Degree of disability among female healthcare workers who are overweight or obese

Background: The prevalence of overweight and obesity is increasing worldwide. Research has clarified that being overweight or obese can lead to disability in everyday life. Aim: The present study explores the association between the degrees of experienced disability in Danish female healthcare workers with a Body Mass Index (BMI) classified as being overweight or obese, compared to female healthcare workers classified as being normal weight. Material and methods: 67 females with a mean age of 49.5 years and a mean BMI of 27.5 kg/m2 completed a questionnaire exploring the degree of experienced disability in their everyday lives. Results: The degree of disability in the following activities were significantly higher among females who were obese compared to females who were normal weight; Walking up/down two or more staircases, Pedicure, Dressing the lower body and Exercising outside the home. No statistical differences were found between the females that were overweight and the females that were normal weight. Conclusion: Female healthcare workers who are obese experience a higher degree of disability, than females with a normal weight. Offering an occupational therapy intervention to reduce disability and facilitate participation in everyday life could be relevant

Biodegradation of the herbicide mecoprop-p with soil depth and its relationship with class III tfdA genes

Mecoprop-p [(R)-2-(4-chloro-2-methylphenoxy) propanoic acid) is widely used 37 in agriculture and poses an environmental concern because of its susceptibility to leach 38 from soil to water. We investigated the effect of soil depth on mecoprop-p 39 biodegradation and its relationship with the number and diversity of tfdA related genes, 40 which are the most widely known genes involved in degradation of the 41 phenoxyalkanoic acid group of herbicides by bacteria. Mecoprop-p half-life (DT50) was 42 approximately 12 days in soil sampled from <30 cm depth, and increased progressively 43 with soil depth, reaching over 84 days at 70-80 cm. In sub-soil there was a lag period of 44 between 23 and 34 days prior to a phase of rapid degradation. No lag phase occurred in 45 top-soil samples prior to the onset of degradation. The maximum degradation rate was 46 the same in top-soil and sub-soil samples. Although diverse tfdAα and tfdA genes were 47 present prior to mecoprop-p degradation, real time PCR revealed that degradation was 48 associated with proliferation of tfdA genes. The number of tfdA genes and the most 49 probable number of mecoprop-p degrading organisms in soil prior to mecoprop-p 50 addition were below the limit of quantification and detection respectively. Melting 51 curves from the real time PCR analysis showed that prior to mecoprop-p degradation 52 both class I and class III tfdA genes were present in top- and sub-soil samples. However 53 at all soil depths only tfdA class III genes proliferated during degradation. Denaturing 54 gradient gel electrophoresis confirmed that class III tfdA genes were associated with 55 mecoprop-p degradation. Degradation was not associated with the induction of novel 56 tfdA genes in top- or sub-soil samples, and there were no apparent differences in tfdA 57 gene diversity with soil depth prior to or following degradation

Wishes of people with obesity to physical activity - a qualitative systematic review

PurposeThe prevalence of people with obesity (Body Mass Index&gt;30) are still rapidly increasing and 1 billion people are now suffering from obesity worldwide. This entails major health challenges for both the individuals and our society, primarily because of increased costs. It is known that physical activity is an effective method to increase health also for people with obesity. But it is also known that people with obesity find it difficult to maintain an increased level of physical activity. The purpose was therefore to identify how physical activity must be planned and organized - also regarding form and content, so it includes the wishes and needs from people with obesity so they can increase and maintain their level of physical activity.Materials and methodsA qualitative systematic review was registered in the PROSPERO and was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. A systematic literature search was carried out in the databases PubMed, CINAHL, MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsykINFO, and Cochrane. The data synthesis was conducted according to Thomas and Harden’s thematic analysis.ResultsThe search resulted in 14260 articles after removal of duplicates. Ten articles representing ten different studies were included in the thematic analysis. The articles investigated various phenomena of interest and had been carried out in different countries and cultures. Based on the thematic analysis, two primary themes and seven subthemes emerged.ConclusionsThis qualitative systematic review identified ten articles. The studies covered different aspects and perspectives of people with obesity on how to engage in physical activity. The studies are adding knowledge on how to plan and organize the form and the content of physical activity. These perspectives were synthesised into the two primary themes coping and environment and the seven subthemes health, knowledge and skills, adaptation to everyday life, self-perception and motivation, culture and family support, peers and social aspects, and settings.Funding SourceNo funding source paid for the study except the research units where the two researchers are affiliated