Is multidirectional UV exposure responsible for increasing melanoma prevalence with altitude? A hypothesis based on calculations with a 3D-human exposure model

In a recent study, melanoma incidence rates for Austrian inhabitants living at higher altitudes were found to increase by as much as 30% per 100 m altitude. This strong increase cannot simply be explained by the known increase of erythemally-weighted irradiance with altitude, which ranges between 0.5% and 4% per 100 m. We assume that the discrepancy is partially explainable by upwelling UV radiation; e.g., reflected by snow-covered surfaces. Therefore, we present an approach where the human UV exposure is derived by integrating incident radiation over the 3D geometry of a human body, which enables us to take upwelling radiation into account. Calculating upwelling and downwelling radiance with a radiative transfer model for a snow-free valley and for snow-covered mountain terrain (with albedo of 0.6) yields an increase in UV exposure by 10% per 100 m altitude. The results imply that upwelling radiation plays a significant role in the increase of melanoma incidence with altitude.Austrian Climate Research Program (ACRP

A comprehensive health effects assessment of the use of sanitizers and disinfectants during COVID-19 pandemic: a global survey

COVID-19 has affected all aspects of human life so far. From the outset of the pandemic, preventing the spread of COVID-19 through the observance of health protocols, especially the use of sanitizers and disinfectants was given more attention. Despite the effectiveness of disinfection chemicals in controlling and preventing COVID-19, there are critical concerns about their adverse effects on human health. This study aims to assess the health effects of sanitizers and disinfectants on a global scale. A total of 91,056 participants from 154 countries participated in this cross-sectional study. Information on the use of sanitizers and disinfectants and health was collected using an electronic questionnaire, which was translated into 26 languages via web-based platforms. The findings of this study suggest that detergents, alcohol-based substances, and chlorinated compounds emerged as the most prevalent chemical agents compared to other sanitizers and disinfectants examined. Most frequently reported health issues include skin effects and respiratory effects. The Chi-square test showed a significant association between chlorinated compounds (sodium hypochlorite and per-chlorine) with all possible health effects under investigation (p-value <0.001). Examination of risk factors based on multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that alcohols and alcohols-based materials were associated with skin effects (OR, 1.98; 95%CI, 1.87-2.09), per-chlorine was associated with eye effects (OR, 1.83; 95%CI, 1.74-1.93), and highly likely with itching and throat irritation (OR, 2.00; 95%CI, 1.90-2.11). Furthermore, formaldehyde was associated with a higher prevalence of neurological effects (OR, 2.17; 95%CI, 1.92-2.44). Furthermore, formaldehyde was associated with a higher prevalence of neurological effects (OR, 2.17; 95%CI, 1.92-2.44). The use of sodium hypochlorite and per-chlorine also had a high chance of having respiratory effects. The findings of the current study suggest that health authorities need to implement more awareness programs about the side effects of using sanitizers and disinfectants during viral epidemics especially when they are used or overused

A comprehensive health effects assessment of the use of sanitizers and disinfectants during COVID-19 pandemic: a global survey

COVID-19 has affected all aspects of human life so far. From the outset of the pandemic, preventing the spread of COVID-19 through the observance of health protocols, especially the use of sanitizers and disinfectants was given more attention. Despite the effectiveness of disinfection chemicals in controlling and preventing COVID-19, there are critical concerns about their adverse effects on human health. This study aims to assess the health effects of sanitizers and disinfectants on a global scale. A total of 91,056 participants from 154 countries participated in this cross-sectional study. Information on the use of sanitizers and disinfectants and health was collected using an electronic questionnaire, which was translated into 26 languages via web-based platforms. The findings of this study suggest that detergents, alcohol-based substances, and chlorinated compounds emerged as the most prevalent chemical agents compared to other sanitizers and disinfectants examined. Most frequently reported health issues include skin effects and respiratory effects. The Chi-square test showed a significant association between chlorinated compounds (sodium hypochlorite and per-chlorine) with all possible health effects under investigation (p-value \u3c0.001). Examination of risk factors based on multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that alcohols and alcohols-based materials were associated with skin effects (OR, 1.98; 95%CI, 1.87–2.09), per-chlorine was associated with eye effects (OR, 1.83; 95%CI, 1.74–1.93), and highly likely with itching and throat irritation (OR, 2.00; 95%CI, 1.90–2.11). Furthermore, formaldehyde was associated with a higher prevalence of neurological effects (OR, 2.17; 95%CI, 1.92–2.44). Furthermore, formaldehyde was associated with a higher prevalence of neurological effects (OR, 2.17; 95%CI, 1.92–2.44). The use of sodium hypochlorite and per-chlorine also had a high chance of having respiratory effects. The findings of the current study suggest that health authorities need to implement more awareness programs about the side effects of using sanitizers and disinfectants during viral epidemics especially when they are used or overused

Sunbed Use Prevalence and Associated Skin Health Habits: Results of a Representative, Population-Based Survey among Austrian Residents

Recreational sunbed use accounts for the main non-solar source of exposure to ultraviolet radiation in fair-skinned Western populations. Indoor tanning is associated with increased risks for acute and chronic dermatological diseases. The current community-based study assessed the one-year prevalence of sunbed use and associated skin health habits among a representative, gender-balanced sample of 1500 Austrian citizens. Overall one-year prevalence of sunbed use was 8.9% (95% confidence interval (CI) 7.5%–10.4%), with slightly higher prevalence in females (9.2%, 95% CI 7.3%–11.2%) compared to males (8.6%, 95% CI 6.7%–10.6%). Factors predicting sunbed use were younger age (by trend decreasing with older age), place of living, smoking, skin type (by trend increasing with darker skin), sun exposure, motives to tan, and use of UV-free tanning products. Despite media campaigns on the harmful effects of excessive sunlight and sunbed exposure, we found a high prevalence of self-reported sunbed use among Austrian citizens. From a Public (Skin) Health perspective, the current research extends the understanding of prevailing leisure time skin health habits in adding data on prevalence of sunbed use in the general Austrian population

Green Perspectives for Public Health: A Narrative Review on the Physiological Effects of Experiencing Outdoor Nature

Natural environments offer a high potential for human well-being, restoration and stress recovery in terms of allostatic load. A growing body of literature is investigating psychological and physiological health benefits of contact with Nature. So far, a synthesis of physiological health outcomes of direct outdoor nature experiences and its potential for improving Public Health is missing. We were interested in summarizing the outcomes of studies that investigated physiological outcomes of experiencing Nature measuring at least one physiological parameter during the last two decades. Studies on effects of indoor or simulated Nature exposure via videos or photos, animal contact, and wood as building material were excluded from further analysis. As an online literature research delivered heterogeneous data inappropriate for quantitative synthesis approaches, we descriptively summarized and narratively synthesized studies. The procedure started with 1,187 titles. Research articles in English language published in international peer-reviewed journals that investigated the effects of natural outdoor environments on humans by were included. We identified 17 relevant articles reporting on effects of Nature by measuring 20 different physiological parameters. We assigned these parameters to one of the four body systems brain activity, cardiovascular system, endocrine system, and immune function. These studies reported mainly direct and positive effects, however, our analyses revealed heterogeneous outcomes regarding significance of results. Most of the studies were conducted in Japan, based on quite small samples, predominantly with male students as participants in a cross-sectional design. In general, our narrative review provided an ambiguous illustration of the effects outdoor nature exerted on physiological parameters. However, the majority of studies reported significant positive effects. A harmonizing effect of Nature, especially on physiological stress reactions, was found across all body systems. From a Public Health perspective, interdisciplinary work on utilizing benefits of Nature regarding health promotion, disease prevention, and nature-based therapy should be optimized in order to eventually diminish given methodological limitations from mono-disciplinary studies

Artificial Intelligence and Ten Societal Megatrends: An Exploratory Study Using GPT-3

This paper examines the potential of artificial intelligence (AI) to address societal megatrends, with a specific focus on OpenAI&rsquo;s Generative Pre-Trained Transformer 3 (GPT-3). To do this, we conducted an analysis using GPT-3 in order to explore the benefits of AI for digitalization, urbanization, globalization, climate change, automation and mobility, global health issues, and the aging population. We also looked at emerging markets as well as sustainability in this study. Interaction with GPT-3 was conducted solely through prompt questions, and generated responses were analyzed. Our results indicate that AI can significantly improve our understanding of these megatrends by providing insights into how they develop over time and which solutions could be implemented. Further research is needed to determine how effective AI will be in addressing them successfully, but initial findings are encouraging. Our discussion focuses on the implications of our findings for society going forward and suggests that further investigation should be conducted into how best to utilize new technologies such as GPT-3 when tackling these challenges. Lastly, we conclude that, while there is still much work left to do before any tangible effects can be seen from utilizing AI tools such as GPT-3 on societal megatrends, early indications suggest it may have a positive impact if used correctly

Shedding light on public (skin) health : an empirical investigation of recreational sun exposure habits in Austria

Wie in anderen Ländern mit vorwiegend hellhäutiger Bevölkerung weltweit steigen auch in Österreich die Inzidenz- und Mortalitätsraten des Melanoms, mit höheren Raten für Männer. Unter den zahlreichen genetischen und phänotypischen Risikofaktoren für das Melanom und andere Hautkrebsarten ist die Exposition mit ultravioletter (UV) Strahlung der Hauptrisikofaktor aufgrund ihrer direkter mutagenen Wirkung. Daher erhöht Lebensstil-assoziierte Exposition mit natürlicher und künstlicher UV-Strahlung das Lebenszeitrisiko für die Entstehung eines Melanoms. In Österreich mangelte es bisher an empirischer Forschung auf dem Gebiet der Hautgesundheitsförderung und Hautkrebsvorsorge. Um die klassische dermatologische Pathogenese- und Risikoperspektive von Hautkrebs zu erweitern und die wissenschaftlichen Erforschung der einschlägigen nationalen Trends und Meinungen zu bezeichnen, haben wir das Konzept Public (Skin) Health erarbeitet. Die vorliegende Doktorarbeit zu Hautgesundheit untersucht die genderspezifischen, hautgesundheitsrelevanten Gewohnheiten, die Relevanz von Informationsmaterialien, sowie die Häufigkeit von Sonnenexposition und Solariumbesuchen in Österreich. Für die bevölkerungsbezogene UVSkinRisk-Telefonumfrage haben wir 1500 Erwachsenen (50.5% Frauen, mittleres Alter 33.0 Jahre), repräsentativ für die sozio-demographische Verteilung in der Österreichischen Bevölkerung, mittels eines strukturierten Fragenbogens interviewt. Die ProbandInnen gaben recht häufig Sonnenlichtexposition mit unzureichendem Schutz und Solariumbesuche an. Im Vergleich zu Frauen schützten sich Männer weniger vor der Sonne und wussten weniger Bescheid über Sonnenschutz. Printmedien und TV waren die am häufigsten genannten relevanten Quellen für Informationen zu Hautgesundheit, wobei aber das Wissen zu und das Verhalten in Bezug auf Sonnenschutz bei denjenigen ProbandInnen, die von ÄrztInnen informiert wurden, höher ausgeprägt war. Diese Ergebnisse zeigen Mängel in der Primärprävention von Hautkrebs auf, trotz öffentlicher Informationskampagnen zu den schädlichen Auswirkungen von Sonnenexposition. Personalisierte Public (Skin) Health-Information könnte der Schlüssel sein zur Vorbeugung von mittel- und langfristigen Sonnenlicht-induzierten Hautschäden. Geschlecht ist eine zentrale Determinante für Gesundheit und Krankheit. Daraus leitet sich das Erfordernis der vielfach noch unzureichenden Integration der Gender-Dimension und eines gendersensiblen Vorgehens in Public Health und in der Präventivmedizin ab. Bereitstellung von öffentlichen Geldern für die proaktive Beratung im ärztlichen Gespräch könnten das Wissen und das Verhalten der Bevölkerung nachhaltig erhöhen und damit den Anstieg der Hautkrebsfälle eindämmen.As in other light-skinned populations, skin cancer incidence and mortality figures in Austria are constantly rising - with higher rates among male residents. Among other genetic and phenotypic risk factors, exposure to natural and artificial ultraviolet radiation (UVR) is the main causative factor for skin cancer such as malign melanoma. Thus, lifetime risk for malign melanoma is enlarged by recreational UVR exposure. Nevertheless, research in the vital Public Health domains skin health promotion and skin cancer prevention is rare in Austria. In order to complement the classical dermatological perspective for pathogenesis of photo-induced skin diseases, the umbrella term Public (Skin) Health describes the scientific evaluation of the respective national trends and perceptions. The present doctoral thesis aimed at exploring gender-specific skin health habits, perceived relevance of educative skin health information, and prevalence of sun exposure as well as sunbed use in Austria. We conducted the population-based UVSkinRisk telephone survey using a structured questionnaire among 1500 adults (50.5% females, mean age 33.0 years), representing the Austrian population by socio-demographic characteristics. We found quite high prevalences of self-reported sunlight exposure and sunbed use. Males were less likely to know or follow sun safe measures compared to females. Participants perceived that print media and television were the two most significant skin health information sources. Being informed by a doctor enlarged both their skin health knowledge and sun-protective activities. These results suggest imperfections in primary prevention of skin cancer, despite public campaigns regularly educate on the mid- and long-term skin health threats of unprotected ultraviolet radiation exposure. Along with this, personalized Public (Skin) Health messages that specifically target risk groups might be powerful means to sustainably curb the rise in photo-induced skin damage. As gender is a central determinate of health and disease, there is a need to integrate the so far neglected gender dimension in further Public (Skin) Health interventions. To empower sunbathers and foster national skin health education, incentives could motivate health professionals to pro-actively integrate skin health advices in every-day doctor-patient communication.submitted by Daniela HaluzaZusammenfassung in deutscher SpracheMedizinische Universität Wien, Dissertation, 2017OeBB(VLID)226788

Perceived Relevance of Educative Information on Public (Skin) Health: Results of a Representative, Population-Based Telephone Survey

Individual skin health attitudes are influenced by various factors, including public education campaigns, mass media, family, and friends. Evidence-based, educative information materials assist communication and decision-making in doctor-patient interactions. The present study aims at assessing the prevailing use of skin health information material and sources and their impact on skin health knowledge, motives to tan, and sun protection. We conducted a questionnaire survey among a representative sample of Austrian residents. Print media and television were perceived as the two most relevant sources for skin health information, whereas the source physician was ranked third. Picking the information source physician increased participants’ skin health knowledge (p = 0.025) and sun-protective behavior (p &lt; 0.001). The study results highlight the demand for targeted health messages to attain lifestyle changes towards photo-protective habits. Providing resources that encourage pro-active counseling in every-day doctor-patient communication could increase skin health knowledge and sun-protective behavior, and thus, curb the rise in skin cancer incidence rates

Mobile and Online Health Information: Exploring Digital Media Use among Austrian Parents

In today&rsquo;s digitalized world, most parents are Internet-savvy and use online sources for child health information, mainly due to the 24/7 availability of advice. However, parents are often not specifically trained to identify reliable, evidence-based sources of information. In this cross-sectional online survey among a purposive, non-probabilistic sample of Austrian parents (n = 90, 81.1% females), we assessed aspects of health app use and family policy benefits-related and scenario-based Internet seeking behavior. We found that the surveyed parents showed a high health app use. The participants indicated that they prefer online information seeking to any other option in a scenario describing that their child would be sick at after-work hours, with social media channels being the least preferred source of online information. Mothers and younger parents were more likely to retrieve online information on family policy benefits. With the smartphone in everybody&rsquo;s pocket, parents seemed to rely on mobile and online content when searching for child health information. Pediatricians are best suited to decide what treatment fits the child or their current medical condition, but nowadays they face increasing numbers of pre-informed parents seeking health information online. Provision of targeted parental education and guidance through the online information jungle could effectively empower parents and smooth personal and digital contacts in the delicate doctor&ndash;parent&ndash;child triangle