Post epidemic giardiasis and gastrointestinal symptoms among preschool children in Bergen, Norway. A cross-sectional study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>A surprisingly low number of children became ill with giardiasis during the large waterborne outbreak of <it>Giardia lamblia </it>in Bergen, Norway during autumn 2004. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the prevalence of giardiasis among exposed children one year after an outbreak and compare faecal carriage of <it>Giardia </it>and abdominal symptoms among exposed versus unexposed children one year after the epidemic.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Children between 1 and 6 years old were recruited from the local health care centres in Bergen municipality in the period between June 2005 and January 2006. One faecal sample per child was collected and examined for presence of <it>Giardia </it>with a rapid immunoassay antigen test, and parents were asked to answer a questionnaire. A total of 513 children participated, 378 in the group exposed to contaminated water, and 135 in the in the group not exposed.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>In the exposed group eleven children had been treated for giardiasis during the epidemic and none in the unexposed group. <it>Giardia </it>positive faecal tests were found in six children, all in the exposed group, but the difference between the groups did not reach statistical significance. All six <it>Giardia </it>positive children were asymptomatic. No differences were found between the groups regarding demographic data, nausea, vomiting, different odour from stools and eructation. However, the reported scores of abdominal symptoms (diarrhoea, bloating and stomach ache) during the last year were higher in the exposed group than in the unexposed group.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>A low prevalence of asymptomatic <it>Giardia </it>infection (1.7%) was found among exposed children around one year after the epidemic (1.2% overall prevalence in the study). In the present setting, pre-school children were therefore unlikely to be an important reservoir for continued transmission in the general population.</p

Helsefremmende arbeidsmiljø i skolen. Aspervika skole - en kvalitativ undersøkelse

Master's thesis in Change ManagementThis master thesis has a health promoting perspective. We have used a case study to analyse Aspervika skole’s adaptation of HSE regulations and the school’s psychosocial environment. We have done so by applying theory related to healthy work environments as well as materials from research performed by NOA, Arbeidstilsynet, and IRIS on this topic. We have also performed our own survey and referenced/based our findings on other documents and relevant literature. The data collection was done through focus-group interviews and individual interviews. Our respondents were chosen based on their positions. We also used supplementary data in the form of documented studies and previous literature. The interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed, analysed and interpreted. The following research questions will be used to characterize the work environment for teaching staff and the management: 1. Has Aspervika skole worked systematically to create a health- promoting and meaningful work situation for the employees? 2. Has the school made use of what Antonovsky defined as salutogenesis to encourage this? 3. Can the teaching staff and the management at Aspervika skole be described as what Antonovsky defines as an SOC-strong group? Our thesis is limited to the potential health-promoting factors in the respondent´s work environment at Aspervika skole. We have concentrated on the physical, mental, and social health of the teachers and the management for the creation of a work environment that agrees with the HSE regulations. We claim to have found connections between health-promoting factors and the work environment for the teaching staff and the management at Aspervika skole. The findings are supported by studies by Sandnes municipality’s Department of Education, document studies, (such as empirical analysis, other surveys on employee satisfaction, statistics on sickness absence,) and relevant theoretical and empirical literature. We conclude there are similarities between what is recognized as “good HSE culture” and what Antonovsky classifies as salutogenesis