Does economic empowerment protect women from intimate partner violence?

BACKGROUND: The current study compared working and non-working groups of women in relation to intimate partner violence. The paper aims to explore the relationship between women’s economic empowerment, their exposures to IPV and their help seeking behavior using a nationally representative sample in India. METHODS: This was a cross sectional study of 124,385 ever married women of reproductive age from all 29 member states in India. Chi-square tests were used to examine differences in proportions of dependent variables (exposure to IPV) and independent variables. Multivariate logistic regressions were used to assess the independent contribution of the variables of economic empowerment in predicting exposure to IPV. RESULTS: Out of 124,385 women, 69432 (56%) were eligible for this study. Among those that were eligible 35% were working. In general, prevalence of IPV (ever) among women in India were: emotional violence 14%, less severe physical violence 31%, severe physical violence 10% and sexual violence 8%.For working women, the IPV prevalence was: emotional violence 18%, less severe physical violence 37%, severe physical violence 14% and sexual violence 10%; whilst for non-working women the rate was 12, 27, 8 & 8 percents, respectively. Working women seek more help from different sources. CONCLUSIONS: Economic empowerment is not the sole protective factor. Economic empowerment, together with higher education and modified cultural norms against women, may protect women from IPV

The impact of child safety promotion on different social strata in a WHO Safe Community

BACKGROUND: The objective of the current study was to evaluate outcomes of a program to prevent severe and less severe unintentional child injuries among the different social strata under WHO Safe Community program. Specifically, the aim was to study effectiveness of Safe Community program for reducing child injury. METHODS: A quasi-experimental design was used, with pre- and post-implementation registrations covering the children (0 -15 years) in the program implementation area (population 41,000) and in a neighboring control municipality (population 26,000) in Östergötland County, Sweden. RESULTS: Boys from not vocationally active households displayed the highest pre-intervention injury rate in both the control and intervention areas. Also in households in which the vocationally significant member was employed, boys showed higher injury rates than girls. Households in which the vocationally significant member was self-employed, girls exhibited higher injury rates than boys in the intervention area. After 6 years of program activity, the injury rates for boys and girls in employed category and injury rates for girls in self-employed category displayed a decreasing trend in the intervention area. However, in the control area injury rate decreased only for boys of employed families. CONCLUSION: The study indicated that almost no changes in injury rates in the control area suggested that the reduction of child injuries in the intervention area between 1983 and 1989 was likely to be attributable to the safety promotion program. Therefore, the current study indicates that Safe Community program seems to be successful for reducing child injuries

Neighborhood socioeconomic disadvantage, individual wealth status and patterns of delivery care utilization in Nigeria: a multilevel discrete choice analysis

Background: High maternal mortality continues to be a major public health problem in most part of the developing world, including Nigeria. Understanding the utilization pattern of maternal healthcare services has been accepted as an important factor for reducing maternal deaths. This study investigates the effect of neighborhood and individual socieconomic position on the utilization of different forms of place of delivery among women of reproductive age in Nigeria. Methods: A population-based multilevel discrete choice analysis was performed using the most recent populationbased 2008 Nigerian Demographic and Health Surveys data of women aged between 15 and 49 years. The analysis was restriced to 15,162 ever-married women from 888 communities across the 36 states of the federation including the Federal Capital Territory of Abuja. Results: The choice of place to deliver varies across the socioeconomic strata. The results of the multilevel discrete choice models indicate that with every other factor controlled for, the household wealth status, women's occupation, women's and partner's high level of education attainment, and possession of health insurance were associated with use of private and government health facilities for child birth relative to home delivery. The results also show that higher birth order and young material age were associated with use of home delivery. Living in a highly socioeconomic disadvantaged neighborhood is associated with home birth compared with the patronage of government health facilities. More specifically, the result revealed that choice of facility-based delivery is clustered around the neighborhoods. Conclusion: Home delivery, which cuts across all socioeconomic strata, is a common practice among women in Nigeria. Initatives that would encourage the appropriate use of healthcare facilities at little or no cost to the most disadvantaged should be accorded the utmost priority.

Women’s attitudes towards discontinuation of female genital mutilation in Egypt

BACKGROUND: To examine women’s attitude towards discontinuation of female genital mutilation (FGM) in association with their access to information, knowledge of health effects and cultural beliefs concerning FGM in Egypt. METHODS: A cross-sectional study of 9159 women, using data from the household survey in Egypt by Demographic and Health survey 2003. A comprehensive questionnaire covering attitudes towards FGM, demographics, and access to information was used. Chi-square analysis and logistic regression were applied to investigate how demographics, level of education, access to information, knowledge of health consequences and cultural beliefs influence women’s attitudes towards FGM. RESULTS: Among the demographic variables, discontinuation of FGM was independently associated with urban residency and post-secondary education. Moreover, women who were informed by the media, and those who had attended community meetings, church, or mosque where FGM was discussed, as well as women who were aware of the negative health consequences of FGM, were more likely to support discontinuation of FGM. By contrast, women with positive cultural conceptions of FGM were less likely to favour its discontinuation. CONCLUSIONS: Public education and information dissemination aiming to change current cultural notions favouring FGM practice – through community and religious leaders, and radio and television programs – may play an important role in modifying women’s attitudes towards FGM. These findings have some implications for intervention and policy

Economic effectiveness of Ergonomics interventions

This review article attempts to explore the economic effectiveness of ergonomics. In this review, PubMed, EBSCO, and Web of Science were selected to find the related articles based on two keywords of ‘ergonomics’ and ‘economics’. Eleven full-text articles (1 in PubMed, 8 in EBSCO, and 2 in Web.Sci.) were included in the study. Articles show that ergonomics interventions have an association with economy and productivity; however, 3 out of 11 articles did not show a clear interconnection between ergonomics and economic benefits. All of the reviewed articles were conducted at workplaces and, also, were related to occupational ergonomics; however, in a single case, the ergonomics product design was reflected as a cost-benefit approach. The role of a healthy workforce and ergonomics design with regard to both employees’ efficiency and business growth is often neglected. According to reviewed papers, the role of ergonomics in green economics toward sustainability is inevitable. However, there are some challenges to persuade the industrial sectors’ managers about the economics side of ergonomics in which limited documents and the lack of ergonomics-economics models and procedures are critical. This review emphasized at least two approaches: (1) the necessity of publishing papers, including valid economics model about industrial ergonomics; (2) developing some economic tools to confirm the benefits of ergonomic product design. If some appropriate economic models or techniques merge into ergonomics intervention projects, whether industrial ergonomics or product design, more feasible and better outcomes will be obtained in which both employees and customers are satisfied

Planificación de la implementación de sistemas de producción más limpia en la construcción de viviendas en el área metropolitana del departamento de Guatemala (AMG)

Propone acciones que permitan identificar y reducir los impactos ambientales generados por la construcción de viviendas en el área metropolitana del departamento de Guatemala (AMG)

Prevalence of intimate partner violence against women in Republic of Benin

The present study was conducted to estimate the prevalence of intimate partner violence against women (IPVAW) of reproductive age in Benin and to assess the factors related to the experience of IPVAW and attitude towards wife beating among women. The study also assessed whether a family history of violence is a risk factor for experiencing IPVAW. The study used the Benin Demographic and Health Survey 2017-18 data for analyses. A national representative sample of 4488 ever married women was selected to respond to a domestic violence and abuse questionnaire. Cross-tabulation and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed. The prevalence of IPVAW experience in Benin was as follows: emotional violence, 35.4%; physical violence, 18.4%; and sexual violence, 8.2%. Older age, rural residence, the practice of Vodoun religion, living in a household headed by a male member, family history of domestic violence, and attitudes towards wife beating were significantly associated with the prevalence of IPVAW. Thirty-two percent of women supported wife beating. Women residing in urban areas, having higher educational qualification, higher socioeconomic status, and no family history of domestic violence were less likely to support wife beating. Policymakers should place emphasis on evidence-based prevention programs, gender equality, women empowerment, and policy priority for curbing IPVAW

Exploration of gaps and challenges in managing burn injury at district and sub-district government health care facilities in Bangladesh

Background: Burn injury is one of the leading cause of mortality and morbidity worldwide. In developing countries like Bangladesh, burn is one of the leading causes of illness, disabilities and deaths. More than 365,000 people are injured every year by electrical, thermal and other causes of burn injuries where 27,000 people needed hospital admission and over 5600 people died. Emergency management of burn at the facility level can reduce the severity of burn injuries and improve overall survival. The study has explored the health care providers’ views on gaps and challenges in management of burn injury at the facilities district and sub district health facilities in Bangladesh. Methodology: A qualitative study was conducted during the period in July 2015. In-depth interviews (n = 19) were performed with the doctors and nurses working in the three district government hospitals and seven sub-district (upazila) government health facilities. Thematic analysis was performed on different themes. Results: Health care providers mentioned that the people are coming to the facilities usually, hours after the incidence. Before visiting the facilities, the burn victims mostly seek treatment from the traditional healers or form village doctors (quack) or from the local pharmacy, over the counter. Family waited until they felt that the patient may not survive. It has identified that delaying in decision making and transferring the patient to the health facility are the key challenges identified by the doctors and nurses when they attended any burn patients in their facility. Moreover, use of different traditional infectious agent in burnt areas from their home make the burn surface more damage. While as, deficiency of adequate supplies, logistics and adequate trainings for the health workers in the facility create much more difficulties to treat a burn patient at primary or secondary health care centers. Conclusion: Burn patients are maltreated in the community before coming to the healthcare facility in most of the cases. The community has misperceptions on burn management which delay the proper management in the facility. Readiness of the facility on the other hand is a big challenge. In order to consistent in burn care in Bangladesh, its equally important to build knowledge and awareness among the community on burn prevention and their role. Like this, readiness of the facilities in time will build confidence in community, thus in turns, will save thousands of lives from burn injury in Bangladesh

The KAP Evaluation of Intervention on Fall-Induced Injuries among Elders in a Safe Community in Shanghai, China

BACKGROUND: To evaluate the effect of an intervention on fall induced injuries of elderly people in a safe-community in Shanghai and to discuss an intervention model that is proper for the community to generalize. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Five neighborhood areas in a Safe Community were purposively selected. All individuals aged 60 years or over in five neighborhoods were prospective participants. From randomly selected prospective households with elders, 2,889 (pre intervention) and 3,021 (post intervention) elderly people were included in the study. Knowledge, Attitude and Practice Model (KAP) questionnaires were used at the pre- and post-intervention phase for fall-induced injury prevention in the community. Descriptive statistics and chi-square tests were used. After the intervention, knowledge about the prevention of fall-induced injuries increased, as did attitudes, beliefs and good behaviors for fall prevention. Behavior modification was most notable with many behavior items changing significantly (p value<0.0001). CONCLUSIONS/ SIGNIFICANCE: The integrated program for reducing fall-related injuries in the community was effective in improving fall prevention among the elderly, but the intervention still needs further improvement

Ergonomics in agriculture: an approach in prevention of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs)

A review of articles was performed by categorizing the selected articles into four approaches – ergonomic design, ergonomics task analysis, educational and epidemiological concepts – in order to highlight the ergonomic problems in the agriculture industry. The articles were retrieved from four search engines “PubMed, Scopus, Metapren, and Ebsco” by using specified key words ‘ergonomics’, ‘agricultural workers’, and ‘awkward posture’. The results highlight that ergonomists are capable of providing a safer work environment for the agricultural workers in both developing and developed countries. In addition, the results show that it needs global cooperation of international organizations to enhance the occupational health intervention in agriculture. Furthermore, the efforts of ergonomists to develop a practical ergonomic task analysis for the interventions in agriculture seem significant, as is the necessity for hand tool designs based on ergonomic considerations. Based on the evaluation of articles and related experiences, a recommended model has been introduced to promote health for farmers. This model covers a participatory ergonomic approach to practical ergonomic changes