy, training, and plans development. Based on the interview data, four themes were identified that capture the various ways in which local emergency management officials perceive and define social vulnerability. These include vulnerability as poverty and culture, vulnerability as a lack of security, vulnerability as a moral imperative, and vulnerability as a lack of awareness and knowledge. In terms of strategies employed to address social vulnerability, the data suggest four themes: leaving it to the professionals, bringing in volunteers, leveraging protocols to build buy-in, and fostering flexibility. The findings reveal the importance in closing the knowledge gap between research and practice, because increased damage, harm, and death can occur when the social inequalities of everyday life are not addressed in the planning process by emergency managers. The findings also reveal that state and federal policy, training, and plans development are the most trusted sources by emergency managers to transfer knowledge to practice. Additionally, with the proliferation of emergency management degree programs at the undergraduate and graduate levels, higher education can potentially play a more active and visible role in bridging the gap between research and practice, particularly as it relates to social vulnerability.
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Jones, Robert Ryan. "Risk-based assessment of environmental asbestos contamination in the Northern Cape and North West provinces of South Africa". Thesis, Rhodes University, 2011. http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1012612.
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The commercial mining of asbestos occurred in four Provinces of South Africa (Northern Cape, North West, Limpopo and Mpumalanga). It was initiated in the late 1800's and lasted for over a hundred years into the beginning of this century. As a producer of amphibole asbestos, South Africa far outpaced every other country being responsible for 97% of global production. The last crocidolite mine closed in 1996 and chrysotile in 2002. Anecdotal information concerning environmental contamination as a result of the former mining activities and the improper disposal of mine waste tailings has been reported by a variety of authors. Few comprehensive or systematic surveys have been conducted to date to document this issue and very little quantifiable research has been completed on the communities located in close proximity to the former mine sites to determine the extent of contamination. In 2004-2006 communities were surveyed within the Northern Cape and North West Provinces to determine the extent and severity of environmental contamination. This research developed and applied a methodology to select those communities suspected of environmental contamination, a targeted survey methodology, and a protocol for rapid sample laboratory analysis. A total of 41 communities were initially predicted by the model to be suspected for environmental asbestos contamination. Based on the inclusion of local knowledge, a final 36 communities were selected for a screening-level field assessment, 34 of which were found to contain environmental asbestos contamination at rates ranging from 20 to 100% of the surveyed locations. A total of 1 843 samples of soil and building material were collected in the screening level assessment. One community (Ga-Mopedi) was selected as being representative of the total cohort and a more detailed house to house survey was completed. A total of 1 486 samples were collected during the detailed survey. Results of the detailed survey revealed 26.2% of the homes were contaminated with asbestos containing soil and/or building material. A theoretical quantitative cumulative exposure assessment was developed to estimate the disease burden within the study area population of 126,130 individuals within the surveyed communities resulting in a predicted range of 25-52.4 excess deaths per year from lung cancer and mesothelioma due solely to environmental exposures to asbestos pollution.
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Khaddaria, Raman. "Perceptions and their role in consumer decision-making". Doctoral diss., University of Central Florida, 2011. http://digital.library.ucf.edu/cdm/ref/collection/ETD/id/4951.
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Particular interest lies in understanding how variants of a metric - namely, a survey question - have been employed in academic studies and industry-surveys, in order to measure smoking-related risk-perceptions. In the process of reviewing select tobacco-industry survey records, we analyze the implications of different features of this metric, (e.g., use of a 'probe', the 'Don't Know' option), and various interview modes (e.g. telephonic, face-to-face), for the estimates of perceived risk arrived at in these studies. The review makes clear that two aspects of health risks from smoking--the risk of contracting a smoking-related disease, as against the risk of prematurely dying from it conditional upon getting affected--have not been jointly explored so far. The dataset obtained from the Family Heart Disease and Prevention Survey (November 2010-March 2011), provides a unique opportunity to explore these two kinds of probabilities, particularly with regard to the risks of lung-cancer from smoking. Chapter 3 concludes by illustrating how individuals evaluate both these aspects of health-risks. While the probability of getting lung-cancer is found to be overestimated in conjunction with previous studies, the conditional probability of premature death is severely underestimated. Additionally, it is found that individuals' subjective assessments of either of these risk aspects predict smoking behavior in an identical manner. This calls into question the so-called 'rationality' of smoking decisions with implications for policies designed for the control of tobacco consumption.; This dissertation is an empirical investigation into the roles that different quantifiable and measurable perceptions play in defining individual behavior across a variety of decision-making contexts. In particular, the focus lies on smokers and the choices they make with regard to smoking and beyond. Chapter 1 analyzes a nationally representative sample of adults (23 years and older) in the United States, pertaining to the Annenberg Perception of Tobacco Risk Survey II (1999-2000). It is observed that three dimensions to smoking behavior viz., risk, temporality and addiction, interact to determine the smoking status of an individual. Although previous studies mostly looked into each of these dimensions in isolation, in this chapter, we empirically illustrate how perceptions on risk, time dimensions and addiction, jointly influence the smoking behavior of adults. Chapter 2 casts the smoker in the role of a parent and explores parental behavior towards the general health-risks facing their children. Using the dataset from a survey (2009), conducted in Orlando, Florida, on parents, having at least one child aged between 1 and 16 years, the chapter arrives at two findings relevant for policy: i) In each of the 'smoker' and 'non-smoker' parent categories, parents exhibit equal concern for themselves and their children, and ii) the level of concern shown by smoker-parents, towards health-risks faced by their children, is the same as that shown by their non-smoking counterparts. The analysis in this chapter also affirms the need to incorporate subjective risk assessment in willingness-to-pay (WTP) exercises to facilitate a deeper behavioral analysis of health risk valuation. Lastly, in Chapter 3, we focus on the issue of quantitative assessment of the perception of health risks from smoking.ID: 030422682; System requirements: World Wide Web browser and PDF reader.; Mode of access: World Wide Web.; Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Central Florida, 2011.; Includes bibliographical references (p. 119-127).
Ph.D.
Doctorate
Economics
Business Administration
Economics
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Murry, Joe Mitchell. "Neuropsychological Dysfunction Associated with Dental Office Environment". Thesis, University of North Texas, 1989. https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc500368/.
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Five chemicals indigenous to the dental office environment that may cause toxic effects are formaldehyde, phenol, acrylic, mercury, and nitrous oxide. These chemicals create abnormal stress on physiological and psychological systems of the body resulting in symptomatology and pathology when the body defenses can no longer maintain homeostasis by adaptation. This study demonstrated serious behavioral consequences of chemical and heavy metal exposure. This study provided evidence that a significant percentage of dental office personnel who are exposed to the dental office chemicals show psycho neurological dysfunction. It was concluded that these individuals suffer adverse reactions to the chemicals in their work environment. The problem areas included perceptual motor difficulty in cognitive functioning, concern with bodily functions, despondency, and interpersonal problems.
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Gwin, Louis. "Speak no evil: the promotional heritage of nuclear risk communication". Diss., Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 1989. http://hdl.handle.net/10919/54182.
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The electric utility companies that own and/or operate the nation’s 112 licensed commercial nuclear power reactors are required by federal law to provide emergency information to residents living around those plants in advance of a nuclear plant emergency. This requires the owner/operators to acknowledge certain risks (e.g., radiation, nuclear plant accidents, evacuation, etc.) that face people living near nuclear generating plants.
This dissertation critiques the effectiveness of pre-emergency risk communication strategies by nuclear utilities. Specifically, the dissertation demonstrates that certain historic message themes about nuclear power- termed the "nuclear ethic" -have become embedded in the rhetoric of current nuclear risk communication programs and downplay or mask the seriousness of nuclear plant emergencies, thereby contributing to the apparent ineffectiveness of these communication programs. For example, a survey of residents living around four nuclear plants who receive utility risk communication materials found that nearly two-thirds said they would not follow official instructions in a nuclear plant emergency.
Such promotional rhetoric and images remain a part of nuclear risk communication programs because agencies which regulate nuclear power delegate their responsibility for pre-emergency risk communication to the utilities operating the plants. Moreover, there is little involvement in pre-emergency nuclear risk communication by state and local governments. This suggests that risk communication serves a latent symbolic role rather than a functional role for both the regulatory agencies and the utilities by making both groups appear to be isomorphic with societal goals of safety and security for a risky technology.
The dissertation concludes by suggesting federal regulatory agencies, and specifically the Federal Emergency Management Agency, intensify their vigilance of risk communication planning and take steps to create authentic two-way communication between the nuclear utilities and the public living near the plants. One way this could be done is by establishing local citizens advisory committees to assess utility risk communication programs and suggest improvements that would help bridge the gap between the nuclear industry’s view of nuclear plant risk and that of the public.Ph. D.
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Brijbag, Brian S. "Southern Chivalry: Perception of Health & Environmental Justice in a Small Southern Neighborhood". Scholar Commons, 2015. http://scholarcommons.usf.edu/etd/5821.
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This paper analyzes heath risk and how it is communicated to, and understood within, a predominantly African American neighborhood in central Florida. Residents accuse the county department of public works of purposeful contamination and discrimination over a period of 30 years. I raise the questions of how risk is perceived and what roles race or class may play. I also developed a model for risk communication that includes all stakeholders. Finally, I expand the conversation of health disparities to include issues of widening gaps in perceptions of health.
This was examined by looking at the following:
1. The lack of documentation into the subjectivity of the health risk assessment process - i.e. the critique of science
2. The differing modes for creating, communicating, and receiving risk in which the resident's perspective is not valued - i.e. the critique of power
3. The impact of race and class on furthering inequities and disparities in the environmental health risks message - i.e. the critique of policy.
Underlining Key Factors:
1. The residents of Mitchell Heights (emic) perceive the contamination at the former Hernando County Department of Public Works site differently than the experts/officials (etic).
2. Race and class are factors in both the perception of risk and the communication of risk for the residents and the experts.
3. Policy concerning the determination and subsequent communication of risk is primarily concerning with the perspective of scientific data.
Recommendations:
1. As it relates to assessing environmental risks, there needs to be a development of a more holistic set of methodologies that incorporate diverse perspectives in a bi-directional knowledge exchange. This should allow for acceptable risk to be understood as co-created through negotiation and compromise between the measured and lived experiences. Ethnographic methods should partner with epidemiology and environmental sciences.
2. Once these mixed-method, holistic methodologies are field-tested, they need to be adopted as formal procedure by agencies responsible for the analysis and communication of risks. Risk should include the technical and the relational.
3. Policymakers must widen their understanding of what constitutes "policy relevant knowledge." In addition, policies targeted at eliminating health disparities and inequalities need to value the broad differences the often exist in perceiving "health."
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Kwong, Yen-hwa Colinette, i 鄺彥樺. "Quality of life and psychosocial high risk factors in adolescents withCooleys Anaemia". Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 2007. http://hub.hku.hk/bib/B45011576.
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Mackay, Angela. "The Critical Role of the Psychiatric Emergency Response Team in the Adoption of a Violence Risk Assessment Tool". ScholarWorks, 2017. https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/3705.
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Workplace violence is a persistent problem in health care, and incidence rates have increased over the years. Traditional reporting systems, relying mostly on paper formats, are inadequate for developing effective predictive models for intervention and reducing acts of violence by patients to staff. The purpose of the development and deployment of the psychiatric emergency response team (PERT) was to provide effective intervention within the MIAHTAPS (Altered Mental status, Irritability, Agitation, History of Violence, Threatening, Attacking Objects, Pacing, and Staring) behavior prediction tool to reduce the severity and rates of violence in a hospital setting. Lewin's change theory was used to implement the necessary cultural change for effective deployment of PERT and MIAHTAPS. MIAHTAPS, with PERT as an integral component, was used by the primary nurse on admission and during every care shift to assess patients' potential for violence. Pre- and post- intervention assessments were completed to determine the effectiveness of the intervention. Quantitative and open-ended question responses from 200 nurse participants, who completed the 2 online surveys, were analyzed using descriptive and frequency distributions. Findings from the project showed that nurses could identify patient potential for violence and recognize how to diffuse situations effectively 34% of the time, compared to 14% before PERT. A post-implementation survey showed that 75% of the nurses found the MIAHTAPS and PERT system useful and easy to use. Having an easy-to-use tool that helps to identify potential for violence will help hospital and other workplace staff to develop and implement preventive interventions and as a result promote positive social change.
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Gauthier, Francis. "Study of coliform bacteria in Canadian pulp and paper mill water systems : their ecology and utility as health hazard indicators". Thesis, McGill University, 2000. http://digitool.Library.McGill.CA:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=33401.
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Coliform bacteria have long been used to indicate fecal contamination of food, water, and solid surfaces, and thus the presence of a health hazard. In this study, the in-mill water and external effluent treatment systems of seven typical Canadian pulp and paper mills were shown to support the growth of numerous coliforms, especially Klebsiella spp, Escherichia coli, Enterobacter spp., and Citrobacter spp . Mill coliforms were shown to be not just simple transients from feedwater or furnish (wood), but to be continuously growing, especially in the primary clarifiers. Therefore, coliforms and fecal coliforms cannot be used as fecal contamination indicators in pulp and paper mill water and effluent treatment systems.N2-fixing coliform populations were detected in mill water systems and were analyzed using N2-fixation assays and nitrogenase gene (nifH) probing. Both active in situ populations and cultured microbial isolates were tested. Active N2-fixation was demonstrated in six primary clarifiers. Measurement of the numbers and composition of the total culturable bacterial community in a primary clarifier revealed that approximately 50% of all aerobic cells contained nifH , of which >90% were Klebsiella. Coliforms growing on MacConkey agar plates from the primary clarifier were all identified as Klebsiella and 100% of these Klebsiella contained the nifH gene. Preliminary estimates indicate that the amount of N2 fixed per day is substantial in some clarifiers.
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Spirito, Katheryn M. "Best practice suicide screening/assessment tools for the emergency department". ScholarWorks, 2019. https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/7433.
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Patients presenting to the emergency department (ED) often suffer from more than physical ailments when seeking care and treatment. Some of these patients have emotional ailments and suicidal ideation when they come to the local ED. The lack of recognition of at-risk patients by health care providers can lead to poor patient outcomes and death. The focus of this project was to understand which valid and reliable suicide assessment tools described in the literature were considered the best evidence-based instruments to identify ED patients who were at risk for suicide. Peplau's theory of interpersonal relations guided this project. A systematic review of the literature was conducted to assess tools that were used for the identification of at-risk patients. Analysis of the included literature was conducted using Melnyk's levels of evidence and a preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses tool to catalog the articles retrieved. Ten articles were included in the study. Final analysis of the articles identified the need for 100% of patients to be assessed for suicide risk upon arrival at the ED. The instrument identified to meet the need for the local organization was the Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Screening tool. The findings of this project might promote social change by providing insights into best practice assessment tools to support improved assessment of suicide risk for ED patients.
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Rustvold, Susan Romano. "Oral Health Knowledge, Attitudes, and Behaviors: Investigation of an Educational Intervention Strategy with At-Risk Females". PDXScholar, 2012. https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/open_access_etds/612.
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A self-perpetuating cycle of poor health literacy and poor oral health knowledge and behavior affects approximately 90 million people in the United States, most especially those from low-income groups and other at-risk populations such as those with addiction. Poor oral health can result from lack of access to regular preventive dental appointments, lack of access to restorative care when dental diseases are treatable, and low oral health knowledge that leads to poor oral health self-care behaviors. In addition, patients' dental anxiety can impede care, because highly anxious people often avoid dental appointments. To address these issues, this inquiry examined oral health knowledge, attitudes toward oral health, and levels of dental anxiety among women in two residential chemical dependency treatment programs. Participants engaged in oral health intervention sessions to determine possible efficacy of the educational intervention. Results indicate positive outcomes in increases in oral health knowledge and behavior. The frequency of high-to-severe dental anxiety is much higher in this sample than in the general population. Implications are discussed, including use of economically efficient small-group oral health education training.
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Winnubst, K. D. (Kimberly Dawn). "University Students, Knowledge of AIDS, Perceived Susceptibility to AIDS, and Their Sexual Behaviors". Thesis, University of North Texas, 1989. https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc500840/.
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A random sample of 365 students attending a university in northern Texas returned a mailed questionnaire measuring the students' knowledge of Acquired Immuno-Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), their perceived susceptibility to AIDS, and their sexual practices during the last year. The students had high knowledge levels about AIDS in general. However, 70% did not worry about getting AIDS. Collectively, there was a display of concern until it became a personal issue. The students (59%) saw themselves as less likely than most people to get AIDS. Although 70% of this sexually active group did not use condoms, they still did not perceive themselves as susceptible to AIDS.
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Lehrke, Linda. "Determining and Evaluating Cost-Effective Food Safety Risk Reduction Strategies at Retail Meat Facilities". Thesis, North Dakota State University, 2006. https://hdl.handle.net/10365/29906.
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In spite of the documented success of Pathogen Reduction and Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (PR/HACCP) at the processing level, farm-level and retail-level application is optional. Several factors impact the gap of food safety regulations from farm to fork. This thesis focuses on the retail level. At the retail level, pathogen survival and the associated ability to cause further disease to humans even after being subjected to certain processing and packaging conditions have varying implications on the probability of sickness or death. This issue also arises over the fact that, sometimes, appropriate handling and processing instructions are not properly followed by consumers. The primary goals of the project are to develop an optimal food safety intervention strategy that incorporates risk, cost, and the value of pathogen reduction with alternative control mechanism. We wish to evaluate incentives for PR/HACCP-like planning and adherence to best management practices that promote safe food production. These incentives will be evaluated for the retail level. In addition, we will develop optimal intervention strategies for ready-to-eat meats and poultry products that incorporate risk assessment, cost of intervention, and the value of risk reduction of alternative strategies for the farm-to-table continuum. The model adopted in this study is an expansion of the stochastic optimization model developed by Nganje, Kaitibie, and Sorin (2005) to include the optimal intervention strategy at the retail ( consumer) level. These components are simulated with firm-level microbial data at the processing and retail level using stochastic optimizer software. Stochastic dominance was also used to compare across the optimal strategies and determine if there is one clear choice that is preferred. This allowed us incorporate risk preferences of firms. The scenario method was used to determine what factors would likely affect the adoption of PR/HACCP at the retail level. Finally, this thesis provides firms and policymakers a direction for future options concerning risk mitigation strategies.
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Murtagh, Madeleine Josephine. "Intersections of feminist and medical constructions of menopause in primary medical care and mass media: risk, choice and agency". Title page, table of contents and abstract only, 2001. http://web4.library.adelaide.edu.au/theses/09PH/09phm9851.pdf.
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Includes bibliographical references (leaves 254-288). Examines language used by general practitioners and in mass media to ask 'what are the implications of constructions of menopause for health care practice and public health for women at menopause?'. Presents the findings of qualitative analysis of semi-structured interviews with nine general practitioners working in rural South Australia and qualitative and quantitative analyses of 345 south Australian newspaper articles from 1986 to 1998.
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Lewis, Andrew Michael. "Using Stochastic Optimization and Real-Options Models to Value Private Sector Incentives to Invest in Food Protection Measures". Thesis, North Dakota State University, 2006. https://hdl.handle.net/10365/29905.
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Agro-terrorism has become a major concern since the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks due to characteristics that create unique problems for managing the threat of an agro-terrorist attack. The costs of trucking delays alone were in the tens of millions of dollars. Over the last few years, the government has spent billions of dollars on biological surveillance and record keeping in preventing potential attacks. Several public and private initiatives are currently in use. Examples include 1) the bio-terrorism regulation of 2004 on maintenance of records; 2) establishment of food protection centers for research and teaching excellence; and 3) investments in emerging technology, such as radio frequency monitoring (RFEM) technology, with the potential to track shipments and provide real-time data that can be used to prevent agro-terrorism risks along food supply chains. This thesis addresses the costs and risk premiums associated with alternative tracking strategies, where and when along the milk supply chain these strategies will reduce the most risks, and what policy implications are associated with the most costeffective tracking strategy. To accomplish these objectives, stochastic optimization is used to determine the costs and risk premiums of alternative tracking strategies. Next, the realoptions method along with a portfolio of options, also referred to as the "tomato garden" framework, is used to determine where and when alternative intervention strategies should be implemented to reduce the most risks. Finally, policy implications are derived on the cost-risk tradeoffs, probability of attacks, and containment efforts if there is an attack by using game theory to determine the incentives needed to motivate participants in the milk supply chain to invest in security measures.
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Lewis, Andrew (Andrew Michael). "Using Stochastic Optimization and Real-Options Models to Value Private Sector Incentives to Invest in Food Protection Measures". Thesis, North Dakota State University, 2006. https://hdl.handle.net/10365/29905.
Pełny tekst źródłaStreszczenie:
Agro-terrorism has become a major concern since the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks due to characteristics that create unique problems for managing the threat of an agro-terrorist attack. The costs of trucking delays alone were in the tens of millions of dollars. Over the last few years, the government has spent billions of dollars on biological surveillance and record keeping in preventing potential attacks. Several public and private initiatives are currently in use. Examples include 1) the bio-terrorism regulation of 2004 on maintenance of records; 2) establishment of food protection centers for research and teaching excellence; and 3) investments in emerging technology, such as radio frequency monitoring (RFEM) technology, with the potential to track shipments and provide real-time data that can be used to prevent agro-terrorism risks along food supply chains. This thesis addresses the costs and risk premiums associated with alternative tracking strategies, where and when along the milk supply chain these strategies will reduce the most risks, and what policy implications are associated with the most costeffective tracking strategy. To accomplish these objectives, stochastic optimization is used to determine the costs and risk premiums of alternative tracking strategies. Next, the realoptions method along with a portfolio of options, also referred to as the "tomato garden" framework, is used to determine where and when alternative intervention strategies should be implemented to reduce the most risks. Finally, policy implications are derived on the cost-risk tradeoffs, probability of attacks, and containment efforts if there is an attack by using game theory to determine the incentives needed to motivate participants in the milk supply chain to invest in security measures.
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Malgas, Helen Audrey. "Stress, coping, and the role of social support in living with HIV/AIDS : a literature review". Thesis, Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2005. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/50456.
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Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2005.ENGLISH ABSTRACT: HIV/AIDS places much stress on those living with the disease. An understanding of the processes of stress and coping and how these relate to people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) can inform the nature of services we offer to PLWHAs. Social support has been shown to playa mediatory role in the stress response and is also considered to be a problem-focused coping strategy. This paper presents an overview of the literature on stress, coping and social support with the aim of assisting healthcare workers to understand how these issues relate to HIV/AIDS and to show how healthcare workers, and, specifically psychologists can use their unique competencies and skills to enhance the quality of life of PLWHAs.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: MIVNIGS plaas baie druk op mense wat met die siekte moet saamleef. Insig rakende die prosesse van spanning en hantering daarvan en hoe dit verband hou met mense wat met MIVNIGS moet saamleef, het die potensiaal om die aard van die dienste wat aan die spesifieke populasie gelewer word, in te lig. Sosiale ondersteuning blyk 'n bemiddelende rol te speel in spanningsresponse en word ook beskou as 'n probleemgefokusde hanteringsmeganisme. Die betrokke werkstuk bied 'n oorsig van die literatuur rakende spanning, hantering en sosiale ondersteuning. Dit is gefokus daarop om bystand te verleen aan gesondheidsorg werkers om hulle insig te gee hoe hierdie kwessies met MIVNIGS verband hou. Dit poog ook om aan te toon hoe gesondheidsorgwerkers en spesifiek sielkundiges, hul unieke bevoegdhede en vaardighede kan benut om die wat met MIVNIGS moet saamleef, se kwaliteit van lewe te verryk.