HEAVY METALS IN URBAN PARK SOILS FROM ATHENS, GREECE

Η αστική γεωχημεία είναιένας επιστημονικός κλάδος ο οποίος αναπτύσσεταιτα τελευταία χρόνια κυρίως λόγω των περιβαλλοντικών επιπτώσεων που προκύπτουν από την αστικοποίηση. Η παρούσα εργασία έχει ως στόχο τον προσδιορισμό των συγκεντρώσεων δυνητικά επιβλαβών στοιχείων (PHEs) των επιφανειακών (0-10 cm) εδαφών προερχόμενων από αλσύλια της Αθήνας. Η δειγματοληψία υπαίθρου πραγματοποιήθηκε σε 20 αλσύλια της Αττικής και κάλυψε συνολική έκταση περίπου 200km2 . Αναλύθηκαν 20 εδαφικά δείγματα κοκκομετρίας Mn >Ni≈ Cu≈ Zn> Cr. Τα δεδομένα της έρευνας υποδεικνύουν ότι το έδαφος των αλσυλίων μπορεί να είναι ένας σημαντικός ταμιευτήρας των ανθρωπογενών στοιχείων στο αστικό έδαφοςUrban geochemistry is a scientific discipline which is growing in the recent years mainly because of the environmental impact caused by urbanization. The present study aims to determine the concentrations of potentially harmful elements (PHEs) on surface soils (0-10cm) in Athens parks. Soil sampling was carried out in public park areas within the Athens urban area. Twenty surface soil (0-10cm) samples were collected and the Mn >Ni≈ Cu≈ Zn> Cr. The data indicate that park areas seem to be important sinks of anthropogenic elements in urban soils

The prevalence and contextual correlates of non-communicable diseases among inter-provincial migrants and non-migrants in South Africa

BACKGROUND: The socioeconomic conditions of different environments manifest in varying experiences of illnesses. Even as migrants do transit across these different environments for various reasons, including settlement, they are bound to have peculiar experiences of diseases, which could be traced to lifestyle, gender, adaptation, and reactions to specific social, economic, psychological and climatic conditions. Paying attention to such unique scenarios, our study examines the prevalence and contextual correlates of non-communicable diseases among inter-provincial migrants and non-migrants in South Africa. METHODS: Data was from the National Income Dynamics Study (NIDS), waves 5 of 2017, which comprised of 28,055 respondents aged 15–64 years made up of 22,849 inter-provincial non-migrants and 5206 inter-provincial migrants. A composite dependent/outcome variable of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) was generated for the study and data analysis involved descriptive statistics, chi Square analysis and multilevel logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: More migrants (19.81%) than non-migrants (16.69%) reported prevalence of NCDs. With the exception of household size for migrants and smoking for non-migrants, the prevalence of NCDs showed significant differences in all the community, behavioral, and individual variables. The factors in the full model, which significantly increased odds of NCDs among the migrants and the non-migrants, were older populations, the non-Blacks, and those with higher education levels. On the one hand, being married, having a household with 4–6 persons, and being residents of urban areas significantly increased odds of NCDs among the migrant population. While on the other, living in coastal provinces, being a female, and belonging to the category of those who earn more than 10,000 Rands were significantly associated with increased odds of NCDs among the non-migrants. CONCLUSIONS: These findings, therefore, among other things underscore the need for increased education and awareness campaigns, especially among the older populations on the preventive and mitigative strategies for NCDs. In addition, changes in lifestyles with regard to smoking and physical exercises should be more emphasized in specific contextual situations for the migrant and non-migrant populations, as highlighted by the results of this study

Understanding unequal ageing: towards a synthesis of intersectionality and life course analyses

Intersectionality has received an increasing amount of attention in health inequalities research in recent years. It suggests that treating social characteristics separately—mainly age, gender, ethnicity, and socio-economic position—does not match the reality that people simultaneously embody multiple characteristics and are therefore potentially subject to multiple forms of discrimination. Yet the intersectionality literature has paid very little attention to the nature of ageing or the life course, and gerontology has rarely incorporated insights from intersectionality. In this paper, we aim to illustrate how intersectionality might be synthesised with a life course perspective to deliver novel insights into unequal ageing, especially with respect to health. First we provide an overview of how intersectionality can be used in research on inequality, focusing on intersectional subgroups, discrimination, categorisation, and individual heterogeneity. We cover two key approaches—the use of interaction terms in conventional models and multilevel models which are particularly focussed on granular subgroup differences. In advancing a conceptual dialogue with the life course perspective, we discuss the concepts of roles, life stages, transitions, age/cohort, cumulative disadvantage/advantage, and trajectories. We conclude that the synergies between intersectionality and the life course hold exciting opportunities to bring new insights to unequal ageing and its attendant health inequalities

Charity financial support to Motor Neurone Disease (MND) patients in Greater London: the impact of patients’ socio-economic status – a cross-sectional study

Objective There is an immense socioeconomic burden for both the patients with motor neuron disease (MND) and their families. The aim of this study is to evaluate the extent to which the provision offered by the Motor Neurone Disease Association is distributed among patients with MND living in the ethnically and socially diverse area of Greater London, according to the patients’ socioeconomic situation and needs. Setting Greater London, where age and sex-adjusted prevalence rates of MND in 2016 were calculated. Participants Prevalent MND cases in Greater London, using anonymised data extracted from the Association’s database. Exposure Demographic and socioeconomic characteristics Primary and secondary outcome measures Receiving a Motor Neurone Disease Association grant, and the amount of money received. Results 396 individuals with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis were detected, the age-specific and sex-specific prevalence of MND was 4.02 per 100 000 inhabitants, higher among men (5.13 per 100 000) than women (3.01 per 100 000). Men were statistically significantly 40% less likely to receive a grant compared with women; among grant recipients, the younger the age of the participant, the higher the size of the grant received. The Index of Multiple Deprivation was not associated with either receiving a grant nor the amount of money received, among recipients. Conclusion Financial support by the Motor Neurone Disease Association is provided across individuals and across boroughs regardless of their socioeconomic circumstances. Differences that benefits women and younger patients were detected

Depressive symptoms among migrants and non-migrants in Europe:: documenting and explaining inequalities in times of socio-economic instability

Background: With the current study, we aim to explore the extent that migrants report higher rates of depressive symptoms than non-migrant populations in light of gender, childhood experiences, socioeconomic factors and social support across European countries that have been differentially influenced by the economic crisis. Methods: Using data from the seventh round of the European Social Survey and the Greek MIGHEAL survey, we compare the prevalence of depressive symptoms among migrants and non-migrants aged 25-65 years old across 21 countries. Results: Our findings show that migrants report significantly higher levels of depressive symptoms in seven of the examined countries, while in Greece and in the UK, they report significantly lower levels compared with non-migrant populations. The current climate of socioeconomic instability does not seem to necessarily associate with increased rates of depressive symptoms across countries neither it affects migrants and non-migrants in a similar way. Financial strain, childhood experiences of economic hardship and domestic conflict, female gender, as well as experiences of perceived discrimination appear to associate with increased levels of depressive symptoms among both migrant and non-migrant populations, while social trust and living with children have a protective impact. Still, much variation exists in the range of these associations between migrants and non-migrants and across countries. Conclusion: These findings suggest that the impact of migration status on depressive symptoms is subject to additional determinants of mental health as well as to contextual factors

Non-communicable diseases in Greece: inequality, gender and migration

Background: The relationship between gender, migration status and non-communicable diseases (NCDs) is rarely examined. In this study, we rely on data from the MIGHEAL Survey on health inequalities in Greece collected in 2016 comprising 1332 respondents of which 59.98% identified themselves as Greek-born, 24.02% as immigrants from Albania and 15.99% as immigrants from another country than Albania, to analyse this often neglected relationship. With the help of average risk ratios, this paper explores and explains gender inequalities in heart or circulation problems, high blood pressure, breathing problems, allergies, back or neck pain, muscular pain, stomach or digestion-related problems, skin conditions, severe headaches, and diabetes in Greece among Greek-born individuals, Albanian immigrants and among immigrants of 'other origin'. We found that both among Greek-born and among immigrant groups women report substantially higher rates of NCDs although gender inequalities are more pronounced among 'other-origin' immigrants. Further, our findings show that the observed gender inequalities are fostered by occupational factors both among Greek-born and migrants. Policies targeted at reducing the risk of NCDs need to consider not only gender and migration status but also how their intersection renders certain social groups more vulnerable than others. Moreover, specific attention should be paid to the underlying structural factors associated with NCD reporting, such as working conditions, labour market regulations and employment initiatives that have a differential health influence across diverse population groups

Educational inequalities in risky health behaviours in 21 European countries : Findings from the European social survey (2014) special module on the social determinants of health

Tim Huijts1, Anna Gkiouleka1, Nadine Reibling2, KatieH. Thomson3, Terje A. Eikemo4, Clare Bambra3 1 Department of Sociology, Wentworth College, University of York Heslington, York, UK 2 University of Siegen, Siegen, Germany 3 Institute of Health & Society, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, UK 4 Department of Sociology and Political Science, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Dragvoll, Trondheim, Norway Correspondence: Tim Huijts, Department of Sociology, Wentworth College, University of York, Heslington, York YO10 5DD, UK, e-mail: [email protected] Background: It has been suggested that cross-national variation in educational inequalities in health outcomes (e.g. NCDs) is due to cross-national variation in risky health behaviour. In this paper we aim to use highly recent data (2014) to examine educational inequalities in risky health behaviour in 21 European countries from all regions of the continent to map cross-national variation in the extent to which educational level is associated with risky health behaviour. We focus on four dimensions of risky health behaviour: smoking, alcohol use, lack of physical activity and lack of fruit and vegetable consumption. Methods: We make use of recent data from the 7th wave of the European Social Survey (2014), which contains a special rotating module on the social determinants of health. We performed logistic regression analyses to examine the associations between educational level and the risky health behaviour indicators. Educational level was measured through a three-category version of the harmonized International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED). Results: Our findings show substantial and mostly significant inequalities in risky health behaviour between educational groups in most of the 21 European countries examined in this paper. The risk of being a daily smoker is higher as respondents' level of education is lower (Low education (L): OR= 4.24 (95% CI: 3.83-4.68); Middle education (M): OR = 2.91 (95% CI: 2.65-3.19)). Respondents have a lower risk of consuming alcohol frequently if they have a low level of education (L: OR= 0.59 (95% CI: 0.54- 0.64); M: OR= 0.70 (95% CI: 0.65-0.76)), but a higher risk of binge drinking frequently (L: OR= 1.29 (95% CI: 1.16- 1.44); M: OR= 1.15 (95% CI: 1.04-1.27)). People are more likely to be physically active at least 3 days in the past week when they have a higher level of education (M: OR= 1.42 (95% CI: 1.34-1.50); H: OR= 1.67 (95% CI: 1.55- 1.80)). Finally, people are more likely to consume fruit and vegetables at least daily if they have a higher level of education (fruit: M: OR= 1.09 (95% CI: 1.03-1.16); H: OR= 1.77 (95% CI: 1.63-1.92); vegetables: M: OR = 1.34 (95% CI: 1.26-1.42); H: OR= 2.35 (95% CI: 2.16-2.55)). However, we also found considerable cross-national variation in the associations between education and risky health behaviour. Conclusions: Our results yield a complex picture: the lowest educational groups are more likely to smoke and less likely to engage in physical activity and to eat fruit and vegetables, but the highest educational groups are at greater risk of frequent alcohol consumption. Additionally, inequalities in risky health behaviour do not appear to be systematically weakest in the South or strongest in the North and West of Europe