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要旨ファイルを差し替え（2022-01-24） / 京都大学 / 新制・課程博士 / 博士(工学) / 甲第23492号 / 工博第4904号 / 新制||工||1766(附属図書館) / 京都大学大学院工学研究科都市環境工学専攻 / (主査)教授 米田 稔, 教授 高野 裕久, 教授 松井 康人 / 学位規則第4条第1項該当 / Doctor of Philosophy (Engineering) / Kyoto University / DGAM

Thesis (DTech (Environmental Health))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2012. / Environmental pollution with persistent organic chemicals and inorganic trace metals is an increasingly important issue. Recently, a variety of chemicals are introduced in a very large scale on the surface water network. The main pathway of these pollutants into the environment was identified as wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). The extended use of chemicals in many product formulations and insufficient WWTPs has lead to an increase in the levels of the detected micro-pollutants wastewater effluents. The majority of these compounds are characterized by a rather poor biodegradability. A large spectrum of pollutants present in waste as traces has been reported to exert adverse effects on human and wildlife. Even though compounds are found in wastewater in a very small amount, they may have the undesirable capability of initiating health effect on various high forms of life. This survey constitutes the first study in the City of Cape Town to report data for a variety of priority substances (phenols and phthalate esters) in WWTP effluents and receiving rivers. These results are of critical importance since the data generated are used to generate potential health risk associated with both the organic and inorganic compounds analyzed.

This study examined lifestyle changes as related to the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) in Chinese students at Oregon State University (OSU). The study population included male students or scholars from the People's Republic of China who were attending OSU during spring term 1992. Fifty subjects were interviewed using a structured questionnaire. The questionnaire included eight categories of information: (1) bodyweight and blood pressure, (2) diet, (3) alcohol consumption, (4) cigarette smoking, (5) physical activity, (6) psychological stress, (7) acculturation factors, and (8) demographic factors. Results indicated that for this group of Chinese students, bodyweight, consumption of dietary fat, dairy products, soft drinks, and psychological stress had increased significantly during their stay in the US. Meanwhile, the level of physical activity had decreased. These changes, especially if continued, may have the potential to increase their risk of developing CHD. On the other hand, there were no significant changes in blood pressure and alcohol consumption. For cigarette smokers, smoking had decreased. In their responses to the open-ended questions, the reasons given for bodyweight changes included diet, decreased physical activity, and increasing age. Diet changes were attributed to food availability, relative price, and convenience. For decreased cigarette smoking, lack of smoking environment was considered to be the most important factor. Automobile use, limited spare time, and no friend to play with were the reasons for decreased physical activity. Finally, pressure in school, financial difficulty, and worrying about future were considered to be the reasons for increased psychological stress. Multiple regression analysis indicated that the length of US stay and decreased physical activity were significant predictors for bodyweight gain. The length of US stay was also a significant predictor for changes in total dietary fat. Having financial aid from school was associated with decreased physical activity. Living as single was significantly associated with increased psychological stress. This study failed to identify any significant associations between acculturation factors and changes in the CHD risk factors. / Graduation date: 1993

published_or_final_version / Community Medicine / Master / Master of Philosophy

As the leading cause of death in the United States, coronary heart disease (CHD) is a growing public health problem, despite the fact that many risk factors for the disease are preventable, especially if addressed early in life. The purpose of the current study was to examine the effects of loss-framed versus gain-framed versus information-only health messages on both intention to attend and actual attendance at an appointment to get screened for CHD risk factors (i.e., hypertension, diabetes, and dyslipidemia). It was hypothesized that a population of young adults would be more likely to view screening for CHD risk factors as a low-risk, health-affirming behavior as opposed to a risky, illness-detecting behavior and would thus be more strongly influenced by gain-framed messages than loss-framed messages. Additional goals included the exploration of the extensively researched individual health beliefs of perceived threat (as defined by the health belief model) and health locus of control as they relate to message frames. One hundred forty-three undergraduate students were randomly assigned to either the loss-framed, gain-framed, or information-only control conditions. Framing manipulation checks revealed that participants failed to discern differences in the tone and emphasis of the experimental pamphlets. As a result, no tests of framing effects could be conducted. Sixteen (11.2%) of the 143 participants who participated in Part 1 of the experiment participated in Part 2 (i.e., attended a risk factor screening appointment). Multiple regression analysis revealed risk index, age, and powerful others health locus of control as significant predictors of screening intention. Gender was the only demographic or health related variable that was significantly related to screening outcome, such that women were more likely to get screened than men. Limitations and recommendations are discussed.

This study examined relationships among ethnic identity, gay identity, sexual sensation seeking, and HIV risk-taking behaviors among 302 men of color recruited from gay bars, bathhouses, community agencies, and the 1998 United States Conference on AIDS. The sample included 24% African American, 28% Latino, 25% Asian/ Pacific Islander, 19% Caucasian, 1% American Indian, and 3% other ethnicity. Logistic regression analysis identified sexual sensation seeking, having an undefined gay identity, being in a sexually exclusive relationship, not being HIV seronegative, and length of stay in the country (for those born overseas) as significant predictors of unprotected anal intercourse (insertive and penetrative) among men of color who have sex with men.

This dissertation is an empirical investigation into the roles that different quantifiable and measurable perceptions play in defining individual behavior across a variety of decision-making contexts. In particular, the focus lies on smokers and the choices they make with regard to smoking and beyond. Chapter 1 analyzes a nationally representative sample of adults (23 years and older) in the United States, pertaining to the Annenberg Perception of Tobacco Risk Survey II (1999-2000). It is observed that three dimensions to smoking behavior viz., risk, temporality and addiction, interact to determine the smoking status of an individual. Although previous studies mostly looked into each of these dimensions in isolation, in this chapter, we empirically illustrate how perceptions on risk, time dimensions and addiction, jointly influence the smoking behavior of adults. Chapter 2 casts the smoker in the role of a parent and explores parental behavior towards the general health-risks facing their children. Using the dataset from a survey (2009), conducted in Orlando, Florida, on parents, having at least one child aged between 1 and 16 years, the chapter arrives at two findings relevant for policy: i) In each of the ‗smoker‘ and ‗non-smoker‘ parent categories, parents exhibit equal concern for themselves and their children, and ii) the level of concern shown by smoker-parents, towards health-risks faced by their children, is the same as that shown by their non-smoking counterparts. The analysis in this chapter also affirms the need to incorporate subjective risk assessment in willingness-to-pay (WTP) exercises to facilitate a deeper behavioral analysis of health risk valuation. Lastly, in Chapter 3, we focus on the issue of quantitative assessment of the perception of health risks from smoking. Particular interest lies in understanding how variants of a metric - namely, a survey question - have been employed in academic studies and industry-surveys, in order to measure smoking-related risk-perceptions. In the process of reviewing select tobacco-industry survey iv records, we analyze the implications of different features of this metric, (e.g., use of a ‗probe‘, the ‗Don‘t Know‘ option), and various interview modes (e.g. telephonic, face-to-face), for the estimates of perceived risk arrived at in these studies. The review makes clear that two aspects of health risks from smoking – the risk of contracting a smoking-related disease, as against the risk of prematurely dying from it conditional upon getting affected – have not been jointly explored so far. The dataset obtained from the Family Heart Disease and Prevention Survey (November 2010-March 2011), provides a unique opportunity to explore these two kinds of probabilities, particularly with regard to the risks of lung-cancer from smoking. Chapter 3 concludes by illustrating how individuals evaluate both these aspects of health-risks. While the probability of getting lung-cancer is found to be overestimated in conjunction with previous studies, the conditional probability of premature death is severely underestimated. Additionally, it is found that individuals‘ subjective assessments of either of these risk aspects predict smoking behavior in an identical manner. This calls into question the so-called ‗rationality‘ of smoking decisions with implications for policies designed for the control of tobacco consumption.

Dissertation submitted in partial compliance with the requirements for the Master’s Degree in Technology: Chiropractic, Durban University of Technology, 2009. / Manual therapists are susceptible to occupational low back pain. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and risk factors for occupational low back pain in manual therapists and to determine and compare the prevalence and risk factors for occupational low back pain among various types of manual therapists in South Africa. This study was conducted as a cross-sectional survey and a self-administered questionnaire, developed from the literature and validated prior to the study, was mailed to 1500 randomly selected manual therapists, including: physiotherapists, occupational therapists, biokineticists, chiropractors, reflexologists, aromatherapists and massage therapists. A total of 233 completed questionnaires were returned, giving a response rate of 15.53%. Results revealed that the point prevalence of low back pain in manual therapists was very high at 41%, the one-year prevalence was 59% and the career prevalence was 74%. The point prevalence of low back pain was highest in aromatherapists and biokineticists, while both the one-year and career prevalence of low back pain was highest in occupational therapists and massage therapists. The risk factors for low back pain in manual therapists were: BMI; previous abdominal surgery; previous trauma to the low back, hips, knees or ankles; a physically stressful job; not having an assistant and work in a hospital or other setting. In keeping with the literature, various workrelated factors were implicated in the development and / or exacerbation of low back pain in certain manual therapists more than others and low back pain history in the different manual therapists was also in accordance with the literature. To conclude, low back pain is prevalent among South African manual therapists and the development and implementation of preventative programs to reduce rates of occupational low back pain in manual therapists is mandatory.