The purpose of this study was to explore, from readily available data, the best predictors of medical claims costs at Ball State University (BSU). Multiple regression equations were developed to predict BSU's medical claims costs from selected demographic and health-related measures among 1,799 BSU employees. The predictors were chosen from data previously collected during the three-year study period: July 1, 1995 to June 30, 1998. Regression equations were developed for the entire BSU population and the high-cost population. The linear composite of number of emergency room visits, number of chronic health problems, gender and age predicted 17.86% of the variation in transformed medical claims costs for the entire BSU population. The linear composite of age, number of emergency room visits and gender predicted 9.95% of the variation in transformed medical claims costs for high-cost BSU employees. Logistic regression, performed on the entire BSU population, did not differentiate low and highcost employees well: only 15.0% of high-cost employees were classified correctly. / Fisher Institute for Wellness

Aim. To observe and evaluate the health behaviour in school aged children and to get key insights into the health related behaviours of young people. Objectives. To analize and evaluate health behaviours among boys and girls in Pakistan. To analize and evaluate health-risk behaviors among boys and girls in Pakistan.To compare health behaviours of adolescents in Pakistan and Lithuania. Methods. Health Behavior in School aged Children (HBSC) questionnaire was used in this study. Questionnaire survey was carried out in 2 schools of Pakistan. One school was private and one school was public. The were 300 participants and majority of them were 14 and 15 years old. Health behavior was measured with questions concerning adolescent’s nutritional habits (breakfast, fresh fruit and vegetable, sweets, fast food and soft drinks with sugar consumption), health-risk behavior (cigarette use, injuries) and physical activity. Statistical data was analyzed using the statistic package SPSS 15.0 for Windows. Results. Two thirds (78.5%) of respondents thought they are in good health and just 4% claimed having excellent health. Study results showed, that 41% of school students exercise 2-3 times a week and 7.3% less than once a month. It was estimated that more than half of Pakistan adolescents eat breakfast every day on weekdays, but on weekends less than one third have breakfast at home. One third of respondents stated, that eat fresh vegetable and 20.1% of then eat fresh fruit every day... [to full text] / Santrauka.

The effectiveness of Boil Water Advisories (BWAs) as a public health risk management tool is increasingly being questioned. Newfoundland and Labrador's zero-risk policy for issuing BWAs on public drinking water systems has resulted in over 210 active BWAs annually, the majority classified as long-term BWAs. BWAs are more likely to occur on small systems, in communities with low economic capacity, and in communities without a certified operator. No relationship was found relating confirmed cases of water-related illness to BWAs. Quantifiable health risk associated with BWAs was evaluated using Quantitative Microbial Risk Assessment (QMRA). Data on source water pathogen concentrations and epidemiological data was used to evaluate and calibrate the QMRA Model. The study demonstrated the application of QMRA in determining whether health risk warranted issuing a BWA. Eleven recommendations were made on how the province could adopt QMRA in establishing an alternative drinking water risk management and advisory framework.

College students and emerging adults have been found to be at risk for smoking cigarettes, drinking to excess, using illicit drugs, driving dangerously, and engaging in risky sexual and delinquent behaviour. Psychosocial correlates (Sensation Seeking, peer behaviour, parent behaviour, and peer and parent anti-substance use messages) from three domains of influence (personality, parent, and peer) were examined together to provide a greater context for the occurrence of such health-risk behaviours. The strongest predictor(s) of each behaviour were identified to better inform intervention practices. Three groups were compared— 1) those who never tried substances, 2) those who tried substances in the past, and 3) those who continue to use substances at present, in a population of emerging adults. Self-report data was gathered from 203 Collèges d'Enseignement Général Et Professionnel (CEGEP) students in the Montreal region. Measures included: Reckless Behaviour Questionnaire, Reckless Driving Measure, Health Behaviour Survey, Sensation Seeking Scale—Form V, and the Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale. Results revealed that peer behaviour was the most significant predictor of substance use in emerging adults, whereas parent behaviour was only a significant predictor of reckless driving. Sensation Seeking, specifically Disinhibition, was found to predict more global reckless behaviours, including illegal activities, such as stealing or using marijuana (p < .01). Neither peer nor parent anti-substance messages were significantly related to any of the health-risk behaviours measured in this study. It would appear that health-risk behaviours tend to be related to the same underlying factors but to varying degrees. Intervention implications are discussed.

Across Australia and other developed nations, morbidity and mortality follows a socioeconomic gradient whereby the lowest socioeconomic groups experience the poorest health. The dietary practices of low socioeconomic groups, which are comparatively less consistent with dietary recommendations, have been thought to contribute to the excess morbidity and mortality observed among low socioeconomic groups, although this phenomenon is not well understood. Using a socioecological framework, this thesis examines whether the local food retail environment and confidence to cook contribute to socioeconomic differences in fruit and vegetable purchasing. To achieve this, four quantitative analyses of data from two main sources were conducted. The food retail environment was examined via secondary analysis of the Brisbane Food Study (BFS) and confidence to cook was examined in a cross-sectional study designed and carried out by the author. The first three manuscripts were based on findings from the BFS. Briefly, the BFS was a multilevel cross-sectional study, designed to examine determinants of inequalities, that was conducted in Brisbane in the year 2000. A stratified random sample was taken of 50 small areas (census collection districts, CCDs) and 1003 residents who usually shopped for their households were interviewed face-to-face using a schedule that included a measure of fruit and vegetable purchasing and three socioeconomic markers: education, occupation and gross household income. The purchasing measure was based on how often (never, rarely, sometimes nearly always or always) participants bought common fruits and vegetables for their households in fresh or frozen form, when in season. Food shops within a 2.5 km radius of the CCDs in which survey respondents lived were identified and audited to determine their location, type, their opening hours, and their price and availability of a list of food items. The first publication demonstrated there was minimal to no difference in the availability of supermarkets, greengrocers and convenience stores between areas that were most and least disadvantaged, in terms of the number of shops, distance to the nearest shop, or opening hours. Similarly, the second publication showed the most disadvantaged and least disadvantaged areas had no large or significant difference in the price and availability of fruits and vegetables within supermarkets, greengrocers and convenience stores, but small differences were consistently apparent, such that on average, low socioeconomic areas had lower prices but also lesser availability than more advantaged areas. The third submitted manuscript presents results of multilevel logistic regression analyses of the BFS data. While there were some associations between environmental characteristics and fruit and vegetable purchasing, environmental characteristics did not mediate socioeconomic differences in purchasing the fruit and vegetable items since there was no substantial socioeconomic patterning of the price or availability of fruits and vegetables. The fourth submitted manuscript was based on the cross-sectional study of cooking skills. A stratified random sample of six CCDs in Brisbane was taken and 990 household members ‘mostly responsible’ for preparing food were invited to participate. A final response rate of 43% was achieved. Data were collected via a self-completed questionnaire, which covered household demographics, vegetable purchasing (using the same measure employed in the BFS for continuity), confidence to prepare these same vegetables, and confidence to cook vegetables using ten cooking techniques. Respondents were asked to indicate how confident they felt (ranging from not at all- to very- confident) to prepare each vegetable, and to use each technique. This fourth study found respondents with low education and low household income had significantly lower confidence to cook than their higher socioeconomic counterparts, and lower confidence to cook was in turn associated with less household vegetable purchasing. Collectively, the four manuscripts comprising this thesis provide an understanding of the contribution of food accessibility, affordability and cooking skills to socioeconomic differences in fruit and vegetable purchasing, within a socioecological framework. The evidence provided by this thesis is consistent with a contributory role of confidence to cook in socioeconomic differences in fruit and vegetable purchasing, but is not definitive. Additional research is necessary before promoting cooking skills to improve population nutrition or reduce nutritional inequalities. An area potentially useful to examine would be how cooking skills integrate with psychosocial correlates of food and nutrition, and socioeconomic position. For example, whether improvement of cooking skills can generate interest and knowledge, and improve dietary behaviours, and whether a lack of interest in food and nutrition contributes to a lack of both fruit and vegetable consumption and cooking skills. This thesis has demonstrated that an inequitably distributed food retail environment probably does not contribute to socioeconomic variation in fruit and vegetable purchasing, at least in contemporary Brisbane, Australia. Findings are unlikely to apply to other time periods, rural and regional settings, and perhaps other Australian cities as residential and retail development, and the supply and pricing of produce vary substantially across these dimensions. Overall, the main implication for public health is that interventions targeting the food supply in terms of ensuring greater provision of shops, or altering the available food and prices in shops may not necessarily carry a great benefit, at least in major cities similar to Brisbane. Future studies of equitable food access may need to look beyond mapping the distribution of shops and prices, perhaps to more personal and subjective facets of accessibility and affordability that incorporate individuals’ perceptions and ability to access and pay for foods.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Miami University, Dept. of Psychology, 2004. / Title from second page of PDF document. Includes bibliographical references (p. 26-30).

Thesis (M.S.) -- Mississippi State University. Department of Geosciences. / Title from title screen. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Montana, 2007. / Title from title screen. Description based on contents viewed June 18, 2007. Includes bibliographical references (p. 59-61).

Este estudo foi desenvolvido em um frigorífico de grande porte de um município do interior do Paraná, para avaliar atividades desenvolvidas dentro de câmaras frigoríficas em ambientes com temperatura de 10 ºC à -35 ºC. Os principais objetivos foram analisar o processo de trabalho em um frigorífico, com relação aos fatores condições de trabalho, danos e custos físicos, diagnosticar comparativamente todos os fatores do instrumento, os níveis de prazer e o sofrimento dos trabalhadores, bem como indicar os principais riscos inerentes às atividades executadas. Os resultados foram obtidos por meio do instrumento Inventário sobre Trabalho e Riscos de Adoecimento – ITRA, com a participação de 178 funcionários, contemplando 4 escalas de 13 fatores num total de 124 itens desse instrumento. Esses colaboradores foram classificados em diferentes grupos de acordo com a escolaridade, estado civil, tempo de serviço, turno, idade e temperatura de trabalho. Para análise estatística dos dados foi utilizado o programa Statistica program, versão 5.0 (Statsoft®). No processo de trabalho, foram identificados como principais riscos à saúde do trabalhador o trabalho em altura, o possível vazamento de gases tóxicos, o uso incorreto do ar comprimido e os choques elétricos, sendo que todos os riscos contém medidas de controle. A torção da coluna lombar, a sobrecarga nos joelhos e os riscos de prensagem, batidas e contusões foram os mais evidentes danos à saúde dos colaboradores. Para o fator condição de trabalho, todos os itens foram classificados no nível crítico, sendo que houve diferença estatisticamente significativa em alguns itens para turno de trabalho e para idade. Com relação ao custo físico, houve predominância de respostas também com classificação crítica, sendo a diferença observada em alguns dos itens para tempo de serviço, turno e temperatura de trabalho. Com referência aos danos físicos, a avaliação se mostrou heterogênea, com alguns dos itens considerados na escala grave. Diferença estatística foi observada para tempo de serviço e turno de trabalho. A temperatura não foi identificada como variável de influência negativa no processo de trabalho. Para a variável turno, os funcionários que trabalham no horário noturno apontaram piores classificações, refletindo indiretamente o desgaste emocional, mental e familiar por trabalhar num período diferenciado. A variável tempo de serviço indica de forma geral que o sofrimento vai diminuindo com o passar dos anos. Dentre os itens pesquisados, apenas 6% apresentaram classificação grave, 61%, em nível crítico ou intermediário e 33% classificação suportável. Nenhum item apresentou o resultado com doença ocupacional. A média geral dentre os 13 fatores analisados, classificou 10 em nível crítico e 3 em nível suportável ou satisfatório. / This case study was undertaken in a large freezer factory in an inland city in the state of Paraná to evaluate activities carried out in freezer rooms at ambient temperatures of between 10º C and -35º C. The main objectives were: to analyze the work processes in a freezer factory with respect to factors such as working conditions, physical injuries and physical costs; to diagnostically compare factors related to the levels of pleasure and suffering of the workers; and to indicate the key risks inherent in the activities performed. The results were obtained through the use of the ITRA (Inventory on Labor and Risk of Illness) with the participation of 178 employees. The ITRA comprises 4 scales of 13 factors totalling 124 items. These employees were classified into different groups according to level of education, marital status, length of service, shift, age and temperature at which they worked. For statistical analysis the Statistica program, version 5.0 (Statsoft ®) was used. Within the work processes, the following were identified as representing major risks to workers‟ health: working at height, the possible leak of toxic gases, misuse of compressed air and electric shocks, however contains all risk control measures. The most obvious health risks to employees were torsion of the lumbar spine, overloading of the knees and risks from being squeezed, bumped and bruised. In relation to the „working conditions‟ factor, all the items were classified at the „unsatisfactory‟ level, with statistically significant differences in some items related to type of shift and age. Regarding the „physical cost‟ factor, most responses were also rated as „unsatisfactory‟ with some differences related to length of service, working temperature and shift. With reference to the „physical injuries‟ factor, the responses were heterogeneous, with some items on the scale considered to be „severe‟. Statistical difference was observed for education, marital status, length of service and shift. Temperature was not identified as a variable with a negative influence on the work process. In terms of the „shift‟ factor, employees working on night shifts gave worse ratings, indirectly reflecting the emotional and mental stress of working at night. The „length of service‟ factor generally indicated that suffering decreased over the years. Among the items surveyed, only 6% were classified as „severe‟, 61% were „unsatisfactory‟, and 33% were „tolerable‟. No item was classified as an „occupational illness‟. The overall average of the 13 factors analyzed, ranked 10 as „unsatisfactory‟ and 3 as „tolerable‟ or satisfactory.

O presente trabalho apresenta um estudo de caso de contaminação de solo e água subterrânea por derivados do petróleo em uma refinaria da região Sudeste do país, para o qual foram aplicados todos os níveis ou tiers da metodologia RBCA de avaliação de risco à saúde humana. Diferentes vias de exposição foram consideradas ao longo de toda a metodologia, a qual foi dividida em determinística, compreendendo os dois primeiros níveis, e estocástica, no caso do terceiro nível. Sobre a abordagem determinística, o modelo de Domenico (1987) para transporte de contaminantes em água subterrânea foi substituído por um conjunto de soluções analíticas que considera diferentes geometrias de fonte de contaminação para casos instantâneos e contínuos de liberação de contaminantes, permitindo que a metodologia RBCA também possa ser empregada mesmo quando o modelo de Domenico (1987) não se aplica. A comparação deste conjunto de soluções com outro utilizado apenas para comparar e confirmar a validade dos modelos escolhidos demonstrou grande estabilidade nas soluções, enquanto os modelos de comparação apresentaram instabilidade nas soluções para altos valores da variável tempo. Tal fato comprovou a viabilidade do emprego do conjunto de soluções analíticas proposto para avaliação de risco à saúde humana. No contexto da abordagem estocástica da estimativa do risco, o método de Monte Carlo foi empregado para propagação das incertezas sobre uma das soluções analíticas citadas anteriormente, da qual, por sua vez, foram extraídos os resultados para a simulação estocástica do risco para a via de contato dermal com água superficial contaminada por Benzeno. Os resultados da simulação estocástica demonstraram uma correlação muito grande do risco com a variável C (concentração do contaminante), a qual, por sua vez, foi modelada pela simulação estocástica da condutividade hidráulica. Logo, pode-se concluir que a condutividade hidráulica afeta a estimativa do risco, para o qual observou-se uma diferença de seis ordens de magnitude entre o valor mínimo e o máximo simulados e duas ordens de magnitude para o valor real do risco. / This dissertation presents a case study on soil and ground water contamination by components derived from petroleum in a refinery located in the Southeast region of Brazil. All of the RBCA health risk assessment methodology tiers were applied in this study. Different exposure pathways were considered throughout the methodology. Firstly, the deterministic approach which encompasses the first two tiers and secondly, the stochastic approach which addressed the third tier. Regarding the deterministic approach, the Domenico (1987) ground water contaminant transport model was replaced by a new set of analytical solutions that consider different geometries of contamination sources used in cases of instantaneous and continuous release of contaminants. This replacement allowed for the utilization of the RBCA methodology whenever the Domenico (1987) analytical model does not apply. A comparison between this set of analytical solutions with another set used to validate and testify the chosen set only, showed great solution stability response; whereas, the models of comparison have demonstrated instability for high values of the time variable. Such a fact proved the validity of the use of the proposed set of analytical solutions inserted in a health risk assessment context. In the context of the stochastic approach of risk estimation, the Monte Carlo method was employed to propagate uncertainties over one of the analytical solutions mentioned above, from which results were obtained to simulate dermal contact with contaminated surface water while swimming exposure pathway. The results of the stochastic simulation demonstrated a high correlation between the risk and the variable C (contaminant concentration), which was modeled by the hydraulic conductivity stochastic simulation. Hence, it may be concluded that the hydraulic conductivity affects the risk estimation, for which a difference of six orders of magnitude between the minimum and maximum simulated values and two orders of magnitude for the real risk value was observed.