87 research outputs found
Risks and risk mitigation in waste-work: A qualitative study of informal waste workers in Nepal
Objectives
To explore how informal waste workers (IWWs) working in Kathmandu Valley perceive risks associated with waste work and what they do to mitigate them.
Study design
Qualitative Study Design.
Methods
A mix of one-to-one semi-structured interviews (n â= â18) and focus group discussions (n â= â4) with IWWs were undertaken. Participants were recruited purposively using snowball sampling. All interviews and discussions were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, translated and subsequently analysed thematically.
Results
The IWWs perceived discrimination and health risks as the main risks associated with waste work. IWWs reported considerable stigma and discrimination not only from the wider society but also from family members and within their own profession. Similarly, the occupational risks most frequently recognized were physical injuries and cuts from working with waste. However, the potential risks from hazardous chemicals present in or generated from waste were not articulated by participants. Mitigation strategies to combat the risks included avoidance, greater care and the use of informal means of âprotectionâ. Awareness of the importance of personal protective equipment (PPE) was limited. The key barriers to the use of PPE identified included costs, the lack of easy availability of PPE and the inconvenience of working with PPE.
Conclusions
The vulnerability of informal waste workers in Nepal is multifaceted. A range of policy and regulatory measures, along with interventions that promote greater social inclusion and occupational support are needed to promote IWWâs health and safety
Upper bounds for the eigenvalues of Hessian equations
We prove some upper bounds for the Dirichlet eigenvalues of a class of fully
nonlinear elliptic equations, namely the Hessian equationsComment: 15 pages, 1 figur
Development and testing of an online community care platform for frail older adults in the Netherlands: a user-centred design
Background
Recent transitions in long-term care in the Netherlands have major consequences for community-dwelling older adults. A new paradigm expects them to manage and arrange their own care and support as much as possible. Technology can support this shift. A study has been conducted to explore the needs of community-dwelling frail older adults with regard to an online platform. An existing platform was subsequently modified, based upon these needs, resulting in an online community care platform (OCC-platform) comprising of care, health, and communication functions. The purpose of this platform was to support frail older adults in their independence and functioning, by stimulating self-care and providing reliable information, products and services.
Methods
The study used a User-Centred Design. The development processes involved the following steps: Step 1) Identification of the User Requirements. To assess the user requirements, direct observations (Nâ=â3) and interviews (Nâ=â14) were performed. Step 2) Modification of an Existing Online Platform. Based upon Step 1, available online platforms were explored to determine whether an existing useful product was available. Two companies collaborated in modifying such a platform; Step 3) Testing the Modified Platform. A total of 73 older adults were invited to test a prototype of the OCC-platform during 6 months, which comprised of two phases: (1) a training phase; and (2) a testing phase.
Results
An iterative process of modifications resulted in an interactive software concept on a Standard PC, containing 11 Functions. The Functions of âcontactsâ, âservicesâ and âmessagingâ, were by far, the most frequently used. The use was at its highest during the first 2 weeks of the testing and then its use steadily declined. The vast majority of the subjects (94%) were positive about the usability of the platform. Only a minority of the subjects (27%) indicated that the platform had added value for them.
Conclusion
The overall prospect was that an OCC-platform can contribute to the social participation and the self-management competencies of frail older adults, together with their social cohesion in the community. In order to validate these prospects, further research is needed on the characteristics and the impact of online platforms
Validation of the Spanish Version of the ICECAP-O for Nursing Home Residents with Dementia
Background Measurement of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) is important for a chronic disease, such as dementia, which impairs the quality of life of affected patients in addition to their length of life. This is important in the context of economic evaluations when interventions do not (only) affect HRQoL and these other factors also affect overall quality of life. Objective To validate the Spanish translation of the ICECAP-O's capability to measure Health-related quality of life in elderly with dementia who live in nursing homes. Method Cross-sectional study. For 217 residents living in 8 Spanish nursing homes, questionnaires were completed by nursing professionals serving as proxy respondents. We analyzed the internal consistency and other psychometric properties. We investigated the convergent validity of the ICECAP-O with other HRQoL instruments, the EQ-5D extended with a cognitive dimension (EQ-5D+C), the Alzheimer's Disease Related Quality of Life (ADRQL) measures, and the Barthel Index measure of activities of daily living (ADL). Results The ICECAP-O presents satisfactory internal consistency (alpha 0.820). The factorial analysis indicated a structure of five principal dimensions that explain 66.57% of the total variance. Convergent validity between the ICECAP-O, EQ-5D+C, ADRQL, and Barthel Index scores was moderate to good (with correlations of 0.62, 0.61, and 0.68, respectively), but differed between dimensions of the instruments. Discriminant validity was confirmed by finding differences in ICECAP-O scores between subgroups based on ADL scores (0.70 low, 0.59 medium, and 0.39 high level care), dementia severity (0.72 mild, 0.63 medium, and 0.50 severe), and ages (0.59 below 75 years and 0.84 above 75 years). Conclusions This study presented the first use of a Spanish version of the ICECAP-O. The results indicate that the ICECAP-O appears to be a reliable Health-related quality of life measurement instrument showing good convergent and discriminant validity for people with dementia
Globules and pillars in Cygnus X: III. <i>Herschel</i> and upGREAT/SOFIA far-infrared spectroscopy of the globule IRAS 20319+3958 in Cygnus X
IRAS 20319+3958 in Cygnus X South is a rare example of a free-floating globule (mass ~240 Mâ, length ~1.5 pc) with an internal HâŻII region created by the stellar feedback of embedded intermediate-mass stars, in particular, one Herbig Be star. In Schneider et al. 2012, (A&A, 542, L18) and Djupvik et al. 2017, (A&A, 599, A37), we proposed that the emission of the far-infrared (FIR) lines of [CâŻII] at 158 ÎŒm and [OâŻI] at 145 ÎŒm in the globule head are mostly due to an internal photodissociation region (PDR). Here, we present a Herschel/HIFI [CâŻII] 158 ÎŒm map of the whole globule and a large set of other FIR lines (mid-to high-J CO lines observed with Herschel/PACS and SPIRE, the [OâŻI] 63 ÎŒm line and the 12CO 16â15 line observed with upGREAT on SOFIA), covering the globule head and partly a position in the tail. The [CâŻII] map revealed that the whole globule is probably rotating. Highly collimated, high-velocity [CâŻII] emission is detected close to the Herbig Be star. We performed a PDR analysis using the KOSMA-Ï PDR code for one position in the head and one in the tail. The observed FIR lines in the head can be reproduced with a two-component model: an extended, non-clumpy outer PDR shell and a clumpy, dense, and thin inner PDR layer, representing the interface between the HâŻII region cavity and the external PDR. The modelled internal UV field of ~2500 G° is similar to what we obtained from the Herschel FIR fluxes, but lower than what we estimated from the census of the embedded stars. External illumination from the ~30 pc distant Cyg OB2 cluster, producing an UV field of ~150â600 G° as an upper limit, is responsible for most of the [CâŻII] emission. For the tail, we modelled the emission with a non-clumpy component, exposed to a UV-field of around 140 G°
An investigation of the construct validity of the ICECAP-A capability measure
Abstract
Purpose To investigate the construct validity of the
ICECAP-A capability wellbeing measure.
Methods A face-to-face interview-administered survey
was conducted with 418 members of the UK general
population, randomly sampled from the Postcode Address
File. Pre-specified hypotheses were developed about the
expected associations between individualsâ ICECAP-A
responses and their socio-economic circumstances, health
and freedom. The hypotheses were investigated using statistical
tests of association.
Results The ICECAP-A responses and scores reflected
differences across different health and socioeconomic
groups as anticipated, but did not distinguish individuals by
the level of local deprivation. Mean ICECAP-A scores
reflected individualsâ perceived freedom slightly more
closely than did measures of health and happiness.
Conclusion This study suggests that the ICECAP-A
measure can identify expected differences in capability
wellbeing in a general population sample. Further work
could establish whether self-reported capabilities exhibit
desirable validity and acceptability in sub-groups of the
population such as patients, social care recipients and
informal carers
Examining the construct and known-group validity of a composite endpoint for the Older Persons and Informal Caregivers Survey Minimum Data Set (TOPICS-MDS); A largescale data sharing initiative
Background Preference-weighted multi-faceted endpoints have the potential to facilitate comparative effectiveness research that incorporates patient preferences. The Older Persons and Informal Caregivers Survey Composite endpoint (TOPICS-CEP) is potentially a valuable outcome measure for evaluating interventions in geriatric care as it combines multiple outcomes relevant to older persons in a single metric. The objective of this study was to validate TOPICS-CEP across different study settings (general population, primary care and hospital). Methods Data were extracted from TOPICS Minimum Dataset (MDS), a pooled public-access national database with information on older persons throughout the Netherlands. Data of
Functional health state description and valuation by people aged 65 and over: a pilot study
The effects of a pro-active integrated care intervention for frail community-dwelling older people: a quasi-experimental study with the GP-practice as single entry point
- âŠ