Search

Comparisons of physical fitness measures between children or within group measures over time are potentially confounded by differences in body size. We compared measures of strength (handgrip) and aerobic fitness (running-speed [20m shuttle-run]) of 10.0–15.9 year-olds from Dar es Salaam, Tanzania (n = 977) with schoolchildren from England (n = 1014) matched for age and sex. Differences in fitness were analyzed using general linear models, with allometric scaling for body size (mass and stature) and further adjustments for physical activity. Mean handgrip of Tanzanians was lower than English youth (F = 165.0, P<0.001, ηp2 = .079). The difference became trivial when run-speed was scaled for body size (ηp2 = .008). Running-speed of the English children was higher than in Tanzanians (F = 16.0, P<0.001, ηp2 = .014). Allometric scaling for accentuated this between-county difference in running-speed (ηp2 = .019) but when adjusted for physical activity between-country differences in running-speed were trivial (ηp2 = .008). These data contradict those studies showing poor muscular fitness in African youth and highlight the need for appropriate scaling techniques to avoid confounding by differences in body size. In contrast to those from rural areas, our sample of contemporary urban Tanzanians were less aerobically fit than European youth. Differences were independent of body size. Lower aerobic fitness of urban Tanzanian youth may be due to reported physical activity levels lower than those of English youth and lower still than previously reported in rural Tanzania. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Unintentional exposure to medications is a noted problem in pediatric populations despite the prevalent use of child-resistant (CR) packaging and educational campaigns informing consumers about appropriate storage. Objective: Conduct a proof-of concept study that evaluates how package designs that engage the attention of children in meaningless ways affect opening time and number of openings. Study design: Non-CR vials with or without distracters were provided to 108 children (24–51 months) in pairs. Each participant was handed a vial and instructed to “do whatever you want to with it.” Successful opening and time to opening were recorded. Data were analyzed using generalized linear mixed models. Results: Older children were approximately four times more likely than younger children to successfully open a vial with a visual distracter (P = 0.049); when distracters were not present, no evidence for differences was apparent between age groups (P = 0.64). For successful openings of either age group, distracter presence significantly prolonged time to opening (P = 0.0375); vials containing distracters took nearly three times longer to open than those without. Conclusions: Existing CR designs almost exclusively rely on late stages of information processing (e.g. difficult to understand or open). Our results suggest that packaging designs that target early stage processing (i.e. perception) represent a potential paradigm for creating effective CR designs. It should be acknowledged that visual distracters, by their very nature, have the potential to act as "attractive nuisances" (i.e. if it were to be so effective that it drew children to the hazard). Further studies designed to specifically investigate this possibility are advised. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The goal of this research was to evaluate how material curl, package structure and handling of pouches containing medical devices affect rates of contact between non-sterile surfaces and sterile devices during aseptic transfer. Methods: One hundred and thirty-six individuals with practical experience in aseptic technique were recruited. Participants were asked to present the contents of four different pouch designs (a standard, one designed to curl in, another to curl out and one that incorporated a tab) using two transfer techniques. During the first block of trials “standard technique” was used; participants presented using their typical methods to the sterile field. Trials in the second block employed “modified technique”; participants were instructed to grab the package at the top center and present package contents using a single, fluid motion. The outside of the pouch and the backs of the participants’ hands were coated using a simulated contaminant before each trial. The simulant was undetectable in the visible spectrum, but fluoresced under a black light. The dependent variable was recorded in a binary fashion and analyzed using a generalized linear mixed model. Results: Participants were between 20–57 and the averaged year 5.1 years of experience in aseptic technique. The data analysis was based on generalized linear mixed effects (GLMM) model, which accommodates the repeated measurements within the same participant. The effect of the pouch design was significant (P‹0.001), but the effect of aseptic technique did not suggest significance (P = 0.088). Specifically, pouches designed with the material curled outward resulted in significantly fewer contacts with non-sterile surfaces than the other styles, including the inward, tab, and standard styles; this was true regardless of the used aseptic technique, standard (P = 0.0171, P = 0.0466, P = 0.0061, respectively) or modified (P‹0.0001 for all comparisons)). Conclusion: Results presented here contribute to a growing body of knowledge that investigates packaging as a potential route of contamination for sterile devices during aseptic presentation. Specifically, we provide insights regarding how both package design and opening technique can be informed in ways that build safety into the healthcare system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Many studies have indicated the detrimental effect of ambient ozone to respiratory health in different countries. The levels of ozone in Hanoi, Vietnam are frequently above the WHO guideline but very few studies on the effects of ambient ozone on human health have been conducted in this location. This study aimed to examine the effects of ozone on hospital admission for respiratory diseases in Hanoi, by diseases, ages and seasons. Methods: Hospital admissions, air pollutants and meteorological data were collected from January 2010 to June 2014. We used generalized linear models and distributed lag linear model to assess the association. In addition to full year analysis, we conducted restricted analysis of the data for two summer (from June-August) and winter (from December-February) seasons and grouped hospital admissions by diseases and ages (all ages, children 0 to 5 years and elderly >65 years). The delayed effect of ozone was assessed using lags of up to 5 days. Results: Ozone has a stronger effect on the risk of hospital admission for respiratory diseases and wheeze-associated disorders in the winter. For respiratory diseases, children were affected by ozone more than other age groups in both winter and summer. Each increase of 10 μg/m3 of ozone is associated with an increase of 6.2% risk of admission for respiratory disease among children in the winter and 1.2% in the summer. For wheeze-associated disorders, the elderly group seemed to be more affected by ozone in full year and winter but no significant association was found between ozone and admission for wheeze-associated diseases in any age group. Conclusions: Ozone is a risk factor for respiratory admission, especially amongst children under 5 years old in Hanoi, and ozone has a stronger effect in the winter than in the summer in this city. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]