Assessing the Delivery and Effectiveness of a New Immunisation Training Initiative at District Level in Zambia

Objectives: The objective of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the training initiative to identify the challenges of immunisation at the district level in Zambia. The secondary objective was to assess the immediate impact of the training on the perceived competence of trainees who attended the Mid Level Management (MLM) course on immunisation.Methods: A needs assessment of the EPI programme in Zambia was conducted. Participants were assessed on their ability, competence, knowledge and skills in areas such as understanding the Reach Every District (RED) strategy, vaccine management, cold chain management, and immunisation monitoring. Based on these assessments, 12 areas were identified as of particular relevance, and the World Health Organisation MLM course manual was adapted to reflect them. Two groups of 25 participants were assessed at two different time points with an interval of six months.Results: There was a significant increase (p<0.05) after training in the participants' perceived ability, competence, knowledge and skills in all the targeted areas except for understanding the RED strategy, capacity to supervise immunisation activities and immunisation coverage.Conclusion: The two training groups showed significant improvement after training in perceived ability, competence, knowledge and skills in most targeted areas. To sustain high immunisation coverage, there is an urgent need to improve supportive supervisory visits and to have more frequent and regular MLM immunisation training workshops

Associations of perceived neighbourhood safety from traffic and crime with overweight/ obesity among South African adults of low socioeconomic status

BACKGROUND The relationship between perceived neighbourhood safety from traffic and crime with overweight/ obesity can provide intervention modalities for obesity, yet no relevant study has been conducted in sub-Saharan African contexts. We investigated the association between perceived neighbourhood safety from traffic and crime with overweight/obesity among urban South African adults. METHODS This cross-sectional study included 354 adults aged ~35 years drawn from the Prospective Urban Rural Epidemiology (PURE) cohort study. The Neighborhood Walkability Scale- Africa (NEWS-A) was used to evaluate the perceived neighbourhood safety. Adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated to examine the associations between perceived neighborhood safety and overweight/obesity defined “normal weight” and “overweight/obese” using the 25 Kg/m2 cutoff criterion. RESULTS In the overall sample, adults who agreed that “the speed of traffic on most nearby roads in their neighborhood was usually slow” were less likely to be overweight/obese (adjusted OR = 0.42; 95%CI 0.23–0.76). Those who agreed that “there was too much crime in their neighborhood to go outside for walks or play during the day” were more likely to be overweight/ obese (OR = 2.41; 1.09–5.29). These associations were driven by significant associations in women, and no association in men, with significant statistical interactions. CONCLUSION Perceived neighborhood safety from traffic and crime was associated with overweight/obesity among South African adults. Our findings provide preliminary evidence on the need to secure safer environments for walkability. Future work should also consider perceptions of the neighbourhood related to food choice.IS

The relationship between objectively measured attributes of the built environment and selected cardiovascular risk factors in a South African urban setting

BACKGROUND: Evidence concerning the relationship between objectively-measured attributes of the built environment with cardio-metabolic risk in populations from lower- and middle-income countries is lacking. In this paper, we describe the association between the objectively-measured built environment with body mass index, blood pressure and physical activity in adult South Africans. METHODS: This cross-sectional study included 341 adults aged ≥35 years drawn from the Cape Town arm of the Prospective Urban Rural Epidemiology (PURE) cohort study. All Cape Town PURE participants were invited to take part in the study. Actigraph GT3X accelerometer and Geographic Information Systems were used to measure physical activity and built environment attributes (community center, shopping center and taxi rank). RESULTS: In age and sex adjusted models (reference 500 m), access to community centers (1000 m) was positively related to body mass index [beta 4.70 (95%CI: 2.06 to 7.34)] and diastolic blood pressure [4.97 (0.00 to 9.95)]. Distance from a community center (1600 m) was positively related to diastolic blood pressure [6.58 (1.57 to 11.58)] and inversely with moderate-to-vigorous physical activity [− 69.30 (− 134.92 to − 3.70)]. Distance to a shopping center (1600 m) was positively related to body mass index [4.78 (1.11 to 8.45)] and shopping center (1000 m) was positively related to systolic blood pressure respectively [76.99 (0.03 to 83.95)]. CONCLUSION: Distance to community and shopping centers were significantly associated with BMI, systolic, diastolic blood pressure and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity. Future research should include multiple aspects of built environment variables in order to provide for a broader understanding of their effect on cardiovascular risk profile of African populations

Association between perceived built environmental attributes and physical activity among adults in South Africa

Background: To investigate the association between perceived environmental attributes and leisure-time and transport-related physical activity. Methods: This was a cross-sectional survey involving 671 South Africans aged ?35 years from urban and rural settings. International Physical Activity Questionnaire and Neighbourhood Walkability Scale were used to collect data. Multivariable logistic regressions were used to investigate the associations. Results: Significant urban vs. rural differences were apparent in the distribution of most attributes of neighborhood environment. After adjusting for gender, age, setting and relevant interaction terms, proximity to local stores was significantly associated with leisure-time physical activity (OR: 4.26; 95% CI, 1.00-18.08); while proximity to transit stops (2.44; 1.48-4.02), pleasant scenery (1.93; 1.07-3.46), sidewalks (2.36; 1.25-4.44), shade from trees (2.14; 1.19-3.85), traffic (2.17; 91.21-3.91) and well-lit streets (2.01; 1.04-3.89) were significantly associated with walking for leisure. Four-way intersections (4.54; 1.54-13.43), pleasant scenery (3.84; 1.35-10.99), traffic (0.28; 0.09-0.89), sidewalks (3.75; 1.06-13.27) and crosswalks were associated with transport related physical activity. Proximity to transit stops (2.12; 1.17-3.84) and well maintained sidewalks (2.69; 2.20-10.02) were significantly associated with total physical activity. Significant interactions by setting were apparent in some of the associations. Conclusion: Some, but not all attributes of a neighborhood environment were significantly associated in expected directions with the three physical activity domains in this mixed urban and rural population. This study highlights the need for policy strategies aimed at improving or maintaining these perceived environmental attributes to promote physical activity.IS

Woody Plant Encroachment: Evaluating Methodologies for Semiarid Woody Species Classification from Drone Images

Globally, native semiarid grasslands and savannas have experienced a densification of woody plant species—leading to a multitude of environmental, economic, and cultural changes. These encroached areas are unique in that the diversity of tree species is small, but at the same time the individual species possess diverse phenological responses. The overall goal of this study was to evaluate the ability of very high resolution drone imagery to accurately map species of woody plants encroaching on semiarid grasslands. For a site in the Edwards Plateau ecoregion of central Texas, we used affordable, very high resolution drone imagery to which we applied maximum likelihood (ML), support vector machine (SVM), random forest (RF), and VGG-19 convolutional neural network (CNN) algorithms in combination with pixel-based (with and without post-processing) and object-based (small and large) classification methods. Based on test sample data (n = 1000) the VGG-19 CNN model achieved the highest overall accuracy (96.9%). SVM came in second with an average classification accuracy of 91.2% across all methods, followed by RF (89.7%) and ML (86.8%). Overall, our findings show that RGB drone sensors are indeed capable of providing highly accurate classifications of woody plant species in semiarid landscapes—comparable to and even greater in some regards to those achieved by aerial and drone imagery using hyperspectral sensors in more diverse landscapes

Woody Plant Encroachment: Evaluating Methodologies for Semiarid Woody Species Classification from Drone Images

Globally, native semiarid grasslands and savannas have experienced a densification of woody plant species—leading to a multitude of environmental, economic, and cultural changes. These encroached areas are unique in that the diversity of tree species is small, but at the same time the individual species possess diverse phenological responses. The overall goal of this study was to evaluate the ability of very high resolution drone imagery to accurately map species of woody plants encroaching on semiarid grasslands. For a site in the Edwards Plateau ecoregion of central Texas, we used affordable, very high resolution drone imagery to which we applied maximum likelihood (ML), support vector machine (SVM), random forest (RF), and VGG-19 convolutional neural network (CNN) algorithms in combination with pixel-based (with and without post-processing) and object-based (small and large) classification methods. Based on test sample data (n = 1000) the VGG-19 CNN model achieved the highest overall accuracy (96.9%). SVM came in second with an average classification accuracy of 91.2% across all methods, followed by RF (89.7%) and ML (86.8%). Overall, our findings show that RGB drone sensors are indeed capable of providing highly accurate classifications of woody plant species in semiarid landscapes—comparable to and even greater in some regards to those achieved by aerial and drone imagery using hyperspectral sensors in more diverse landscapes

Built Environment, Selected Risk Factors and Major Cardiovascular Disease Outcomes: A Systematic Review

<div><p>Introduction</p><p>Built environment attributes have been linked to cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. Therefore, identifying built environment attributes that are associated with CVD risk is relevant for facilitating effective public health interventions.</p><p>Objective</p><p>To conduct a systematic review of literature to examine the influence of built environmental attributes on CVD risks.</p><p>Data Source</p><p>Multiple database searches including Science direct, CINAHL, Masterfile Premier, EBSCO and manual scan of reference lists were conducted.</p><p>Inclusion Criteria</p><p>Studies published in English between 2005 and April 2015 were included if they assessed one or more of the neighborhood environmental attributes in relation with any major CVD outcomes and selected risk factors among adults.</p><p>Data Extraction</p><p>Author(s), country/city, sex, age, sample size, study design, tool used to measure neighborhood environment, exposure and outcome assessments and associations were extracted from eligible studies.</p><p>Results</p><p>Eighteen studies met the inclusion criteria. Most studies used both cross-sectional design and Geographic Information System (GIS) to assess the neighborhood environmental attributes. Neighborhood environmental attributes were significantly associated with CVD risk and CVD outcomes in the expected direction. Residential density, safety from traffic, recreation facilities, street connectivity and high walkable environment were associated with physical activity. High walkable environment, fast food restaurants, supermarket/grocery stores were associated with blood pressure, body mass index, diabetes mellitus and metabolic syndrome. High density traffic, road proximity and fast food restaurants were associated with CVDs outcomes.</p><p>Conclusion</p><p>This study confirms the relationship between neighborhood environment attributes and CVDs and risk factors. Prevention programs should account for neighborhood environmental attributes in the communities where people live.</p></div

Biological control of the cassava mealybug, Phenacoccus manihoti (Homoptera: Pseudococcidae), in Zambia

Surveys were carried out in Zambia twice yearly from 1986 to 1990, to assess the impact of a biological control campaign against the cassava mealybug (CM), Phenacoccus manihoti Mat.-Ferr., throughout the infested area. From 1984 onward, the exotic parasitoid Epidinocarsis lopezi (De Santis) (Hym., Encyrtidae) and some exotic coccinellid predators were released on 54 occasions along the spreading front of CM infestation. E. lopezi established in every release site, spread, and covered the entire infested area, but the exotic coccinellids did not establish. Between 1986 and 1990, CM populations declined on average 5.8 times. In a multiple regression analysis involving meteorological, agronomic, plant, and entomological variables, from a total of 4804 cassava fields, nine variables had a significant influence on the CM population density, which in turn was the main factor influencing tip damage scores. The duration of E. lopezi′s presence in an area was the most important factor: in the year the CM was recorded for the first time in a particular district, more than 20% of all cassava fields had an average of 10 or more CM/tip (a few having as many as 1000). This percentage was gradually reduced to 0% in Year 5. The condition of the plant, its age, rainfall, and water retention capacity of the soil were also important. Where CM populations were lower, damage by the cassava green mite, Mononychellus tanajoa (Bondar) (Acari, Tetranychidae), appeared more severe. The frequency of ants increased with the CM population density. In conclusion, biological control of the CM in Zambia was successful

Biological control of the cassava mealybug, Phenacoccus manihoti (Homoptera: Pseudococcidae), in Zambia

Surveys were carried out in Zambia twice yearly from 1986 to 1990, to assess the impact of a biological control campaign against the cassava mealybug (CM), Phenacoccus manihoti Mat.-Ferr., throughout the infested area. From 1984 onward, the exotic parasitoid Epidinocarsis lopezi (De Santis) (Hym., Encyrtidae) and some exotic coccinellid predators were released on 54 occasions along the spreading front of CM infestation. E. lopezi established in every release site, spread, and covered the entire infested area, but the exotic coccinellids did not establish. Between 1986 and 1990, CM populations declined on average 5.8 times. In a multiple regression analysis involving meteorological, agronomic, plant, and entomological variables, from a total of 4804 cassava fields, nine variables had a significant influence on the CM population density, which in turn was the main factor influencing tip damage scores. The duration of E. lopezi′s presence in an area was the most important factor: in the year the CM was recorded for the first time in a particular district, more than 20% of all cassava fields had an average of 10 or more CM/tip (a few having as many as 1000). This percentage was gradually reduced to 0% in Year 5. The condition of the plant, its age, rainfall, and water retention capacity of the soil were also important. Where CM populations were lower, damage by the cassava green mite, Mononychellus tanajoa (Bondar) (Acari, Tetranychidae), appeared more severe. The frequency of ants increased with the CM population density. In conclusion, biological control of the CM in Zambia was successful