Linked hydrologic and social systems that support resilience of traditional irrigation communities

Southwestern US irrigated landscapes are facing upheaval due to water scarcity and land use conversion associated with climate change, population growth, and changing economics. In the traditionally irrigated valleys of northern New Mexico, these stresses, as well as instances of community longevity in the face of these stresses, are apparent. Human systems have interacted with hydrologic processes over the last 400 years in river-fed irrigated valleys to create linked systems. In this study, we ask if concurrent data from multiple disciplines could show that human-adapted hydrologic and socioeconomic systems have created conditions for resilience. Various types of resiliencies are evident in the communities. Traditional local knowledge about the hydrosocial cycle of community water management and ability to adopt new water management practices is a key response to disturbances such as low water supply from drought. Livestock producers have retained their irrigated land by adapting: changing from sheep to cattle and securing income from outside their livestock operations. Labor-intensive crops decreased as off-farm employment opportunities became available. Hydrologic resilience of the system can be affected by both human and natural elements. We find, for example, that there are multiple hydrologic benefits of traditional irrigation system water seepage: it recharges the groundwater that recharges rivers, supports threatened biodiversity by maintaining riparian vegetation, and ameliorates impacts of climate change by prolonging streamflow hydrographs. Human decisions to transfer water out of agriculture or change irrigation management, as well as natural changes such as long-term drought or climate change, can result in reduced seepage and the benefits it provides. We have worked with the communities to translate the multidisciplinary dimensions of these systems into a common language of causal loop diagrams, which form the basis for modeling future scenarios to identify thresholds and tipping points of sustainability. Early indications are that these systems, though not immune to upheaval, have astonishing resilience.This is the publisher’s final pdf. The published article is copyrighted by the author(s) and published by Copernicus Publications on behalf of the European Geosciences Union. The published article can be found at: http://www.hydrology-and-earth-system-sciences.net/home.html

Obstacles to community health promotion

The health transition ushered into the world in this century calls for a reorientation of traditional health services to manage the new causes of morbidity and mortality, renewing interest in disease prevention and health promotion. Community-based health promotion emphasizes prevention and community participation with people's empowerment to overturn current inequities and increase control over their health. Encouraged worldwide by the World Health Organization for the last two decades, some community health promotion programs have been implemented and lessons learned. However, the shift in focus required means nothing less than a paradigm change demanding not only a reorientation of professional training, but also a reorganization of social structures in communities. This article discusses nine of the interrelated obstacles that must be overcome to further develop community health promotion.community health health care health promotion prevention

The public health challenge of dengue fever in Papua New Guinea

Dengue Fever (DF) is a mosquito-borne disease of public health concern in both tropical and subtropical countries, especially influenced by rainfall, temperature and unplanned rapid urbanization [1]. World Health Organization (WHO) member states have reported on average 2.4 million cases of DF annually over the past 5 years [1]. Even with these figures, other data suggests the number of dengue infections could be as high as 390 million annually, of which up to 96 million show clinical manifestation[1]. Global reporting has therefore not been good, and Papua New Guinea (PNG) is one of the countries that have not yet reported national DF surveillance data. DF does not feature among the leading burden of diseases reported in PNG’s National Health Plan 2011-2020, and it is not clear whether lack of reliable reporting was the reason. In 2015, DF was reported as being only rarely diagnosed and possibly having a low index of clinical suspicion in PNG. That same report further stated that dengue haemorrhagic fever (DHF) has not been reported in PNG for over a decade [2]. Three reports of the DF situation in the Western Pacific region from 2010 to 2012 state that there was no DF-specific surveillance in PNG [3-5]. However, DF's presence was verified from case importation to Queensland for which surveillance in Queensland is actively conducted [6]. DF surveillance in PNG is challenged by geographical isolation of its remote, mountainous, coastal, and island sparsely distributed and diverse rural communities [7]. This situation limits access, provision and coverage of health services. These challenges only add to those posed by DF itself, resulting in a paucity of information about its presence in PNG

The public health challenge of dengue fever in Papua New Guinea

Dengue Fever (DF) is a mosquito-borne disease of public health concern in both tropical and subtropical countries, especially influenced by rainfall, temperature and unplanned rapid urbanization [1]. World Health Organization (WHO) member states have reported on average 2.4 million cases of DF annually over the past 5 years [1]. Even with these figures, other data suggests the number of dengue infections could be as high as 390 million annually, of which up to 96 million show clinical manifestation[1]. Global reporting has therefore not been good, and Papua New Guinea (PNG) is one of the countries that have not yet reported national DF surveillance data. DF does not feature among the leading burden of diseases reported in PNG’s National Health Plan 2011-2020, and it is not clear whether lack of reliable reporting was the reason. In 2015, DF was reported as being only rarely diagnosed and possibly having a low index of clinical suspicion in PNG. That same report further stated that dengue haemorrhagic fever (DHF) has not been reported in PNG for over a decade [2]. Three reports of the DF situation in the Western Pacific region from 2010 to 2012 state that there was no DF-specific surveillance in PNG [3-5]. However, DF's presence was verified from case importation to Queensland for which surveillance in Queensland is actively conducted [6]. DF surveillance in PNG is challenged by geographical isolation of its remote, mountainous, coastal, and island sparsely distributed and diverse rural communities [7]. This situation limits access, provision and coverage of health services. These challenges only add to those posed by DF itself, resulting in a paucity of information about its presence in PNG

Maternal education and child feeding practices in rural Bangladesh

This study in rural lowland Bangladesh used spot and event observations from 185 children aged 4-27 months in order to examine whether child feeding practices differed with mother's education and with household education. Each child and his/her caretakers were observed for a mean of 20 hr over 6 months from February to July 1986. Only 25% of mothers and 51% of fathers had had any formal education. Exploratory partial correlations and stepwise multiple regression analyses revealed significant behavioral differences with both maternal and household measures of education while controlling for wealth. Caretakers in families with education were found to feed the children more frequently, with fresher food, and in cleaner, more protected places. They did not allow their children to eat food intended for someone else as often, and were more observant when their children's food dropped during the feeding. These caretakers also used more cups and bottles for feedings, breastfed their children less frequently, and their mothers terminated the breastfeedings more often. These behaviors suggested a shift from less attentive feeding practices and less frequent feedings to more frequent feedings in which the caretaker took more control of the child's feeding sessions. They also suggest a commitment to more labor-intensive child care. These associations between education and child feeding practices are mechanisms through which maternal education may improve child health and growth. They suggest the need for promoting more formal and nonformal education.Bangladesh behavior change infant feeding malnutrition maternal education weaning practices

The associations of sociocultural attitudes towards appearance with body dissatisfaction and eating behaviors in Hong Kong adolescents

Objectives Western culture has great influences on body dissatisfaction and related eating behaviors in adolescents. This study aimed to assess the sociocultural influences on eating attitudes and motivations among Hong Kong Chinese adolescents. Methods In 2007, 909 adolescents (mean age = 14.7 years, 55.3% boys) completed a survey with Stunkard's Figure Rating Scale (FRS), Motivation for Eating Scale (MFES), Eating Attitudes Test (EAT), Revised Restraint Scale (RRS), and Sociocultural Attitudes Towards Appearance Scale (SATAQ). In addition, their body mass index (BMI) was objectively measured. Results Our results indicated that Hong Kong adolescents, particularly girls exhibited a remarked level of body dissatisfaction, external, emotional, restrained and disordered eating behaviors. Hierarchical regression analyses indicated that age, sex and BMI were the most common contributing factors to individual eating styles. SATAQ significantly accounted for an additional variance of body dissatisfaction (2%), physical eating (2%), external eating (1%), emotional eating (3%), restrained eating (5%), and disordered eating (5%). Conclusions In Hong Kong, the sociocultural influences on body image and eating disturbance were supported