An approach to smoking through an analysis of its representations, grounded in the medicalization literature, highlights the inadequacies of a narrow medical perspective and some of its negative implications. This does not require that we abandon the medical discourse, but stresses the importance of setting it in a wider representational context. Drawing on the work of Saussure, Barthes, Eco and Foucault, the author constructs a theory of interaction amongst representations suited to both discourse and images. To investigate the medicalization of smoking, four empirical studies are reported which include quantitative and qualitative approaches to press reporting at both macro-and micro-levels, cigarette advertising and packaging. There have been medical representations of smoking since the introduction of tobacco into Britain. However, a thematic analysis of tobacco-related reporting in the Times newspaper (1946-1995) found that these representations have expanded and diversified, becoming increasingly linked to other representations (e.g. financial) and generating new themes (e.g. discrimination, litigation). Medical representations, however, are contested and subject to subversion by alternative representations, including libertarian and alternative medical constructions of smoking. These processes are investigated in a detailed structural and rhetorical analysis of a contemporary newspaper article, together with related correspondence and cartoons. Quantitative and qualitative analyses of 754 UK cigarette advertisements from four national newspapers (1946-1995) identified an increase in medical and packaging-related representations of smoking and a decrease in financial representations, representations of the act of smoking and of cigarettes as social currency. The final, questionnaire, study (with 60 participants) found, among other things, a clear and consensually-held system of health-related signification in contemporary UK cigarette packaging in ratings of packets. The thesis concludes with a discussion of the implications of medicalization for smoking-related policy and for the smoker, and of smoking for the medicalization literature.

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This diploma thesis focuses on the issue of women delaying pregnancy and parenthood to later in life. The aim of this thesis is to map out the health risks related to pregnancies in mothers who are over 35 years old, to find out the reasons for the later in life pregnancy and whether women realize the health risks associated. The thesis describes the health risks resulting from pregnancies in older women at the time of the birth and using the method of linear regression to analyze the dependence of the mother age of 35 or higher on the low birth weight of the live birth. Further, the issue of postponing pregnancy and motherhood is examined from women's point of view in more detail through the method of semistructured interviews, especially the reasons for delaying pregnancy and information about health risks. The results show that with women, who become pregnant at an older age, there is a certain increase in health risks; however, generally women are not very well informed about these complications. Keywords: fertility, fertility timing, health risks

The diploma thesis deals with the exposure of nanoparticles in means of transport. The diploma thesis provides an overview of the current state of exposure to nanoparticles in vehicles that people use every day travelling to work. Moreover, the work describes the health risks that can be caused by these particles and have an adverse effect on human health. The work processed data (particle number concentration, particle size and LDSA) which monitored the exposure of nanoparticles in the tram of public transport in the city of Brno and the extent of pollution by nanoparticles at stops.

Suicide and accidents are the leading causes of death among American Indian (AI) adolescents. Engaging in health-compromising behaviors (HCB) is higher among AI youth than among multicultural, national samples of adolescents. These HCBs include: smoking, drinking alcohol, drug use, and delinquency. Studies that identify legitimate predictors of these behaviors among AI adolescents are needed to guide research and interventions. Primary socialization theory (PST) suggests that peer groups, family, and school are the only areas where adolescents are directly taught to accept or reject deviant or normative behavior. Gateway theory indicates that use of certain drugs by adolescents, such as cigarettes or alcohol leads to the use of additional illicit drugs. Both of these theories were investigated in the current study as possible guides to identifying risk factors for HCBs among AI adolescents. The behaviors investigated in this study were alcohol use, cigarette use, illicit drug use, delinquency, suicidality (i.e., ideation and behaviors), and self-protection (seatbelt and helmet use) at Time 2. Predictor variables included behaviors and intrapersonal factors at Time 1 (one year earlier). All variables came from measurements provided by the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health. Multiple linear regressions were calculated for all youth together, males only, and females only to determine which combination of predictors accounted for the most variance in the target behavior. Support was found for PST across behaviors in that variables measuring the primary socialization sources (i.e., peer groups, family members, and involvement with school) were significantly predictive ofHCBs one year later in all regressions calculated. Little support was found for gateway theory regarding substance use, as experimentation with alcohol and cigarettes at Time 1 was not predictive of illicit drug use at Time 2. There were 398 self-identified AI adolescents at Time 1, and 298 at Time 2, included in this study. There were 175 females and 123 males, ranging in age from 13 to 20 at Time 2. One limitation of this study is that all information was obtained via selfreport. Other limitations, implications for future research, and areas for prevention or intervention with AI youth are discussed.

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The usage of dietary supplements has increased in the last decades and it’s getting more common to sell them online on websites in Sweden. Information about dietary supplements is not allowed to be misleading. Companies that sell them are for example not allowed to say that their products alleviate diseases. This study aimed to find out the health risks with dietary supplements online and see how often medical claims are stated on websites. The method used was controlling websites that sell dietary supplements to find medical claims. Also analyzing reports from a Swedish municipalities control done on companies that sell dietary supplements online. The results showed that medical claims appeared on 73% of the controlled websites. It was not possible to ensure any differences for the study’s selected categories on the websites. It was clear according to the study that consumers can be misled with misleading claims or lacking information, which can lead to health risks. Incorrect information can lead to children ingesting dietary supplements and having allergic reactions, as well as overdosing on dietary supplements, which can lead to liver damage. Medical claims can vary in severity but claims that say to reduce various diseases are considered risky as dietary supplements can be taken instead of medicine. This can make an illness or inflammation worse and cause unnecessary suffering. The result showed that buying dietary supplements online does not lead to such great health risks in general.

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Este trabalho visa a analisar as medidas judiciais adotadas para enfrentar os riscos e agravos à saúde decorrentes da exposição a substâncias perigosas em áreas contaminadas no município de São Paulo, tendo em vista que no Brasil não há uma política específica para ser aplicada no caso em questão. São abordadas as formas de enfrentamento do problema, com ênfase na Ação Civil Pública (ACP). O caso da área contaminada da Vila Carioca foi escolhido para ser objeto de estudo por se tratar de problema atual e de conseqüências sociais diversas, além de figurar entre um dos mais graves problemas ambientais da cidade. O trabalho versa sobre a experiência, na área jurídica, de órgãos públicos com atribuições para proteção da saúde humana, entre eles: Centro de Vigilância Sanitária, Ministério Público e Cetesb. A importância e a efetividade das medidas judiciais para a garantia do direito à saúde, a preservação do meio ambiente e o bem-estar da população, particularmente no tocante às áreas contaminadas na cidade de São Paulo, também são discutidas. O Capítulo I discute o desenvolvimento econômico e suas implicações com o direito à saúde e o direito ambiental, à luz da Constituição Federal. O Capítulo II trata da proteção ambiental e dos riscos ambientais do espaço urbano e sua relação com as políticas para o desenvolvimento das cidades, além de apresentar um breve histórico da regulação de risco e das atividades produtivas poluidoras. O Capítulo III aborda alguns meios processuais coletivos de proteção e de implementação dos direitos fundamentais, com enfoque maior na ACP. O Capítulo IV aborda um estudo de caso relacionado com a contaminação de solo no bairro da Vila Carioca, região sul da cidade. Conclui-se discutindo os entraves jurídicos e a falta de controle do Poder Público no que se refere à defesa dos direitos coletivos em face do estudo de caso em questão. / The aim of the present work is to analyze the judicial orders adopted to tackle health risks resulting from exposure to hazardous substances in contaminated areas of the city of São Paulo, since there is no specific Brazilian policy to rule this issue. Ways of tackling the problem are discussed, with emphasis on the Civil Public Action (ACP). The case of Vila Carioca was chosen not only for being a current problem with several social consequences, but also for being one of the major environmental problems affecting the city of São Paulo in recent years. This study focuses on the juridical experience of public institutions responsible for community health, such as: the Sanitary Surveillance Center (Centro de Vigilância Sanitária), Department of Justice (Ministério Público) and the Technology and Environmental Sanitation Company (Cetesb). In addition, it shows the importance and effectiveness of judicial orders to guarantee the right to health, protection of the environment and public welfare, especially regarding the contaminated areas in the city of São Paulo. Chapter I discusses the economic development and its implications as to the right to health and the environmental laws, examined through the lens of the Brazilian Federal Constitution. Chapter II discusses environmental protection and hazards in urban areas and the policies which rule the development of cities. In addition, it gives a brief account of risk regulations with reference to polluting production activities. Chapter III discusses some collective legal procedures for protection and implementation of fundamental rights, focusing mainly on the ACP. Chapter IV discusses a case study of soil contamination in Vila Carioca, located in the south of São Paulo. Finally, the study discusses the legal obstacles and failures of the Public Authority in defending the collective rights concerning the case examined.