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This research examines the levels and trends of pollutants, specifically 17 congeners of PCDD/Fs and 12 dl-PCBs, in the air measured in the province of Gipuzkoa (Basque Country, Spain). The study used PCDD/Fs, dl-PCB, and the sum of dioxin-like compounds as separate response variables. A total of 113 air samples were collected and analyzed using the method described in the European Standard (EN-1948:2006) from two industrial areas. The results were analyzed using non-parametric test to assess the variability of these pollutants based on different factors (year, season and day of the week) and General Linear Models to assess the weight of each factor. The study found that the toxic equivalents (TEQs) for PCDD/Fs were 12.29 fg TEQm−3 and for dl-PCBs were 1.63 fg TEQm−3, which were in a similar range or lower than those observed in other national and international studies in industrial areas. The results showed temporal variations, with higher levels of PCDD/Fs in autumn-winter than in spring-summer and higher levels of PCDD/Fs and dl-PCBs during weekdays than on weekends. The industrial area where the energy recovery plant (ERP) will be located had higher levels of air pollutants due to the presence of two PCDD/Fs emitting industries nearby, as indicated by the Spanish Registry of Polluting Emission Sources. Both industrial areas showed similar profiles of PCDD/Fs and dl-PCBs, with the PCDD/F profiles dominated by OCDD, 1,2,3,4,6,7,8-HpCDD, and 1,2,3,4,6,7,8-HpCDF in terms of concentrations and 1,2,3,7,8-PeCDD, 2,3,4,7,8-PeCDF, and 2,3,7,8-TCDD in terms of TEQs. The dl-PCB profiles were dominated by PCB 118, PCB 105, and PCB 77 in terms of concentrations and PCB 126 in terms of TEQs. The findings of this study can serve as an indicator of the potential impact of ERP on the health of the resident population and the environment.

This research focused on investigating the basal serum concentrations of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins, dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) and dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (dl-PCBs) in the general population residing in two urban-industrial zones near and far from an energy recovery plant under construction in Gipuzkoa, Basque Country (Spain). The study used a cross-sectional design and included 227 participants who were randomly selected from municipal censuses in both areas. The participants were stratified based on age (ranging from 18 to 70 years) and sex. Serum samples were collected from the participants and analysed following the established protocol to measure the concentrations of PCDD/Fs and dl-PCBs. The study used multiple linear regression models to assess the impact of various sociodemographic variables, lifestyle factors, reproductive history, and diet on the variability of the measured compounds in the participants’ serum. The median total toxicity equivalent (TEQ) in serum, was 10.58 pg WHO-TEQ2005 g-1 lipid. Serum PCDD levels were lower in the population residing in the “far” zone than the “near” zone. Age was positively associated with both PCDD/F and dl-PCB levels, indicating that older participants had higher concentrations of these compounds in their serum. This finding might be attributed to cumulative exposure over time. In terms of sex differences, women exhibited lower levels of dl-PCBs compared to men. Among lifestyle factors, smokers showed lower levels of dl-PCBs compared to non-smokers. Furthermore, daily alcohol consumption was significantly associated with higher serum levels of these compounds, with daily drinkers showing higher levels than non-drinkers. Consumption of local poultry was associated with significantly higher serum levels and oil consumption with low levels of PCDD/ Fs.

The positive effects of Green Spaces on health are thought to be achieved through the mechanisms of mitigation, instoration and restoration. One of the benefits of Green Spaces may be the restoration of attention and so the objective of this research is testing empirically whether exposure to a green environment improves attention in school children. For so doing, we first used a split-unit statistical design in each of four schools, then combined the primary results via meta-analysis. The Attention Network Test (ANT) was used to measure attention before and after exposure and a total of 167 seven-year-old students participated in the experiments. Overall, our experimental results do not support the hypothesis that students’ exposure to activities in green vs. grey spaces affected their performance in ANT. This was so despite the fact that neither age nor gender biases have been detected and despite that our experiments have been proved to be sufficiently statistically powerful. It would be advisable to consider air pollution and noise. We also recommend that participants attend the experiment with mental exhaustion to maximize the ability to detect significant changes.

The positive effects of Green Spaces on health are thought to be achieved through the mechanisms of mitigation, instoration and restoration. One of the benefits of Green Spaces may be the restoration of attention and so the objective of this research is testing empirically whether exposure to a green environment improves attention in school children. For so doing, we first used a split-unit statistical design in each of four schools, then combined the primary results via meta-analysis. The Attention Network Test (ANT) was used to measure attention before and after exposure and a total of 167 seven-year-old students participated in the experiments. Overall, our experimental results do not support the hypothesis that students’ exposure to activities in green vs. grey spaces affected their performance in ANT. This was so despite the fact that neither age nor gender biases have been detected and despite that our experiments have been proved to be sufficiently statistically powerful. It would be advisable to consider air pollution and noise. We also recommend that participants attend the experiment with mental exhaustion to maximize the ability to detect significant changes.

The positive effects of Green Spaces on health are thought to be achieved through the mechanisms of mitigation, instoration and restoration. One of the benefits of Green Spaces may be the restoration of attention and so the objective of this research is testing empirically whether exposure to a green environment improves attention in school children. For so doing, we first used a split-unit statistical design in each of four schools, then combined the primary results via meta-analysis. The Attention Network Test (ANT) was used to measure attention before and after exposure and a total of 167 seven-year-old students participated in the experiments. Overall, our experimental results do not support the hypothesis that students’ exposure to activities in green vs. grey spaces affected their performance in ANT. This was so despite the fact that neither age nor gender biases have been detected and despite that our experiments have been proved to be sufficiently statistically powerful. It would be advisable to consider air pollution and noise. We also recommend that participants attend the experiment with mental exhaustion to maximize the ability to detect significant changes.

Physical activity (PA) during pregnancy has positive health implications for both mother and child. However, current literature indicates that not all pregnant women meet the international recommendations for PA (at least 150 min/week of moderate-to-vigorous PA). The main objective of this study was to assess PA levels among pregnant women in the city of Donostia-San Sebastian and identify their main sociodemographic predictors. We recruited 441 women in the 12th week of pregnancy from the local public obstetric health services. Women wore an accelerometer for one week during two separate time points (1st and 2nd trimesters of pregnancy) and completed a questionnaire assessing several sociodemographic variables as well as self-reported PA. With this information, we estimated women’s overall PA levels during both time points. The fulfillment of PA recommendations raised up to 77% and 85% during the first and second trimesters, respectively. We found that a higher number of children and a greater preference for exercise positively predicted light-to-moderate PA, being the most consistent predictors. The availability of a greater number of cars negatively predicted moderate-to-vigorous PA.

Physical activity (PA) during pregnancy has positive health implications for both mother and child. However, current literature indicates that not all pregnant women meet the international recommendations for PA (at least 150 min/week of moderate-to-vigorous PA). The main objective of this study was to assess PA levels among pregnant women in the city of Donostia-San Sebastian and identify their main sociodemographic predictors. We recruited 441 women in the 12th week of pregnancy from the local public obstetric health services. Women wore an accelerometer for one week during two separate time points (1st and 2nd trimesters of pregnancy) and completed a questionnaire assessing several sociodemographic variables as well as self-reported PA. With this information, we estimated women’s overall PA levels during both time points. The fulfillment of PA recommendations raised up to 77% and 85% during the first and second trimesters, respectively. We found that a higher number of children and a greater preference for exercise positively predicted light-to-moderate PA, being the most consistent predictors. The availability of a greater number of cars negatively predicted moderate-to-vigorous PA.

Physical activity (PA) during pregnancy has positive health implications for both mother and child. However, current literature indicates that not all pregnant women meet the international recommendations for PA (at least 150 min/week of moderate-to-vigorous PA). The main objective of this study was to assess PA levels among pregnant women in the city of Donostia-San Sebastian and identify their main sociodemographic predictors. We recruited 441 women in the 12th week of pregnancy from the local public obstetric health services. Women wore an accelerometer for one week during two separate time points (1st and 2nd trimesters of pregnancy) and completed a questionnaire assessing several sociodemographic variables as well as self-reported PA. With this information, we estimated women’s overall PA levels during both time points. The fulfillment of PA recommendations raised up to 77% and 85% during the first and second trimesters, respectively. We found that a higher number of children and a greater preference for exercise positively predicted light-to-moderate PA, being the most consistent predictors. The availability of a greater number of cars negatively predicted moderate-to-vigorous PA.

In the health field in general and in public health in particular, the environment has become important over the last two centuries. In 1974 Marc Lalonde developed a health model, remarking the role that lifestyles and the environment play on health. The main objective of this work is to highlight the most relevant results of the INMA project in relation to how these factors impact the neuropsychological development of children. Among others, maternal lifestyles, overweight and obesity and tobacco habits showed a negative association with child neurodevelopment. Considering maternal diet during pregnancy we observed that fish consumption could be both beneficial and harmful for children neurodevelopment. Regarding the health guidelines, our results showed that folic acid had beneficial effects in children´s neuropsychological development. Although extremely high doses of folic acid have been related to cognitive and psychomotor problems during childhood. Our study showed that breastfeeding is a protective factor against behavioral problems such as autism. Exposure to different particles that are in the environment had showed to have a negative effect in children neurodevelopment. The closeness to green spaces was related to an improvement of attention in children. This work concludes that mothers´ lifestyles and sanitary patterns women follow during pregnancy, as well as their environmental exposure could be related to the future neuropsychological development of their children.; Osasunaren esparruan oro har, eta zehazki Osasun Publikoarenean, azken bi mendeetan ingurumenak osasunean duen eragina aztertzeak interesa piztu du. Marc Lalondek, 1974. urtean osasun-eredua garatu zuen, eta azpimarratu zuen bizi-ohiturek eta inguruko faktoreek osasunean zuten eragina. Artikulu honen helburu orokorra da faktore hauek haurraren garapen neuropsikologikoan nola eragiten duten aztertzea helburutzat duten INMA proiektuko hainbat lanen emaitza esanguratsuenak azpimarratzea. Hala

In the health field in general and in public health in particular, the environment has become important over the last two centuries. In 1974 Marc Lalonde developed a health model, remarking the role that lifestyles and the environment play on health. The main objective of this work is to highlight the most relevant results of the INMA project in relation to how these factors impact the neuropsychological development of children. Among others, maternal lifestyles, overweight and obesity and tobacco habits showed a negative association with child neurodevelopment. Considering maternal diet during pregnancy we observed that fish consumption could be both beneficial and harmful for children neurodevelopment. Regarding the health guidelines, our results showed that folic acid had beneficial effects in children´s neuropsychological development. Although extremely high doses of folic acid have been related to cognitive and psychomotor problems during childhood. Our study showed that breastfeeding is a protective factor against behavioral problems such as autism. Exposure to different particles that are in the environment had showed to have a negative effect in children neurodevelopment. The closeness to green spaces was related to an improvement of attention in children. This work concludes that mothers´ lifestyles and sanitary patterns women follow during pregnancy, as well as their environmental exposure could be related to the future neuropsychological development of their children.; Osasunaren esparruan oro har, eta zehazki Osasun Publikoarenean, azken bi mendeetan ingurumenak osasunean duen eragina aztertzeak interesa piztu du. Marc Lalondek, 1974. urtean osasun-eredua garatu zuen, eta azpimarratu zuen bizi-ohiturek eta inguruko faktoreek osasunean zuten eragina. Artikulu honen helburu orokorra da faktore hauek haurraren garapen neuropsikologikoan nola eragiten duten aztertzea helburutzat duten INMA proiektuko hainbat lanen emaitza esanguratsuenak azpimarratzea. Hala

In the health field in general and in public health in particular, the environment has become important over the last two centuries. In 1974 Marc Lalonde developed a health model, remarking the role that lifestyles and the environment play on health. The main objective of this work is to highlight the most relevant results of the INMA project in relation to how these factors impact the neuropsychological development of children. Among others, maternal lifestyles, overweight and obesity and tobacco habits showed a negative association with child neurodevelopment. Considering maternal diet during pregnancy we observed that fish consumption could be both beneficial and harmful for children neurodevelopment. Regarding the health guidelines, our results showed that folic acid had beneficial effects in children´s neuropsychological development. Although extremely high doses of folic acid have been related to cognitive and psychomotor problems during childhood. Our study showed that breastfeeding is a protective factor against behavioral problems such as autism. Exposure to different particles that are in the environment had showed to have a negative effect in children neurodevelopment. The closeness to green spaces was related to an improvement of attention in children. This work concludes that mothers´ lifestyles and sanitary patterns women follow during pregnancy, as well as their environmental exposure could be related to the future neuropsychological development of their children.; Osasunaren esparruan oro har, eta zehazki Osasun Publikoarenean, azken bi mendeetan ingurumenak osasunean duen eragina aztertzeak interesa piztu du. Marc Lalondek, 1974. urtean osasun-eredua garatu zuen, eta azpimarratu zuen bizi-ohiturek eta inguruko faktoreek osasunean zuten eragina. Artikulu honen helburu orokorra da faktore hauek haurraren garapen neuropsikologikoan nola eragiten duten aztertzea helburutzat duten INMA proiektuko hainbat lanen emaitza esanguratsuenak azpimarratzea. Hala