Items on a Perceived Environment Tool are Grouped Differently in Low and High Income African American Women

Purpose: Prevalence of physical inactivity is greater in African American (AA) women than any other population sub group. The neighborhood environment is an important influence on physical activity, and accurate measurement of neighborhood perceptions is needed to determine the influence of neighborhood environment on physical activity. The purpose of this study was to investigate the stability of constructs represented by items from the International Prevalence Study (IPS) environmental module among high and low income AA women. Method: African American women (N=387) completed the IPS environmental module questionnaire which measured perception of neighborhood environment. A principle component analysis with varimax rotation was conducted using fifteen of seventeen items from the survey. Factor analysis was conducted separately for high and low income participants. Results: Four factors with eigenvalues ≥ 1.0 were extracted from the 15 item questionnaire for both groups. These four factors accounted for 56.6% of total variance in the high income group, and 53.1% of total variance in the low income group. The four factors for the high income group were Aesthetic Qualities and Social Environment, Neighborhood Safety, Neighborhood Infrastructure, and Destinations and Street Connectivity. The four factors for the low income group were Aesthetic Qualities and Social Environment, Neighborhood Safety, Opportunities to be active and Street Connectivity, and Public Transportation. Conclusion: The factors extracted for high and low income AA women may have been different due to dissimilarities in neighborhood infrastructure, design and quality. Inconsistent grouping of items into factors from the same instrument used to measure perceptions of neighborhood environment underscores the importance of accounting for differences in how high and low income residents perceive their neighborhood when considering physical activity interventions and policies

Fast Food and Supermarket Availability, Neighborhood Income and Health Outcomes in Public Housing Residents.

Purpose: The availability of fast food restaurants (FFRs) and supermarkets varies by neighborhood income level and may influence health outcomes such as body mass index (BMI) and blood pressure (BP). The purpose of this study was to determine whether neighborhood income moderates the association between fast food restaurant or supermarket availability and health outcomes in public housing residents. Method: Number of FFRs and supermarkets on every street segment in neighborhoods surrounding public housing developments (N=12) in Houston, Texas were counted, then aggregated at the neighborhood level. Residents (N=213) completed measures of BMI (kg/m2) and resting BP. Median household income at the census block level for each housing development was obtained from the 2006-2010 American Community Survey. Linear regression models determined whether availability of fast food restaurants and supermarkets predicts BMI or BP after controlling for age and gender, and if neighborhood income moderated these associations. Results: Participants were middle aged (M=43.5±17.1 years) females (n=138) and males (n=75). BP did not differ by gender (M=121.5/74.0±17.5/12.8 mmHg), females were on average obese (MBMI=33.0±8.7kg/ m2) and males were overweight (MBMI=33.0±8.7kg/ m2). Neighborhood income ranged from $9,226 to$57,618. There were (M=.003±.03) FFRs per neighborhood and (M=.001±.008) supermarkets per neighborhood. Bivariate correlations found that neighborhood income was associated with fast food restaurant (r=.205, p.05). Income did not moderate these associations (p\u3e.05). Conclusions: BP changes with age, and BMI varies by gender. After controlling for these variables, fast food restaurant and supermarket availability did not predict BMI or BP in public housing residents, and neighborhood income did not affect the direction of these associations. Actual consumption of the foods sold at these places may have a more direct relationship with health outcomes. Limited variability in the number of FFRs and supermarkets in each neighborhood may have diminished our ability to detect an effect of these neighborhood factors on BMI and BP

Drawing the Line: How African, Caribbean and White British Women Live Out Psychologically Abusive Experiences

The final, definitive version of this paper has been published in Violence Against Women, 19 (9):1104-32, Sept 2013 by SAGE Publications Ltd, All rights reserved. © The Author(s) 2013. The online version of this article can be found at: http://vaw.sagepub.com/content/19/9/110

Using the PARA to Evaluate Physical Activity Resource Attributes in Houston and Austin, TX

Many adults do not achieve recommended levels of physical activity (PA), and ecologic models suggest that environmental factors such as physical activity resources (PARs) may influence PA participation. Attributes of PARs, such as accessibility, features, amenities and incivilities, are related to PA. The Physical Activity Resource Assessment (PARA) is an environmental audit tool to assess the type, size, accessibility, incivilities, amenities and features of a PAR. Using the PARA to explore how incivilities and quality of features and amenities differ by location, size or accessibility is an essential step in understanding which attributes influence PA. The purpose of this study was to compare the type, size, accessibility, incivilities and quality of features and amenities of PARs in Houston and Austin, TX and examine the differences in incivilities and quality of features and amenities of PARs by city, type, and accessibility of the resource. Using the PARA, PARs were counted and assessed in Houston (N=1322) and Austin (N=297) and categorized by type, size, and cost (a measure of accessibility). The quality of PAR features and amenities were rated (0=none, 1=poor, 2=mediocre, and 3=good); incivilities were rated using an operational classification (0=none, 1=some, 2=medium, 3=excessive). T-tests for city and ANOVAs for type, size and accessibility were used to determine group differences in features, amenities and incivilities. The most common type of resource found in Houston and Austin were schools (Houston n=453; Austin n=88), followed by parks (Houston n=386; Austin n=87). The quality of features per resource was not significantly different between Houston and Austin. The quality of amenities per resource was greater in Houston compared to Austin (t(473)=4.183, p\u3c.001); incivilities were greater in Austin compared to Houston (t(385)=-6.909, p\u3c.001). Significant differences were found in the quality of features (F(8,1589)=27.95, p\u3c.001), amenities (F(8,1587)=52.14, p\u3c.001) and incivilities (F(8,1587)=14.24, p\u3c.001) between types of physical activity resources. Combination resources had the best features, fitness clubs had the best amenities, and trails had the greatest number of incivilities. Free PARs had better features (F(3,566)=18.481, p\u3c.001) and better amenities than less accessible PARs (F(3,1565)=3.754, p=.011). However, free PARs had for a higher number of incivilities than pay-for-use PARs (F(3,1566)=23.720, p\u3c.001). Quality of PARs differed by location, type, and accessibility of the resource. Findings from this study can inform improvement of PARs to increase PA among adults. Future studies should examine the influence of type, accessibility, location, size, and quality of features, amenities and incivilities on PA

Physicochemical and Bacteriological Characterization of Surface and Stored Groundwaters in Natitingou, Benin Republic

Surface and groundwater collected in the municipality of Natitingou constitute a potential infectious risk for human health and the environment due to the pathogenic bacteria and Chlorella vulgaris they contain after conservation in tanks. In this study, surface and groundwater samples were collected and analyzed according. The results of the physicochemical and bacteriological characterization of these water samples revealed average values of pH (4.35 to 6.98), of turbidity (0.65 to 169.97 NTU), nitrites (0.15 to 5.40 mg/L), nitrates (0.55 to 114.34 mg/L), ammonium (0.05 to 0.60 mg/L) and significant faecal contamination by total coliforms, coliforms faecal and enterococci. The analysis results also reveal the presence of Chlorella vulgaris in both surface water and groundwater conserved. Chlorella vulgaris shows a positive correlation with nitrates, nitrites and ammonium and a negative correlation with phosphates, total coliforms, faecal coliforms, enterococci and the proliferation of Chlorella vulgaris in surface water and groundwater. The consumption of this water without any treatment could expose populations to waterborne diseases

Interviewer: 'Are women and girls ever responsible for the domestic violence they encounter?' Student: 'No, well, unless they did something really, really bad …'

Research shows the ‘gendered nature’ of domestic violence, with Women’s Aid (a UK-based charity) estimating that 1 in 4 women are affected (2014). This paper reports on a project - funded by Comic Relief, completed by Nottinghamshire Domestic Violence Forum (now known as Equation) and evaluated by Nottingham Trent University. The project adopts a Whole School Approach in seeking to prevent domestic violence. Students at three secondary schools attended between one and five blocks of work, and special events. There is evidence of positive developments - with young people showing understanding of domestic violence as well as the margins between healthy and unhealthy relationships. However, not all students could reply ‘never’ to the question of ‘are women and girls to blame for the domestic violence they experience?’, remarking that if the woman had done something ‘really, really bad’ then violence might be justified. We argue that young people’s uncertainties need to be situated within the gender-unequal socio-contexts of contemporary society, and further call for a WSA to domestic violence prevention to be a compulsory part of the UK national curriculum

‘Because it’s our culture!’ (Re)negotiating the meaning of lobola in Southern African secondary schools

Payment of bridewealth or lobola is a significant element of marriage among the Basotho of Lesotho and the Shona of Zimbabwe. However, the functions and meanings attached to the practice are constantly changing. In order to gauge the interpretations attached to lobola by young people today, this paper analyses a series of focus group discussions conducted among senior students at two rural secondary schools. It compares the interpretations attached by the students to the practice of lobola with academic interpretations (both historical and contemporary). Among young people the meanings and functions of lobola are hotly contested, but differ markedly from those set out in the academic literature. While many students see lobola as a valued part of ‘African culture’, most also view it as a financial transaction which necessarily disadvantages women. The paper then seeks to explain the young people’s interpretations by reference to discourses of ‘equal rights’ and ‘culture’ prevalent in secondary schools. Young people make use of these discourses in (re)negotiating the meaning of lobola, but the limitations of the discourses restrict the interpretations of lobola available to them

Social Work with Children Affected by Domestic Violence: An Analysis of Policy and Practice Implications

The past decade has seen an increasing awareness of the emotional harm to children that can ensue from exposure to domestic violence. This article develops a framework for understanding social work responses, using an analysis of recent developments in British policy as an example. It is argued that to understand what these developments mean in practice we need to develop our analysis of the value perspectives underpinning them. Issues facing those charged with implementing these sometimes ambiguous policy and practice changes are discussed in three levels of intervention: the macro, the intermediate, and the 'street-level.' The article concludes by calling for closer collaboration between policy makers, practitioners and service users in the co-production of policy

Penicillin susceptibility among invasive MSSA infections: a multicentre study in 16 Spanish hospitals

Objectives: To determine the prevalence of penicillin susceptibility among MSSA causing bloodstream infections (BSIs) in 16 Spanish hospitals and to characterize the penicillin-susceptible MSSA (MSSA-PENS) isolates. Methods: A total of 1011 Staphylococcus aureus isolates were collected from blood cultures in 16 Spanish hospitals during 2018–19 (6–12 months) and their susceptibility to 18 antimicrobials was determined. The MSSA-PENS isolates were selected and examined by PCR to determine the presence of the blaZ gene, other resistance genes and the genes lukF/lukS-PV, eta, etb and tst. The immune evasion cluster (IEC) type was also analysed. All the MSSA-PENS isolates were submitted to S. aureus protein A (spa) typing and the clonal complexes (CCs) were assigned according to their spa type. Results: The prevalence of MSSA was 74.6% (754/1011) and 14.9% (151/1011) were MSSA-PENS-blaZnegative. MSSA-PENS-blaZnegative isolates (n = 151) were ascribed to 88 spa types and 11 CCs. The most frequent CCs were CC5 (35/151) and CC398 (25/151), with t002-CC5 and t571-CC398 being the most common lineages. Pan-susceptibility was identified in 117 of the 151 MSSA-PENS-blaZnegative isolates (77.5%). In the remaining isolates, erythromycin and clindamycin resistance was the most frequent resistance found, although tobramycin, ciprofloxacin, fusidic acid, mupirocin and/or tetracycline resistance was also detected. Thirty-eight MSSA-PENS-blaZnegative isolates were IEC negative and four isolates were Panton–Valentine leucocidin (‘PVL’) positive. Conclusions: A high penicillin susceptibility rate was detected among MSSA, opening therapeutic opportunities for BSIs. The emergence of new successful MSSA-PENS clones could be responsible for these data. The detection among MSSA-PENS-blaZnegative isolates of the clonal lineage CC398 or the absence of an IEC raises questions about their possible animal origin, requiring further analysis