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International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, Volume 17, Issue 22

2020 November-2 - 414 articles

Cover Story: Children with spina bifida often experience difficulties with activities of daily living. The HeyJoy Octopus child-friendly smartwatch could be used to promote purposeful activity. This research investigates the effectiveness of the Octopus watch for children with spina bifida (<8 years). A four-phase mixed-methods pilot study engaged parents and children. Results indicated three out of four participants showed mean activity increase. One participant showed clear improvement. Inhibition decreased and there was a mean change in performance and satisfaction scores using the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure. The Photovoice narrative supports findings evidenced, suggesting improved daily routines. The Octopus watch is an innovative early intervention that can promote purposeful activities of daily living. Further research is required. View this paper.
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Articles (414)

  • Brief Report
  • Open Access
6 Citations
3,592 Views
7 Pages

The aim was to examine how proximity to facilities, as a component of community determinants, is associated with the health-related habits of functionally independent community-dwelling older adults. This was a cross-sectional study. Data were collec...

  • Study Protocol
  • Open Access
6 Citations
3,501 Views
11 Pages

Impact of Aquatic-Based Physical Exercise Programs on Risk Markers of Cardiometabolic Diseases in Older People: A Study Protocol for Randomized-Controlled Trials

  • José Pedro Ferreira,
  • Ana Teixeira,
  • João Serrano,
  • Carlos Farinha,
  • Hélder Santos,
  • Fernanda M. Silva,
  • Márcio Cascante-Rusenhack and
  • Paulo Luís

Cardiometabolic diseases are one of the primary causes of mortality and morbidity worldwide and sedentary lifestyles are contributing factors to these pathologies. Physical exercise has been recognized as an important tool in the prevention and treat...

  • Article
  • Open Access
7 Citations
3,720 Views
14 Pages

Moderately preterm born children (MPT) are at increased risk for behavior problems compared to full term born (FT) children. MPT children may receive less optimal parenting, and in response, may develop behavior problems. Our aims were to examine whe...

  • Article
  • Open Access
4 Citations
3,614 Views
13 Pages

Having numerous melanocytic nevi increases melanoma risk. Few studies have enumerated nevi in children and re-examined them as adults. We aimed to determine if childhood nevus-counts predict nevus-prone adults, and further explore the relevance of ho...

  • Article
  • Open Access
1 Citations
3,623 Views
13 Pages

A Sexual Outlook Questionnaire (SOQ) that can apply to a wide range of Korean populations, including disabled people, was necessary for comprehensive research on improving clinical practice of sexual education and developing sex-related intervention...

  • Article
  • Open Access
32 Citations
8,317 Views
23 Pages

Profound data on adolescent health literacy are needed as a requirement for the development of health literacy promoting interventions. This paper aims to study the level of generic health literacy among adolescents and to explore associations betwee...

  • Article
  • Open Access
7 Citations
3,400 Views
11 Pages

Illness Experiences and Attitudes towards Medication in Online Communities for People with Fibromyalgia

  • Sabrina Cipolletta,
  • Silvia Caterina Maria Tomaino,
  • Eliana Lo Magno and
  • Elena Faccio

Fibromyalgia is a chronic disabling syndrome, and the legitimacy of its diagnosis is still debated. Internet and online communities may become a relevant resource for affected people. This present study aims to understand the role of online communiti...

  • Article
  • Open Access
42 Citations
5,668 Views
29 Pages

Different structural patterns of waterfront green space networks in built-up areas have different synergistic cooling characteristics in cities. This study’s aim is to determine what kinds of spatial structures and morphologies of waterfront gr...

  • Review
  • Open Access
79 Citations
9,473 Views
20 Pages

Review of the Mechanical Behavior of Different Implant–Abutment Connections

  • Ana Sofia Vinhas,
  • Carlos Aroso,
  • Filomena Salazar,
  • Paula López-Jarana,
  • José Vicente Ríos-Santos and
  • Mariano Herrero-Climent

Introduction: Different implant–abutment connections have been developed to reduce mechanical and biological failure. The most frequent complications are loss of preload, screw loosening, abutment or implant fracture, deformations at the differ...

  • Article
  • Open Access
32 Citations
4,689 Views
11 Pages

Chinese Women’s Acceptance and Uptake of Referral after Screening for Perinatal Depression

  • Wenjie Gong,
  • Xin Jin,
  • Kar Keung Cheng,
  • Eric D. Caine,
  • Richard Lehman and
  • Dong (Roman) Xu

China recently issued a national plan on perinatal depression (PND) screening. Previous studies elsewhere suggested that uptake of referral after screening for PND is suboptimal, but little is known in China. In this cohort study including 1126 women...

  • Article
  • Open Access
12 Citations
3,266 Views
11 Pages

Metabolic Syndrome and Colorectal Cancer Risk: Results of Propensity Score-Based Analyses in a Community-Based Cohort Study

  • Jinsun Kim,
  • Eun Young Park,
  • Eunjung Park,
  • Min Kyung Lim,
  • Jin-Kyoung Oh and
  • Byungmi Kim

Background: This study aimed to determine the effects of metabolic syndrome (MetS) on colorectal cancer (CRC) using propensity score (PS) methods. Methods: The study subjects were 2417 men and 4568 women from the Korean National Cancer Center (KNCC)...

  • Review
  • Open Access
78 Citations
6,917 Views
12 Pages

Multimorbidity, Loneliness, and Social Isolation. A Systematic Review

  • André Hajek,
  • Benedikt Kretzler and
  • Hans-Helmut König

No systematic review has appeared so far synthesizing the evidence regarding multimorbidity and loneliness, social isolation, or social frailty. Consequently, our aim was to fill this gap. Three electronic databases (PubMed, PsycINFO, and CINAHL) wer...

  • Article
  • Open Access
8 Citations
3,630 Views
15 Pages

Follow-Up of Elevated Blood Lead Levels and Sources in a Cohort of Children in Benin

  • Shukrullah Ahmadi,
  • Barbara Le Bot,
  • Roméo Zoumenou,
  • Séverine Durand,
  • Nadine Fiévet,
  • Pierre Ayotte,
  • Achille Massougbodji,
  • Maroufou Jules Alao,
  • Michel Cot and
  • Florence Bodeau-Livinec
  • + 1 author

Lead exposure is associated with poor cognitive development in children. Very few studies in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) have studied blood lead levels (BLLs) and non-gasoline sources of exposure in children. Data from a birth cohort in Benin (2011&ndas...

  • Article
  • Open Access
28 Citations
7,770 Views
19 Pages

Quality of Life and Concerns in Parent Caregivers of Adult Children Diagnosed with Intellectual Disability: A Qualitative Study

  • María Inmaculada Fernández-Ávalos,
  • María Nieves Pérez-Marfil,
  • Rosario Ferrer-Cascales,
  • Francisco Cruz-Quintana,
  • Violeta Clement-Carbonell and
  • Manuel Fernández-Alcántara

Background: Previous studies have confirmed that parenting a child diagnosed with an intellectual disability (ID) can negatively affect the parents’ quality of life in several dimensions. However, fewer have assessed its impact years after the...

  • Article
  • Open Access
4 Citations
5,739 Views
21 Pages

In the past few years, human health risks caused by fine particulate matters (PM2.5) and other air pollutants have gradually received attention. According to the Disaster Prevention and Protection Act of Taiwan’s Government enforced in 2017, &l...

  • Review
  • Open Access
12 Citations
4,170 Views
21 Pages

Introduction: Caesarean section (CS) is the most prevalent surgical procedure in women. The incidence of surgical site infection (SSI) after CS remains high but recent observations of CS wounds using infrared thermography has shown promise for the te...

  • Review
  • Open Access
10 Citations
3,609 Views
8 Pages

Shaping the Future of Rare Diseases after a Global Health Emergency: Organisational Points to Consider

  • Rosaria Talarico,
  • Diana Marinello,
  • Sara Cannizzo,
  • Andrea Gaglioti,
  • Simone Ticciati,
  • Claudio Carta,
  • Yllka Kodra,
  • Mojgan Azadegan,
  • Domenica Taruscio and
  • Giuseppe Turchetti
  • + 1 author

The unexpected outbreak of the COVID-19 disease had significant and enormous repercussions on the healthcare systems, such as the need to reorganise healthcare organisations in order to concentrate resources needed to the care of COVID-19 patients an...

  • Article
  • Open Access
21 Citations
5,309 Views
19 Pages

Whites’ County-Level Racial Bias, COVID-19 Rates, and Racial Inequities in the United States

  • Marilyn D. Thomas,
  • Eli K. Michaels,
  • Sean Darling-Hammond,
  • Thu T. Nguyen,
  • M. Maria Glymour and
  • Eric Vittinghoff

Mounting evidence reveals considerable racial inequities in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outcomes in the United States (US). Area-level racial bias has been associated with multiple adverse health outcomes, but its association with COVID-19 is...

  • Article
  • Open Access
5 Citations
3,311 Views
12 Pages

Characteristics of Psychosocial Factors in Liver Transplantation Candidates with Alcoholic Liver Disease before Transplantation: A Retrospective Study in a Single Center in Taiwan

  • Yu-Ming Chen,
  • Tien-Wei Yu,
  • Chih-Chi Wang,
  • Kuang-Tzu Huang,
  • Li-Wen Hsu,
  • Chih-Che Lin,
  • Yueh-Wei Liu,
  • Wei-Feng Li,
  • Chao-Long Chen and
  • Chien-Chih Chen

Liver transplantation (LT) is an essential treatment for end-stage alcoholic liver disease (ALD). The patients’ psychosocial condition plays a vital role in post-transplantation prognosis. A survey of the candidates’ psychosocial wellbein...

  • Article
  • Open Access
3 Citations
3,102 Views
12 Pages

As important unit for regional health planning, urbanized counties are facing challenges because of internal migrants and aging. This study took urbanized counties in China as cases and two key populations as objects to understand different populatio...

  • Communication
  • Open Access
5 Citations
3,390 Views
6 Pages

Music festivals are often high-risk settings associated with large numbers of visitors and high alcohol intoxication levels, which contribute to a number of public health-related problems. According to the Swedish Alcohol Act, servers are responsible...

  • Article
  • Open Access
19 Citations
4,096 Views
12 Pages

Low Tongue Strength and the Number of Teeth Present Are Associated with Cognitive Decline in Older Japanese Dental Outpatients: A Cross-Sectional Study

  • Rui Egashira,
  • Shinsuke Mizutani,
  • Masahiro Yamaguchi,
  • Tomotaka Kato,
  • Yojiro Umezaki,
  • Saori Oku,
  • Keiko Tamai,
  • Toyoshi Obata and
  • Toru Naito

To mitigate the impact of dementia, initiating early intervention is important. This study aims to investigate the associations between deterioration in oral function and cognitive decline in older outpatients whose oral health was maintained in the...

  • Article
  • Open Access
74 Citations
8,643 Views
18 Pages

During the COVID-19 pandemic, when individuals were confronted with social distancing, social media served as a significant platform for expressing feelings and seeking emotional support. However, a group of automated actors known as social bots have...

  • Article
  • Open Access
19 Citations
3,851 Views
31 Pages

This study aims to estimate the eco-efficiencies of China at provincial levels. The eco-efficiencies of production and treatment stages are disentangled by the network data envelopment analysis (DEA) method. The key driving factors are identified by...

  • Article
  • Open Access
24 Citations
6,872 Views
12 Pages

Projection of the Number of Elderly in Different Health States in Thailand in the Next Ten Years, 2020–2030

  • Panupong Tantirat,
  • Repeepong Suphanchaimat,
  • Thanit Rattanathumsakul and
  • Thinakorn Noree

The objective of this study is to predict the volume of the elderly in different health status categories in Thailand in the next ten years (2020–2030). Multistate modelling was performed. We defined four states of elderly patients (aged ≥ 6...

  • Article
  • Open Access
6 Citations
9,129 Views
14 Pages

Muscle Activation and Kinematic Analysis during the Inclined Leg Press Exercise in Young Females

  • Isabel Martín-Fuentes,
  • José M. Oliva-Lozano and
  • José M. Muyor

Knee joint muscle activation imbalances, especially weakness in the vastus medialis oblique, are related to patellofemoral pain within the female population. The available literature presents the leg press as an exercise which potentially targets vas...

  • Review
  • Open Access
16 Citations
7,745 Views
16 Pages

Comparing Mindful and Non-Mindful Exercises on Alleviating Anxiety Symptoms: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

  • Wendy Wing Yan So,
  • Erin Yiqing Lu,
  • Wai Ming Cheung and
  • Hector Wing Hong Tsang

Background: In recent years, studies and reviews have reported the therapeutic benefits of both mindful and non-mindful exercises in reducing anxiety. However, there have not been any systematic reviews to compare their relative effectiveness for the...

  • Review
  • Open Access
32 Citations
6,146 Views
15 Pages

New Psychoactive Substances: Evolution in the Exchange of Information and Innovative Legal Responses in the European Union

  • Maria Rosaria Varì,
  • Giulio Mannocchi,
  • Roberta Tittarelli,
  • Laura Leondina Campanozzi,
  • Giulio Nittari,
  • Alessandro Feola,
  • Federica Umani Ronchi and
  • Giovanna Ricci

At the end of 2019, the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction was monitoring around 790 new psychoactive substances, more than twice the total number of controlled substances under the United Nations Conventions. These substances, w...

  • Article
  • Open Access
21 Citations
3,669 Views
18 Pages

We measured the health resource agglomeration capacities of 31 Chinese provinces (or municipalities) in 2004–2018 based on the entropy weight method. Using a modified spatial gravity model, we constructed and analyzed the spatial correlation ne...

  • Article
  • Open Access
5 Citations
3,361 Views
16 Pages

The Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak caused people to pay significant attention to urban public safety issues. The city’s public safety is an important part of the high-quality development and the construction of a liveable city. T...

  • Article
  • Open Access
12 Citations
3,431 Views
9 Pages

Mentalization Impairment Is Associated with Problematic Alcohol Use in a Sample of Young Adults: A Cross-Sectional Study

  • Claudio Imperatori,
  • Ornella Corazza,
  • Angelo Panno,
  • Raffaella Rinaldi,
  • Massimo Pasquini,
  • Benedetto Farina,
  • Massimo Biondi and
  • Francesco Saverio Bersani

Background: Alcohol is one of the most widely used drugs among adolescents and young people, and problematic alcohol use (PAU) is related to significant long-term biological, clinical, and psychosocial sequelae. Although preliminary reports have link...

  • Article
  • Open Access
26 Citations
12,328 Views
17 Pages

Aesthetic Treatment Outcomes of Capillary Hemangioma, Venous Lake, and Venous Malformation of the Lip Using Different Surgical Procedures and Laser Wavelengths (Nd:YAG, Er,Cr:YSGG, CO2, and Diode 980 nm)

  • Samir Nammour,
  • Marwan El Mobadder,
  • Melanie Namour,
  • Amaury Namour,
  • Josep Arnabat-Dominguez,
  • Kinga Grzech-Leśniak,
  • Alain Vanheusden and
  • Paolo Vescovi

Different approaches with different clinical outcomes have been found in treating capillary hemangioma (CH), venous lake (VL), or venous malformations (VM) of the lips. This retrospective study aims to assess scar quality, recurrence rate, and patien...

  • Article
  • Open Access
123 Citations
16,037 Views
21 Pages

The global spread of COVID-19 requires not only national-level responses but also active compliance with individual-level prevention measures. Because COVID-19 is an infectious disease that spreads through human contact, it is impossible to end its s...

  • Article
  • Open Access
9 Citations
2,793 Views
10 Pages

In the past years, human papilloma virus (HPV) has been proved to be an important risk factor for head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCCs), especially in the oropharynx (OPCCS). The aim of this study was to assess the level of knowledge about...

  • Article
  • Open Access
29 Citations
3,614 Views
18 Pages

The development of renewable energy is an important cooperation theme among countries along the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI countries). Through map description, we first explore the changes in renewable energy consumption in BRI countries. Then, &b...

  • Article
  • Open Access
7 Citations
4,619 Views
8 Pages

Short-Term Core Strengthening Program Improves Functional Movement Score in Untrained College Students

  • Tijana Šćepanović,
  • Branka Protić-Gava,
  • Goran Sporiš,
  • Tomislav Rupčić,
  • Zvonko Miljković,
  • Konstantinos Liapikos,
  • Draženka Mačak,
  • Dejan M. Madić and
  • Nebojša Trajković

Functional movement is an important part of developing athletes’ but also untrained individuals’ performance. Its monitoring also proved useful in identifying functional limitations and asymmetries, and also in determining the interventio...

  • Article
  • Open Access
1 Citations
3,271 Views
9 Pages

Early risk stratification and preventative strategies are required in patients with ischemic heart disease (IHD) to prevent heart failure (HF). We aimed to investigate the rate of progression to HF and to investigate the factors predicting the develo...

  • Article
  • Open Access
4 Citations
3,291 Views
11 Pages

During childhood and pre-adolescence, the family environment is key to initiating and consolidating healthy styles in children through a balanced diet and basic hygiene habits. This study analyses hygiene, nutrition and health practices in Spanish fa...

  • Article
  • Open Access
4 Citations
3,482 Views
9 Pages

Spanish Nursing Students’ Attitudes toward People Living with HIV/AIDS: A Cross-Sectional Survey

  • María Adelaida Álvarez-Serrano,
  • Encarnación Martínez-García,
  • Adelina Martín-Salvador,
  • María Gázquez-López,
  • María Dolores Pozo-Cano,
  • Rafael A. Caparrós-González and
  • María Ángeles Pérez-Morente

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection is still a public health issue. Human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immune deficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) creates, in society, stigmatizing attitudes, fear, and discrimination against infected people; ev...

  • Article
  • Open Access
19 Citations
11,696 Views
15 Pages

The Collective Leadership for Safety Culture (Co-Lead) Team Intervention to Promote Teamwork and Patient Safety

  • Aoife De Brún,
  • Sabrina Anjara,
  • Una Cunningham,
  • Zuneera Khurshid,
  • Steve Macdonald,
  • Róisín O’Donovan,
  • Lisa Rogers and
  • Eilish McAuliffe

Traditional hierarchical leadership has been implicated in patient safety failings internationally. Given that healthcare is almost wholly delivered by multidisciplinary teams, there have been calls for a more collective and team-based approach to th...

  • Article
  • Open Access
5 Citations
473,129 Views
24 Pages

We performed a retrospective analysis spanning ten years of pediatric practice focused on patients with variable vaccination born into a practice, presenting a unique opportunity to study the effects of variable vaccination on outcomes. The average t...

  • Article
  • Open Access
37 Citations
6,064 Views
18 Pages

Benchmarks for Evidence-Based Risk Assessment with the Swedish Version of the 4-Item Psychosocial Safety Climate Scale

  • Hanne Berthelsen,
  • Tuija Muhonen,
  • Gunnar Bergström,
  • Hugo Westerlund and
  • Maureen F. Dollard

The purpose of the present study was to validate the short version of The Psychosocial Safety Climate questionnaire (PSC-4, Dollard, 2019) and to establish benchmarks indicating risk levels for use in Sweden. Cross-sectional data from (1) a random sa...

  • Article
  • Open Access
18 Citations
5,865 Views
19 Pages

This research concerns the workplace design methodology, involving digital human models, that prevents work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs). We propose an approach that, in conjunction with one of the classic WMSD risk assessment methods, a...

  • Communication
  • Open Access
14 Citations
4,949 Views
7 Pages

The purpose of this study was to examine whether there is a difference in ethylene oxide (EtO) biomarker levels based on residential proximity to facilities emitting EtO, a carcinogen. We recruited residents living near two EtO-emitting facilities an...

  • Article
  • Open Access
11 Citations
4,314 Views
15 Pages

Neuromuscular Strategies in Stretch–Shortening Exercises with Increasing Drop Heights: The Role of Muscle Coactivation in Leg Stiffness and Power Propulsion

  • Riccardo Di Giminiani,
  • Aldo Giovannelli,
  • Lorenzo Capuano,
  • Pascal Izzicupo,
  • Andrea Di Blasio and
  • Francesco Masedu

When applying drop jump exercises, knowing the magnitude of the stimulus is fundamental to stabilize the leg joints and to generate movements with the highest power. The effects of different drop heights on leg muscles coactivation, leg stiffness and...

  • Article
  • Open Access
16 Citations
4,916 Views
10 Pages

The aim of the present study was to quantify the impact of training restrictions, due to COVID-19 sanitary emergency, on physical and emotional strain of horse-riding Eventing competitions before and after eight weeks of lockdown. Performance was ass...

  • Article
  • Open Access
13 Citations
6,633 Views
10 Pages

Slackline Training in Children with Spastic Cerebral Palsy: A Randomized Clinical Trial

  • Lucía González,
  • Juan Argüelles,
  • Vicente González,
  • Kristian Winge,
  • Marta Iscar,
  • Hugo Olmedillas,
  • Miguel Blanco,
  • Pedro L. Valenzuela,
  • Alejandro Lucia and
  • Luis Santos
  • + 1 author

Objective: To assess whether a slackline intervention program improves postural control in children/adolescents with spastic cerebral palsy (CP). Design: Randomized controlled trial. Setting: Patients’ association. Participants: Twenty-seven ch...

  • Review
  • Open Access
56 Citations
10,350 Views
13 Pages

Diabetes mellitus was the first non-communicable disease that was recognized by the United Nations as a 21st-century pandemic problem. Recent scientific reports suggest that people with type 1 diabetes mellitus also develop insulin resistance, which...

  • Review
  • Open Access
34 Citations
6,647 Views
15 Pages

Impaired muscle recovery (size and strength) following a disuse period commonly occurs in older adults. Many of these individuals are not able to adequately exercise due to pain and logistic barriers. Thus, nutritional and pharmacological therapeutic...

  • Article
  • Open Access
14 Citations
3,675 Views
22 Pages

Element Levels and Predictors of Exposure in the Hair of Ethiopian Children

  • Maria Luisa Astolfi,
  • Georgios Pietris,
  • Corrado Mazzei,
  • Elisabetta Marconi and
  • Silvia Canepari

Children’s development and health may be affected by toxic heavy metal exposure or suboptimal essential element intake. This study aimed to provide updated information regarding the concentrations of 41 elements in children’s hair (aged u...

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Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health - ISSN 1660-4601