Research has explored the ways in which communities respond to local polluting facilities. In some cases, residents mobilize to confront corporate and state polluters, whereas in other cases ...residents remain quiescent in the wake of documented environmental threats. The variation in community response is often linked to demographic variables, including age, gender, education, and length of residence; yet cultural factors remain largely unexamined. We examine how cultural factors such as community identity and memory mitigate the relationship between community residents and polluting facilities. We present a comparative study of two heavily polluted communities—Blackwell, Oklahoma, and Cañon City, Colorado—that had divergent responses to contamination. The data for these cases come from in‐depth interviews with community residents and various officials (N = 105), content analyses of newspaper coverage and relevant organization documents, and direct observation of meetings and organizing activities. Our findings indicate that cultural factors play a critical role in understanding the relationship between local residents and polluting facilities. We conclude by discussing the implications of our findings for future research on rural communities and environmental contamination.
Abstract
Background
The education sector faced tremendous challenges during the Covid-19 pandemic, requiring adjustments to meet the needs of an unprecedented public health emergency, while also ...maintaining school health promotion measures. School principals are key actors to lead, drive, and implement school health promotion activities in their setting. Higher school principal health literacy is known to be a predictor for the implementation of school health promotion. The international COVID-HL school principal study was implemented to assess corona-specific health literacy of principals and investigate assocaitions with school health promotion.
Methods
Findings from Germany, that were generated by employing an online survey in school principals during the third infection wave from March to April 2021 in four federal states, will be discussed. Sociodemographics, health literacy, and implementation of school health promotion were measured using self-report tools. Descriptive statistics and variance analyses were conducted.
Results
The survey was completed by N = 2186 school principals. While 60.5% showed an adequate health literacy level, 31.4% showed problematic, and 8.1% even inadequate levels. For the subscale finding, 75.4% showed an adequate level, whereas only 50.5% demonstrated adequate levels regarding information appraisal. Welch's ANOVA indicated significant differences between the health literacy levels and the implementation rate of school health promotion and prevention measures regarding students (p < 0.001; η2=0.054), school staff (p < 0.001; η2=0.015) and school (p < 0.001; η2=0.017).
Conclusions
School principals demonstrated adequate corona-specific health literacy. The most difficulties were indicated when appraising health information in the context of the pandemic. Principals with higher health literacy are more likely to implement school health promotion measures than those with lower levels, making health literacy an important public health and education target.
Abstract
Background
Mental health of school principals is poorly researched in public health, despite principals being critical to the success of sustainable school development. They are the key ...agents enabling and leading the implementation of school health promotion, which elevates the importance of their mental health state. Evidence shows that principals are more likely to suffer from work-related stress and psychological strain, but given the additional stress during the Covid-19 pandemic, their mental health was more at risk. Health literacy could be an asset in the interplay of mental health and stress. The aim of this study is to examine the associations between principals’ corona-specific health literacy and their perceived stress, wellbeing, and psychosomatic complaints.
Methods
As part of the international COVID-HL school principal survey, an online study among German school principals in four federal states was conducted during the third infection wave (Mar-Apr 2021). Health literacy, perceived stress, wellbeing, and psychosomatic complaints were measured using self-report tools. Descriptive statistics, variance with subsequent post-hoc analyses and effect sizes were computed.
Results
A total of N = 2186 principals completed the survey, with 60.5% showing an adequate, 31.4% a problematic and 8.1% an inadequate health literacy level. Welch's ANOVA indicated significant differences between the health literacy levels and perceived stress (F(2, 423.734) = 69.51, p < 0.001; η2 = 0.06) as well as wellbeing (F(2, 407.343) = 33.463, p < 0.001; η2 = 0.034). One-way ANOVA showed significant differences between health literacy and psychosomatic complaints (F(2, 1775) = 15.94, p < 0.001; η2 = 0.018).
Conclusions
The findings emphasize that health literacy could be an asset for principals’ mental health, suggesting to include health literacy more frequently to public mental health promotion interventions. This will require an acknowledgment from public health and educational policies.
While research has established how elite actors can work to protect structures that contribute to environmental harm, relatively less is known about the cultural resources that can serve elite ...interests at the local level. In cases of localized pollution, multiple groups have vested interests in protecting corporate legitimacy. We draw on treadmill of production theory and collective identity to analyze a case of community petrochemical contamination. Specifically, we asked: (1) how elite actors appropriated cultural resources to protect productivity following a legitimization crisis; and (2) how discursive retaliation matters in understanding the pathways to violence when protest threatens an industrial community's economic identity. Our data for this research included in‐depth interviews, newspaper coverage, and archival data. Findings indicate that the corporation, the city, and corporate employees responded to local environmental activism with a discursive campaign that ultimately paved the way for widespread threats and retaliation against the residents. This research highlights the ways in which local proponents of the energy industry can take advantage of cultural resources to suppress challengers to the industry.
The present paper presents critical reviews of studies that have explored models of adolescent self-mutilation. Current definitional problems were addressed, as well as a proposal for a ...classification system of self-mutilation. Seven historically significant explanatory models were included, the sexual/sadomachistic model, the depersonalization model, the interpersonal/systemic model, the suicide model, the physiological/biological model, the affect regulation model, and the behavioral/environmental model. Each model was briefly described, and studies were critiqued according to methodology, research design, and basis upon which authors provided support or rejection of a model. Suggestions for improvement in the literature were made throughout the paper. Studies often overlapped within the models, and the strongest empirical support was shown for the behavioral/environmental model, which included components of the affect regulation model, interpersonal/systemic model, and depersonalization model. Explaining adolescent self-mutilation is a complex task, and evidence provided in this paper suggests that aspects of several models, or an integration of models, likely contribute to the understanding of this phenomenon.
Cutaneous leukocytoclastic vasculitis (LCV) is type of small vessel vasculitis that commonly presents as palpable purpura involving the lower extremities and buttocks. Approximately half of cases are ...idiopathic, but the disease may be triggered by infection, drug reaction, inflammatory disease, or other causes. We report a case of leukocytoclastic vasculitis secondary to the novel anticoagulant rivaroxaban (Xarelto®).
Background
Digital communication technologies had a crucial role during the COVID-19 pandemic, with the internet and Social Media as highly frequented sources for retrieving health information. ...University student's health and well-being were highly affected and most interaction with peers and professionals migrated to the digital realm, which made digital health literacy (DHL) a key competence to navigate digital health environments. The main goal of the study was to explore DHL of students in Germany.
Methods
A cross-sectional online survey among students (N = 14916) from 130 universities in Germany was implemented as part of the global Covid-HL Network, collecting data on DHL, physical and mental health, SoC and sociodemographics. Data was analyzed using univariate, bivariate and regression analyses.
Results
Assessing the reliability of information (5964/14,103, 42.3%) and determining commercial interest of information posed the most difficult tasks (5489/14,097, 38.9%). Difficulties were revealed for finding information (4282/14,098, 30.4%). Female students reported lower DHL and social media use was associated with lower judgment skills. 38% of all students reported low and very low well-being and 29% reported at least two health complaints weekly, while health outcomes follow a social gradient (lower SES and gender). Regression analysis showed significant association between SoC and well-being (OR: 1.2-2.03) and health complaints (OR: 1.58-1.71). Higher future worries were with low well-being (OR: 2.83) and multiple health complaints (OR: 2.84).
Conclusions
There is an urgent need to enhance DHL and SoC of students and implement health promotion strategies, using target group specific intervention. Gender and socioeconomic differences must be taken into account and interventions could be delivered within the university. Measures should also address student mental health.
Lead contamination is a significant health hazard in communities around the world, but this environmental toxin often remains unknown to residents living near hazardous sites. This research ...investigates a unique case where residents were informed of lead contamination but rejected official and scientific narratives regarding environmental risks. The case study involves a decommissioned smelter in Colorado. Drawing from data collected over three years, the researchers examine how officials and experts communicated the severity of environmental health hazards. Despite these efforts, residents opposed the Environmental Protection Agency's attempts to place the site on the National Priorities List for federal cleanup. The government's framing of science and environmental risk failed to resonate with homeowners, despite the known and significant scientific evidence confirming environmental health hazards, and residents' perceptions of lead contamination were mitigated by material concerns, including property values and community stigma. Implications for future research on lead contamination, environmental risk, and trust in science are discussed.
Abstract
Objective
The Neuropsychological Assessment Battery (NAB) is a comprehensive, modular battery of neuropsychological tests assessing of a wide array of cognitive skills and functions in ...adults. The purpose of the current study is to provide additional statistical evidence to support interpretation of NAB score changes over time.
Method
Participants were healthy community-dwelling adults, ages 18 to 97 years, from the NAB standardization sample that was assessed on the NAB a second time (n = 95). Reliable change index scores were calculated for the five domain indexes and the total index at several levels of significance. Base rates of score differences between Time 1 and Time 2 were examined.
Results
Across the indexes, significant score differences (at p < .05) ranged from 17 to 28 standard score points for adults (ages 18 to 59 years) and from 13 to 23 standard score points for older adults (ages 60 to 97 years). Approximately 67-89% of adult participants had Time 1 and Time 2 scores within 1 standard deviation (SD) of each other, while older adults ranged from 73-97%. Only 0-4% of adults and older adults had a large decline on any score (greater than 2 SDs). 1-2% of adults and 3-5% of older adults had a large improvement on any score (greater than 2 SDs).
Conclusions
These data allow clinicians to determine the statistical significance of NAB score differences, as well as quantify the frequency of the observed differences.
PDF
