Review Article
Darci Green; Julie Anne Pasco; Lana Jane Williams; Sharon Le Brennan-Olsen
Volume 6, Issue 3 , July 2019, Pages 1-6
Abstract
Context: Worldwide, cancer is the second leading cause of death, with a rapidly increasing global incidence: it is present in high and in lower-middle income countries (LMICs). Overweight and obesity are also a major global health concern, and while they were once considered conditions specific to the ...
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Context: Worldwide, cancer is the second leading cause of death, with a rapidly increasing global incidence: it is present in high and in lower-middle income countries (LMICs). Overweight and obesity are also a major global health concern, and while they were once considered conditions specific to the ‘Western’ world, this geographic patterning has begun to shift.Evidence Acquisition: Given the large body of evidence regarding associations between lower socioeconomic status and greater cancer incidence and mortality, we undertook a narrative review focusing on global cancer burden and risk, and the association between cancer and body composition, particularly in LMICs. Using the MeSH terms ‘cancer’ and ‘body composition’, and keywords ‘overweight’ or ‘obesity’, and the phrase ‘lower-and middle-income countries’, we identified relevant articles for inclusion in this narrative review.Results: The key diagnostic mechanism underpinning these associations may be the varied prevalence and distribution of the risk factors most commonly associated to cancer incidence, including smoking, alcohol and diet. Approximately one-third of cancer-related deaths in high income countries (HICs) are due to dietary and behavioural risk factors, which includes overweight and obesity and physical inactivity, and these same risk factors are prevalent in LMICs, which is where the current, yet minimal, priorities for cancer prevention are aimed at reducing.Conclusions: These data have specific relevance to LMICs in context of increasing levels of obesity, fewer healthcare resources in many LMICs, and lower financial investment into the prevention and management of cancer. Recognising and understanding the process by which cancer risk is linked to body composition parameters and obesity-related lifestyle factors will inform future intervention and prevention efforts. The focus needs to be directed towards implementing and practising such programs across all sectors of the globe, especially within low socioeconomic subpopulations.
Review Article
Syahidatul Khafizah Mohd Hajaraih; Shelby P. Gordon; Karen M. Tabb
Volume 6, Issue 3 , July 2019, Pages 7-15
Abstract
Objective: We conducted a scoping review to explore the excessive burden of disease and injury that garment industry workers experience in low-middle income countries (LMIC).Evidence Acquisition: We employed Arksey and O’Malley’s methodology for scoping review to systematically identify and ...
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Objective: We conducted a scoping review to explore the excessive burden of disease and injury that garment industry workers experience in low-middle income countries (LMIC).Evidence Acquisition: We employed Arksey and O’Malley’s methodology for scoping review to systematically identify and review eligible articles. A research question, “What is the available evidence in existing literature on health outcomes among workers in garments industry in LMIC?” guided the review. We synthesized and reviewed the existing evidence of health outcomes among garment workers in LMIC from these articles. Eligibility criteria for the articles included peer-reviewed research articles of studies conducted in LMIC and specified common health outcomes among garment industry workers. We included articles from 2010 to 2016 and were published in English.Results: Nineteen studies from LMIC were included yielding descriptions of seven groups of health problems: orthopedic, respiratory, nutrition and digestive, vision or hearing, dermatological, female reproductive, and other health problems. Females represented majority of most study samples highlighting key disparities in women’s health outcomes such as nutrition and reproductive health needs.Conclusions: Physical and mental health burdens are high among garment workers in LMIC. In addition, addressing the health needs of garment workers is a major women’s health issue. Our findings suggest the needs for a better documentation and research of health outcomes related to work among garment industry workers to address work conditions and health risks in LMIC.
Research Article
Shervin Assari
Volume 6, Issue 3 , July 2019, Pages 16-21
Abstract
Background: Minorities’ diminished returns (MDRs) refer to smaller protects health effects of socioeconomic status (SES) indicators for Blacks and other minority groups than Whites. Objectives: The current study aimed to explore Black-White differences in the association between educational attainment ...
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Background: Minorities’ diminished returns (MDRs) refer to smaller protects health effects of socioeconomic status (SES) indicators for Blacks and other minority groups than Whites. Objectives: The current study aimed to explore Black-White differences in the association between educational attainment and exercise frequency among women in the US.Methods: For the current study, we used the National Survey of American Life’s (NSAL) data, which included 3175womenwhowere either White (n = 876) or Black (n = 2299). The independent variable was educational attainment. The dependent variable was exercise frequency. Age, region, household income, financial distress, marital status, unemployment, and depression were the covariates. Race was the focal moderator. Linear regression was applied for data analysis.Results: In the overall sample of women, high educational attainment was associated with higher exercise frequency (b = 0.07, 95% CI = 0.02 - 0.12). Race and educational attainment showed a significant interaction (b = -0.09, 95% CI = -0.19 - 0.00), suggestive of a smaller effect of education attainment on exercise frequency for Black women than White women. In race specific models, high educational attainment was associated with higher exercise frequency for White (b = 0.12, 95% CI = 0.04 - 0.20) but not Black (b = 0.03, 95% CI = -0.03-0.08) women.Conclusions: In line with the past research on MDRs, White women gain more health from their educational attainment than Black women. It is not race or class but race and class that shape the health behaviors of American women.
Research Article
Chidozie Emmanuel Mbada; Hamdalah A Adesunkanmi; Okechukwu Ernest Orji; David Olakorede; Adebanjo Babalola Adeyemi; Esther Kikelomo Afolabi; Chidiebele Petronilla Ojukwu; Abolaji Blessed Adeyemi; Olabisi Aderonke Akinwande; Moses Oluwatosin Makinde; Dolapo Adeola Ojo
Volume 6, Issue 3 , July 2019, Pages 22-30
Abstract
Background: Physical activity (PA) and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) are significantly affected in pregnancy.Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess these constructs among Nigerian pregnant women and also examine the relationship between them.Methods: A total of 140 pregnant women were ...
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Background: Physical activity (PA) and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) are significantly affected in pregnancy.Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess these constructs among Nigerian pregnant women and also examine the relationship between them.Methods: A total of 140 pregnant women were recruited from four selected antenatal clinics in Ile-Ife, Osun State, Nigeria, who participated in this cross-sectional study. The pregnancy physical activity questionnaire (PPAQ); consisting of 33 questions aimed at evaluating different day to day activities and SF-12 health survey; an eight scale grouped questionnaire were used to assess PA and HRQoL, respectively. Descriptive statistics (mean, standard deviation, frequency, and percentage) and inferential statistics (Pearson product moment correlation and one-way ANOVA) were used for data analysis. Alpha level was set at P < 0.05.Results: The mean age of the participants was 30.4±4.33 years. Household (347.0±452.1) and vigorous intensity (14.3±30.8) PA constituted the highest and least forms of PA. On the other hand, role limitation-physical (82.0±18.3) and health perception (82.0±18.0), and role limitation-mental (54.2±50), respectively were the highest and least rated scales on SF-12. The HRQoL scores were not significantly different (P > 0.05) across the three trimesters of pregnancy except for physical functioning (P = 0.023). However, there were significant differences in PA across the three trimester of pregnancy (P < 0.05), except for vigorous intensity (P = 0.072), sport (P = 0.057), and occupational activity (P = 0.057). There were significant correlations among HRQoL sub-scales and each household, occupational, and moderate intensity PA only (P < 0.05).Conclusions: Light to moderate intensity and household PA are predominant among Nigerian pregnant women than vigorous intensity, occupational, and sports-related PA. Higher health perception and physical role limitation in HRQoL were mostly demonstrated by the pregnant women. There was a significant inverse relationship between HRQoL and each of moderate intensity, occupational, and household PA.
Research Article
Mehrab Sayadi; Leila Malekmakan; Khojaste Rahimi Jaberi
Volume 6, Issue 3 , July 2019, Pages 31-35
Abstract
Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine the level of knowledge, attitude, and practice of adolescent girls toward menstrual health during puberty in the rural areas of Fars province.Methods: This was a cross-sectional analytical study of 550girlsfromrural areas in two groups of students (n=318) ...
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Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine the level of knowledge, attitude, and practice of adolescent girls toward menstrual health during puberty in the rural areas of Fars province.Methods: This was a cross-sectional analytical study of 550girlsfromrural areas in two groups of students (n=318) and non-students (n = 232). Data were collected via a 47-item researcher-made questionnaire that included questions on knowledge, attitude, and practice of menstrual health that was completed during interviews. The significance level was set at < 0.05.Results: In our study, the age distribution of the subjects was between 10 and 17 years and the mean age was 14.1±1.1 years. About 77.5% of the subjects had experienced menstruation, of whom 83.1% stated that they had information about the issue before menstruation. Moreover, 10.0% of them experienced fear and worries, 5.4% were surprised, and only 10.8% expressed satisfaction. The analysis of questions related to knowledge showed that the two groups had a moderate level of knowledge. There was no statistically significant difference between the two groups in all items except for the exercise item. From the practice point of view, the two groups were compared, while the two groups were significantly different in pain sensation (P = 0.006).Conclusions: The results of this study showed that the level of knowledge, attitude, and practice was low among rural students and non-students in Fars province and education is an important and essential factor that should be put on the agenda.
Research Article
Sara Dokuhaki; Fatemeh Ghodrati
Volume 6, Issue 3 , July 2019, Pages 36-40
Abstract
Background: Studies have shown that spiritual beliefs in pregnancy can affect health habits and behaviors. Confidence in the power of God leads to increased patience and a sense of security, inner peace, and calm.Objectives: We aimed to investigate the correlation between religious attitude and mental ...
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Background: Studies have shown that spiritual beliefs in pregnancy can affect health habits and behaviors. Confidence in the power of God leads to increased patience and a sense of security, inner peace, and calm.Objectives: We aimed to investigate the correlation between religious attitude and mental health of mothers and infants in hospitals of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences in 2016. Methods: The study was performed on 110 mothers in labor in 2016. Convenience and purposive sampling methods were used to conduct this study after obtaining the informed consent of participants. Data collection tools consisted of demographic information and fertility characteristics, religious-attitude questionnaire, and infant mental health checklist.Results: The average maternal age was 26.4±25.6 in the range of 18 - 40 years. Maternal education was below diploma in 20.9% and bachelor’s degrees or higher 32.7%. The body mass index was above 25. Moreover, 65.5% (n = 72) had moderate religious attitudes. There was a statistically significant relationship between the religious attitude and mental health of the infant (P = 0.018). However, there was no significant relationship between the mental health of infant and other variables such as maternal age (r = -0.57, P = 0.5), and body mass index (r = 0.0141, P = 0.14).Conclusions: There was a relationship between the maternal religious attitude in pregnancy and the mental health of the infant. Therefore, paying attention to matters of faith and the effectiveness of spiritual care in pregnancy is recommended for promoting maternal and infant health.
